Description
UPDATE: AMENDMENT NO. 2--ISSUED APRIL 27, 2021 Amendment No. 2 is issued to answer questions from prospective offerors, to add a requirement for notification of intent to submit a proposal, and to extend the proposal due date. The full text of Amendment 2 is contained in the following file, which is now posted and are available for download in the "Attachments/Links" section of this notice: Amendment 02--RFP LBNF-7848-JD.pdf UPDATE: AMENDMENT NO. 1--ISSUED APRIL 13, 2021 Amendment No. 1 consists of the following two files, which are now posted and are available for download in the "Attachments/Links" section of this notice: 1. Amendment 01--RFP LBNF-7848-JD.pdf 2. J-4 - Nitrogen Refrigeration Equipment SOW_v6 04-05-2021_Final.pdf =============================================================================================== REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS LBNF-7848-JD Fermi Research Alliance, LLC (“FRA”), manager and operator of Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (“FERMILAB”), under its Prime Contract Number DE-AC02-07CH11359 with the United States Department of Energy (“DOE”), is leading the Long-Baseline Neutrino Facility (LBNF) Project to enable a world-class program in neutrino physics. Specifically, the LBNF Project (https://lbnf-dune.fnal.gov/) provides the infrastructure for a new high-intensity neutrino beam at Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (Fermilab) aimed at large liquid argon-based neutrino detectors to be located nearly a mile underground at the Sanford Underground Research Facility (SURF) in Lead, SD. In close coordination with LBNF, the Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE) will construct and install the liquid argon neutrino detectors planned for SURF. LBNF will provide the infrastructure necessary to support the massive neutrino detectors located deep underground at SURF. FRA is seeking proposals to engineer, manufacture, test, deliver, install, and commission Nitrogen Refrigeration Equipment for LBNF. BACKGROUND INFORMATION DUNE (http://www.dunescience.org/) is a leading-edge, international experiment for neutrino science and proton decay studies. Discoveries over the past half-century have put neutrinos, the most abundant matter particles in the universe, in the spotlight for further research into several fundamental questions about the nature of matter and the evolution of the universe. DUNE is expected to achieve transformative discoveries by making definitive determinations of neutrino properties, examining the dynamics of supernovae that produced the heavy elements necessary for life, and probing the possibility of proton decay. The experiment is supported by LBNF, which will provide the infrastructure necessary to support the massive neutrino detectors located deep underground at SURF in Lead, SD. SURF is the site of the 8,000-foot deep former Homestake Gold mine which was converted into a physics and materials laboratory in the early 2000s. DUNE will employ four (4) neutrino detectors, housed in cryostats requiring nearly 70,000 tons of liquid argon (about 17,400 tons for each cryostat). Liquid nitrogen (LN2) cooled refrigeration/liquefier units will be used to liquefy argon gas for filling the cryostats and to reliquefy argon boiloff gas from the cryostats. The liquid nitrogen required for these tasks will be provided by a closed loop nitrogen refrigeration system via intermediate liquid nitrogen storage tanks acting as buffer storage. OVERVIEW OF NITROGEN REFRIGERATION EQUIPMENT SCOPE FRA is seeking offers to engineer, manufacture, test, deliver, install, and commission the refrigeration units (recycle compressors and liquefiers), the liquid nitrogen storage tanks, the primary liquid and gaseous nitrogen headers and distribution used to supply cooling as required throughout LBNF, and the nitrogen for the initial charge of the equipment and make-up for losses. Together the liquid nitrogen refrigeration system, the liquid nitrogen storage tanks, the liquid and gaseous nitrogen headers and the liquid and gaseous nitrogen distribution constitute what is known as the nitrogen refrigeration equipment or, alternatively, the supply. The nitrogen refrigeration equipment shall be housed entirely underground, primarily within the Central Utility Cavern (CUC) 4850 feet (1478 meters) below the surface. The total required refrigeration capacity of 400 kW shall be supplied by four (4) units, each with a capacity of 100 kW with turndown ability to 65 kW. The refrigerator system mass flow balance shall be maintained by this turndown capacity, as well as auxiliary operation of electrical heaters. Please see the attached Transmittal Letter for an Executive Summary of this action. It is recommended that interested firms view the attached documents in the order they are listed.