Foil Gas Bearing Supported Quiet Fan for Spacecraft Ventilation, Phase I

Developing a quiet fan for Environmental Control and Life Support systems to enhance the livable environment within the spacecraft has been a challenge. A Foil Gas Bearing Supported Fan is proposed which will be quiet, efficient, reliable, contamination free, compact, and lightweight. In Phase I a set of foil gas bearings necessary to prove out the feasibility of the program will be manufactured and tested. In Phase II a complete prototype fan will be manufactured and tested incorporating the technology proved out in Phase I. In Phase III the developed fan will be system tested for airworthiness. Developing a quiet fan for Environmental Control and Life Support systems to enhance the livable environment within the spacecraft has been a challenge. A Foil Gas Bearing Supported Fan is proposed which will be quiet, efficient, reliable, contamination free, compact, and lightweight. In Phase I a set of foil gas bearings necessary to prove out the feasibility of the program will be manufactured and tested. In Phase II a complete prototype fan will be manufactured and tested incorporating the technology proved out in Phase I. In Phase III the developed fan will be system tested for airworthiness.

There is a range of private sector applications for this technology including, commercial aviation, UAV's and fuel cell applications. Commercial fuel cell systems need compact and efficient blowers to feed air into the stack. This fan will be well suited for that use. The primary, near term, NASA use for this fan is in ventilation of spacecraft. This fan can be scaled to a smaller size and can be used for SPACESUIT ventilation also. Since the fan will be quiet and compact it can be used in UAV applications where noise level and compactness are key.

This is early/mid-stage (TRL 4) — 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.

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