Basic Information

Reference Number

0000295208

Issuing Organization

University of Ottawa

Owner Organization

University of Ottawa

Solicitation Type

RFP - Request for Proposal (Formal)

Solicitation Number

43981-4A-RFP

Title

Helium Gas Cryogenic Cooling System

Source ID

PU.AC.ON.11752.C110155

Agreement Types

Broader Public Sector (BPS)

Canada-European Union Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement(CETA)

Canadian Free Trade Agreement (CFTA)

Details

Location

Canada, Ontario, Ottawa

Delivery Point

University of Ottawa

Purchase Type

One Time Only- Delivery Date:2026/03/31

Description

The University is soliciting prospective proponents to submit proposals for a Helium Gas Cryogenic Cooling System.

The Cryogenic Cooling System will be used to cool a laser amplifier. The laser crystals, which need to be cooled to ~70 K, are mounted on cold fingers located in a vacuum chamber, which itself needs to operate at ~ 70 K. The low-temperature helium gas from the proposed Cryogenic Cooling System runs through the cold fingers. The thermal load generated by the laser crystals is 800 W, which can be supported by a solution consisting of either one or two helium cryogenic coolers. The helium transfer line should not cause large vibration to the cold finger. The stability of the temperature should be less than 10 K. The coolers should operate without using liquid nitrogen. The instrument must operate for 24 consecutive hours; 7 days per week (24/7), outside of planned shutdowns for annual maintenance.

In the cooling system, helium gas is cooled at the cold head to ~70 K and transferred into the helium cycling pump for pressurization. The low temperature helium gas will then be outputted onto the laser crystals for one-way cooling. The returned helium is finally then cooled down again for cycling.

Mandatory Requirements:

1.Helium Gas Cryogenic Cooling System
1.1 Proposed solution must be composed of one of the following:

One (1) unit with a maximum cooling power using circulated helium gas of 800 W or higher at 70 K; or
Two (2) units, each with a maximum cooling power using circulated helium gas of 400 W or higher at 70 K.

1.2 The cold finger must reach ~70 K (+/- 10 K) within 3 hours.
1.3 The cold finger must run continuously at ~70 K (+/- 10 K) wihout the use of liquid nitrogen.
1.4 Cold finger temperature fluctuation must be ≤10 K under a full thermal load (800 W) once the temperature has been set at 70 K.
1.5 Cold finger peak-to-peak vibration stability must be ≤ 100 nm.
1.6 The cold heads and compressors must be capable of being located up to 25 ft away from the cold finger. All connectors (tubes, hoses, other) must be a minimum of 40 ft in length in order to achieve this distance without impeding movement in the lab space.
1.7 The proposed solution must be capable of full automation during cooldown, temperature stabilization and warmup.
1.8 The instrument must be able to operate for 24 consecutive hours; 7 days per week (24/7), outside of planned shutdowns for maintenance once per year.
1.9 The compressors must operate on 480 V, 3 phase, 60 Hz power.

If the proposed solution consists of one (1) unit, the maxium power must be ≤36 kW.
If the proposed solution consists of two (2) units, the maximum power for each unit must be ≤18 kW.

1.10 The compressors must be water cooled. Regardless of the solution proposed, the total flow must not exceed 12 Gallons per Minute (GMP) at 15C.

2. Other Requirements
2.1 Online video conferencing/Telephone conversation assistance must be included for installation by the user.
2.2 Must include a minimum of three (3) days of virtual training for a minimum of three (3) users. A day is defined as eight (8) hours with a one (1) hour lunch.
2.3 Must include a minimum of one (1) year of warranty on parts and labor.
2.4 Must be capable of providing up to a total of five (5) years of extended warranty.
2.5 All electrical components are preferred to have CSA (Canadian Standards Association) certification or accepted equivalent as per Electrical Safety Authority Recognized Certification Mark at the following link: https://esasafe.com/electrical-products/recognized-certification-marks/ Otherwise, all electrical components must be able to undergo the applicable electrical inspection, and/or, certification, without voiding the system warranty.

Dates

Publication

2025/06/04 03:35:11 PM EDT

Bid Intent

Not Available

Question Acceptance Deadline

2025/06/18 03:00:00 PM EDT

Questions are submitted online

Yes

Closing Date

2025/07/02 03:00:00 PM EDT

Contact Information

Owen Bouley

613-562-5800 ext. 3966

obouley@uottawa.ca

Buyer Preferences, Guidelines & Requirements

General Requirements

- Certification/Training

- Insurance Required

- Training Required

- Warranty Information Required

Bid Submission Process

Bid Submission Type

Electronic Bid Submission

Pricing

In attached document

Bid Documents List

Item Name	Description	Mandatory	Limited to 1 file
Attachment #1	Technical/Qualitative Proposal: 43981-4A-RFP_Insert Company Name	Yes	No
Attachment #2	Financial Proposal: 43981-4A-RFP_Insert Company Name	Yes	No
No entries

Additional Bidding Instructions

Proponents must submit one electronic copy of their proposal in the format specified on MERX and in the manner described below. Proponents should only include pricing in the specific portion of the proposal noted in Appendix C – Pricing.

The proponent must submit their proposal in an electronic copy of their proposal via Merx with two (2) separate attachments (files) containing the Proponent’s proposal labelled in the following manner:

Attachment #1 Technical/Qualitative Proposal: 43981-4A-RFP_Insert Company Name
Attachment #2 Financial Proposal: 43981-4A-RFP_Insert Company Name

Attachment #1 – Technical/Qualitative Proposal includes the following documents:

Submission Form (Appendix B)
Mandatory Technical Specifications Requirements Response (Appendix D, Section D)
Rated Criteria Response (Appendix D, Section E)
Equipment, Utility and Environmental Requirements (Appendix F)
Supplemental Information (Appendix G)
Proponent’s Checklist (Appendix J)
All supporting technical documentation for the proposal
Detailed quotation without pricing

Do not include pricing information in this Attachment #1.

Attachment #2 – Financial Proposal includes the following documents:

Pricing (Appendix C):

Financial Submission Form (Appendix C-1)
The Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) Form (Appendix C-2)

Detailed quotation with pricing

Proponents must include pricing in this Attachment #2.

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