[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 165 (Thursday, August 26, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 46664-46665]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-22173]
[[Page 46664]]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Chicago Operations Office, Office of Industrial Technologies;
Notice of Solicitation for Financial Assistance Applications for
Cooperative Research and Development for Low-Emission Gas Turbines
AGENCY: Chicago Operations Office, DOE.
ACTION: Notice of solicitation availability.
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SUMMARY: The Department of Energy (DOE) announces its interest in
receiving applications for federal assistance. The purpose of this
research is to advance the state of development of one or more durable
and cost-effective low-emission technologies for integration into
Advanced Industrial Gas Turbine Systems used in power generation
service. In order to reach this goal, development, subsystem testing,
and demonstration of optimized and fully integrated components
comprising low-emission technologies must be performed.
DATES: The solicitation document will be available on or about
September 1, 1999. Applications are due on or about October 12, 1999.
Awards are anticipated by December 31, 1999.
ADDRESSES: The solicitation will be available on the internet by
accessing the DOE Chicago Operations Office Acquisition and Assistance
Group home page at http://www.ch.doe.gov/business/acq.htm under the
heading ``Current Solicitations'', Solicitation No. DE-SC02-99CH11000.
Completed applications referencing Solicitation No. DE-SC02-99CH11000
must be submitted to the U.S. Department of Energy, Chicago Operations
Office, Communications Center, Building 201, Room 168, 9800 South Cass
Avenue, Argonne, IL 60439-4899, ATTN: Terry L. Vlasich, Acquisition and
Assistance Group.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Terry L. Vlasich at 630/252-0954, U.S.
Department of Energy, 9800 South Cass Avenue, Argonne, IL 60439-4899,
by facsimile at 630/252-5045, or by electronic mail at
terry.vlasich@ch.doe.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The fully-developed, demonstrated low-
emission system would accomplish the following objectives:
1. A technical potential of controlling NOX in the
exhaust to a level of less than 5 parts-per-million (ppm) by volume
when firing with natural gas while simultaneously obtaining acceptable
levels of carbon monoxide and unburned hydrocarbons.
2. Consideration for transitioning the technology to back-up fuels
as well as alternative biomass-derived fuels, while achieving a
substantial reduction in NOX emissions for these fuels.
3. Durable for at least 8000 hours while otherwise maintaining
reliability, availability, and maintainability of the Advanced
Industrial Gas Turbine and its component subsystems.
4. A target cost add-on of no more than 10% of the cost of the base
turbine.
The Scope of Work for this solicitation includes 5 Task areas
described below as Tasks 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5. Tasks 1 and 2 may be
performed with respect to any gas turbine, including microturbines.
However, work under all tasks must have applicability to an Advanced
Industrial Gas Turbine, and Tasks 3, 4 and 5 must be performed on an
Advanced Industrial Gas Turbine. All work proposed under an application
must be scheduled for completion within the three-year life expectancy
of this program. Regardless of the task or tasks to be undertaken, the
applicant will integrate an analytical system commensurate with the
accuracy, precision, and sensitivity necessary for determining and
controlling the ultra-low contents of pollutants expected from this
work. Such analytical system may exceed the requirements of any
prevailing emissions statute(s).
Task 1--The starting point of this task shall be, as a minimum, a
low-emission concept with prior experimental evidence of its potential
for meeting the solicitation objectives. The participant will identify
the form, function, and fit of all components necessary to execute the
proposed low-emission concept. The participant will also develop
preliminary designs for the components. First article components will
be constructed and tested at a scale suitable to confirm the design
parameters that were used and to give qualitative and quantitative
indications that the components will perform as planned.
Task 2--The participant will complete detailed designs of the
selected low-emission system components. These designs will include the
investigations of all process and economic parameters for integrating
the selected components into an overall optimized low-emission system.
The components will be manufactured and the low-emission system
assembled. Development and testing will be done to verify the overall
approach, to provide operating and control parameters, and to provide
full-scale definition such as allowable turbine operating ranges,
sensitivity to fuel variability, and other factors affecting the
performance of the low-emission system.
Task 3--The design of an Advanced Industrial Gas Turbine will be
adapted in parallel to the low-emission system development to assure
compatibility, optimum fit, and functionality. The work will include
the development of a control system that is integrated with the overall
operation of the turbine system. The work under this task will
integrate hardware, controls, and operating procedures for startup,
steady operation over turbines usual power range (for example 50% to
100% of rated output), planned changes (such as anticipated shutdown or
transitions of operating load) and unexpected changes in power output
(such as lost load).
Task 4--The applicant shall design and fabricate a full-scale, low-
emission combustion system that incorporates the scientific and
engineering principles and the components necessary for the deployment
of the applicant's concept. The low-emission system shall exhibit the
form, function, and fit compatible with the modified turbine developed
either under Task 3 or elsewhere. The applicant shall prove either by
external testing or by demonstration on an actual turbine the ability
of the combustion system to achieve less than 5 ppm for the combined
total of the oxides of nitrogen. Such testing shall include those
sensors and controllers needed to maintain this emission standard over
the design operating range of the turbine. Test results shall include
relationships among NOX, combustor outlet temperature, and
other relevant parameters, and the simultaneously measured values of
carbon monoxide and unburned hydrocarbons. The proof testing shall be
based on natural gas fuel. However, it is recognized than the market
requires dual fuel capabilities. Such dual fuel capabilities may be
considered in the design.
The completion of Task 4 would result in the installation of the
low-emission system on an Advanced Industrial Gas Turbine and would
qualify the combined low-emission system and gas turbine for shipment,
installation, and demonstration in the field under Task 5.
Task 5--The completion of Task 5 would result in the demonstration
of a low-emission Advanced Industrial Gas Turbine for 8000 hours. At a
minimum, the demonstration shall comprise 4000 hours of operation with
natural gas fuel at a host site that is compatible with an operating
rate of at least 4000 hours per annum. The starting maturation level of
this task shall be equivalent to the combined low-emission system and
gas
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turbine qualified either by the completion of Task 4 or elsewhere.
The applicant shall complete a coordinated plan for the
demonstration that incorporates the perspectives of all relevant
parties, including the host site. The plan will also assign
responsibilities on all matters necessary to execute the demonstration
plan, such as business arrangements, balance of plant equipment, site
construction, site integration, periodic inspections of hardware,
visitations of third parties, data acquisition, and obtainment of
environmental, construction, operating, and other permits.
The demonstration shall be representative of significant market
segments of the distributed power generation industry. As a result, the
successful demonstration at the host site will be expected to exemplify
the resolution of the typical barriers (such as technical,
environmental, industry acceptance, and control issues related to an
interconnection to the existing local utility transmission and
distribution grid) that impede the widespread adoption of distributed
generation. In this regard, all hours of operation accumulated under
the demonstration shall be gained while generating electric power.
Additionally, all such hours of operation shall be accumulated
while the host site is interconnected to the existing local utility
transmission and distribution grid that exists for the routine
transmission and distribution of electric power. Accordingly, the
balance of plant equipment shall be sufficient to generate and
condition such electric power, and all hardware shall be provided for
interconnection, transmission, and distribution on the local utility
grid. (The sole use of isolation switches shall not be sufficient to
meet this requirement.)
DOE expects to award three to six cooperative agreements under this
solicitation. It is estimated that individual awards will range in
value between approximately $800,000.00 and $1,600,000.00 of DOE
funding and will require awardee Cost Sharing.
A minimum non-federal cost sharing commitment of 30% of the cost
for Task 1 and 2, 45% of Task 3 and 4, and 60% of Task 5 is required.
Any non-profit or for-profit organization or other institution of
higher education, or non-federal agency or entity is eligible to apply,
unless otherwise restricted by the Simpson-Craig Amendment. DOE
National Laboratory participation as a subcontractor is limited to no
more than 30% of the cost of any individual task to be performed.
As applicants may apply under one or more of the five tasks within
the solicitation Scope of Work there is a wide range in the number of
potential awards and award values.
Estimated DOE funding is $5 million over the three-year period. DOE
reserves the right to fund in whole or in part, any, all, or none of
the applications submitted in response to this solicitation. All awards
are subject to the availability of funds.
Issued in Argonne, Illinois on August 20, 1999.
James R. Bieschke,
Director, Acquisition and Assistance Group, Contracting Officer.
[FR Doc. 99-22173 Filed 8-25-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P
