SPECIAL NOTICE
A -- Light Water Reactor Sustainability Program: Silicon Carbide Ceramic Matrix Composite Nuclear Fuel Cladding
- Notice Date
- 1/12/2012
- Notice Type
- Special Notice
- NAICS
- 238990
— All Other Specialty Trade Contractors
- Contracting Office
- Department of Energy, Idaho National Laboratory (DOE Contractor), Idaho National Laboratory, 2525 Fremont, P.O. Box 1625, Idaho Falls, Idaho, 83415-3920
- ZIP Code
- 83415-3920
- Solicitation Number
- 12-2
- Archive Date
- 2/11/2012
- Point of Contact
- Sam Dixon, Phone: 208 526-8927
- E-Mail Address
-
Samuel.Dixon@inl.gov
(Samuel.Dixon@inl.gov)
- Small Business Set-Aside
- N/A
- Description
- Expression of Interest - Light Water Reactor Sustainability Program: Silicon Carbide Ceramic Matrix Composite Nuclear Fuel Cladding Introduction/Objective: Battelle Energy Alliance (BEA) is the Management and Operations Contractor for the Idaho National Laboratory (INL). BEA is requesting an expression of interest in the form of a white paper from prospective candidates to support the Light Water Reactor Sustainability Program. BEA anticipates that this effort may provide improved economic performance and a greater resistance to accident conditions than could be achieved with current zirconium based claddings. To initiate this effort, BEA is seeking industry support and involvement to develop advanced processing technology to form a robust joint between a silicon carbide (SiC) ceramic matrix composite (CMC) nuclear fuel cladding tube and its end plug. The current project funding is $750,000, but may be increased in the future. BEA will identify qualified responders from the information presented in the white papers, who will in turn receive a formal Request for Proposal (RFP). From the RFP process, multiple awards may be made. The responders should use the following information to develop their white papers. General Information •A) The end plug seals the nuclear fuel cladding interior environment which contains fission products from the reactor coolant. •B) The joint should provide a structural and sealing function over the operating conditions seen in a commercial LWR reactor. •C) The joint should function over the nominal nuclear fuel operating conditions and lifetime. •D) Beyond the nominal operating conditions the joint should not fail before the base cladding material (SiC CMC) during off normal scenarios such as loss of coolant events. •E) Fabrication of the end plug joint should produce a very high reliability joint economically at an industrial scale once fully developed. •F) The form, structure and materials used in the joint are open to development and can include mechanical components and novel joining materials or processes. •G) The materials used must function in a nuclear environment. Fuel Specifications •A) The tube material at the point of joining is assumed to be either fully crystalline monolithic SiC or minimally porous SiC fiber/SiC matrix composite. •B) The tube diameter is approximately 0.3-0.5 in with a thickness of approximately 0.035-0.05 in. Joint Requirements Join technologies should be designed with resistance to reactor environment in mind, specifically the water/steam environment typical of commercial light water reactors under normal and off-normal operation and high neutron fluxes. •A) Joint technology should be mechanically robust at commercial reactor conditions of 2250 PSI, 350C, in a water/steam environment, in a commercial radiation, ~1x10 14 n/cm 2 -s neutron flux (thermal + fast), for greater than 6 years of service. •B) Joint Technology should be robust to facilitate core (re)loading, handling and manufacturing activities. •C) Joint technology should allow economic fabrication. (Reliability, quality verifiable, material cost, speed of processing, suitability with fuel materials) •D) Processing of the seal should allow a controlled atmosphere, helium up to 15 bar, to be included inside the fuel cladding as well as pressure built up from fission gas release. •E) Multiple process, design and material concepts maybe combined to produce an acceptable joint. •F) Joint processing should be carried out at processing conditions ensuring no significant degradation of the current nuclear-grade SiC fibers: Nicalon Type S and Tyranno-SA. White papers may include innovative joining processes, methodologies by which joint structures will be systematically evaluated, and any supporting analysis. If you can provide a white paper without proprietary information, BEA prefers this approach. If proprietary data/information is essential to an effective white paper, please adhere to the following: •A) If it is possible to do so without destroying the effectiveness of your white paper, place all proprietary data in a separate document as an attachment to the paper. •B) Each page containing proprietary data must be marked with the following legend, an alternative legend that BEA specifically agrees to accept, or a statement that the documents are submitted pursuant to a specifically identified written agreement between you and BEA defining the duties and obligations of the parties relative to the proprietary data: "This contains 'proprietary data', furnished under a request for an expression of interest, which may be duplicated and used by BEA with the express limitations that the "proprietary data" may not be disclosed outside BEA and the U. S. Government." Contact the Procurement Agent if the legend furnished by BEA is not considered appropriate, must be revised, or should be replaced by a written agreement controlling submittal of proprietary data. The white paper should be at a descriptively high level with a maximum of 10 pages. (Appendices can be included). A description of the team and benefits of the working group should be in the white paper. The white paper should include a description of the technical merit of the proposed joint solution. The technical goals and scope of work proposed should be included. A high level development budget, schedule and milestones are requested. Follow on work as expected should be described. Once the white papers are received, a review will be conducted based on technical merit, goals, schedule, budget, and any other items contained in each white paper with the intent of developing a qualified responders list to which a Request for Proposal will be furnished. Any resulting Contract(s) will be subject to BEA's Prime Contract Flowdowns and General Provisions PROC-207: G.P. For Professional/Consulting Services Fixed Price/Fixed Rate, found at the link below: https://inlportal.inl.gov/portal/server.pt/community/procurement/346/documents_and_forms Point of Contact/Submittal Requirements: If you have any questions, please direct them to Sam Dixon. Technical questions must be in writing. Contact information is listed below. Sam Dixon BEA Subcontract Administrator Email: Samuel.Dixon@inl.gov Office: 208-526-8927 Cell: 208-240-0130 Please provide your expression of interest to Sam Dixon by close of business January 27, 2012.
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