NASA SBIR SUCCESS STORY Marshall Space Flight Center
2001 Phase 2

Damage-Tolerant/Robust Pressure Vessels with “Insensitive Munitions” Benign Failure Capability

HyPerComp Engineering

Brigham City, UT

INNOVATION
Focused on improving damage tolerance for high-pressure storage tanks. In regards to properties of composite materials, research provides insight into potentially stronger, lighter, and safer high-pressure storage vessels for aerospace, military, homeland security, first responder, and alternative fuel applications.
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Zero Fragmentation After a 30-Caliber
Round Pierces Pressurized Cylinder

ACCOMPLISHMENTS
  • Successfully demonstrated ballistic gun-fire (.50-caliber) survivability at high operating pressures
  • Successfully demonstrated “benign failure” mode under gunfire testing with zero-fragmentation and zero collateral damage
  • Prospective industry commitment coming from SCBA manufacturing sector
  • Various technical papers have been published on subject research
COMMERCIALIZATION
  • Product is known as “High-Performance Robust Pressure Vessel for Extreme Environments”
  • Patent Pending with USPO
  • Product being targeted for: a) military lightweight, high-pressure storage applications with “insensitive munitions” requirements; b) hydrogen fuel cell storage requiring high pressure and safety; and c) lighter and safer breathing air bottles for firefighters and first responders
  • Investment needed in facilitation and certification for DOT, DOE, and DOD acceptance
  • Venture structure for commercialization to be in form of joint venture with prospective partners with market and/or financing

GOVERNMENT/SCIENCE APPLICATIONS
  • Research has been sponsored by NASA MSFC and demonstrates prospective tankage solutions for space, and other extreme environments such as firefighting, battlefields, high-impact collisions, and alternative fuel storage that support current research sponsored by DOD, DOT, and DOE
  • Further business development and investment will lead to certification of pressure vessels with DOT, enabling commercial sales of pressure vessels utilizing the technology
For more information about this firm, please send e-mail to company representative

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Curator: SBIR Support
           05/15/06