UWAV Sources Sought v1.0.pdf

RFI 25-013-S

UWAV Sources Sought

The Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL) is a partner in the U.S. Contributions to ITER Project. The U.S. is one of seven partners in this international project to produce a fusion reactor grade burning plasma. PPPL’s responsibilities include the supply of six diagnostic systems for ITER, including the Upper Wide-Angle Viewing system (UWAVS). Development of this system has recently entered the final design phase. Currently, PPPL is seeking responses from organizations, whether single commercial entities or consortia, with the interest and capability to construct this system and deliver its components to other groups within the international ITER organization.

The UWAVS, which has been under design by PPPL for over a decade, recently passed a Preliminary Design Review conducted by the ITER Organization. The design is being developed in a major partnership with General Atomics of San Diego, CA, working under subcontract to PPPL; that arrangement will continue through the completion of final design. Construction preparations must proceed concurrently with final design, both to expedite delivery and to enable construction considerations to influence final design decisions. It is expected that the preliminary design data now available (CAD models, technical design documents, and ITER requirements documentation) will be sufficient for launching construction preparation activities. Detailed drawings and component specifications will be produced during the final design phase. Risks and uncertainties will be reduced via the concurrent design and construction preparation activities.

The preparation phase will be conducted under a cost-reimbursement type of subcontracting arrangement, while the production phase is expected to be fixed price. A Final Design Review (FDR) and a Manufacturing Readiness Review (MRR) are the two remaining approval gates for the project before it moves into construction. The phasing of remaining activities is depicted in Figure 1.

Figure 1. Schematic representation of UWAV program phasing. MRR refers to Manufacturing Readiness Review

Scope of Supply The purpose of UWAVS is to measure visible and infrared light emitted from the plasma and walls of the ITER tokamak. UWAVS has roles in machine protection, control, and physics research. There are four UWAV installations of identical design. Each installation collects light through an aperture facing a part of the wall, known as a divertor target, that will experience the highest heat fluxes during operation. Light is relayed through a series of mirrors to visible and infrared cameras. The scale and complexity of the UWAVS is indicated in Figures 2 and 3.

Included in the scope but not shown in these figures are the instrumentation and controls equipment and control software. Not included in the scope are cameras, and hardware and software for data acquisition and data analysis. Some of the components shown in the figures, for example the yellow wheeled trolleys in Figure 2 and the Diagnostic Shield Module (DSM) indicated in Figure 3, are parts of the ITER infrastructure, provided by other ITER groups. The figures are intended only to provide a sense of the complexity of the system and how it integrates with the ITER facility. Technical design documents, Quality Assurance Program, and Manufacturing Readiness Review information are available at: Design and Quality Information.

Figure 2. Overview of one fully integrated UWAV system in the ITER

Tokamak Building

Figure 3. Close-up view of one fully integrated UWAV system in the

Tokamak vacuum region known as the Upper Port Plug https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1SS5iVBz9CmSBLHQ3-TtA7N0tOF-SIM8H?usp=drive_link https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1SS5iVBz9CmSBLHQ3-TtA7N0tOF-SIM8H?usp=drive_link

The components and subsystems to be acquired are organized according to the region of the ITER facility in which they will be installed, as indicated in the work breakdown structure:

The components and subsystems referred to in the WBS include:

● Mirror modules

● Devices for alignment and calibration

● A system for in-situ cleaning of plasma-facing mirrors

● A shutter and its actuator

● An active optical alignment system for tokamak motion compensation

● Optical mirrors, lenses, and beam splitters

● Light sources for calibration and transmission measurements.

● Electrical cables and control electronics

● Shielding for sensitive electronics

● Instrumentation and control (I&C) system, including hardware and control software.

Scope of Work The scope of work is to construct, pre-assemble, test, and deliver this system, as well as any special tooling or fixtures needed for fabrication, installation, alignment, and calibration. The work is divided into a preparation phase and a production phase, as depicted in Figure 1.

During the preparation phase, the subcontractor will provide comments and recommendations on final design development to improve manufacturability and achievement of its final performance and quality requirements. The subcontractor will also construct manufacturing prototypes that demonstrate any novel manufacturing techniques or the ability to achieve particularly stringent tolerances, for example: develop and demonstrate any critical processes such as welding, use of ITER-compatible processing fluids, and long-bore drilling. The subcontractor shall also prepare construction documentation (e.g., manufacturing travelers) to support an ITER-required manufacturing readiness review (MRR) prior to production (refer to the MRR procedure in the supporting documents), and prepare custom tooling or facilities. The subcontractor will also develop a complete quality assurance and control plan that will test and verify achievement of the specifications during the production phase.

In the production phase, the subcontractor will fabricate all components, assemble subsystems, and inspect or test all components and subsystems at each stage of integration. The purpose is to confirm, to the extent possible, that the system as constructed will satisfy the system requirements. The subcontractor will package and ship all components, some in partially assembled condition, to other groups in the ITER organization at multiple destinations, along with a complete documentation package.

Schedule Requirements The UWAV is intended to be available to perform its essential functions at the start of ITER operation, currently forecast for 2034. Considering the time required for integration of delivered components with the ITER facility, the UWAVS in-vessel components and the I&C cubicles must be delivered by 2029. The Ex-vessel components must be delivered by 2030. It is assumed that PPPL will award the prime contract for this work by Q4 of CY2025.

Required Capabilities The key technical capabilities required for this work are as follows.

● Forging, High precision machining, Gun Drilling,

● Welding, Brazing, per Design Code RCC-MR / AWS Code

● Fabrication of high-performance optics with specialized polishing, coatings, & plating.

● Testing of optical components: reflectivity, surface characterization, transmission.

● Adherence to strict high-vacuum compatibility: restricted materials, surface finish, outgassing.

● Metrology inspections & Precision alignment of optical-mechanical assemblies.

● Cleanliness Requirements (see reference documentation)

● Non-destructive Testing (NDT): radiograph, ultrasonic, liquid dye penetrant.

● Hydraulic pressure & flow testing, Helium leak testing

● Assembly and Testing of I&C equipment

● Development and testing of control software.

The performing organization (or lead organization, in the case of a consortium) must have experience in the successful construction of technically sophisticated systems for scientific research, for example observatories, space satellites, accelerators, laboratory-scale fusion research facilities such as tokamaks, or other ITER diagnostics.

The performing organization must have a strong and well-established quality program to meet ITER’s requirements for very high system reliability over a decade or more of operation in its nuclear environment, and for complete documentation of material and process history. Refer to the reference documentation for compliance to quality assurance and acceptable codes and standards.

The performing organization must have strong project management capabilities, including management of any lower-tier suppliers, effective client interface, and earned value management.

Responses Sought Interested organizations are asked to submit statements of interest and capability for construction of the UWAV system, whether as the prime subcontractor or as a lower-tier supplier. The statement shall be limited to 25 pages in length and must include:

● General information about the organization.

● The organization’s capability to construct UWAVS, including o One or two examples of experience in the fabrication, assembly and test of comparable systems.

o Technical capabilities, addressing each of the Required Capabilities.

o Project management capabilities and experience.

o Quality management capabilities.

o Ability to meet schedule

Statements of interest shall be submitted to Khalif Stripling (kstripli@pppl.gov), PPPL Procurement Specialist, by January 15, 2025.

When responding please reference PPPL RFI 25-013-S UWAVS Source Sought. All technical and procurement questions should be directed to the above point of contact.

http://kstripli@pppl.gov