PROPOSAL NUMBER: | 04-II X6.01-7813 |
PHASE-I CONTRACT NUMBER: | NNM05AA50C |
SUBTOPIC TITLE: | Earth-to-Orbit Propulsion |
PROPOSAL TITLE: | Advanced Vortex Hybrid Rocket Engine (AVHRE) |
SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN (Firm Name, Mail Address,
City/State/Zip, Phone)
Orbital Technologies Corporation
Space
Center, 1212 Fourier Drive
Madison ,WI 53717 - 1961
(608) 827 -
5000
PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER (Name, E-mail,
Mail Address, City/State/Zip, Phone)
Ronald R. Teeter
koffarnusl@orbitec.com
1212 Fourier Drive
Madison, WI 53717
-1961
(608) 827 - 5000
TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (Limit 2000 characters, approximately 200
words)
ORBITEC proposes to develop a unique Advanced Vortex Hybrid Rocket
Engine (AVHRE) to achieve a safe, highly-reliable, low-cost and uniquely
versatile propulsion system. The benefits of AVHRE result from the combination
of four innovations: (1) the patented vortex injection technique which generates
a coaxial vortex pair, driving high solid-fuel regression rates and improved
combustion efficiency; (2) high-regression rate paraffin solid fuels; (3)
patented regression sensor technology, and (4) a new fuel formulation innovation
to control the solid fuel regression characteristics and provide improved
structural integrity of the grain. These innovations simplify hybrid rocket
design, development, and manufacture both inherently and by providing many
practical design degrees of freedom that can be harnessed for a given
application. Specific benefits of the AVHRE technology include: (1) increased
propellant mass fractions; (2) the ability to tailor and optimize a hybrid
propulsion system for a given application; (3) increased ISP efficiency; (4) a
reduction or elimination of residual fuel; (5) improved grain structural
integrity and increased thermal properties; and (6) reduced need for thermal
insulation. The Phase II effort will design, develop, and test a 10,000 lbf
AVHRE-I chamber and a suite of practical AVHRE engineering design tools that
will be delivered to NASA upon completion of the project.
POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS (Limit 1500 characters,
approximately 150 words)
The AVHRE addresses key design, performance, and
operational challenges of traditional hybrid rocket engine systems. If
successful, this would catapult hybrid rocket systems into a highly competitive
position for many Earth-to-orbit propulsion applications, where their inherent
safety, simplicity, and low-cost could be competitively harnessed. The AVHRE
hardware, analysis, and engineering design approaches developed during the Phase
II program will be useful tools that NASA will benefit from. AVHRE addresses the
need for high performance, low cost, reliable/safe, and flexible propulsion
technology required for Earth-to-Orbit (ETO) applications and planetary
missions. The fuel formulation technology demonstrated during the Phase I AVHRE
project can also likely be adapted for producing ISRU fuel grains to meet
Martian and Lunar propulsion needs.
POTENTIAL NON-NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS (Limit 1500 characters,
approximately 150 words)
AVHRE is expected to have a competitive position in
reusable and expendable launch vehicles, sounding rockets, and upper stage
propulsion systems. A new market is also emerging to provide suborbital launch
vehicles for space tourists. The AVHRE could play a vital role due to its
inherent safety and lower development cost. ORBITEC is also closely
investigating the entertainment markets, including rocket car demonstrations at
air shows, amusement rides, and model rocketry packages that would use the
cartridge loaded AVHRE propulsion system. In addition to these applications,
this new type of vortex combustion may have significant industrial benefits. For
example, many classes of air-fired combustors can use the vortex combustion
technology for improved combustion efficiency, potentially reduced emissions,
and to reduce the required pre-processing.