Description
It is the intent of the U.S. Department of Commerce, NOAA Acquisition & Grants Office, to negotiate on a sole source basis with High Precision Devices, Inc. (HPD), for award of a contract to provide one each, of a pulse tube cooled adiabatic demagnetization refrigerator. The contract will provide a pulse tube cooled adiabatic demagnetization refrigerator for cooling scientific samples below 50 mK. The refrigerator shall have an identical, square footprint of the two refrigerators currently in use by the Government. The Government has already developed expensive electrical and mechanical components to hold and measure samples that are specific to the unique, square footprint of this refrigerator. The square footprints? narrow side face allows close access to complicated apparatus which is a requirement for high photon fluxes. Additionally, the flat side face allows easy mating of the refrigerator to any external apparatus. REQUIREMENTS The National Institute of Standards and Technology, (NIST) has a need for a pulse tube cooled adiabatic demagnetization refrigerator for cooling scientific samples below 50 mK. All of the following tasks and specifications are required to meet NIST?s needs: 1. Vacuum jacket consisting of Ni plated Al with a split at half the height. The vacuum jacket should be rectangular with dimensions approximately 9 inch by 13 inch by 26 inch. The vacuum jacket shall be constructed with a bar and pocket design in order to maximize the strength-to-weight ratio. The vacuum jacket shall have two ports in the lower half for photon access. 2. An adiabatic demagnetization refrigerator (ADR) consisting of 2 paramagnetic salt pills, a shielded superconducting magnet, and a Kevlar and metal support structure. The support structure shall prevent the pill stages from touching the surrounding 4 K stage even at full magnetic field. One of the salt pills shall reach temperatures below 0.05 K. The other pill shall reach temperatures between 0.6 and 1 K. The colder pill shall be able to maintain a temperature of 0.1 K or lower for 7 days or longer with thermometry wiring installed. The diameter of the shielded superconducting magnet shall be 4 inches and its length shall be less than 9 inches. 3. A PT407 or equivalent pulse tube cryocooler with remote valve option and vibration isolation bellows. The cryocooler shall be able to cool the superconducting magnet + from 300K to below 4 K in 13 hours or less. 4. 50K thermal stage consisting of Ni plated Al. The 50K stage shall have a cutout for future experimental wiring. a. Two blank flanges to fill the cutout, also made from Ni plated Al. 5. 50K radiation shield shall be made from Ni plated Al. The 50K shield shall have 3 parts: an upper half, a lower half, and a bottom. 6. 4K thermal stage consisting of Au plated OFHC Cu. The 4K stage shall have a cutout for future experimental wiring. a. Two blank flanges to fill the cutout, also made from Au plated OFHC Cu. 4K stage to have a grid of tapped 4-40 screw holes. 7. A vertical 4K plate consisting of Au plated OFHC Cu for mounting electronics components. Vertical plate shall have a grid of tapped 4-40 screw holes. 8. 4K radiation shield made from Ni plated Al with an IR-blackened interior. 9. Four G10 tubes to connect the top of the 300K vacuum jacket with the 50K thermal stage. Tubes shall have Al mounting hardware at each end. Tube design shall minimize thermal transport while still being strong enough for Dewar to lie on its side. 10. A single G10 tube to connect the 50K thermal stage with the 4K stage. Tube shall have mounting hardware at each end. Tube design shall minimize thermal transport while still being strong enough for the Dewar to lie on its side. 11. A radiation shield for the ADR insert made of Au plated OFHC Cu. Radiation shield shall also accelerate thermal transport along the ADR insert. Radiation shield to bolt to 4K thermal stage. 12. Low profile clamps to hold the radiation shield to the ADR insert. 13. Flexible thermal connection between 50K stage of pulsetube and 50K stage of Dewar. Connection shall be made from annealed OFHC Cu wire as per NIST design. 14. Flexible thermal connection between 4K stage of pulsetube and 4K stage of Dewar. Connection shall be made from annealed OFHC Cu wire as per NIST design. 15. Travel limits for the spring-loaded bellows mount of the pulsetube. 16. A NW25-NW50 reducer shall mate to a NW25 tube welded to the top of the vacuum jacket. Vendor shall mount 2 15 pin Dsubminiature hermetic electrical connectors into blank flanges for the reducer. a. Metal o-rings for the NW connections. 17. Heat sinking for a diagnostic harness of approximately 50 wires. Heat sinking shall include thermal clamps at 77K and 1K made of Au plated OFHC Cu. Heat sinking shall include mounts for microD connectors at 4K. 18. Two diagnostic wiring cables. One cable shall connect from 300 K to 50 K and 4 K and carry magnet, thermometry, and touch sensor wiring. The second cable shall connect from 4 K to 1K and 0.05 K and carry thermometry and touch sensor wiring. The two cables should connect via male and female 15 pin microD connectors. The diagnostic wiring shall be compatible with 4 thermometers supplied by NIST. 19. Mechanical and electrical components for, as well assembly of, HiTc leads to carry the ADR magnet current from 50K to 4K. Mounting hardware to consist of G10 struts and Au-plated OFHC Cu blocks as per NIST design. NIST will supply the HiTc material. 20. A light-tight pumpout fixture for the 4K space. 21. A mechanically-actuated heat switch to selectively connect the 1 K and 0.05 K stages of the ADR to the 4 K stage of the dewar. The heat switch shall be actuated by means of a rotary feedthrough at the top, exterior of the vacuum jacket with a ferrofluidic seal. 22. A block to clamp to the 50mK ADR stage that shall house a NIST-supplied thermometer. Block shall be made from Au plated OFHC Cu. 23. Three protective covers for the exposed Kevlar support pucks. 24. A large area charcoal-style sorption pump shall be mounted on the 4K stage. 25. A service stand to help manipulate the dewar with the following specifications: a. Wheels or castors. b. Legs or the ability to lock the wheels or castors. c. Shall be able to hold the dewar from mounting points located on the top of the 300K vacuum jacket. d. Shall be able to rotate the dewar by 360 degrees while held by the mounting points in (iii). e. Ability to hold the remote valve for the pulse tube. f. Shall have a 30 inch range of vertical motion so that the dewar can be lifted off or lowered onto a tabletop. 26. A separate stand for the remote valve of the pulse tube. The stand should be weighted. 27. A shipping container for the dewar that includes room for a future snout protruding from the dewar side. The container shall use box-in-a-box construction and incorporate cable and foam vibration isolators. 28. The vendor shall test and verify the vacuum integrity of the dewar. The proposed contract action is for supplies for which the Government intends to negotiate and award with only one source under the authority of FAR 6.302-1. This notice of intent is not a request for competitive proposals; however, firms that believe they can provide this equipment and meet all the Government?s stated essential requirements may submit their capabilities and qualifications in writing to the identified point of contact within 15 days after publication of this synopsis. Such capabilities/qualifications will be evaluated solely for the purpose of determining whether or not to conduct this procurement on a competitive basis. A determination by the Government not to compete this requirement, based upon responses to this notice, is solely within the discretion of the Government. All capabilities/qualifications must included detailed technical information and other technical literature demonstrating the ability to meet the stated requirements. Interested parties must address each of the mandatory requirements listed in sufficient detail to permit agency analysis to establish a bone fide capability to meet requirements. Failure to submit documentation will result in the agency proceeding as stated above. Oral communications are not acceptable in response to this notice.