Award Data

The overall technical objective of the proposed Phase II program is to complete a system-level demonstration to show the capability and benefits of integrating this backup radiator/Variable Conductance Heat Pipe (VCHP) with the Advanced Stirling Radioisotope Generator (ASRG). The Phase I project developed a feasible VCHP radiator design that can be integrated with the ASRG. In Phase II, a trade ...

The Phase I project successfully demonstrated the feasibility of the vapor compression hybrid two-phase loop (VCHTPL). The test results showed the high temperature-lift capability and robust operation under transient heat loads of the VCHTPL. At the end of Phase I, the VCHTPL technology reached the NASA's defined Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 4 (Component/breadboard validation in a laboratory e ...

The principal Phase II objective is to refine and further develop the prototype PCHP into a useful thermal management tool. The Phase I program established the feasibility of thermal control an axially-grooved heat pipe with a variable-volume reservoir. The follow-on Phase II program will address control system optimization, component longevity, reductions in mass and power, and show that the de ...

TRS Technologies, Virginia Tech., and MTech, Inc. propose to develop high torque (>1.5 kg-cm), lightweight (< 250 g), low power (< 2 watts), high precision (

Simulation technology plays an important role in propulsion test facility design and development by assessing risks, identifying failure modes and predicting anomalous behavior of critical systems. This is true for facilities such as the proposed A-3 that will operate at low pressures in conjunction with steam ejectors and the B-2 facility where flame deflector cooling and plume impingement dynami ...

In-space valves are required to provide precise mass flow control, wide throttling range and handle rapid on-off control. These requirements can result in significant unsteady, transient effects both on the fluid mass flow rate, as well as the torque required. However, there currently are no analytical or numerical modeling tools that can predict the unsteady/transient performance of these valves; ...

The Grain Boundary Engineering (GBE) approach, successfully demonstrated in Phase I, that microstructural optimization provides a very significant improvement in reducing susceptibility to intergranular crack initiation and growth in conventional wrought Inconel 718. The principal objective of the Phase II research development program is to extend the applicability of the GBE technology from con ...

Radiation or passively cooled thrust chambers are used for a variety of chemical propulsion functions including apogee insertion, reaction control for launch vehicles, and primary propulsion for planetary spacecraft. The performance of these thrust chambers is limited by the operating temperature and thermal-chemical response of the available materials. The Phase I efforts focused on performing ...

Reaction wheel mechanical noise is one of the largest sources of disturbance forcing on space-based observatories. Such noise arises from mass imbalance, bearing imperfections, and other sources. It takes the form of a number of discrete harmonics of the wheel speed, often also with a broadband noise component. Jitter problems can arise when harmonics sweep across observatory modes, and can be exa ...

For lunar-based fission power systems that will support In-Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU) or Mars robotic and manned missions, power requirements may vary from 10s to 100s of kWe to support initial human missions and longer term lunar bases. Due to the large amounts of waste heat generated by these systems, a key consideration is the development of lightweight, highly efficient heat rejection s ...