Helium Recovery System

Amendment 1: Answers to Questions

General Question:

Is there a "footprint" into which the equipment must fit?

Answer: The recovery system will be housed in two locations. Location #1 for the helium gas storage and compression has a foot print of approximately 18.5 feet by 14 feet. Location #1 for the liquefiers and purifies has a foot print of approximately 22.5 feet by 11.5 feet.

Regarding Min Requirement A (1-5):

This section of the specification implies that the liquefier has an integral helium reservoir in which it collects the liquid helium.

- What is the volume of liquid this reservoir must contain?
Answer: It is up to the vendor's system to determine the volume of liquid in the reservoir, the solicitation only requires that the system have a capacity to produce 120 liters of liquid helium per day.

- Is this recovery/ purifier/ liquefier system a standard product of some supplier?
Answer: There are multiple vendors that may supply such products.

A.5.: Does this mean or imply that the Recovery system will be attached to or located adjacent to the experiments it is to supply?
Answer: Not necessarily.

Can you provide a floor plan or schematic of the system if the recovery system is to be a part of the equipment it is to support?
Answer: There are multiple experimental systems in the building, each of which will be of a different design.

Will the supplier be required to furnish the vacuum jacketed lines to connect the liquefier to the experiments? If so, is there a layout of the system to allow the supplier to determine the number of and length of these lines?
Answer: NIST is responsible for the lines from the experiment to the recovery system.

Regarding Min Requirement B (1-4):

B.1.: What is the inlet purity of the gas from the system which must be purified? Provide the impurity and level thereof.
Answer: This is unknown until the system is installed and operational.

B.4.: What is anticipated amount of hydrogen contamination level the seller must be remove from the gas stream?
Answer: This is unknown until the system is installed and operational.

Regarding Min Requirement C:

What is the anticipated amount of water the seller must remove from the gas stream?
Answer: This is unknown until the system is installed and operational.

Regarding Min Requirement E:

What flow rate should the seller use to size this compressor?
Answer: The vendor shall determine this based on the entire size of their system and liquification rate.

Regarding Min Requirement F:

How many cylinders are there to be in this system and is the seller to supply them?
Answer: The vendor shall determine this number based on their system, and they are required to supply them per 1.F.

What is the anticipated quantity of gas to be stored in these cylinders?
Answer: The vendor shall determine this based on the entire size of their system and liquification rate.

Regarding Min Requirement G:

What pressure must these backpressure regulators maintain and what is the maximum deviation from the setpoint in the buyers mind?
Answer: There is no specific requirement except what is listed in 1.G.

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Please see attached Combined Synopsis/Solicitation document for full details on this requirement..