Extending the HYPERFIRE Method to Nuclear Thermal Propulsion

Subscale rocket engine development testing is expensive, making subscale validation of their ground test facilities even more costly. Yet, the need for a well-proven design is obvious when the facility in question is the first Nuclear Thermal Propulsion (NTP) test stand to be built in 60+ years. The Hydrocarbon Propellants Enabling Reproduction of Flows in Rocket Engines (HYPERFIRE) method was developed under prior CIF funding to make subscale testing quicker, cheaper, and easier. It employs heated ethane to mimic chemical rocket engine plumes with low single-digit errors using test articles that can fit in a coffee mug.

The precise thermodynamic properties which make ethane an ideal simulant for combustion products render it unsuitable for replication of the hot hydrogen exhaust of nuclear rocket engines. This project will evaluate other potential simulant fluids to determine which offers the best combination of usability and aerodynamic similitude.

This is a mature technology (TRL 7+) — the realistic path in is usually NASA's Technology Transfer Program: licensing an existing NASA patent, or a Space Act Agreement to use NASA facilities/expertise directly. NASA also runs a startup licensing program with no upfront fee for companies formed to commercialize a specific NASA technology.

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.