Background: Funded by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) has been conducting research, development and demonstration (RD&D) projects to facilitate the deployment of alternative fuels into the marketplace in order to achieve three objectives: 1) enhance the reduction of mobile source emissions in California and the United States; 2) increase US competitiveness and economic prosperity; and 3) preserve the environment through the reduction of emissions and toxins from the motor vehicle population. NREL and the South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) are collaborating on a joint RD&D project to demonstrate the benefits of the unique properties of Fischer-Tropsch diesel fuel and to substantially reduce the emissions from engines used in on-road transportation refrigeration applications. This project supports SCAQMD’s mandate under the Lewis-Presley Air Quality Management Act to establish a program to encourage participation in projects to increase the utilization of clean-burning fuels. Additionally, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) recently passed legislation regulating the particulate matter (PM) emissions from transport refrigeration units (TRUs). The PM emission contribution from TRUs is estimated at 2.6% of the total diesel PM emission. Emissions from TRUs are expected to increase in future years. To address these emissions, the CARB is requiring TRUs to meet specific performance standards based on unit horsepower. A TRU can meet the regulation with a variety of techniques including engine exhaust aftertreatment and/or fuel substitution. Accordingly, NREL, SCAQMD, and CARB are exploring strategies to mitigate PM emissions from TRUs. One strategy is to employ gas-to-liquid (GTL) fuel in place of conventional diesel fuel. In on-road engines, GTL fuel has been shown to reduce PM emissions without accompanying increases in other regulated emissions (Alleman and McCormick, SAE 2003-01-0763). The near-zero sulfur content of GTL fuel can also enable exhaust aftertreatment and may allow this equipment to operate at higher efficiencies. Project Description and Fuel Requirement: NREL is leading a project to evaluate, quantify, and compare emissions from TRU diesel engines fueled with: (1) GTL fuel and equipped with a particulate filter, and (2) CARB specification diesel fuel. NREL intends to select up to twelve TRU-equipped vehicles from a host fleet in the South Coast Air Basin for evaluation. Six of the TRUs will be powered by GTL-fueled engines and retrofitted with particulate filters. The remaining six TRUs will be operated exclusively with CARB specification conventional diesel serving as control groups. The catalyst system will then be installed at the exhaust of six TRU engines. One of the TRU engines will be tested over steady-state test procedures on an engine dynamometer while the engine is independently powered by GTL fuel, with and without the DPF and CARB diesel fuel. The TRU-equipped vehicles will then be demonstrated in service for six to twelve months to evaluate performance, reliability, and emission-reduction potential of GTL fuel and a particulate filter system. The same TRU engine will be tested again at the end of the project. Fuel Provider Requirements: To support the fuel requirements of the above-described project, NREL is seeking organizations that can supply GTL diesel fuel and technical liaison services under the conditions described below. Organizations responding to this Notice will demonstrate their ability to meet these requirements: 1. The fuel supplier shall have a paraffinic GTL or Fischer-Tropsch diesel fuel in a single lot, sufficient to supply the TRU fleet for the entire project. The fuel shall be available immediately and for the project duration of 18 months, in an estimated monthly volume of 50 drums. 2. The fuel supplier shall indicate the GTL diesel fuel feedstock, which shall remain consistent for the duration of the project. Natural gas feedstock is highly preferred to coal feedstock. 3. The fuel shall meet or exceed ASTM D975 properties and have low temperature properties for year-round use in the Los Angeles area. The following are required fuel properties in order of these categories: Analysis, ASTM Method, Fuel Standards from Engine Manufacturer. 3.a. Cloud Point, D2500,Suitable for year-round use in Los Angeles area; 3.b. Water/Sediment, D2709, 0.1 max; 3.c. Carbon Residue, D524, 1.0 max; 3.d. Ash,D482,0.02 max; 3.e. Distillation,D86; IBP 10% 282 max 50% 90% 360 max FBP 3.f. Kinematic Viscosity,D445,1.4 min, 20.0 max; 3.g. Sulfur,D2622 or D5453,<5ppm; 3.h. Corrosion,50°C - 3 hrs,D130, no. 3 max; 3.i. Cetane Number,D613,60 min; 3.j. API Gravity @ 15.6°C,D287,30 min-45 max; 3.k. Pour Point, D97, 6° min below ambient temperature; 3.l. FIA,D1319, 3 vol% max; 3.m. Gum Content,D381,10 max; 3.n. Lubricity–SLBOCLE, D6078,3100 min; 3.o. Lubricity–HFRR,D6079,380 max. 4. The fuel provider shall include GTL fuel health effect, safety and environmental information, as outlined below. The inclusion of a MSDS is acceptable. Format for "Required Health Effect, Safety and Environmental Information" is as follows: Health Effect Information, Safety Information, Environmental Information. 4.a. Odor Threshold,Vapor Density, Solubility in Water; 4.b. Occupational Exposure Limit, Flammability,Mass of CO2/energy unit; 4.c. Vapor Hazard Ratio,Flash Point; 4.d. Selected Inhalation & Ingestion Health Effects,Autoignition Temperature; 4.e. Health Effects Comments,i) Minimum Ignition Temperature; ii)Adiabatic Flame; iii)Pool Burn Rate. 5. The fuel provider is required to permit, place, and remove any temporary fuel storage for this project. This could be a temporary tank or drums on an as-needed basis. The host fleet will be responsible for identifying the lower-tier fuel distributor for day-to-day fleet operations. 6. The fuel provider will periodically monitor fuel quality from the tank and make these results available to NREL. NREL shall also be periodically provided with fuel sample quantities and shall not be restricted from performing standard fuel property analysis at its discretion and publishing the results. 7. The fuel provider shall be able and willing to participate in project team meetings, conference calls, and provide technical input, as required, for any technical papers that result from this project. Response Instructions: Any organizations interested in working with NREL to provide GTL fuel and service/support as described above should mail a list of qualifications or business profile, to: National Renewable Energy Laboratory ATTN: Deborah Bullard 1617 Cole Boulevard, MS 1632 Golden, CO 80401-3391 Telephone calls will not be accepted; however, submittals by e-mail should be sent to:
[email protected]. Electronic format should be MSWord/Excel, not .pdf (in-box space restrictions). The list of qualifications should be responsive to the specific areas of qualification listed above. This Sources Sought Notice is not a request for proposal.