Candidate LI-ION cell designs for the international space station battery

This is amendment No. 1 to the combined synopsis/solicitation entitled CandidateLi-ion Cell Designs for the International Space Station Battery which was posted on March05, 2009. You are notified that the following changes are made: 1. This amendment hereby establishes a maximum 25 page limitation for supportingtechnical rationale.2. This amendment answers questions that have been submitted. See below.Question: Are there any page or formatting limitations to the proposal? Answer: This amendment establishes a maximum 25 page limitation for supporting technicalrationale.Question: Do you want the quote to include one (1), ten or twenty (20) single-cell testfixture clamps? The RFQ appears to ask for 20, but that does not seem to make sense,unless the requirement is not well understood. (Cells from the 10 cell fixture will alsobe used in single cell fixtures, for example) Answer: If the cell design proposed requires fixturing to perform during NASA'sperformance acceptance and LEO life tests, then one (1) ten-cell fixture and twenty (20)single cell fixtures are required to be delivered with the 20 single cells as stated inthe RFQ. Also, if necessary to ensure consistent performance, provide assemblyinstructions for the fixtures.Question: Do you want this to be a Firm Fixed Price quote?Answer: Yes.Question: The 120V ISS Li-ion Battery ORU Requirements list: Operating Voltage Window Useful discharge/charge capacity shall be delivered/acquired between 76 and 126 Vdc. For typical Li-ion cell voltage ranges, the high end of 126 VDC would not have beenexpected to equate to a low end as low as 76. If conservative (for maximum cycle-life)cell EoCV of 3.95 V is defined, then the 126 V battery EoCV would lead to a 32-cellbattery. Then a cell-level 3.0V EoDV would equate to a battery-level EoDV of 96 V, wellabove 76V. Please confirm the Operating Voltage Window lower limit value. Answer: The 76 to 126 Vdc window is the current one used by the incumbent Ni-H2 system.Your proposed lithium-ion concept can utilize a narrower window and still meet therequirements of the RFQ.Question: The current ISS Battery ORU envelope includes a designated Electronics zone,per SOW Figure 1, which is presumably based on the current legacy Ni-H2 batteryconfiguration. If the Offeror has a complete integrated Li-ion battery design, includingelectronics, which fits within the overall ORU envelope, including thecurrently-designated electronics zone, must the existing design be deconstructed toseparate the cells and electronics, or can the entire ORU envelope (except for the twosmaller keep-out zones), be used? The potential benefits of maximizing the ISS/CEVCommonality goal by using an already space-qualified CEV battery (or very closederivative thereof), which could be mounted as-is directly into the ISS ORU and connectedto ORU mechanical and electrical interfaces, would be very compelling. These benefitswould seem to far outweigh any potential value of retaining the legacy electronics zone,unless it is also used for non-battery purposes. The 2 keep-out zones could, in any case,still be preserved. Please confirm that we may include ISS ORU design options that makeuse of portions of the current Electronics zone. Answer: For the purpose of your cell design selection for your quotation, NASA recommendsthat you propose a battery design concept that meets the required keep out zonesspecified in the RFQ. Trading battery concepts that don't meet the RFQ requirements isbeyond the current scope of NASA cell evaluation effort. The due date for responses is not extended.Documents related to this procurement will be available over the Internet. Thesedocuments will reside on a World Wide Web (WWW) server, which may be accessed using a WWWbrowser application. The Internet site, or URL, for the NASA/JSC Business Opportunitieshome page is http://prod.nais.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/eps/bizops.cgi?gr=D&pin=73 Offerors are responsible for monitoring this site for the release of the solicitation andany amendments. Potential offerors are responsible for downloading their own copy ofthe solicitation and amendments (if any).

This notice is a combined synopsis/solicitation for commercial items prepared inaccordance with the format in FAR Subpart 12.6, as supplemented with additionalinformation included in this notice. This announcement constitutes the onlysolicitation; offers are being requested and a written solicitation will not be issued.This notice is being issued as a Request for Quotations (RFQ) for the purpose that NASAseeks to purchase small lots of up to 5 unique lithium ion cell designs for evaluation ascandidate building blocks for the 120V International Space Station (ISS) battery. Seethe Statement of Work and reference documents for more information. The Statement ofWork and reference Documents can be viewed at: http://procurement.jsc.nasa.gov/NNJ09282946Q/SOW.doc http://procurement.jsc.nasa.gov/NNJ09282946Q/SSP-30695B.pdf http://procurement.jsc.nasa.gov/NNJ09282946Q/SSP-41172-RevU.pdf http://procurement.jsc.nasa.gov/NNJ09282946Q/SSP-50722-Battery-ICD.pdf http://procurement.jsc.nasa.gov/NNJ09282946Q/SSP50835A-ISS-Common-IRD.pdf The provisions and clauses in the RFQ are those in effect through FAC 2005-30.The NAICS Code and the small business size standard for this procurement are 335912 and1,000 respectively. The offeror shall state in their offer their size status for thisprocurement.All responsible sources may submit an offer which shall be considered by the agency.Delivery to NASA-JSC is required within 3 months ARO. Delivery shall to a NASAdesignated site (Government Bill of Lading).Offers for the items(s) described above are due by 1:30 local time, March 20, 2009 toPerry Lamar Mueller, 2101 NASA Parkway, Houston, TX 77058 and must include, solicitationnumber, Government Bill of Lading, proposed delivery schedule, discount/payment terms,warranty duration (if applicable), taxpayer identification number (TIN), identificationof any special commercial terms, and be signed by an authorized company representative. Offerors are encouraged to use the Standard Form 1449, Solicitation/Contract/Order forCommercial Items form found at URL:http://server-mpo.arc.nasa.gov/Services/NEFS/NEFSHome.tml Quotes shall provide the information required by FAR 52.212-1 (JUNE 2008), Instructionsto Offerors-Commercial Items, which is incorporated by reference. If the end product(s) offered is other than domestic end product(s) as defined in theclause entitled "Buy American Act -- Supplies," the offeror shall so state and shall listthe country of origin.FAR 52.212-4 (OCT 2008), Contract Terms and Conditions-Commercial Items is applicable. FAR 52.212-5 (FEB 2009), Contract Terms and Conditions Required To Implement Statutes orExecutive Orders-Commercial Items is applicable.FAR 52.227-14 (DEC 2007), Rights in Data - General, is applicable.The FAR may be obtained via the Internet at URL: http://www.acquisition.gov/far/index.html The NFS may be obtained via the Internet at URL: http://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/procurement/regs/nfstoc.htm All contractual and technical questions must be in writing (e-mail) to Perry LamarMueller not later than March 16, 2009. Telephone questions will not be accepted.Selection and award will be made to that offeror whose offer will be most advantageous tothe Government, with consideration given to the factors of proposed technical merit,price, and past performance. Other critical requirements: Other critical factors that shall also be considered:1. Technical rationale supporting that the cell design proposed will yield a batterydesign solution that will exceed the ISS 6.5-year service life requirement with a goal of10-year service life. Proposals should thoroughly explain how any margin over the 6.5year is arrived at with details that shall include at minimum a combination of maximizingthe energy content within the ISS mass and volume constraints, lowering the DoD, and lifeverification tests/analyses on the proposed (or very relevant) cell design.2. Flight heritage and Technology Readiness Level (TRL) of the proposed cell design.3. Cell design features provided and production line measures taken to ensure highcell quality and to mitigate cell internal shorts.4. Relevant qualifications and experience on similar efforts of the personnelproposed to manage and perform this cell production for NASA.5. Quality of the content to be included in the Acceptance Data Package for thecells to be delivered.6. Schedule (section 7.0) Demonstration of measures taken to mitigate schedule riskand/or exceed the schedule as set out by the statement of work without compromising thetechnical integrity of the work required.7. Technical rationale supporting that the cell design proposed will enable a commoncell design to satisfy the ISS and Orion battery modules.Technical acceptability will be determined by review of information submitted by theofferor which must provide a description in sufficient detail to show that theproduct/service offered meets the Government's requirement. It is critical that offerorsprovide adequate detail to allow evaluation of their offer.NASA intends to award up to 5 separate contracts for unique cell designs that meet therequirements herein. NASA will perform acceptance tests on the lots of cells deliveredthat include electrical performance and seal integrity. Subsequently, cells shall beconnected into 10-cell batteries and a LEO cycle testing will be initiated at the ISSconditions proposed. In parallel, NASA will perform non-destructive and destructivephysical analysis of a sample of each cell. Option 1: Cell Production Line Audits will beawarded to the three best performing cell designs.It is critical that offerors provide adequate detail to allow evaluation of their offer. (SEE FAR 52.212-1(b)).Offerors must include completed copies of the provision at 52.212-3 (JUNE 2008), OfferorRepresentations and Certifications - Commercial Items with their offer. These may beobtained via the internet at URL:http://prod.nais.nasa.gov/eps/Templates/Commercial_Greater_Than_25K.doc . Theserepresentations and certifications will be incorporated by reference in any resultantcontract.An ombudsman has been appointed -- See NASA Specific Note "B".Prospective offerors shall notify this office of their intent to submit an offer. It isthe offeror's responsibility to monitor the following Internet site for the release ofsolicitation amendments (if any):http://prod.nais.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/eps/bizops.cgi?gr=D&pin=73 . Potential offerorswill be responsible for downloading their own copy of this combinationsynopsis/solicitation and amendments (if any).Any referenced notes may be viewed at the following URLs linked below.