Synopsis: The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) intends to award a non-competitive, cost reimbursement contract to the University of Michigan for the project entitled, “Post- Critical Heat Flux (CHF) Heat Transfer Instrumentation and Experimentation.” 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 541330 – Engineering Services. The performance period is estimated from April 01, 2020 through March 31, 2022. Background The NRC’s TRAC RELAP Advanced Computational Engine (TRACE) code is NRC's flagship thermal-hydraulics analysis tool. TRACE is a modernized thermal-hydraulics code designed to perform large and small break loss of coolant accident and system transient analyses for a wide range of nuclear plants. This code is being used as an audit tool to analyze transient and accident analyses submitted by NRC vendors and licensees. Improvement of the constitutive models in the TRACE code has been identified as a high priority. The experimental effort to be conducted under this acquisition shall provide the data and reports necessary to inform the required improvements of the constitutive models in the TRACE code. Three post-CHF flow regimes, inverted annular, inverted slug, and dispersed flow film boiling, are the focus of this acquisition. In particular, the work under this acquisition will address these post-CHF regimes in a tubular test section with a stabilized quench front to allow for steady-state conditions and thereby facilitate model development. Additionally, a goal of this acquisition is the completion of fabrication and testing of an advanced two-phase instrumentation system to provide data necessary for this model improvement activity. The advanced two-phase instrumentation will provide for accurate and non-intrusive measurement of the vapor volume fraction for rod bundle geometries and provide information on the flow topology for tubular test sections. This capability will be useful for a wide range of future experimental programs; however, the immediate objective is the improvement of the constitutive models for the post-CHF regimes of Inverted Slug Film Boiling (ISFB) and inverted annular film boiling (IAFB). Under two previous NRC task orders (Contract No. NRC-HQ-13-C-04-0022, Task Order Nos. NRC-HQ-60-14-T-0001 and NRC-HQ-60-15-T-0001), a large part of the objectives had been completed, but the experimental program needed to be prematurely ended due to budget and period of performance constraints. The current project will consolidate the remaining work into a single contract intended to complete the objectives. Purpose and Objective The purpose and objective of this acquisition is to continue the fabrication and assembly of an advanced two-phase flow instrumentation system with the capability to be used to aid in the development of constitutive models for the TRACE code and to provide the experimental database necessary for the improvement of the TRACE models for inverted annular through dispersed flow film boiling regimes, which was identified as a high priority near-term development need in the NRC’s Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research Thermal-Hydraulic Code Development Plan. Under this acquisition, the contractor shall continue to acquire the requisite components and assemble the advanced two-phase flow instrumentation system, as well as conduct validation testing. This capability will be used in experimental programs that target models for the IAFB through Dispersed Flow Film Boiling regimes but will continue to be useful for other future experimental programs. Specifically, this advanced instrumentation will provide the first quantitative insights into the flow topology and subchannel-averaged void fractions for these post-CHF regimes. A further objective of this acquisition is the performance of steady-state low-quality film boiling experiments in a tubular test section. A major component of this experimental program is the utilization of the X-ray radiography system that has already been nearly completed in the instrumentation portion of the effort. This advanced two-phase instrumentation system will provide not only for the accurate measurement of the void fraction during post-CHF conditions but also provide information on the flow topology such as the size and shape of the liquid slugs in the ISFB regime. Requirements The contractor shall complete the fabrication and assembly of an advanced instrumentation system, complete validation testing of the system, and complete assembly, testing, and experimental data collection using a high-pressure post-CHF tube test section. In addition, the contractor shall develop training materials for the instrumentation package and oversee delivery of the system to a location designated by the NRC. This Notice of Intent is NOT a request for proposal NOR a solicitation of offers; however, if any interested party believes they can meet the above requirement, it may submit a statement of capabilities. The statement of capabilities must be submitted in writing and must contain material in sufficient detail to allow the government to determine if the party can perform the requirement. Additionally, in order to perform work for the NRC potential sources must be free of organizational conflict of interest (OCOI). For information on the NRC COI regulations, visit NRC Acquisition Regulation Subpart 2009.5 ( https://www.nrc.gov/about-nrc/contracting/48cfr-ch20.html ). A determination not to compete this proposed procurement based on responses to the notice is solely within the discretion of the Government. All interested parties must express their interest and capabilities in writing via email to Jennifer Dudek, Contract Specialist via e-mail at
[email protected] no later than Wednesday, February 05, 2020 by 4:00 P.M. Eastern Time (i.e. 15 calendar days from the date this announcement was posted).