STTR Phase I: Development of an Additively-Manufactured, Non-Toxic, Advanced Storable Hybrid Rocket Propulsion System

STTR 第一阶段：开发增材制造、无毒、先进的可储存混合火箭推进系统

• 批准号: 2127098
• 负责人: Adam Irvine
• 金额: $ 25.6万
• 依托单位: ONYX AEROSPACE, INC.
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2022
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2022-08-15 至 2023-07-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2127098&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: STTR; Phase; Development; Additively; Manufactured

The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Phase I project seeks to make orbital maneuvers affordable for large and small CubeSat operators. The proposed technology seeks to supply the market with an affordable, “green”, reliable, and easy to integrate modular propulsion system. Minimal integration requirements will allow CubeSat operators to focus on mission objectives and payload first, instead of the propulsion system integration. Today, integrating a propulsion system requires significant accommodations for thermal, electrical, and volume requirements and hazardous propellants limit available launch service. Both of these factors contribute to increasing cost and lenthening schedules. The goal of this project is to make advanced maneuvers, interplanetary trajectories, rapid end of life disposal, and accurate course corrections accessible capabilities for CubeSats. Accessible propulsion may also reduce orbital congestion as fewer maneuverable satellites can equal the capability of many statically-positioned satellites. CubeSats have already enabled rapid deployment of capabilities including low latency communication relays, defense purposes, and scientific research ranging from fundamental physics experiments to Earth observation. The proposed technology seeks to enhance CubeSat capabilities, opening new industries and discoveries for the next great generation of scientists, engineers, and entrepreneurs.This Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Phase I project seeks to develop the technology and produce a prototype spaceflight-ready design for a commercially-available, chemical-hybrid propulsion system. Conventional hybrid systems have shown significant downsides due to complex manufacturing, single use and/or toxic ignition systems, and low fuel regression rates. This technology seeks to solve these issues by utilizing a 3-D printed thermoplastic as the base fuel, which has electrical properties that allow for repeatable, rapid, and low power ignition. Some potential propellant combinations have a high theoretical performance, but are incompatible with the ignition method, have a low fuel regression rate, or are difficult to manufacture. After testing propellant combinations for compatibility with the ignition system, the system performance will be simulated. The performance data will be used to evaluate and design a prototype propulsion module. The fuel will be exposed to a simulated space environment and a lab weight scale test will be performed to verify the simulation results. The proposed research plan will identify the best option to produce a competitive and reliable integrated CubeSat propulsion system, with a test campaign constructed to provide confidence that a prototype system will perform as designed.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

该小型企业技术转让（STTR）第一阶段项目的更广泛影响/商业潜力旨在使大型和小型立方体卫星运营商能够负担得起轨道机动。拟议的技术旨在为市场提供负担得起的、“绿色”、可靠和可靠的技术。易于集成的模块化推进系统 最小的集成要求将使 CubeSat 运营商能够首先关注任务目标和有效载荷，而不是推进系统集成。如今，集成推进系统需要满足热、电力和体积要求。这两个因素都导致了成本的增加和发射时间的延长，该项目的目标是使立方体卫星能够实现先进的机动、星际轨道、快速报废处理和精确的航向修正。推进还可以减少轨道拥塞，因为更少的机动卫星就可以与许多静态定位卫星的能力相媲美，立方体卫星已经实现了快速部署功能，包括低延迟通信中继、防御目的、拟议的技术旨在增强立方体卫星的能力，为下一代伟大的科学家、工程师和企业家开辟新的产业和发现。这个小型企业技术转让（STTR）第一阶段项目。致力于开发该技术并为商用化学混合推进系统生产原型航天设计，由于制造复杂、一次性和/或有毒点火系统以及低排放，传统混合动力系统已显示出显着的缺点。该技术旨在通过利用 3D 打印热塑性塑料作为基础燃料来解决这些问题，该燃料具有可重复、快速和低功率点火的电气特性，一些潜在的推进剂组合具有较高的理论性能。但与点火方法不兼容，燃料回归率低，或者难以制造。在测试推进剂组合与点火系统的兼容性后，将使用性能数据来评估和设计系统。原型燃料将暴露在模拟的空间环境中，并进行实验室重量测试以验证模拟结果。拟议的研究计划将确定生产具有竞争力和可靠的集成立方体卫星推进系统的最佳选择。该奖项反映了 NSF 的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。