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INTRODUCTION

Battelle Energy Alliance, LLC (BEA), Management & Operating Contractor of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) owned Idaho National Laboratory (INL), is seeking an Expression of Interest (EOI) from prospective offerors to support the design and manufacture of a Welding In-Cell System for Pressurizing Rodlets (WISPR) that will be installed in one of the cells of the Hot Fuel Examination Facility (HFEF). Future experimental planning includes tests on nuclear fuel rodlets with fuel lengths approaching ~39 inches in total length. The WISPR will be remotely operated in a high radiation argon environment at the Materials and Fuels Complex (MFC) on the INL site.

REQUEST

BEA is seeking qualified firms to compete for the design, fabrication and assembly, testing, packaging, and shipment of the WISPR to MFC at the INL. Qualifications of prospective offerors include:

• Experience with the design, fabrication, assembly, and testing of remote welding systems operable in radiation and argon environments.
  
  
  
  • Up to 100 rad/hour of Gamma radiation
  
  
  • Argon environment of as low as 50 ppm of oxygen and 20 ppm of moisture.
  
  
  • Slight negative air pressure of 1.0 to 2.0 in. of water gauge with respect to the surrounding areas.
  
  
  • In-cell equipment shall be designed with the intent to withstand an in-cell environment for up to five (5) years and an accumulated radiation exposure of 10⁶ Rads.
  
  
  
  


• Capability to meet applicable design, safety, regulatory and code compliance established below.

As determined by BEA, responders to this EOI may receive a Request for Proposal (RFP) that may require detailed technical and price proposals be provided for evaluation and ranking under a source selection process. Based on the responses to this EOI, BEA will determine the source selection process. At this time, a best value award process is envisioned. Under a best value award process, technical and price advantage will be evaluated and weighed to determine the successful offeror. We expect the contract type for this system will be fixed price. The contract value is expected to be less than $800K.

WORK DESCRIPTION

• Provide a Welding In-Cell System for Pressurizing Rodlets.


• Inflatable seal proof of concept.


• Provide a control cabinet and cabling from cabinet to feedthrough.


• Provide cabling from WISPR to in-cell junction boxes.


• Technical on-site support during the installation of WISPR at MFC.


• Documentation and training.

APPLICABLE CODES, PROCEDURES, AND REFERENCES

1. ASTM C1217 – Standard Guide for Design of Equipment for Processing Nuclear and Radioactive Materials


2. ASTM C1533 – Standard Guide for General Design Considerations for Hot Cell Equipment


3. ASTM C1554 – Standard Guide for Materials Handling for Hot Cells


4. ASTM C1615 – Standard Guide for Mechanical Drive Systems for Remote Operations in Hot Cell Equipment


5. ASTM C1725 – Standard Guide for Hot Cell Specialized Support Equipment and Tools


6. IEEE 1100 – Power & Grounding Electronic Equipment


7. NFPA 70 – National Electric Code (current issue)


8. NFPA 79 – Electrical Standard for Industrial Machinery (current issue)


9. UL-508A – Industrial Control Panels


10. NIST 800-82, "Guide to Industrial Control Systems


11. ASME B31.3 – ASME Code for Pressure Piping

DESIGN REQUIREMENTS

General:

1. System shall have a chamber capable of pressurizing and seal welding nuclear fuel rodlet.


2. System weld chamber shall seal around rodlet end for pressurization, vacuum evacuation, and seal welding.


3. System chamber shall have the capability to provide pressurization seal for rodlet diameters of ~1/2” to ~1/4” with the initial setup to seal around ~3/8” diameter.


4. Pressurization seal shall allow a small autogenous weld bead to pass through seal opening.


5. System shall pressurize the rodlet from 0-3,000 psi with an inert helium or argon/helium mixture.


6. System shall be adjustable to accommodate and support rodlet lengths from 6 inches to 39 inches in length. Rodlet support shall prevent damage to the rodlet during the pressurization and welding process.


7. System shall support a rodlet with a thermocouple wire extending from opposite end of rodlet weephole side.


8. System pressure chamber shall be capable of holding vacuum of -25 inches of mercury.


9. System shall be capable of running multiple cycles of pressure then vacuum to achieve internal rodlet inert environment via rodlet .020” diameter weep hole.


10. System shall be capable of connecting to a Miller Maxstar 210 welding power supply with a ½-inch diameter ring lug for work and electrode connections.


11. Welding electrode connection shall be isolated from the main body of the equipment and capable of supporting high frequency arc starts initiated from the miller power supply.


12. Welding electrode connection shall have the capacity to hold a 1/16-inch diameter tungsten electrode holder with capability for adjusting arc gap between electrode and work piece weep hold. Arc gap will need to be precision set and adjustable with feeler gauges or other means for precisely setting the arc gap (0.0 – 0.250 +/- .005).


13. Electrode holder shall be capable of remotely changing electrode and adjusting arc gap using Master/Slave manipulators.


14. Tungsten holder/collet shall have a replaceable holder component that can be replaced due to unforeseen welding power supply overcurrent or loss of output control.


15. System shall provide a “work” connection to the rodlet for weld current.


16. System shall the capability for welds to be made with the tungsten electrode in the vertical position.


17. Rodlet tubing and end cap material shall be Zircaloy-4 with ~.020 wall thickness.


18. Equipment shall have at least two ¼-inch NPT (or agreed equivalent) connection ports for gas input and vacuum connection.


19. If feasible, the equipment shall have the capability to pressurize and weld a side rodlet weep hole.


20. Rodlet shall not be scored or damaged by the system seal (this will be verified via visual inspection and comparison before and after rodlet seal welding).


21. Equipment shall be capable of being operated, maintained, and serviced using remote equipment.


22. Equipment shall fit through a 6-foot diameter opening.

Control System:

1. Gas control system shall be provided by the Contractor.


2. Miller power supply shall be provided by the Contractor.

Power and Electrical Components:

1. Shall comply with applicable codes and standards referenced in Section IV.

Performance:

1. Any equipment that will be installed in-cell must be designed to withstand the environment described in Section II of this EOI for up to 5 years and an accumulated radiation exposure of 106 Rads. Any component with an expected lifetime of less than 5 years shall be designed such that replacement of parts is easily performed via the in-cell provided manipulators.


2. Demonstrate accessibility for remote maintenance (e.g., access for modules and components).


3. Demonstrate the equipment can hold vacuum and pressure (
   

Restrictions:

1. Plastics (such as Teflon and Nylon) should be avoided in assemblies and components due to the radiation environment. Vespel Polymide and ceramics have been used successfully in the past. A list of materials planned shall be identified in the final design drawings. The following link may aid in the selection of alternate materials https://ab-div-bdi-bl-blm.web.cern.ch/ab-div-bdi-bl-blm/Radiation/Gamma_Compatible_Materials_List_company.pdf


2. Aluminum-bronze shall be considered for applications that require a good conductor with high strength.


3. Consider aluminum-bronze, brass, Nitronic 60, 17-4 pH stainless steel, or anti-galling dissimilar materials for sliding surfaces and bushings.


4. Skip welding should be avoided when welding components together to prevent potential contamination traps.


5. Viton is recommended for in-cell O-rings, gaskets, and seals.


6. In-cell machinery should be designed to operate without lubrication where practical. If lubricants are necessary, the following are some guidelines:
   
   
   
   1. Light mineral oil coatings can be used to lubricate linear bearings acme and ball screws.
   
   
   2. Dry film lubricant such as 23 molybdenum disulphide may be considered for linear bearings acme and ball screws.
   
   
   3. Only radiation resistant products such as SynRad 1252, Basic-PSA, or equivalent shall be used if gearboxes require lubrication.
   
   
   4. O-rings may be lubricated with Corning No. 55M silicone or equivalent.
   
   
   5. Neolube No. 1260 High Temperature Lubricant and Sealant is recommended for threads.
   
   
   
   

Software:

N/A

SUBMITTAL

Interested offerors are requested to provide expressions of interest to the undersigned by close-of business on June 23, 2023. Included must be sufficient written information confirming the responder’s qualifications that addresses each of the following criteria:

• Experience with design and manufacturing of remote welding systems for Hot Cell and Glove Box use.


• Experience with the design and manufacture of equipment for Department of Energy (DOE) laboratories.


• Capability to meet applicable safety, regulatory and code compliance as listed.


• Agreement to have a quality program that is consistent with the guidelines of ISO 9001-2015 and ANSI/ASQC C1-1996 General Requirements for a Quality Program

Note that responses must be no more than 20 pages in length. Only potentially qualified offerors, as determined by BEA, will receive the RFP for the project.

If you have questions, need additional information, or need to speak with a BEA Point of Contact, please contact Phill Price at 208-526-5829 or via email at Phillip.Price@inl.gov. Technical questions must be submitted in writing via email.

Attachments/Links