II.1)
Scope of the procurement
Supply, Installation and Commissioning of a X-Ray Diffractometer (XRD) System
Reference number:
T/BPG002/19
38530000
-
Diffraction apparatus
Supplies
II.1.4)
Short description
The Authoroity has a requirement for a X-Ray Diffractometer (XRD) System.
II.1.6)
Information about lots
This contract is divided into lots:
no
II.1.7)
Total value of the procurement
Value excluding VAT:
1.00
GBP
II.2.3)
Place of performance
Main site or place of performance:
Culham Science Centre, Oxfordshire
II.2.4)
Description of the procurement
The UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) is a non-departmental government body carrying out research into the potential of nuclear fusion as a future source of energy. UKAEA's Culham Science Centre houses the Materials Research Facility (MRF), which is part of the UK-wide National Nuclear User Facility (NNUF), which provides facilities for processing and scientific analysis of neutron irradiated materials that are too radioactive to be handled at university sites.
UKAEA require an X-ray Diffractometer (XRD) system, which allows for phase identification and quantification, lattice parameter refinement, crystallographic texture measurements and residual stress analysis on radioactive materials. It has two specific requirements which sets it apart from conventional laboratory scale systems.
— The XRD system needs to provide a bright monochromatic X-ray beam to achieve a sufficiently high signal to noise ratio with scan times in the order of a day in order to allow for the characterisation of irradiation induced defects (dislocation loops of sizes below 10 nm) using the advanced peak profile analysis approach recently developed by Preuss and co-workers at the University of Manchester using a synchroton X-ray source [References 1-3 below].
— As the system will be used on radioactive samples (with maximum activity 3,75 GBq Co60), it needs to be integrated into a shielded room, with parts of the system that are susceptible to irradiation damage (e.g. electronics) to be separated from the main instrument body, outside the shielding walls.
References
[1] T. Seymour et al.; Evolution of dislocation structure in neutron irradiated Zircaloy-2 studied by synchrotron x-ray diffraction peak profile analysis. Acta Materialia 126 (2017), p 102-113. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actamat.2016.12.031
[2] M. Topping et al. Investigating the thermal stability of irradiation-induced damage in a zirconium alloy with novel in situ techniques. Acta Materialia 145 (2018), p 255-263. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actamat.2017.11.051
[3] M. Topping et al. The effect of irradiation temperature on damage structures in proton-irradiated zirconium alloys. Journal of Nuclear Materials 514 (2019) 358-367. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jnucmat.2018.12.006
Criteria below
Quality criterion
-
Name:
Technical Information
/
Weighting:
30
Quality criterion
-
Name:
Loan Equipment
/
Weighting:
20
Quality criterion
-
Name:
spares etc
/
Weighting:
10
Quality criterion
-
Name:
Site Working
/
Weighting:
5
Quality criterion
-
Name:
QA
/
Weighting:
5
Price
-
Weighting:
30
II.2.11)
Information about options
Options:
no
II.2.13)
Information about European Union funds
The procurement is related to a project and/or programme financed by European Union funds:
no
II.2.14)
Additional information
The duration stated in 11.2.7 is an estimate only.
All documents must be in English or with an English translation.
Prices may be stated in tenderers local currency and contract(s) will be let in the tendered currency.
The United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority reserve the right not to award a contract.
The costs of tendering shall be the responsibiloity of tenderers.