SOURCES SOUGHT
R -- Crack Growth Rate Measurements of Welded Nickel Alloys Pressurized Water Reactor Environments - Sources Sought
- Notice Date
- 5/16/2011
- Notice Type
- Sources Sought
- NAICS
- 541990
— All Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
- Contracting Office
- Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Office of Administration, Division of Contracts, 12300 Twinbrook Parkway, Rockville, Maryland, 20852-2738, United States
- ZIP Code
- 20852-2738
- Solicitation Number
- RES-11-190
- Archive Date
- 6/30/2011
- Point of Contact
- Claudia G. Melgar, Phone: 3014923487
- E-Mail Address
-
Claudia.Melgar@nrc.gov
(Claudia.Melgar@nrc.gov)
- Small Business Set-Aside
- N/A
- Description
- Sources Sought: Crack Growth Rate Measurements of Welded Nickel Alloys Pressurized Water Reactor Environments Title Crack Growth Rate Measurements of Welded Nickel Alloys Pressurized Water Reactor Environments Sources Sought Synopsis This is a sources sought synopsis. This is not a Request for Proposal. The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission's (NRC) is conducting a market survey and analysis to determine the range of available contractors that exists and assess their capabilities to assist the NRC with project work described below. The NRC does not intend to award a contract on the basis of this request or to otherwise pay for the information solicited. The purpose of this announcement is to provide potential sources the opportunity to submit information regarding their capabilities to perform work for the NRC free of Organizational Conflict of Interest (OCOI). For information on NRC OCOI regulations, visit NRC Acquisition Regulation Subpart 2009.5, entitled "Organizational Conflicts of Interest" (http://www.nrc.gov/about-nrc/contracting/48cfr-ch20.html). All interested parties, including all categories of small businesses (small businesses, small disadvantaged businesses, 8(a) firms, women-owned small businesses, service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses, and HUBZone small businesses) are invited to submit a response to the market research questions below and submit the capability information as described below. Submission of additional materials such as glossy brochures or videos is discouraged. Responses are due no later than June 15, 2011. The Government will not reimburse respondents for any costs associated with submission of the requested information. Telephone inquiries or responses are not acceptable. Facsimile (301-492-3437) or email (Claudia.Melgar@nrc.gov) responses are acceptable or responses may be mailed to: U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Attn: Claudia G. Melgar, Contract Specialist, Division of Contracts, MS TWB-01-B10M, 11555 Rockville Pike Rockville, MD 20852. Background The NRC is responsible for the licensing and regulatory oversight of civilian nuclear power reactors in the United States. The Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research (RES) furthers the regulatory mission of the NRC by providing technical advice, technical tools and information for identifying and resolving safety issues, making regulatory decisions, and promulgating regulations and guidance. RES conducts independent experiments and analyses, develops technical bases for supporting realistic safety decisions by the agency, and prepares the agency for the future by evaluating safety issues involving current and new designs and technologies. RES develops its program with consideration of Commission direction and input from the program offices and other stakeholders. Primary water stress corrosion cracking (PWSCC) is a known degradation mechanism affecting nickel-base alloy primary pressure boundary components in pressurized water reactors (PWRs). PWSCC preferentially occurs in components that operate at high temperatures and pressures. Fabrication and welding processes and especially weld repairs leave residual stresses that promote cracking in susceptible materials. Materials with improved resistance to PWSCC such as alloy 690 and associated weld metals, alloy 52 and 152 have been used in both replacement components and in mitigation methods such as weld onlays and overlays. While the service history of alloy 690 and its weld metals has been favorable, significant industry led and international efforts are underway to characterize factors that influence the PWSCC susceptibility of these alloys. The objective of this program is to obtain PWSCC growth rate data to evaluate fabrication processes on Alloy 690 and its weld metals including the effects of welding parameters and weld filler metal compositions. These objectives will be accomplished by producing welds with dimensions and welding parameters representative of those expected in reactor components using Alloys 152 and 52 filler metals. Compact tension (CT) specimens machined from the welded material will be produced to allow testing of the weld metal, weld heat affected zones, and the dilution zones of dissimilar metal welds (e.g. Alloy 690 to austenitic stainless steels or low alloy steels). Testing of the CT specimens will be conducted under PWR primary water chemistry at typical operating temperatures and pressures conditions. Capability Sought The NRC is seeking to identify commercial organizations capable of providing technical assistance in producing representative welds and in performing experimental measurements of PWSCC growth rates of Alloy 690 and its weld metals in simulated PWR environments. The facility shall have existing capability to weld nickel base alloys, austenitic stainless steels, and low alloy pressure vessel steels. Specific capabilities requirements for welding and machine shop capability are listed below. 1. Knowledge and experience welding the alloys of interest using gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW) and shielded metal arc welding (SMAW) methods. 2. Knowledge and experience developing weld procedure specifications (WPS) and documentation of procedure qualification records (PQR) in accordance with the requirements in the ASME boiler and pressure vessel (B&PV) code. 3. Knowledge and experience with nondestructive evaluation (NDE) of alloys and welds using methods such as ultrasonic testing (UT), penetrant testing (PT), radiographic testing (RT) and application of the corresponding acceptance criteria for these NDE methods specified in the ASME boiler and pressure vessel (B&PV) code. 4. Machine shop capable of fabricating CT test specimens and required test fixtures of the crack growth rate systems described below. Test fixtures and CT specimen requirements are included in ASTM E399 and E1681. 5. Ability and experience to handle, decontaminate and machining materials from operating or decommissioned commercial nuclear power reactors that have slight contamination/activation. This may include samples with measured radiation levels of 50 mR/hour (contact). The facility shall also have a minimum of 3 test systems previously used and validated for conducting corrosion fatigue and stress corrosion cracking crack growth rate measurements on 1T-CT and sub-size CT specimens. Specific capabilities for crack growth rate testing system capabilities are provided below. 1. Continuous loading of at least 40 MPa√m [36 ksi√in] for periods as long as 1 year. 2. Cyclic loading waveforms including sinusoidal, trapezoidal, and sawtooth with frequency capability of 0.0005 to 5 Hz. 3. In-situ crack length measurement with a minimum of 5 micron resolution. 4. Continuous corrosion potential measurement of the CT specimens 5. Flowing autoclave test systems at temperatures up to 350°C [662°F] with a temperature stability of 5°C [9°F] and dampening to control pressure fluctuations. 6. Water chemistry control for maintaining boron and lithium concentrations at typical PWR concentrations (e.g. 1000 ppm B as H3BO3 and 2.0 ppm Li as LiOH). 7. Primary water pH measurement. 8. Ability to control dissolved hydrogen concentration in the range of 0 to 100 cc/kg. 9. Ability to selectively add other dissolved gasses such as oxygen, nitrogen and argon. 10. Automated data acquisition system to measure crack length in situ with accuracy to 10-9 mm/sec growth, water temperature, mixing loop water conductivity, autoclave water outlet conductivity, specimen load, and specimen stress intensity. 11. Ability and experience testing specimens that have been produced from components removed from either operating or decommissioned reactors and which may have radioactive contamination/activation. The facility should have an existing mechanical property testing and metallurgical characterization facility. Staff must have knowledge and experience with metallurgical characterization of the alloys, weld metals and weld heat affected zones of interest. Specific capabilities of the metallurgical characterization facility are included below 1. Rockwell and microhardness testing systems compatible with alloy and welds of interest. 2. Yield and tensile strength testing of alloys per the requirements of ASTM E8. 3. Sectioning, mounting, polishing and etching capability for nickel base alloys and stainless steels. 4. Metallurgical microscope(s) with digital imaging. 5. Scanning electron microscope with energy dispersive x-ray composition analysis and ability to handle specimens that have been produced from components removed from either operating or decommissioned reactors and which may have radioactive contamination/activation. 6. Transmission electron microscope with energy dispersive x-ray composition analysis and required sample preparation facilities. Additional Information No current incumbent contractor. Submittal Requirements NOTE: It may be necessary for the respondent to resubmit (and possibly supplement) any information or documents provided in response to this solicitation, if the respondent is selected to submit a formal proposal in connection with the efforts described herein. Each respondent should: 1. Provide company specific information including: organization name, address, email address, web site address and telephone number, type of business (i.e., small, 8(a), service-disabled veteran-owned, etc.), number of employees, and how long has the organization has been in operation. 2. Describe experience, projects, and publications that demonstrate the respondent's capabilities in these areas. 3. Show that all personnel and organizations that may provide technical services in these efforts on behalf of the respondent meet all of the qualifications specified above and are free for organizational conflicts of interest, 4. Describe any schedule or resource issues that may constrain the respondent's submittal of a detailed formal proposal in response to a request issued within several months of the date of this Solicitation of Interest and execution of the efforts described herein, in the event that work were to be requested to begin within one year of the date of this Solicitation of Interest. 5. Provide any other documentation or evidence that the respondent believes demonstrates appropriate qualification and capabilities - respondent should recognize that clarity and concision will be considered germane both to selection for proposal and to the quality of the final product if the respondent is selected to perform these efforts.
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