SPECIAL NOTICE
B -- TESTING AND ANALYSIS OF PROPULSION SYSTEM MATERIALS
- Notice Date
- 3/17/2016
- Notice Type
- Special Notice
- NAICS
- 541380
— Testing Laboratories
- Contracting Office
- NASA/George C. Marshall Space Flight Center, Office of Procurement, Marshall Space Flight Center, Alabama, 35812, United States
- ZIP Code
- 35812
- Solicitation Number
- NNM16582772Q1
- Archive Date
- 4/21/2016
- Point of Contact
- Artra C. Thompson, Phone: 2565443507, Jeannette S. Swearingen, Phone: 2565441395
- E-Mail Address
-
artra.c.house@nasa.gov, jeannette.s.swearingen@nasa.gov
(artra.c.house@nasa.gov, jeannette.s.swearingen@nasa.gov)
- Small Business Set-Aside
- N/A
- Description
- NASA/Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) has a requirement for testing and analysis of propulsion system materials. This effort will support the Space Launch System (SLS), 5-Segment Reusable Solid Rocket Motor (RSRMV), Onion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle (MPCV), Launch Abort System (LAS programs) and multiple other Agencies. MSFC intends to purchase the services from Southern Research Institution (SRI) located at 2000 Ninth Avenue South, Birmingham, AL, which is the only vendor that can provide this service. SRI presently supports the follow program elements and other Agencies research efforts: Program Elements Carbon-Carbon Nozzle Extensions for the Spacecraft/Payload Integration & Evolution office Composite structures for the Evolvable Upper Stage office Foam insulation materials for SLS Core Stage Launch Vehicle Stage Adapter Orion Spacecraft Adapter Interim Cryogenic Propulsion Stage Other Agencies Langley Research Center – Manage Hypersonic Inflatable Aerodyamic Declerator and related Hypersonics Research and Development project; U.S. Army Aviation & Missiles Research and Development Engineering Center Research related to ablative phenolics for rocket motors; Missile Defense Agency - Testing for the Naval Surface Warfare Center Standard Missile #3 ceramic matrix composite materials; and Electromagnetic Rail Gun SRI also furnishes the necessary management, personnel, equipment and materials to provide testing and analysis for materials of interest to MSFC in support of NASA led activities which reach across centers and agencies. SRI continues to be the only known source that’s successfully demonstrated of the following: Successfully generated material test results with demonstrated reliability, repeatability, accuracy and resolution at extreme, and typically non-standard testing conditions such as precision tow-matrix characterization specimens, high heat-rate restrained thermal growth, and extremely high (5000°F) and extremely low (cryogenic, less than -400 °F) temperature mechanical testing. Demonstrate the ability to provide the unique combination of data understanding (i.e., failure mechanisms, component and specimen processing, specimen testing conditions, specimen design, component operation conditions, and data history), reliability, and component design accuracy to enable the most efficient and effective operating system to meet NASA’s goals, thus allowing for the safest system through selection of appropriate, well-characterized materials. The ability to obtain maximum data understanding, data reliability, and design accuracy, using a combination of properties, such as tensile, compression, flexure strengths, in-plane shear strength with 45 ° tension, and in-plane shear strength with 45 ° compression configurations for composites and monolithic ceramic materials at temperatures greater than 5000 ° F. Demonstrate the ability to generate specific heat data, unrestrained electrical conductivity data, thermal expansion data, Rumanian in-plane shear data, saddle in-plane shear data, and torsional in-plane shear data, creep with a circumferential coupon data, interlaminar shear data, double notch shear data, and tensile creep data at temperatures greater than 4600 ° F, as well as fatigue data at a frequency of greater than 500 Hz, load ratio of 0.1, and temperature of 1800 ° F. Demonstrate its capability of generating biaxial tension-tension and compression-torsion testing data from -250 ° F to 1500 ° F, among other testing capabilities. The capability to provide a test of elevated temperature permeability with the specimen under a tensile or compressive load. Further, SRI is able to provide analog test capability which has been used to develop unique data to develop and validate thermal models for RSRMV nozzle ablative liners. This unique data generated by SRI from room temperature to 5000 ° F is the only data validated to model the RSRMV and 1st stage SLS nozzle ablative material. All of the ablative nozzle data used for thermo-structural analytical models to support demonstration, qualification, flight and flight anomaly investigation has been generated by SRI. The restrained thermal growth test developed by and available exclusively from SRI is also necessary in characterizing and modeling next generation nozzle materials for the RSRMV and 1st stage SLS. Successfully developed a material property database from room temperature to 5000 ° F on the graphite throat materials used in the Solid Rocket Booster, Booster Separation Motor (BSM) and the LAS Jettison Motor (JM). This database is used in the thermo-structural analysis used for BSM and JM. SRI has also successfully provided test and failure analysis on the prior BSM throat factor safety investigation and is generating the database for the new graphite material currently being qualified for the BSM built by Orbital-ATK and the JM built by Aerojet. In characterizing the new grade of graphite, SRI was able to generate restrained thermal growth data from room temperature up to 4500°F at a rate of 1.75°F/min, something no other testing facility can reproduce. Use of the BSM and JM is expected to continue for the SLS and MPCV system and continued access to SRI expertise is necessary. Develop a material property database for the cryogenic foam previously used on the Shuttle External Tank and currently anticipated to be utilized on the SLS Core Stage. This data provides both understanding of the characteristics governing the foam loss (and resultant shuttle orbiter tile damage) and supports the only thermo-structural analysis model of the cryogenic foam known to exist. This unique expertise and understanding of this critical material system is available in no other organization, and is essential in support of MSFC efforts to develop a similar but more sustainable foam thermal protection system for SLS. Qualification efforts are underway, including testing at SRI. Therefore, a change in testing facilities mid-qualification would add cost to the government in confidence testing (additional testing of well-characterized materials to verify acceptable and repeatable results) as well as undesired statistical complications (stemming from multiple sources of variability in qualification data). Interested organization may submit their capabilities and qualifications to perform the effort in writing to the identified point of contact not later than April 6, 2016 by 4:00pm CST. Such capabilities/qualification 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 proposed effort ton a full and open competition basis, based upon responses to this notice, is solely within the discretion of the government. Oral communications are not acceptable in response to this notice. All responsible sources may submit an offer which shall be considered by the agency. NASA Clause 1852.215.84, Ombudsman, is applicable. The Center Ombudsman for this acquisition can be found at http://prod.nais.nasa.gov/pub/pub_library/Omb.html.
- Web Link
-
FBO.gov Permalink
(https://www.fbo.gov/notices/ef638175c3113ee4a26b2b72d59e2d1d)
- Place of Performance
- Address: 2000 SOUTH AVENUE SOUTH, BIRMINGHAM, Alabama, 35205-2708, United States
- Zip Code: 35205-2708
- Zip Code: 35205-2708
- Record
- SN04053878-W 20160319/160317235011-ef638175c3113ee4a26b2b72d59e2d1d (fbodaily.com)
- Source
-
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