Technology Infusion
Collaboration: 2007 IPP Seed Fund Winners
The IPP Partnership Seed Fund is an initiative to enhance NASA’s ability to meet missions’ technology goals by providing seed funding to address barriers and initiate cost-shared, joint-development partnerships.
The following 6 GRC projects were selected out of 38 partnership awards. IPP is contributing $1.5 million, with an additional $2 million of industry effort, and $3.8 million in NASA program funding, for a total value of $7.3 million in support of these projects.
Bringing Moon Tire Technology to Earth
Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company, Akron, Ohio
Researchers at GRC and Goodyear (link opens new browser window) are collaborating to understand the types of lunar and Earth vehicles that could use the wire mesh, airless/rubberless tires developed in the 1960s for the Apollo Lunar Roving Vehicle. The project includes the modeling, building, and testing of several prototypes toward future exploration of the Moon as well as Earth-based passenger vehicles.
Producing Life Support and Propulsion System Consumables for Lunar and Planetary Outposts
Northern Centre for Advanced Technology, Inc. (NORCAT), Sudbury, Ontario, Canada
This collaboration between GRC and the NORCAT (link opens new browser window), will result in technology approaches for “mining” native resources on lunar and planet-ary surfaces to produce mission consumables, such as oxygen and water, to dramatically reduce the mass, risk, and cost of extended-duration missions.
Low-Density Turbine Blade Superalloys to Improve Engine Performance and Reduce Emissions
Honeywell Aerospace, Phoenix, Arizona
The GRC project team is partnering with Honeywell Aerospace (link opens new browser window) to scale up a new NASA-patented blade alloy that meets or exceeds performance of current alloys with significantly reduced density, improved performance, reduced fuel burn, and reduced emissions for subsonic aircraft.
Reducing Aircraft Noise With Foam-Metal Acoustic Liner
Williams International, Walled Lake, Michigan
A small, business jet–class turbofan engine will be supplied by Williams International (link opens new browser window) to allow NASA to test the use of foam-metal liners in close proximity to the rotor with the goal of achieving a significant reduction in aircraft noise.
Developing Cross-Linked Aerogel (X-Aerogel) Blanket Insulation
Parker Hannifin, Cleveland, Ohio; Aspen Aerogels, Northborough, Mass
Researchers at GRC are working with Parker Hannifin and Massachusetts-based Aspen Aerogels (link opens new browser window) to advance a NASA-developed technology for cross-linking aerogel composites with polymers. The resulting material could be used in thermal and acoustic insulation as well as in lightweight, damage-resistant multifunctional structures for aircraft, space suits, cryogenic storage tanks, and other aeronautic and space applications (see ICB Exceptional Cases).
Space Power System Pallet for Demonstrating Fuel Cells, Lithium-Ion Batteries, and Advanced Thermal Management Technologies
The Boeing Company(link opens new browser window), Huntington Beach, California; Teledyne Energy Systems Inc.(link opens new browser window), Hunt Valley, Maryland; Center for Space Power(link opens new browser window), College Station, Texas
To meet mission requirements for advanced energy storage systems and thermal management approaches, this team is designing a space power systems pallet that incorporates an advanced proton exchange membrane fuel cell, a lithium-ion battery with an advanced charge control management system, and advanced thermal technologies. It will be used to space-validate critical technologies under development.
