NASA SBIR 2009 Solicitation

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/Zip, Phone)
CFD Research Corp.
215 Wynn Drive, 5th Floor
Huntsville, AL 35805 - 1944
(256) 726-4858

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/Zip, Phone)
Essam Sheta
sxh@cfdrc.com
215 Wynn Dr.
Huntsville, AL 35805 - 1944
(256) 726-4869

Estimated Technology Readiness Level (TRL) at beginning and end of contract:
Begin: 4
End: 6

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (Limit 2000 characters, approximately 200 words)
CFDRC and TRLA are proposing to develop, design and test a highly scalable, mass-optimized inflatable structure that makes maximum utilization of materials in providing tailored stiffness and rigidity for hypersonic entry vehicles. The proposed inflatable structure is a hybrid pressure restraint vessel employing an impervious cloth-reinforced barrier structure enveloped by an integrated array of high-tenacity tendons. The external grid of cordage tendons provides mass- and load pathway-optimized containment of the structure's global pressure loads. In Phase I, the conceptual model was designed and the materials were evaluated for their stiffness. The feasibility of the model was demonstrated for typical Mars trajectory point. Phase II efforts will focus on fabricating and testing a prototype of the proposed inflatable structure to validate the design robustness and capability for larger payload masses. Pre and post testing multidisciplinary integrated fluid-structure-thermal simulations will be conducted to provide insight into the aerodynamic, material stress and dynamic characteristics of the model and to verify/optimize the developed design. Wind tunnel testing as well as dynamic aerostructural simulations will be conducted to verify the stability of the model. The developed inflatable concept will be fabricated complete with flexible TPS, multiple protection layers and sensors and will be tested to demonstrate the prototype folding, packaging, and deployment.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS (Limit 1500 characters, approximately 150 words)
The proposed integrated hypersonic inflatable entry system will have an immediate application in delivering large payload masses to the surface of Mars. This will reduce the number of launches required for the mission completion and total mission costs. The proposed technology will find direct applications with present and future NASA and industry inflatable structures programs, such as those seeking to provide deceleration and precision landing capability for large scale mass return from Earth orbit to Earth surface, or for missions to many of the potential atmosphere-endowed solar system destinations. Other NASA applications include large aperture antenna reflectors, solar collectors, cryogenic propellant tanks, lander air bags, and rover vehicles.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS (Limit 1500 characters, approximately 150 words)
Additional application areas include analysis of space-based inflatable structures such as telescopes and mirrors, satellite solar panels and military reentry vehicles (inflatable decoys, etc) exposed to the atmosphere. The aeroelastic analysis of parachutes and parafoils and the analysis of high-altitude endurance airplanes with flexible wings will be improved. Further military applications include stabilization and deceleration of ordnance with attached inflatable decelerators. Other non-NASA applications include satellite de-orbit device, compressed air energy storage, high altitude airships, oil storage containers, helicopter and motor vehicles crash air bags and launch vehicle payload fairings.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING (NASA's technology taxonomy has been developed by the SBIR-STTR program to disseminate awareness of proposed and awarded R/R&D in the agency. It is a listing of over 100 technologies, sorted into broad categories, of interest to NASA.)

Inflatable Simulation Modeling Environment Software Tools for Distributed Analysis and Simulation Structural Modeling and Tools Testing Requirements and Architectures