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A Heat Switch for Space Applications

Award Information
Agency: National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Branch: N/A
Contract: NNX10CE65P
Agency Tracking Number: 094465
Amount: $99,981.00
Phase: Phase I
Program: SBIR
Solicitation Topic Code: X8.01
Solicitation Number: N/A
Timeline
Solicitation Year: 2009
Award Year: 2010
Award Start Date (Proposal Award Date): 2010-01-29
Award End Date (Contract End Date): 2010-07-29
Small Business Information
1367 Camino Robles Way
San Jose, CA 95120-4925
United States
DUNS: 938515913
HUBZone Owned: No
Woman Owned: No
Socially and Economically Disadvantaged: No
Principal Investigator
 James Maddocks
 Principal Investigator
 (608) 265-4246
 jmaddocks@atlasscientific.com
Business Contact
 Ali Kashani
Title: Business Official
Phone: (408) 507-0906
Email: akashani@atlasscientific.com
Research Institution
N/A
Abstract

Various planned NASA missions require heat switches for active thermal control. As an example cryocoolers, including redundant coolers are incorporated on select missions. The redundant coolers operate when deteriorating or defunct coolers are deactivated. However, integration of redundant coolers may cause substantial parasitic heat loads unless the cold regions are thermally connected to the active cryocooler only. The overall system efficiency will depend in part on the efficacy of the intervening heat switches. We propose to develop a highly effective, innovative prototype heat switch that combines two recently developed technologies. First, it employs a highly conductive thermal contact at a low applied force. Secondly, the heat switch employs an innovative bi-stable actuator. The actuator requires little energy to switch between states and can achieve motion on the order of millimeters. This available motion exceeds the tens to hundreds of microns needed to engage the contact, enabling complete separation, and thus, excellent thermal isolation in the off state. Combining the inherently high on- and low off-conductance of the contacts with the bi-stable actuator positioning provides for a highly effective, innovative heat switch, potentially enabling significant performance enhancement of NASA missions.

* Information listed above is at the time of submission. *

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