This project analyzes a novel use of a shuttle-based tether system to release a payload into orbit with more energy thanthe shuttle or to cause controlled reentry of an external tank. compared to concepts analyzed to date, this concept radically reduces the system mass and volume and the time… More

Thermal heat loads on spacecraft are variable. radiators sized for peak loads are larger than necessary for average load . heat sinks would allow the radiators to be sized for the average thermal heat load. metal heat sinks are too heavy and phase change materials have too slow a temporal response… More

Ultrafine particles or powder can be prepared by evaporating material into an inert gas atmosphere. the vapor is cooled by the inert gas and becomes supersaturated, leading to particle condensation. however, convection of the inert gas is a severe problem, causing the particles to coalesce into a… More

U.s. research on dynamic space power conversion technology since the 1960s has focused mainly on nuclear reactors, heat pipes, and heat engines. little work has been done on sts-compatible solar concentrators. this study refines our design of an umbrella-like concentrator which should: (1) weigh… More

This program is to develop a novel thermal control coating which would allow the emittance to be controlled by applying a dc voltage. the four-layer coating is intended for internal or external metallic spacecraft surfaces. the coating would consume no power and would be durable in space. the active… More

This project will investigate methods for increasing the efficiency of ion engines, specifically around the exhaust velocity of 20 km/s, which is near the optimum for typical low earth orbit to geostationary orbit transfer. currently, no form of propulsion performs well in this critical region. this… More

Cracked ammonia (nitrogen + hydrogen, 3h(2)+n(2)) has many advantages as a hypersonic propulsion fuel. it has good heat sink capacity, and a good volumetric heating value compared to liquid hydrogen. it also has many other convenient properties compared to liquid hydrogen. we propose to study the… More

This project will investigate a new structural material that appears to have a novel combination of properties suited to launch vehicle applications. in addition, initial work with the material indicates that it should lend itself to low-cost fabrication techniques. we will first characterize the… More

It is proposed to perform heat transfer tests on a novel cryogenic composite material designed for application to gapregenerators in cryocoolers operating near 4.2 k. the material to be constructed for testing is a composite of liquid helium self-loaded into a metallic extended surface structure… More

This phase i program is intended to demonstrate experimentally and theoretically the technical feasibility of building high-frequency generators and receivers from the high temperature superconductors such as yba(2)cu(3)o(7). the experimental method proposed is to construct oriented thin films of… More

Thermal management of fluctuating power in spacecraft is aided by the use of suitably placed thermal energy storage (tes), which often uses latent heat of phase-change materials (pcms) for the storage medium. an outstanding problem with tes is how to get the thermal response fast enough to… More

Thermistors exhibit highly temperature-dependent resistance characteristics (typically many percent per degree near room temperature) and find widespread use as discrete devices in temperature measurement and control circuits and in circuits which utilize their self-heating properties. thermistors… More

We propose to study the feasibility of utilizing advanced thermalstorage composite materials in high-energy braking systems. novel graphite/phase-change-material composites, in which high-conductivity forms of graphite are precisely dispersed in selected phase-change matrixes, posses high-flux heat… More

Described is an instrument for monitoring the work function of surfaces during surface processing. the instrument measures the contact potential difference between the surface and an inert reference electrode by a variable capacitance technique. a novel method for capacitance modulation between the… More

This study proposes investigating the feasibility of using expanded perlite, saturated with a phase change material without hermetic sealing, to shift space conditioning loads in homes and small business structures. a method has been found to impregnate popped perlite granules with a liquid phase… More

Energy science laboratories, inc. proposes to study the feasibility of using carbon-carbon and carbon-ceramic thermal composite materials in regenerators for stirling engines. by controlling the dispersion of high-conductivitygraphite fibers in the matrix, composite materials may be taylored for… More

This project will develop linear arrays of bolometer elements for use as uncooled detectors in infrared spectrometers. the arrays will incorporate recently-developed thin films with high temperature-coefficient of resistance and be fabricated using lithographic and ion-milling techniques. the arrays… More

Thermal control is a design driver for space applications of ni-h2 battery systems. compared with the ni-cd batteries they are replacing, the ni-h2 batteries require lower operating temperatures and generate higher heat loads that increase cooling needs. the space radiators used for cooling are… More

Interfacial thermal resistance is a major contributor to the temperature gradients existing in satellite systems, causing higher temperatures at the electronic heat sources and larger radiators to provide lower reject temperatures. Large thermal resistance accompanies even microscopic interfacial… More

This project will fabricate and test composite matrix regenerators (CMRs) for use in the temperature regime below 20 K. High capacity rare earth compounds and high conductivity pure metallic components are combined to provide adequate capacity at low temperature with good heat transfer. The… More

Graphite monochromator crystals are commonly used in x-ray diffraction work, because they have high efficiency and useful mosaic structure characteristics. commercially available graphite crystals produced by high temperature pyrolysis have mosaic spread ~0.5 degrees. high resolution diffraction… More

The maximum power loading and resulting brilliance of laboratory rotary x-ray sources are limited currently by the heat sinking characteristics of the solid copper targets. this project will investigate a two-phase heat transfer method for cooling a thin-walled rotary anode target. vaporation of… More

Materials erosion in the high temperature radiative environment of thermonuclear reactors severely limits design options. lower surface temperatures and reduced erosion of of the plasma facing materials may be achieved with composite materials designed to have enhanced heat capacity as well as high… More

Improved cooling of the anode can increase the efficiency and lifetime of arcjet thrusters. Smooth tungsten anodes have low emissivity ~0.3 that severely limits radiative cooling heat transfer can be increased 300% by improvements in emissivity, and thereby significantly increase arcjet power. Prior… More

Increasing the interlaminar strength of advanced composite materials will improve damage tolerance and permit use of thin gage facesheets for ultralightweight structural materials. This project will investigate novel means of implanting individual fibers through the thickness of laminated… More

This project aims to develop nonpermeable thin-guage carbon tubing with an integral radial carbon fiber brush on its outer surface for enhanced heat transfer. The carbon tubing is derived from polyimide tubing. The radial fiber structure is created by electrostatic flocking. Coatings to block… More

Actively cooled carbon-carbon is a candidate structural material for the hot structures in hypersonic vehicles because of its light weight and strength at high temperature. The current choice for the coolant tubing is a refractory metal, but such tubing is heavy and thermal expansion mismatch makes… More

This project investigates the use of novel small-gauge carbon tubing in high temperature receivers (absorbers for application in solar thermal propulsion and commercial power conversions. The tubing is nonpermeable, strong and readily fabricated into relevant geometries. High solar absorbance… More

This project investigates a novel fiber reinforcement concept for propellant bonding that replaced most or all of the adhesive liner with a high surface area carbon fiber substrate. The fiber diameter, length, packing fraction and surface treatment are adjusted for maximum bond effectiveness… More

This project is developing electronic diagnostics and novel high-velocity electroflocking for advanced materials fabrication. low-velocity electroflocking is a common textile technology used in the manufacture of pile fabrics such as nylon velour. electrostatics are used to position large numbers… More

Thermal storage devices based on phase-change materials (PCMs) have traditionally been box-like structures with robust walls and PCM volume fractions

Resin transfer molding (RTM) is a low-cost composites fabrication method used in many commercial products and secondary aircraft structures such as doors. This project investigates a low-cost concept for fabricating higher strength RTM composites enabling their use in primary aircraft structures. … More

The extreme environment of a rocket nozzle has high velocity hot combustion products that will erode an uncooled throat area. When the nozzle temperature is high, physical and chemical processes will erode even the most refractory materials such as tungsten, carbon and carbide ceramics. Modern… More

Lightweight thrusters with high strength and stiffness at high temperatures are required for laser propulsion to be effective. With currently available megawatt-class lasers, ultralightweight thruster design is required to demonstrate a significant thrust to weight ratio.This project investigates a… More

Increasing the high temperature mechnical properties of turbine blades reduces the need for cooling and improves turbine engine efficiency. Heat extraction from the mold is critical in casting good blades, but conventional directional solidification furnaces typically rely on radiative cooling… More

40981 November 19, 1996 Energy Science Laboratories, Inc. The structures that support silicon tracking detectors for planned high energy physics experiments such as the Large Hadron Collider must meet challenging requirements including precision… More

Beam dumps are necessary for absorbing excess power clipped from the beam for shaping it or for protecting structural components. Beam dumps used for megawatt-class lasers are large and can weigh tons. Current government programs aim to demonstrate high power laser operation in airborne and… More

This project develops a lightweight passive heat sink that uses a vaporizing coolant for transient thermal control of spacecraft components. Particularly during launch and reentry, there are heat loads in electronics and batteries that require special handling. The Space Shuttle, for example, uses… More

It is well known that light and other electromagnetic radiation can exert pressure on matter, which is the basis for photon sail propulsion. Less well known is that light can also exert controlled torque and in-plane tension on sails that have suitable electromagnetic properties. Although these… More

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This Small Business Innovation Research project investigates composite PCR vials that have conductivity enhancements to enable faster thermal response and greater temperature uniformity. Such properties are conducive to higher efficiency and throughput in… More

This project develops a lightweight passive heat sink that uses a vaporizing coolant for transient thermal control of spacecraft components. Particularly during launch and reentry, there are heat loads in electronics and batteries that require special handling. The Space Shuttle, for example, uses… More

This project develops a lightweight passive heat sink that uses a vaporizing coolant for transient thermal control of spacecraft components. Particularly during launch and reentry, there are heat loads in electronics and batteries that require special handling. The Space Shuttle, for example, uses… More

The grid stack used on ion engines is a critical component influencing engine performance and weight. The grids currently used on ion thrusters and in laboratory ion sources use costly machined pyrocarbon grids with thick ceramic mounting posts and they require assembly of several parts. This… More

The grid stack used on ion engines is a critical component influencing engine performance and weight. The grids currently used on ion thrusters and in laboratory ion sources use costly machined pyrocarbon grids with thick ceramic mounting posts and they require assembly of several parts. This… More

This Small Business Innovation Research Phase I project will develop a a dry, strong, compliant adhesive tape that is removable and reusable. This will be based on a novel dendritic architecture consisting of a compliant velvet of micron-diameter carbon fibers, each with a compliant carbon nanotube… More

This SBIR proposal is to develop lightweight, compact, and low-contamination laser beam dumps suitable for airborne and space-based high-energy laser (HEL) applications. The concept is based on a novel refractory-fiber radiation absorber that has lowreflectivity (10 J/cm2 in 1 ns) and is suitable… More

This SBIR Phase 1 project shall develop sputter-resistant materials for use in electric propulsion test facilities and for plume shields on spacecraft using electric thrusters. A critical need arises because NASA is developing higher impulse, higher power thrusters for deep space science missions.… More

This SBIR Phase 1 project shall develop lightweight materials with high emissivity for radiative cooling down to 30 K, as needed by NASA for advanced spacecraft including the NGST mission. The materials are based on carbon fibers in an engineered configuration that creates blackbody features as well… More

This SBIR project is developing laser beam dumps suitable for mobile high-energy laser (HEL) applications. The approach uses novel lightweight refractory-fiber absorber plate materials that have large surface area accessible to the laser beam. The material can be radiation cooled or integrated with… More

This SBIR Phase 2 project shall develop lightweight materials with high emissivity for radiative cooling down to 30 K, as needed by NASA for advanced spacecraft including the JWST mission. The materials are based on carbon fibers in an engineered configuration that creates blackbody features as well… More

This SBIR Phase 2 project shall develop sputter-resistant materials for use in electric propulsion test facilities and for plume shields on spacecraft using electric thrusters. A critical need arises because NASA is developing higher impulse, higher power thrusters for deep space science missions.… More

This SBIR Phase 1 project shall investigate concept radiator fins that incorporate novel carbon materials for improved performance of segmented high temperature space radiator systems based on heat pipes with attached radiator fins. The novel carbon materials apply to improvements in several… More

This SBIR proposal aims to develop thermal energy storage heat exchangers that are significantly lighter and higher conductance than the present art which involves significant metal weight. We aim to use carbon fiber for conductive and convective heat transfer enhancements and replace metal with… More

This SBIR Phase 1 project shall investigate novel radar absorbing materials (RAM) for use in space or simulated space environments. These materials are lightweight composites having novel fiber architecture, enabling a combination of performance characteristics not available with conventional RAM:… More