LIGHTWEIGHT MICROTUBE PHASE CHANGE MATERIAL HEAT EXCHANGERS

The primary goal of this program is to develop the significant weight-saving potential of phase change material (PCM) microtube heat exchangers for NASA spacecraft thermal management. Mezzo will utilize microtube heat exchanger technology along with topography optimization and 3D printing to allow for cutting-edge performance and weight savings.

PCM heat exchangers assist in the smoothing out of thermal energy during part pulse or cyclic operation and allow for short-term thermal storage. This ability allows for thermal systems to be designed around non-peak operating conditions which allows for a smaller thermal system.

One market is the quickly growing directed energy market, which could greatly benefit from the load-leveling capabilities of microtube PCM heat exchangers. The directed energy weapon market was valued at $4.3 billion in 2021 and is projected to reach $10.1 billion by 2026.

This is early/mid-stage (TRL 2) — the most realistic path in is NASA SBIR/STTR, which funds small businesses and research institutions to develop technology aligned with NASA's needs (equity-free, phased funding). Check whether a current SBIR/STTR solicitation topic overlaps with this project's technology area, or contact the project directly (above) to ask.

None of these are guaranteed paths for this specific project — TechPort itself doesn't have an "apply" button. Reaching out to the contact(s) above with a specific question is usually the fastest way to find out what's actually open.