Technical Services Related to Decrement Curve Testing at a High Power Electrical Testing Facility

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) intends to award a non-competitive, fixed-price contract to Kema-Powertest, LLC for the project entitled, "Technical Services Related to Decrement Curve Testing at a High Power Electrical Testing Facility." The acquisition is conducted under the authority of Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 6.302-1 which provides for limiting competition in those situations where the supplies or services are available from only one responsible source and no other supplies or services will satisfy the agency requirements. The designated North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) Code is 541380- Testing Laboratories. The performance period is estimated from date of award through September 30, 2020.
The decrement curve testing must be performed in an ISO 17025 accredited high-power testing facility. The facility must be capable of performing medium voltage (5 kilo-volts (kV), 7kV, and 13kV) high energy arcing fault tests at fault currents up to 32 kilo-amperes (kA) for a duration of no less than 4 and no more than 10 seconds. Performance of this work requires numerical simulation of facility power equipment to predict energy delivery profiles that mimic nuclear power plant electrical generator fed high energy arcing faults on a medium voltage bus with a unit-connected design. In order to obtain comprehensive fire test data, the NRC requires the test article to combust for up to 30 minutes. The ability to allow fires to start and grow ensures that the integrated thermal energy potential is understood and accurately characterized from test. KEMA Powertest LLC., is the only independent, high power testing facility that is capable of supporting high energy arc fault testing and whose facility policies allow the test article to combust for up to 30 minutes.
Objective
The objective is to perform studies, simulations, and validation to determine if a high-power testing facility is capable of replicating the decaying energy profile of a tripped plant generator from its prime mover.
If it is determined that the high-power testing facility is capable to perform this decrement testing, then facility modification and testing will be performed to fulfil the testing needs. Testing will be performed on medium voltage electrical distribution equipment. If it is determined that the high-power testing facility is not capable to perform this decrement testing, then the testing shall proceed following standard High Energy Arcing Faults (HEAF) testing protocol at a lower voltage and longer duration that provides a similar total energy delivered to that of a generator fed HEAF decrement event.
The data and observations obtained from the testing will provide a better understanding of a HEAF event hazard, which will advance the state of knowledge and support in developing a model to adequately evaluate this hazard in performance-based applications.
Scope of Work
The contractor shall provide technical services to determine the feasibility of performing actual HEAF testing using a generator decrement energy source. Following the feasibility study, the contractor shall perform the tests at a high-power testing facility.
This Notice of Intent is NOT a request for proposal NOR a solicitation of offers. Request for copies of this solicitation will not be honored unless the respondent provides evidence showing their capability to perform the required services. Detailed capability statements must be submitted to Jennifer Dudek, Contract Specialist via e-mail at Jennifer.Dudek@nrc.gov no later than April 26, 2019 (i.e. 15 calendar days from the date this announcement was posted)..