7N26RA003 TRGR Brand Name Justification.pdf

JUSTIFICATION AND APPROVAL

FOR OTHER THAN FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION – FAR PART 6

Sole Source / Brand Name

John Day Dam

Turbine Runner Replacement and Generator Rewind

(TRGR)

17 May 2022

1. CONTRACTING ACTIVITY: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Portland District (NWP), Contracting Division, 333 1st Avenue, Portland, OR 97204-3495

2. DESCRIPTION OF ACTION TO BE APPROVED: This justification and approval for other than full and open competition is for the specification of brand name components in the new contract work specifications for the John Day Turbine Runner Replacement and Generator Rewind project (TRGR).

3. DESCRIPTION OF SUPPLIES/SERVICES: This procurement is for the TRGR Project at John Day Dam in Oregon and Washington. The scope includes everything necessary to design, test, manufacture and install up to 16 new turbine runners, as well as the refurbishment and/or replacement of other ancillary turbine components to include up to 16 generator rewinds. The brand name items listed are those for which USACE is not able accept equal or alternate items. The total estimated value of all items being justified is out of an estimated contract value of over , equaling of the total contract value. The specific brand name items are listed below. A final IGE will be provided before proposals are due.

- All True Hydro 2069-ATHB

- CIP Hydro

- Devatex 522

- Devatex 552

- HPF

- HPM

- HPMB

- SlideRite P312-PTFE

- Karon V (bronze backed)

- Karon V (composite backed)

- C417

- TXM-M

ii. Impact and Justification: The contract lists thirteen self-lubricating materials from specific brands that have provided their materials to be tested by Powertech Labs and those results have been reviewed by the Hydroelectric Design Center (HDC) for certain friction and wear qualities. In the 1990’s HDC worked with Powertech Labs to design a test procedure and test rig to mimic wicket gate motions/loads and to evaluate characteristics such as coefficients of friction, wear rates, and bond integrity at different dynamic operations and wet/dry conditions. It is understood that contractors may have a preference on self-lubricating materials, but it needs to be one of the identified products in section 5.a.i. above that have completed testing and approval processes. There are several advantages with moving towards self-lubricating bushing/plate materials in the wicket gate operating mechanism. The built in lubricant or low friction material reduces on-site maintenance by removing the need to externally supply lubricants, reduces costs of lubricating greases, eliminates lubrication system failures, smooths operation with reduced material friction, and reduces grease/lubricant exposure to water downstream.

The friction and wear test completed through Powertech Labs and the approved self-lubricating material list have become a standard for North

American hydro owners when selecting self-lubricating bushings in the hydro turbine application. HDC and Powertech Labs were the leads within the industry starting in the 1990’s to better understand this material and its application in hydro. There have been instances of self-lubricating material industry failures, but these were materials that performed poorly in the friction and wear test and are NOT included on HDC’s approved list.

There has been about a 25% failure rate in known materials tested by Powertech Labs, but bushing manufacturers are not required to disclose test results so it’s possible the failure rate is even higher.

Retesting or approving a material not on this list could add significant time delays and costs associated with the rigorous testing process and poses significant risk of not passing testing. These materials have been sole sourced in numerous rehabilitation contracts over the last 20 years.

b. Self-Lubricating Materials for Oil Free Hubs:

iii. Tested and Approved Products:

- Devatex 552

- Karon V (bronze backed)

- TXM-M

Impact and Justification: Similar to the self-lubricating materials for wicket gates, there have been instances of self-lubricating material failures within oil-free hubs around the world. The contract lists three self-lubricating materials from specific brands that are currently being tested by Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) and those results will be reviewed by the Hydroelectric Design Center (HDC) for certain friction and wear qualities. We anticipate these materials will be acceptable and if there are any testing failures, those items will be removed from this list. Testing is ongoing.

In 2021, HDC worked with PNNL to design a test procedure and test rig to simulate turbine runner blade motions/loads and to evaluate characteristics such as coefficients of friction and wear rates at different dynamic operations and in wet conditions. It is understood that contractors may have a preference on self-lubricating materials, but the choice must be from the list of identified products in Section

5.b.iii. that have begun the rigorous testing and approval process. The use of self-lubricating materials is required for oil-free turbine runner hubs.

The friction and wear test completed through PNNL and the approved self-lubricating material list serve as the standard for the use of these materials in oil-free hubs at John Day Dam and other regional dams.

The suppliers of these bushing (self-lubricating) materials have the manufacturing capability necessary to provide large self-lubricating bushings such as those required at John Day Dam, and also have in-house engineering staff, which will be critical when implementing the first oil-free hub within USACE.

c. Ingredients for Special Paint Formulas:

i. Products:

Suspending Agents:

- Kronos 2160 or 2101

- Ti-Pure 960

- MPA-14

- Bentone 27

Resins:

- Vinylite VYHH

- Vinylite VMCH

Silane B:

- Silane A-1120

- Silane Z-6020

ii. Impact and Justification: The Paint Technology Center of the USACE Paints & Coatings Center of Expertise (TCX) provided HDC with background and justification on the requirements for specific paint ingredients, such as suspending agents, resins and Silane, and why these ingredients are specified in Corps contracts for turbine runners.

The Army Corps of Engineers developed formulations for vinyl coatings in the early 1950’s for the protection of the hydraulic structures on the Mississippi River as well as other navigation and hydropower structures throughout the country. In addition to providing needed corrosion protection to these critical structures, vinyl coatings are especially resistant to damage by the floating ice and debris commonly encountered on navigable waterway structures. These coatings can be applied by small business contractors using common application equipment. The ability to apply these coatings over a wide temperature and humidity range results in a long painting season.

Formulations for alternative coatings as well as extensive testing of proprietary products over the decades has not identified any with comparable application properties or service lives. Commercially available products commonly used for the protection of immersed structures such as water storage tanks typically exhibit 20%-25% the service life of vinyl coatings when exposed to the harsh environment of a Corps navigation structure. Vinyl coatings contain a high percentage of solvents (often referred to as VOC) but are allowed for use by the national VOC emission standards for architectural coatings (40 CFR Appendix Table 1 to Part D of Part 59) as well as by the Ozone Transport Commission (OTC) model rule for marketing and use on structures with impacted immersion service.

Vinyl coatings are based on formulations developed specifically to enhance their performance on hydraulic structures. The resins used have a very high molecular weight to attain the ultimate combination of hardness and elasticity. Resins can be manufactured by either an emulsion-based or a more costly solution-based process but for the required water resistance, only the solution-based process resins are acceptable. This limits the number of potential manufacturers who can supply the resin. The specification identifies specific manufacturer’s resins that can be used to meet the various salient requirements for the finished product. Paint manufacturers who opt to evaluate the resins produced by alternate resin manufacturers may do so.

Resins from one alternate supplier have been identified, but initial laboratory evaluations have indicated problems with quality control.

Providing paint manufacturers with the name of a raw material supplier having products with non-reproducible properties would be counterproductive. Additional potential suppliers have not been identified. Alternative products may be available but identifying suitable products would require both costly and time-consuming research. Funding is not available for this work and there have been no requests for the use of alternatives.

Additives used in paints and many other commercial products are highly proprietary. Research has shown that only the clay-based materials can be used without adversely affecting the adhesion properties of the VZ-108 paint, but even the clay type materials have proprietary surface treatments that affect their performance in the finished paint. Alternative sources of these materials have not been identified and there have been no requests for the use of alternatives.

The proprietary raw materials are critical to the performance of the vinyl paint systems. If they are not available, alternate coating systems will need to be used. At this time, the available alternative coating systems will result in greater life cycle costs for the corrosion protection of Corps hydraulic structures, increase the amount of time required to test each batch of paint potentially delaying contracts, increase the potential for coating failures resulting in significantly shorter repainting schedules with higher maintenance costs, and necessitate new costs for research to evaluate potential alternative raw materials.

d. Rotor Field Pole Insulation:

i. Product: Dupont Nomex 410

ii. Impact and Justification: The rotor field poles of the generator are located on the outside of the rotor spider/rim, which rotates within the stator core. It is important that the field windings on the pole are electrically insulated to prevent field grounds that can result in rotor/stator contact. At the time of original construction, insulation materials typically contained asbestos. Although asbestos is an effective insulator, there are extreme health concerns associated with it when disrupted. If electrical testing of the rotor field windings support refurbishment, then the asbestos insulation must be removed and replaced with a material that does not contain asbestos, yet has the necessary electrical, mechanical, and thermal properties for the application. If testing does not support refurbishment of the poles, re-insulation is not necessary, and the work will not disrupt the asbestos containing material.

Nomex, a product of DuPont, has become a trade name for meta aramid-sheet used for electrical insulation. Nomex 410 has specifically been called out in the contract for the field windings insulation. The electrical, thermal, and mechanical properties of Nomex have been proven and trusted by industry manufacturers. This material is the industry standard for this application used by all large electrical equipment service shops, hydro-generator manufacturers, and that it is commonly available from numerous electrical insulation suppliers and service shops. Nomex has become the trade name for meta-aramid sheet because of its successful history of use in this application. Within USACE history, this product has also been used in similar capacities and is considered a reliable and trusted product. The particular meta-aramid molecular chain of Nomex is the property of DuPont. There is no equivalent material with the same properties. Other variants that are similar to Nomex 410 do not contain the same molecular structure and are unproven in this high-demand capacity to withstand the steady state and transient electrical stresses, thermal burden, and mechanical stresses of high-velocity rotation and vibration experienced at the installed location. Proving additional products represents a significant risk as a pole failure frequently results in stator damage requiring generator disassembly, months of work by specialized trades, risks to maintaining river flows, and losses to key stakeholders.

6. EFFORTS TO OBTAIN COMPETITION: In accordance with the Competition in Contracting Act (CICA), the components list above are identified as brand name;

however, though the components are unique in nature and function, these components are available through various manufacturers and the overall procurement will be awarded in a competitive environment, on a best value, trade off basis. The requirement will be advertised on www.SAM.gov.

7. ACTIONS TO INCREASE COMPETITION: The list of approved components in Section 5 allows for multiple options, where possible, that a Contractor can choose from. Testing of these materials is ongoing and it is anticipated that additional components may be added to the list in the future further expanding the list of available manufacturers.

8. MARKET RESEARCH: Additional product testing to identify products that meet requirements is ongoing. This testing is rigorous and takes time to complete.

There are currently twenty-five options on HDC’s approved list for various required components found in Section 5. The testing and review process explained in this document is recognized as a standard for North American hydro owners when selecting products in a hydro-turbine application. Various testing and research done by Powertech Labs, the Hydroelectric Design Center, the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) and USACE Paint

Technology Center have shown that only the products listed in this document can meet the needs for this contract. More detailed explanations of testing done for each product can be found in Section 5 above. Market research indicates that the specified brand name components are essential to the Government’s requirements and similar products, or products lacking the particular features, do not meet, or cannot be modified to meet, the agency’s need.

Other major contracts that have brand-name sole-sourced some or all of these products (depending on scope of contract) are:

Fort Randall Major Unit Rehabilitation (2022)

McNary Turbine Replacement W912EF-18-C0001 (2018)

Ice Harbor Turbine Redesign and Runner Replacement W912EF-16-C- 0016 (2016)

Hills Creek Powerhouse Turbine and Unit Rehabilitation W9127N-11-C- 0001 (2011)

Lookout Point Turbine Rehab W9127N-08-C-0027 (2008)

Chief Joseph Turbine Rehab W912DW-07-C-0018 (2007)

Ozark-Jeta Taylor Powerhouse Major Rehab W9127S-05-C-0013 (2005)

Bonneville Turbine Rehab DACW5795C0002 (1995)

9. INTERESTED SOURCES: A Notice of Intent to Sole Source Brand Name items was posted on SAM.gov on 2 May for 15 days. No firms responded and to date no sources have expressed any interest. In accordance with FAR 5.102(a)(6), this justification and approval will be included with the solicitation when it is made available on the Government Point of Entry, www.sam.gov. Any sources that indicate interest as a result of the publication will be evaluated.

10. OTHER FACTORS: Procurement history is above. There are no other factors supporting the use of other than full and open competition (brand name items) for these products.