Additively Manufactured Propellant Tanks with Integral Propellant Acquisition Device

Advances in additive manufacturing have opened the door to affordable manufacturing of customized hardware components for meeting affordability goals and minimizing life cycle costs. Developing and offering a common, affordable, and efficiently packaged cryogenic propellant management solution for spacecraft and satellite systems would be openly welcomed within the industry. Leveraging years of AFA’s AM experience with materials and processes coupled with commercially available design optimization software can support the development of innovative liquid acquisition devices. By employing our matured design for additive strategies coupled with effective commercial software tools we can design optimized internal lattice networks that are either as an independent LAD or as part of a wall’s skin in a continuous network to meet different structural load requirements and design targets such as LAD pore size and geometry. Using a bio-inspired artificial intelligence modeling suite for designing a randomized lattice structure to serve as a LADs vane or screen offers us full control over pore size and lattice strut thickness which can improve performance/effectiveness while reducing mass with improved volume efficiency.

Propellant management devices Propellant filters and flow control devices Transpiration cooled panels and components

Propellant management devices Propellant filters and flow control devices Transpiration cooled panels and components

This is early/mid-stage (TRL 3) — 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.