Liquid Interface Diffusion Bonding of FPS Heat Pipes to Core

A key challenge to producing 10kWe Fission Power Systems (FPS) is embedding and joining heat pipes internally to the U-7Mo core. A successful Phase I effort has demonstrated the feasibility of applying the technology of Liquid Interface Diffusion (LID) Bonding to embed and join heat pipes (Haynes 230) to the core. An added bonus is that this LID Bonding technology will simultaneously eliminate the seams and voids created from a core made from pieces of U-7Mo thereby providing an integrated heat pipe / U-7Mo core sub-assembly with no internal voids or separations between core pieces or from the core to the heat pipes. LID Bonding will even allow for the core to be built up by various horizontal and asymmetric pieces such as split heat pipe channels to easily receive heat pipes, consolidating the core material around the heat pipes during the LID Bonding process. Phase II will allow NASA to produce FPS up to 10 kWe and beyond to meet the power requirements for landing astronauts on Mars, and also to provide power to a host of other programs, including programs such as Neptune Systems Explorer, Kuiper Belt Optic, Trojan Tour, and Jupiter Europa Orbiter.

Fission Power Systems of the following levels: 1 - 10 kWe Stirling FPS. 10 - 40 kWe Stirling FPS. 40 - 100 kWe FPS. Potential missions include FPS for the Jupiter Europa Orbiter, Neptune Systems Explorer, Kuiper Belt Object Orbiter, and Trojan Tour along with manned Mars missions.

Commercial applications include power supplies for commercial space applications like those listed for NASA and then remote and emergency power supplies for critical requirements for those in the Artic, Antarctic and isolated regions between.

This is early/mid-stage (TRL 5) — 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.