EXPRESSION OF INTEREST

SUPPLY OF FUSED QUARTZ TUBING 

for

IDAHO NATIONAL LABORATORY

I. 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 vendors to provide fused quartz tubing in accordance with the descriptions provided herein.  This EOI shall serve as a method of identifying qualified firms interested in providing the tubing to INL; participation in the activities described herein neither prequalifies nor disqualifies the prospective vendor for later material supply to the INL.  Requests for Proposals (RFPs) may be issued on as a result of and informed by responses from this EOI. 

II. BACKGROUND - The DOE Office of Nuclear Energy (DOE-NE) has announced plans to build a Versatile Test Reactor (VTR).  The VTR, as proposed, will be capable of performing irradiation testing at much higher neutron energy fluxes than what is currently available today.

The reactor that will use a metallic nuclear fuel. Idaho National Laboratory (INL), a leader in metallic nuclear fuel production, has been tasked with developing the fuel fabrication technology to make this fuel.

Similar to fuels used in the DOE’s Experimental Breeder Reactor-II and the Fast Flux Test Facility, the metallic fuel alloy will be pressure-injection cast into long, fused quartz molds.  These casting molds are made from fused quartz tubing. Tight dimensional tolerances are needed to meet the new reactor’s specifications. Historically, to obtain these tolerances, straight, precision bore tubing was used for casting the fuel alloys.

III.  GENERAL SUPPLY REQUIRMENTS - The VTR fuel fabrication effort requires a large quantity of casting molds.  To fabricate the initial core load of fuel to begin reactor operations, 35,640 individual molds will be needed. To sustain reactor operations, an additional 21,600 molds are anticipated on an annual basis, for up to the projected life of the reactor (40 years). It is anticipated the initial reactor core will take approximately 1.5 years to produce. The fuel required to sustain reactor operations is projected to be accomplished over 40 weeks of each subsequent year. Thus, casting molds could be supplied on a 540 pieces/week basis.

The desired mold specifications are:

• Material: Precision bore, clear fused quartz
• Useful service temperature: 1600°C
• Length: 57 cm
• Finished inner dimension: 4.73 mm (+0.000 mm, -0.051 mm)
• Tubing wall thickness: 1 mm to 1.5 mm. The wall thickness may vary slightly due to manufacturing; however, it shall be consistent along the entire length of an individual tube and consistent from tube to tube.

IV. SUBMITTAL REQUIREMENTS – Interested prospective vendors are requested to provide expressions of interest (via email) to the cognizant INL Contract Specialist by close of business on June 8, 2020.  Included must be sufficient written information discussing vendor’s capabilities to (1) supply the described quartz tubing in the large quantities required; (2) whether or not the production capability currently exists; and (3) if the production capability must be developed, what level of effort would be required to supply the mission need for these quartz tubes.

Questions and/or comments regarding the EOI should be addressed to Steven Gihring, Lead Contract Specialist, at (208) 569-7931 or [email protected].  Please note that any technical/scope-related questions must be submitted in writing via e-mail.