Adaptive Venturi for Surge Pressure Mitigation

Physical Sciences Inc. (PSI) proposes to develop a unique venturi for propellant feed systems that uses a passively controlled throat area to adjust flow rate. The adaptive venturi is a safety device that eliminates fluid hammer in gaseous, liquid, and cryogenic systems by rapidly adjusting flow area to prevent pressure surges. These benefits are achieved without adding weight, volume, or power requirements. Sensors are not used. For high-pressure oxygen systems, the adaptive venturi eliminates the risk of ignition caused by adiabatic compression. This device has been demonstrated with a prompt response time and zero evidence of instability. In Phase I, PSIrsquo;s existing adaptive venturi will be optimized specifically for high-pressure oxygen applications. The componentrsquo;s performance will be evaluated using gaseous nitrogen to quickly iterate and improve the geometric design. Then, the adaptive venturirsquo;s ability to prevent ignition due to fluid impact will be evaluated with gaseous oxygen at high pressures. Upon successful technology development under the SBIR program, the adaptive venture is a near-term product that will be transitioned to markets for both flight and ground-based applications.