NASA has serious unmet needs for simulation tools capable of predicting the behavior of lunar regolith in proposed excavation, transport and handling systems. Current simulation tools do not include the effects of triboelectric and photo-ionization induced charges on regolith particles. Existing… More

NASA has serious unmet needs for simulation tools capable of predicting the behavior of lunar regolith in proposed excavation, transport and handling systems. Existing discrete element method (DEM) or finite element (FE) models lack adequate fidelity for fine cohesive powders comprised of friable… More

This SBIR Phase-1 project will demonstrate the feasibility of using a novel coaxial counterflow solid-solid heat exchanger to recover heat energy from spent regolith at 1050oC to pre-heat inlet regolith to 750oC, either continuously, or in 20kg batches. In granular solids the area of contacts… More

This project will provide a new method for testing flow/no-flow conditions and other gravity-driven flow behavior of Lunar or planetary regolith under reduced gravity, through the use of surrogate regolith simulants which mimic the effects of reduced gravity. New calibration data for numerical flow… More

A variety of ISRU operations will utilize lunar regolith as feedstock. The proposed centrifuging step-screw conveyor concept will provide a well controlled robust, reliable, dust-free method of transporting loose regolith over short distances (up to 10's of meters) at any inclination angle, ranging… More

Utilizing centrifugal force as the primary body-force, combined with both shearing flow and vibratory motion the proposed centrifugal-sieve separators can provide efficient gravity-level-independent size classification of granular feedstock like lunar regolith. Standard size separation methods for… More

NASA needs simulation tools capable of predicting the behavior of regolith in proposed excavation, transport, and handling or sample acquisition systems. For engineering-scale problems FE analyses utilizing soil-mechanics-based constitutive models have long been utilized in civil engineering to… More

This SBIR Phase-1 research project will develop a high-pressure gas-powered aerosol generation system based on dispersing fine particulates from a prepackaged reservoir. Potential improvement in operational stealth capability would be derived from two advantages over the current smoke screen… More

A novel, robust method of collection and transfer of NEO/Phobos material under micro-gravity conditions under vacuum/space environment with minimal loss of volatiles will be developed and its feasibility demonstrated. The same designs can also be utilized in lunar or Martian applications with only… More