Proposal Number:          21-1- Z10.01-2800

          

          

   

Subtopic Title:
      Cryogenic Fluid Management

          

          

   

Proposal Title:
      RCS Tank Operations Using Cryocoolers

          

          

   

Firm:

          

Sierra Lobo, Inc.

          

   

Address:

          

102 Pinnacle Drive, Fremont, OH 43420

          

   

Phone:

          

(419) 332-8690                                                                                                                                                                                

          

   

Name:

          

Mr. Antony Skaff

          

   

E-mail:

          

tskaff@sierralobo.com

          

   

Address:

          

102 Pinnacle Drive, OH 43420 - 2448

          

   

Phone:

          

(440) 759-7536                                                                                                                                                                                

          

   

Name:

          

Phil Putman

          

   

E-mail:

          

pputman@sierralobo.com

          

   

Address:

          

102 Pinnacle Drive, OH 43420 - 2448

          

   

Phone:

          

(419) 499-9653                                                                                                                                                                                

          

   

Estimated Technology Readiness Level (TRL) :                                                                                                                                                          
Begin: 1
End: 3

          

          

     

Technical Abstract (Limit 2000 characters, approximately 200 words):

The proposed RCS gas generation system integrates with existing active CFM hardware to manage temperature and pressure for the propellant, vaporizer, and RCS tanks. Innovative integration with the waste heat and cooling power of the cryocoolers, an essential part of CFM hardware for long duration, cryogenically propelled missions, enables the propellant to be vaporized and heated to the required 300K and 3000psi at the necessary rates (0.1g/s for hydrogen, 0.3g/s for methane, and 0.5g/s for oxygen). Utilizing the cooling power of the cryocooler means any remaining gaseous propellant in the vaporizer tank after transfer to the RCS accumulator can be chilled and condensed. Chilling and condensing the propellant prepares the vaporizer tank for the next transfer from the propellant tank and reduces the need to vent the vaporizer tank between fill events. This limits propellant loss by reducing the number of venting events throughout the mission. Managing RCS gas generation through an on-board cryocooler reduces the mass and power requirements of the gas generation system and reduces the mass of needed propellant by reducing the number of propellant venting events.

          

          

     

Potential NASA Applications (Limit 1500 characters, approximately 150 words):

• Extended cryogenically propelled lunar and Mars missions
• ISRU systems
• High-pressure gas filling for long-term, cryogenic propellant storage in space

          

          

     

Potential Non-NASA Applications (Limit 1500 characters, approximately 150 words):

• cryogenic storage dewars for medical systems
• pressure and temperature control of storage dewars used to transport cryogens

          

          

     

Duration:     6