NASA SBIR 2006 Solicitation

FORM B - PROPOSAL SUMMARY


PROPOSAL NUMBER: 06-2 X9.03-8904
PHASE 1 CONTRACT NUMBER: NNJ07JB37C
SUBTOPIC TITLE: Cryogenic and Non-Toxic Storable Propellant Space Engines
PROPOSAL TITLE: Transpiration Cooled Thrust Chamber Technology

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/Zip, Phone)
WASK Engineering, Inc.
3460 Robin Lane, Suite 1
Cameron Park, CA 95682 - 8457
(530) 672-2797

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/Zip, Phone)
Paul C Phillipsen
paulp@waskengr.com
3460 Robin Lane, Suite 1
Cameron Park, CA 95682 - 8457
(530) 672-2795

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (Limit 2000 characters, approximately 200 words)
NASA has determined that it requires extremely durable, high-performance, low cost engines to meet future multi-use in-space, non-toxic, cryogenic propulsion requirements such as orbit transfer, descent, ascent and pulsing attitude control. Transpiration-cooling technology has long been considered a candidate for long-life thrust chambers but has never been deployed on a domestic rocket engine. In this program WASK Engineering, Inc. proposes to design, fabricate and hot-fire test a 100 lbf reaction control engine (RCEs) with transpiration-cooled thrust chambers and novel injector design. This effort will build on the technology demonstrations achieved on our Phase I program. These new transpiration-cooled O2/CH4 RCEs will be tested in existing atmospheric (non-vacuum) test facilities on an existing and operational test stand. Test results will be used to anchor and refine existing transpiration cooling thermal/performance analysis models. Ultimately, results of this Phase II program will lead to a durable, low cost, non-toxic RCE technology capable of using in situ propellant combinations, particularly oxygen/methane that will have higher performance than current toxic, expensive, storable hypergolic RCE designs using rhenium-based thrust chamber technology.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS (Limit 1500 characters, approximately 150 words)
WASK Engineering, Inc. anticipates significant commercial potential for the technologies and the thrusters developed in this effort. This program will add to our capability in the design and analysis of transpiration cooled combustion chambers. Many propulsion contractors have identified transpiration cooling as a critical technology for future long life rocket engines. This is true of the commercial space launch industry as well as the government. This program would place WASK Engineering, Inc. in a leading position to compete for hardware contracts on future rockets engines employing this critical technology. This effort would also provide the technical basis and prior experience to support other aerospace firms in competitions for non-toxic RCEs. The development and testing of a pulsing attitude control engine with transpiration cooled combustion chamber will provide a validated design that can readily transition to flight hardware, providing the capability for low cost flight demonstrations for reusable vehicles and stages.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS (Limit 1500 characters, approximately 150 words)
Potential NASA applications include extremely durable, high-performance, low cost engines to meet future multi-use in-space, non-toxic, cryogenic propulsion requirements such as orbit transfer, descent, ascent and especially pulsing attitude control. In this program WASK Engineering, Inc. demonstrates methane transpiration cooling of an oxygen/methane thrust chamber at 260 psia chamber pressure and a range of mixture ratios up to 3.2 O/F in a 100 lbf thrust chamber assembly.

NASA's technology taxonomy has been developed by the SBIR-STTR program to disseminate awareness of proposed and awarded R/R&D in the agency. It is a listing of over 100 technologies, sorted into broad categories, of interest to NASA.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING
Chemical
Cooling
In-situ Resource Utilization
Metallics


Form Generated on 08-02-07 14:39