Quiet Fan Technology for Deep Space, Year 2

Reducing ambient noise levels in space environments plays a key role in crew communications, ability to sleep, and overall crew comfort and well-being. Deep space missions are especially susceptible to noise due to the confined nature of their environment and the lack of respite from noise. This technology is significant to deep space missions because it can reduce fan noise within the existing hardware footprint, reducing the need for bulky passive treatments such as added duct work & internal linings. Working with RotoSub, our goal was to improve on our year 1 work (adapting this technology into Crew Quarters (CQ) fans) by preparing these fans for flight on ISS as a CQ technology demonstration. This was accomplished by additional noise control improvements, fan blade optimization, integration of electronics into the fan/frame, and creating a robust aluminum housing. We partnered with Lars Strömbäck and RotoSub AB out of Sweden to adapt and integrate their ANC quiet fan technology into CQ type fans. Danielle Koch from the NASA Glenn Research Center provided for the loan of their ISO 10302 Fan Sound Power Plenum for fan testing. Currently we are working with Holly Cagle & the Flight Crew Systems office at JSC for CQ integration on the ISS.

Pending additional funding, we will continue to work with RotoSub to prepare this Quiet Fan for integration into on of the Crew Quarters as a demonstration of this technology. There are a few additional steps needed to have this fan flight ready, including creating a injection molded cast for the fan rotor (rather than a 3D printed rotor), and any other optimizations defined through acoustic refinement and testing of this year two fan. The intent is to certify and fly these fans as a technology demonstration, where they would replace the two existing CQ fans in one of the ISS Crew Quarters. The long term benefits of this technology for spaceflight are significant. This technology effectively reduces noise while maintaining and even slightly improving fan performance. Integrating this technology into space vehicles will result in considerable mass and volume savings, which is extremely valuable in any space vehicle and especially so in a deep space vehicle or habitat like Orion and Lunar Orbital Platform - Gateway.

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.