Active Gas Regenerative Liquefier, Phase I

We offer a novel liquefier that has the potential to simultaneously increase thermodynamic efficiency and significantly reduce complexity. The ?active gas regenerative liquefier? (AGRL) uses an array of discrete micro compressor-expander units in a periodic heat exchanger to accomplish extremely efficient liquefaction of hydrogen and other cryogenic fluids. When an array of these units are combined into a highly effective regenerator with excellent heat transfer, low pressure drop, and low longitudinal conduction, the potential for a extremely efficient regenerative refrigerator and/or liquefier is created. The capability to directly couple the compression of a working gas within a unit with the simultaneous expansion of a working gas within the same unit allows distributed work input and recovery from near ambient temperature to cryogenic temperatures as low as ~20 K. By using this micro compressor-expander unit, the net work input is reduced substantially to that required for a very efficient refrigeration cycle, no matter what the temperature span of the liquefier.

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.