UK SBS PR150092 Super Insulated Vacuum Lines

The Rutherford Appleton Laboratory (RAL) is the largest of the Science and Technology Facilities Council’s laboratories. RAL, whose main function is to support the advancement of science, is situated 15 miles south of Oxford, in the UK.

The RAL Space Department is seeking to procure Super Insulated Vacuum Lines (SIVL) for the supply and exhaust of Liquid Nitrogen (LN2) to its second Space Test Chamber (STC-2). STC-2 is a 5m internal diameter, 6m long vacuum vessel which will be used for testing space instruments.

The SIVL are required for routing LN2 from the phase separator (on the mezzanine level) to the 12 valve boxes (manifold boxes for distributing LN2 inside STC-2) mounted to the outside of STC-2.There are also 4 SIVL used for exhaust from the door-mounted valve boxes, which are the last 4 items in Table 3-1. STC-2 has 2 doors, which each open to 90 degrees and have 2 valve boxes mounted on them.

The routing to these 4 valve boxes (2 per door) requires flexible lines to allow the door to open and close. It is the responsibility of the Contractor to determine if this is feasible based on the dimensions given in AD1. If not, then other options may be proposed (rotating bayonets, alternative routing etc.)