O2 Prototype SOW.pdf

Prototype Oxygen Generation System Statement of Work

April 9, 2020

1.0 Project Background

NASA’s Advanced Exploration Systems (AES) program is tasked with developing the technologies needed to provide functional capabilities necessary for human exploration of space. One of the key functional capabilities is the ability to recharge space suit oxygen tanks with high-pressure, high-purity oxygen. The space suit tanks on the International Space Station (ISS) are recharged with oxygen delivered to the ISS as a compressed gas that is shipped in high-pressure tanks. Compressed gas systems are too large and too heavy for long duration missions beyond low earth orbit.

NASA is particularly interested in developing systems with favorable intrinsic safety characteristics.

NASA uses a water electrolysis-based system to provide ambient pressure oxygen on the ISS to meet metabolic oxygen needs. NASA has developed research-grade, water electrolysis systems capable of producing high-pressure oxygen. NASA safety assessments of high-pressure water electrolysis systems note that high-pressure water electrolysis has an intrinsic safety risk: high-pressure oxygen, highly mobile and highly flammable hydrogen, and electrical ignition sources are in close proximity. The goal of this project, sponsored by the Advanced Exploration Systems (AES), is to develop and test oxygen generation systems that have favorable intrinsic safety characteristics. The goal of this project is to develop an oxygen generation system free of the safety risks associated with hydrogen, where all of the materials in contact with oxygen are oxygen-compatible and do not burn.

Space suits have demanding requirements for oxygen purity. Trace level impurities can accumulate inside the suit. Because the free volume inside the space suit is small, low amounts of contamination can create unsafe concentrations. The goal of this project is to develop systems that produce oxygen that meet propellant grade specifications (>99.99% O2).

Energy efficiency is important to all human spaceflight systems that use appreciable amounts of power.

The goal of this project is to demonstrate specific power consumption levels of < 150 Watts per liter-per-minute of constant production rate.

Reliability is important to all human spaceflight systems, but reliability is especially important to systems involving high pressure and oxygen. Flight experiences with the Oxygen Recharge Compressor Assembly (ORCA) emphasize the benefit of systems with solid-state processes and few moving parts. The goal of this project is to develop a reliable system design and demonstrate Mean Time Between Failure (MTBF) rates of >25,000 hours of operation.

2.0 Technical Requirements

This statement of work describes and defines the tasks and requirements of a research and development effort that results in the delivery of a prototype of an oxygen-generation system. The contractor’s design shall meet the following requirements:

2.1 Product Purity- The design of the oxygen-generation system shall satisfy a requirement for delivering oxygen with a product purity of >99.99%.

2.2 Delivery Rate- The design of the oxygen generation shall match the needs of a full-scale space suit oxygen tank recharge system. The design shall support a delivery rate between 3.0 and 15.0 standard liters per minute of oxygen.

2.3 Energy Efficiency- The design of the oxygen generation shall result in energy use projections of less than 150 Watts per liter-per-minute production rate. For example, a system designed to produce 10 liters-per-minute will have a projected energy use of less than 1500 Watts under steady-state operating conditions.

2.4 Intrinsic Safety- The design of the oxygen-generation system shall select materials so that all materials in contact with oxygen are oxygen-compatible, and the system does not involve the generation of hydrogen.

2.5 Reliability- The design of the oxygen-generation system shall be such that reliability analyses result in a Mean Time Between Failure (MTBF) projection of >25,000 hours of operation.

3.0 Task Descriptions

The contractor shall complete the tasks described and defined below:

3.1 System Design- The contractor shall develop a design that meets the technical requirements specified in 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.4, and 2.5.

3.2 Design Documentation- The contractor shall document the design developed in task 3.1 and prepare a design report. This design report shall include:

• A product purity analysis

• A delivery rate analysis

• An energy use analysis

• A materials compatibility report

• A system safety assessment

• A reliability assessment that includes a projection of Mean Time Between Failure

• A listing of limited life items, with their recommended replacement schedule

• Engineering fabrication and assembly drawings

• Electrical diagrams

• A Bill of Materials

• A report describing instrumentation and control software.

3.3 Prototype System Assembly- The contractor shall build one (1) prototype system. The prototype system shall match the configuration described in the design report.

3.4 Prototype Documentation- The contractor shall document the configuration of the prototype and its operation. The contractor shall prepare a user’s manual. The user’s manual shall include:

• Hazards and hazard controls

• Operator’s instructions

• Instructions on scheduled maintenance and replacement of limited life components.

In addition to the user’s manual, the contractor shall prepare a Pre-delivery inspection report. The pre-delivery inspection report shall include:

• A description of any non-conformances between the design and the prototype

• A report of delivery rate measurements

• A report of total power use and specific power at nominal production rate.

3.5 Delivery and Training- The contractor shall deliver a complete set of written documentation [HKG(1]to NASA Johnson Space Center. The contractor shall deliver the prototype to NASA White Sands Test Facility, deliver a user’s manual and pre-delivery inspection report to NASA White Sands Test Facility, and conduct a two-day, in-person training session.

4.0 Deliverables

4.1 Schedule

• The offeror shall deliver all items specified in tasks 3.1 and 3.2 (the design report) within 12 weeks of contract award. The offeror is encouraged to deliver the design report in less than 12 weeks if possible.

• The offeror shall deliver all items specified in tasks 3.3, 3.4, and 3.5 (the prototype, user’s manual, pre-delivery inspection report, in-person training) within 25 weeks of contract award. The offeror is encouraged to deliver all items in less than 25 weeks if possible.

• The schedule section shall be no more than three pages in length.

• The schedule section shall provide a list of key tasks, in schedule format.

4.2 Delivery

• The delivery section shall be no more than three pages in length.

• In the delivery section, the offeror shall affirm delivery of:

o Qty 1 oxygen generation system o Qty 1 design report o Qty 2 pre-delivery inspection report o Qty 2 user’s manual o Qty 2-day training session.

• In the delivery section, the offeror shall affirm the delivery locations of deliverables:

o To NASA Johnson Space Center

Qty 1 design report Qty 1 pre-delivery inspection report Qty 1 user’s manual o To NASA White Sands Test Facility Qty 1 prototype oxygen generation system

Qty 1 user’s manual Qty 1 two-day, in-person training session. When at a NASA Center, the offeror shall follow the safety and health requirements of that Center.