Amendment 02 to RFP No. SUB-2023-10379.pdf

National Renewable Energy Laboratory Managed and Operated by the Alliance for Sustainable Energy, LLC

15013 Denver West Parkway

Golden, CO 80401

AMENDMENT OF SOLICITATION

Request for Proposal (RFP)

No. SUB-2023-10379 Amendment No. 02

Date: June 26, 2023

ISSUED BY:

National Renewable Energy Laboratory

15013 Denver West Parkway

Golden, CO 80401

PROJECT NAME

"Variable Speed Hydro Generator Emulation Platform"

The above numbered solicitation is amended as set forth below. The hour and date specified for receipt of offers

[] is not extended. [x ] is extended to 7/13/2023 5pm Mountain Time

EXCEPT AS PROVIDED HEREIN, ALL TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF THE SOLICITATION DOCUMENT REMAIN UNCHANGED

AND IN FULL FORCE AND EFFECT.

Subcontract Administrator: Todd Labosky

The purpose of this Amendment is to document questions and answers provided on the above-mentioned

Request for Proposal (RFP).

Part A – Questions/Answers

Question 1: In the “DELIVERY OF COMPUTER SOFTWARE CODE (AS APPLICABLE)” subsection under section 6.0 of Appendix A, there is a requirement for to provide written certification that “all source or other software code…does not contain any 3rd party software”.

a. Please clarify whether this includes standard, vendor, industrial libraries that are provided as part of the control system software. For example, standard “PID” code is provided within a library of the control system. Can these be used, or is the requirement to custom build these?

Response 1: Our expectation is that the vendor will provide the application software that can be used for configuration and settings on the drives and that acts as a user interface. If 3rd party software is used and included as part of the solution, please clarify who will be responsible for answering questions about performance and configuration of the drives.

Question 2: What are the specifics of the power feed to the skid?

a. Presumably, a local disconnect is required on the skid. Are there any specific requirements for this?

b. Please confirm that NREL is responsible for the electrical supply and connection of 13.2kV feed capable of powering the skid. The scope limit for our proposal is assumed to be to supply the skid. All installation and connection to the electrical supply will be provided by NREL / Others.

Response 2: a. A local fused disconnect on the skid is required.

b. Correct, NREL will supply the 13.2kV feed.

Question 3: Are any other operator inputs/outputs required beyond what would be included in the HMI (physical E-stop button, warning lights, light curtains, or other safety features, etc.)?

Response 3: Please include physical E-stop, operation warning lights, light curtain, and/or safety mat protection in your solution.

Question 4: Other than an operator HMI with readouts, is any data history collection required and if so, what are the specifications?

a. Are there specific preferred methods or interfaces to download the collected data (USB, ports, etc)?

Response 4: We need access to real-time operational data streams for external data acquisition systems.

Internally buffered data for safe operation and sequence of event records may be stored locally and made available via HMI for diagnostics.

a. EtherCAT is preferred for control and feedback. Please provide local USB or other serial interface for access to local stored data and records.

Question 5: At 400 RPM and a ~3500HP VFD (or 2 1700HP VFDs) with two ~1700HP dynamotors, air cooling for the dynamotors may not be enough to keep the system cool. Will other utilities such as chilled water be provided?

Response 5: No other utilities are available. Cooling should take place on the skid and be powered electrically.

Question 6: In section 3.1 of Appendix A, only one VFD is specified. This assumes that one VFD will drive two motors. If it is one VFD, it is unclear how to accomplish the “initial configuration” as described in section 3.0. where “one motor will emulate a hydro turbine (motive force) up to 1.25 MW while the other motor (1.25 MW) will emulate the driven electric generator”.

a. Should this be 2 VFDs as it appears on the diagram in section 3.0?

b. Please clarify how this would work, if one VFD.

Response 6: a. Yes, two inverters with single active front end is acceptable.

b. One active front end and two inverter configuration is acceptable.

Question 7: In section 3.1 of Appendix A, it is noted that the motors have an “intended operational range of mechanical shaft speed is from zero to 400 rpm”. However, the diagram in section 3.0 notes that the VFDs should have a range of 3-300 Hz.

a. Is the output frequency range of 3 – 300 Hz a requirement? Or is the requirement simply 0 – 400 RPM on the mechanical shaft?

b. If the RPM range is the only requirement, then the correct motors will be selected to achieve 0-400 RPM within a ‘normal’ range of 0-60Hz, is this acceptable?

Response 7: a. Please ignore 3-300 Hz language. 0-400 RPM mechanical shaft speed is expected.

b. Corresponding to 2x1.25 MW, both torque and speed for nominal 0-60 Hz should be achievable. Please provide speed-torque characteristics with your solution.

Question 8: In section 3.1 of Appendix A, it is noted that “Instrumented data collection should take place on the device output shafts”.

a. The assumption is that this instrument will be a dynamometer. Is this assumption correct?

b. Is the subcontractor expected to provide these instruments?

c. What data is required to be measured?

d. Are there any measurement accuracy requirements?

Response 8: a. Please provide appropriate instrumentation as part of the solution to measure the torque and RPM.

b. Yes, and an integrated solution is expected.

c. Torque, RPM, and Power

d. No, but please provide high resolution data for external data acquisition. Please specify accuracy in design specification of your solution.

Question 9: Can a sample of a torque/speed profile curve that would be used as a test for the system be provided?

Response 9: No, but please provide the expected torque-speed curve for wider range of speed operation at nominal power.

Question 10: Can the minimum dynamic response requirements for torque/speed curves that this system will need to respond to be provided?

a. For example, what is the maximum required torque change per second?

b. What is the maximum required RPM acceleration per squared second?

Response 10: After start-up, the expected dynamic response is listed below.

a. Based on speed-torque curve, torque corresponding to speed rate of change at 10% per second or better.

b. 10% per second or better.

Question 11: Confirm the scope limits of ‘device under evaluation’ functionality for testing of an external generator up to 2.5 MW capability.

a. Our understanding is that this system must be capable of both 1.25 MW

VFD/Motor sets working together as motors to provide combined power/torque up to 2.5 MW to an external generator.

b. Our understanding is that this functionality will NOT be tested as part of the acceptance testing for this scope.

c. IF this functionality is tested and be part of the acceptance criteria, NREL or others must be able to provide the external generator and power electronics for the test.

Response 11: a. Correct

b. Correct

c. Correct, during on-site acceptance testing at NREL if load test is conducted, NREL will provide generator and power electronics; At minimum a No-Load test with tandem-compound operation will be tested.

Question 12: In section 4.2 of Appendix A, it is noted that “The Subcontractor shall be responsible for providing a controls interface (for digital and analog inputs and outputs) to NREL's research system via Digital data acquisition hardware for controlling the variable speed drive.”

a. Please provide any specific requirements for the controls interface to NREL’s research system.

b. Are there any requirements for amount / time frame of data to be stored on the local skid controls?

c. What are the fidelity requirements of the data acquisition in terms of frequency of data collection?

Response 12: a. EtherCAT is preferred for control and feedback. NREL’s research system interface to send commands and receive measurement/feedback will be a real-time simulation (e.g., https://www.typhoon-hil.com/products/hil606/ and https://knowledge.rtds.com/hc/en-us/articles/360034290474-NovaCor- ) interface with high-speed digital and/or low-voltage analog signals.

b. Data logs and sequence of events log must be stored for access via HMI and serial interface to the operator.

c. NREL data acquisition can handle up to 10kHz.

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Part B – Revisions and Acknowledgement and Acceptance

1. The Due Date for receipt of proposals is extended to 07/13/2023 at 5pm Mountain Time

2. Proposal Cover letters must include acknowledgement of receipt of Amendment 02 to RFP No. SUB-

2023-10379