Lightweight Thermal Storage Heat Exchangers, Phase I

This SBIR proposal aims to develop thermal energy storage heat exchangers that are significantly lighter and higher conductance than the present art which involves significant metal weight. We aim to use carbon fiber for conductive and convective heat transfer enhancements and replace metal with novel carbon-polymer composites. The concept materials can be configured to serve a broad range of thermal management applications for NASA, in particular thermal storage heat exchangers. Phase 1 will gather NASA requirements for near term systems involving active cooling with single- and two-phase loops passive cooling with heat pipes. In particular the Constellation program and the Orion vehicle will be considered to assess the potential benefits of the proposed materials approach. Initial fabrication and characterization of the materials concept will be performed. Design options for Phase 2 development units will be prepared.

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.