Overview Briefing

Introduction

• The focused topic concept
• Description of Fuels and Space Propellants
• Small business, industry, academia, and government interests
• Program plan
• Conclusions

Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Focused Topic

• Integrate SBIR activities into program plan including rationale for funding goals
• Outline specific areas of technology critical to project / program
• Enlist general endorsement and support from appropriate authorities at NASA Codes and participating Center(s)
• Have industry acceptance, headquarters program office support, and where possible, other Agencies support
• Describe industry liaisons

Focused SBIR topic provides substantial infusion of resources that enable commercialization of fuels and propellants for space applications. Focused SBIR topic fosters development of higher density, higher Isp, more easily handleable propellants. Limits to vehicle performance imposed by traditionally used propellant and fuels. Increases in performance possible with either increased propellant specific impulse, increased density, or both. Safety increased by using denser, more viscous propellants and fuels. Recent discovery and synthesis of propellants which can have higher density and similar performance to traditional O2 /H2, O2 /RP-1, and NTO /MMH.

Vision

Upper Stage, On board, RCS

• Near term potential (< 3 yr)
• NTO /MMH performance with:
  • Monopropellants
  • Self pressurization, high vapor pressure
  • Low toxicity
• Potential propellants
  • HAN-based
  • Nitromethane
  • Many others
• NTO /MMH and hydrazine require many safety accommodations:
  • Clearing Orbiter Processing Facility (OPF) during propellant loading
  • Cannot conduct parallel operations during this loading
  • Up to 30% of launch processing costs driven by need for clearing pad during NTO /MMH operations
• Environmentally safer fuels reduce costs and complexity

Main Propulsion

• Longer term potential (> 3 yr)
• O2 /H2 Performance with higher density
• New propellant predicted theoretically and /or created in small quantities
• Potential propellants
  • N4, B3N3H6, BH4
• O2 /H2 propellant limit vehicle performance
• Higher density reduces tank, vehicle mass, relaxing margins
• Next generation Reusable Launch Vehicles (RLV) will benefit
• Production of test and flight quantities needed
• Focused SBIR spurs ideas

Monopropellant Technology

• Monopropellant technology issues – HAN-based fuels
  • Ignition systems
    • Electrical, catalytic, or laser
    • Catalyst materials must resist oxidation (refractory substrate)
  • High temperature chamber coatings
    • Higher temperature operation with high water content in exhaust
    • Highly oxidizing environment
  • Material compatibility (propellant tankage, lines, etc.)
    • Fuel components react with metals, requiring plastic or elastomeric liners, material passivation, coatings
  • SBIR focused topic will provide innovative solutions

Examples of High Energy Density Materials

• HEDM candidates
  • Formulated (with exceptions):
    • Polymeric (or Poly) Nitrogen (N4, N6, N8)
    • Polymeric (or Poly) Oxygen (O4, O6, O8)
    • Hydrides of boron (BH2, BH4)
  • Theoretical:
    • B-N analogs of Prismane (B3N3H6)
  • Reference: Thompson, T., and Rodgers, S., (ed.) �Proceedings of the High Energy Density Matter (HEDM) Contractor Conference held 5-7 June 1994,� PL-TR-94-3036, December 1994.

Link to NASA Enterprises

• • NASA Propulsion Strategic Planning Group excited about our work and depending on SBIR focused topic for technology and funding infusion
  • NASA Propulsion Strategic Plan with 6 strategies
    • A: Ultra light
    • B: High performance core propulsion
    • C: Revitalize U.S. Earth To Orbit (ETO) propulsion
    • D: Cargo orbit transfer
    • E: Human small body exploration
    • F: Human Mars exploration
  • Briefing provided to Strategy E on Propellant Technologies showed great value of the focused topic to all strategies
  • NASA MSFC /LeRC will carry the word to the other strategies about how Propellant Technologies are important to:
    • Bantam Lifter
    • ETO
    • Rocket based Combined Cycle
    • Core propulsion
    • Small body /Mars precursors
    • Upper stages
    • On board propulsion
  • NASA Transportation Plan includes Propellant Technologies as a critical area for improvement
    • Higher energy density needed for RLVs, etc.
  • SBIR focused topic will provide important funding infusion to support this plan
  • X-34 replanning may allow opportunity for propellant testing
    • Two experimental flight planned
    • Second experimental flight in 1999
      • Propellants available for second flight
        • HAN-based
        • Hydrocarbon additives
        • Higher density hydrocarbons (JP-7, JP-10)
  • Bantam Lifter can also be a testbed (from NASA Propulsion Strategic Plan)
  • NASA Plans have applications that will use SBIR focused topic products
  • Monopropellants:
    • HAN-based
    • Nitromethane
    • Nitrous oxide
    • Ammonium nitrate
    • Aluminum additives
    • Many others
  • HEDM:
    • O4, N4, B3N3H6
    • Many others
  • Others:
    • Hydrocarbon additives (cubane, azides)
    • Higher density (JP-7, JP-10)
    • Many others
  • NASA Propulsion Strategic Plan:
    • Bantam Lifter
    • ETO
    • Rocket based Combined Cycle
    • Core propulsion
    • Small body /Mars precursors
    • Upper stages
    • On board propulsion
  • NASA Transportation Plan
  • Others
    • X-34 experimental flight
    • Commercial satellites

Center contributions toward the overall objective of this work

• • NASA Lewis: overall SBIR topic leadership, monopropellants and systems
    • Bryan Palaszewski
  • NASA Ames: formulation and modeling of advanced propellants
    • Stephen Langhoff
  • NASA JSC and WSTF: propellant operations and safety
    • Scott Baird
  • NASA Langley and Lewis (rotating leadership): hypersonic vehicles
    • Gerald Pellett (LaRC), Chris Snyder (LeRC)
  • NASA MSFC and Lewis (rotating leadership): space transportation applications
    • Bryan Palaszewski (LeRC), Charles Schafer (MSFC)

National Laboratory contributions toward the overall objective of this work

• U.S. Air Force Phillips Laboratory (Edwards, CA) and the Wright Laboratory of Wright Patterson AFB
  • High energy fuels
  • Endothermic fuels, etc.
• U.S. Navy: The Naval Air Warfare Center (China Lake, CA)
  • Hydrocarbon fuels
• U.S. Army: The Missile Command (Huntsville, AL)
  • Gelled fuels
• Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
  • Cryogenic additives
• Los Alamos National Laboratory
  • High energy materials

Small Business and Industry Partners

Existing and potential consortia of small and large industries that have interest in the focused topic

• Small businesses submit proposals for higher performing fuels every year
  • Orbital Technologies
  • Propulsion Development Associates
  • Many others
• All of these industry partners have expressed interest in the focused SBIR while collaborating with small businesses:
  • Aerojet (Sacramento, CA)
  • Rockwell International (WSTF, White Sands, NM)
  • Talley Defense (Mesa, AZ)
  • Rocketdyne (Canoga Park, CA)
  • SRI (Menlo Park, CA)
  • TRW (Redondo Beach, CA)

University and Technology Transfer Partners

Universities and other technology transfer organizations that have interest in the focused topic

• Universities
  • University of Alabama at Huntsville (UAH)
  • University of Wisconsin
  • University of Hawaii at Manoa
  • Many others
• Technology transfer
  • Great Lakes Industrial Technology Center (GLITeC)
  • Ohio Aerospace Institute (OAI)

• Potential dual use applications
  • The fuels formulations and their technologies will be useful in:
    • racing fuel additives
    • cryogenic storage
    • cryocoolers for ground based applications
    • particle formation
    • slurry flows
• Potential first customer markets:
  • Monopropellants for:
  • High power rocketry (model rockets on steroids)
  • Microsatellites and small satellites (on board propulsion)

Program Plan

• Fostering liaisons with NASA Headquarters and Centers
• Continue liaisons with USAF, Navy, Army laboratories
• Identify and establish consortia for research groups
  • Small business
  • �Large� industry
  • University
  • Government
• Provide analysis of systems and impacts
• Provide propulsion testing consulting
• Provided overall topic management
• Maintain strong links to On Board Propulsion program at NASA Lewis

Program Costs

• Incremental funding allows transition to many effective Phase II�s
• 21 Phase I�s in the first year may be augmented by funding 2 existing Phase I�s that transition to successful Phase II awards
• Funding distribution ($M)
  • 1996 3 (including funding 2 existing Phase I�s to Phase II)
  • 1997 4
  • 1998 5
  • 1999 5
  • 2000 5
  • 2001 9
  • 2002 15
  • 1996 3
  • (FY96 includes funding 2 existing Phase I�s to Phase II)
  • 1997 4
  • 1998 5
  • 1999 5
  • 2000 5
  • 2001 9
  • 2002 15

Conclusions

• SBIR focused topic will help commercialize fuels and propellants
• New ideas for propellants with higher density available
• Markets for new propellants are opening
  • Monopropellants:
    • Microsatellites
    • On board propulsion
    • High power rocketry
  • Main propulsion
    • Next generation RLVs
  • Infusion of SBIR dollars required for successful commercialization
  • Small business, �large industry, university, and government participants are excited about participation
  • Planning NASA Lewis convocation for small business information exchange