[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]



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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 
[email protected].

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