SOW FOR RFQ.pdf

Request for Quotation Number 1333ND21QNB640050

Statement of Work

TITLE: Procurement of a Helium Recovery and Liquefaction System

BACKGROUND

The Biomolecular Structure and Function (BSF) Group in the Biomolecular Measurement Division (BMD) of the Materials Measurement Laboratory (MML) at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), advances novel measurement methods and models for the determination and analysis of the structure and function of biological macromolecules, including lipids, DNA, RNA, proteins, and macromolecular complexes and assemblies formed by these molecules; advances methods to determine the physical and chemical factors which determine the specific interactions of macromolecules with cofactors and ligands; studies the relationships between biomolecule structure, dynamics, function, and energetics using computational, biophysical, and biochemical techniques; develops reference databases for these properties; and advances measurement methods for engineering complex biological systems.

The BSF group has a critical need of a helium recovery and liquefaction system, to capture helium boil off from cryo-cooled, superconducting NMR magnet systems and condense it back to liquid helium. The system will be housed in a separate utility room about 100 linear feet from the furthest magnet. Four existing magnets will be connected to the system - one 400 MHz, two 600 MHz, and one 900 MHz NMR spectrometers.

GENERAL REQUIREMENTS

The helium recovery and liquefaction system must:

- Recycle helium boil-off from NMR instrumentation and condense it back to liquid helium;

- Remove oil vapor from the pumped 900 MHz magnet;

- Recycle the boil-off of 50 L of liquid helium (1300 ft3 of helium gas) in about 1-hour time during the fill of the 900 MHz NMR spectrometer.

-The quoted system must accommodate the NIST site plan. This includes capturing the helium from the 900

MHz NMR spectrometer, which is the most distant magnet from the proposed siting of the recovery and liquefaction equipment. A general schematic of the NMR laboratory suite is provided. An autocad file is available upon request. Reference the combined synopsis/solicitation.

SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS

The Contractor shall provide one helium recovery and liquefaction system, in a configuration that meets all of the following minimum technical requirements. The helium recovery and liquefaction system must connect to one 400 MHz, two 600 MHz, and one 900 MHz NMR spectrometers. The Contractor shall install the system and provide training as described herein.

Hardware:

Helium Liquefier.

o The liquefier must be capable of at least 20 L/day liquefication rate.

o Must have a dewar capacity of at least 150 L o Fully automated computer control sufficient to control and run the liquefier with the system o Please specify system physical dimensions

Helium recovery compressor.

This compressor must be capable of compressing the boil-off of 50 L of liquid helium (1300 ft3 of helium gas) in a time period not-to-exceed 1-hour time, during the fill of the 900 MHz NMR spectrometer and push the He gas into the pressure tanks (next specification). This compressor must be air-cooled.

Helium recovery pressure tank(s).

-Medium pressure tanks to recover 50L of boiled helium (1300 ft3 of gas) in 1-hour time. The tanks must store pressure of up to and including 25 bars. Please give specifications to demonstrate this storage capacity.

-The system must NOT require a bag to catch HE blowoff. The government will not accept helium recovery via gas bags.

Cryogen-free Purifier.

-The purifier must have the ability to purify helium to 99.999% or better before the gas is pumped to the liquefier.

-Fully automated computer control sufficient to control and run the purifier with the system

-The system must be cryogen free.

Water chiller.

A water chiller must be provided. The water chiller must have the heat capacity to handle the helium recovery and liquefaction system. Please provide specifications to demonstrate this heat capability are suitable for the proposed system.

Helium Dewar, 250 L.

- The 250 L Helium dewar must be able to operate between 1 and 3 psi.

- 1.0% daily evaporation rate

- It must include:

▪ locking casters

▪ an electric pressure builder

▪ a differential pressure liquid level gauge.

Oil filter.

An oil filter must be included to remove oil vapor from the helium boil-off from the 900 MHz NMR instrument.

All vendor-specific connections, as necessary, for operation of the equipment. These can include, but are not limited to cables, hoses, valves, monitors, and/or connectors.

Monitoring:

-Helium purity monitoring with at least ±0.01% resolution;

-The system must provide an audible and/or visual alarm when the purifier output efficiency drops below the following level (99.999%) – the minimum requirement for liquefier.

-Preference shall be given for systems that study trends to anticipate problems before an issue exists and automatically take appropriate action to prevent damage downstream.

Safety and Shielding:

The Contractor shall provide all safety devices needed to assure the safe operation of the system. This may include, but is not limited to, pressure relief valves to prevent explosive release of the helium gas, check valves to prevent over-pressurization of an instrument, monitors to determine the helium purity, etc.

Installation.

The Contractor shall install the system at the NIST site at the Institute for Bioscience and Biotechnology

Research (IBBR) in Rockville, MD. Installation shall include, at a minimum, uncrating/unpackaging of all equipment, set-up and hook-up of all equipment, connection to the existing NMR spectrometers, start-up, demonstration of specifications, and removal of all trash.

Training.

The Contractor shall schedule and facilitate training for three (3) NIST personnel, on-site at the IBBR. The training shall provide a thorough demonstration of all equipment functions, equipment operation and basic troubleshooting. The training may be completed on-site at the IBBR, immediately after installation and demonstration of specifications.

Installation and training must be completed during normal business hours, between 8:30am and 5:00pm Eastern

Time, Monday through Friday, except Federal Holidays, and must be coordinated with the NIST Technical

Point of Contact (TPOC) to ensure maximum availability of NIST personnel. Training must occur not later than ten business days after successful completion of installation and demonstration of all specifications.

Warranty.

The Contractor shall include a two (2) year warranty for the system. The warranty shall include all parts, materials, travel and labor for the recovery and liquefaction system. The warranty shall commence upon successful completion of delivery, installation, training and demonstration of all required specifications.

COMPLETION OF WORK

Delivery, installation, training, and demonstration that all specifications have been met must be completed not later than one year from the date of award or one year from the date that the Government authorizes the

Government to proceed with delivery.

DELAYED MANUFACTURING/DELAYED DELIVERY

NIST will be responsible for renovating the laboratory space relevant to power and water utilities, ventilation, and hooking up the primary SPS components based on instructions provided by the contractor. NIST is working with its internal colleagues to schedule the laboratory renovations.

Furthermore, due to COVID-19, the National Institute of Standards and Technology remains in Phase I reopening status. The Contractor shall contact the Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) and Technical

Point of Contact (TPOC) for NIST, upon award, and within timelines thereafter, to discuss the delivery/installation timeline.

To ensure timely delivery, installation and payment, the Contractor may be required to delay manufacturing/shipping for a period of time that may be as short as one month from the date of award up to six months from the date of award. The TPOC will communicate with the Contractor regarding the status of NIST operations and provide written notification to the Contractor when manufacturing can commence and/or the timeline when delivery can be completed.

If the Contractor chooses to manufacture the equipment upon award, the Contractor shall be responsible for storing the equipment, at their sole expense, until such time that NIST can accept delivery of the equipment.

GENERAL INFORMATION

Safety: The Contractor employee shall be responsible for knowing and complying with NIST installation safety prevention regulations (http://www-i.nist.gov/mml/safety/policies/index.htm.) Such regulations include, but are not limited to, general safety, fire prevention, and waste disposal.

Patent Rights: The Government retains a Government use license to all inventions arising from this work.

Security: NIST/IBBR has restricted access. The contractor is required to sign in with the guard at the front desk and shall be required to be escorted around the building by NIST staff.

Identification Badges: Contractor employees shall comply with NIST/IBBR access requirements. No specific visitor badge is required, but contractor shall be required to be escorted around the building by NIST/IBBR staff.

Media Inquiries: The Contractor employee shall not respond to any media inquiries. Any inquiries from the media shall be immediately relayed to the TPOC, COR, and/or CO. There shall be no interviews, comments, or any other response without the knowledge and approval of the NIST Director.

COVID-19. The Contractor shall review and adhere to the requirements of Attachment I titled NIST Visitor and Contractor Protocols for Mitigating COVID-19 Exposure on NIST Campuses. Contractor personnel performing work in NIST workspaces, must provide all information required by Attachment I, in advance of and throughout the period of performance, as required, over the life of the contract. While working on the

NIST-IBBR campus, the Contracting Officer's Representative and/or Technical Point of Contact will ensure that Contractor personnel comply with the requirements in place to mitigate COVID-19 exposure. The

Government reserves the right to require that Contractor personnel attend a 1-2 hour training session dedicated to COVID-19 protocols. It is noted that this document is subject to change and must be monitored by the

Contractor via the NIST website: https://www.nist.gov.

http://www-i.nist.gov/mml/safety/policies/index.htm