INTERNATIONAL MEZZO TECHNOLOGIES INC

R&D SBIR TOPIC N05-087

SBIR PHASE II RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT - TOPIC N102-110

DARPA SBIR 9.1 PHASE II - ENERGY REJECTION SYSTEM FOR VERY HIGH ALTITUDE AIRCRAFT

SBIR PHII-1/INTL MEZZO TECH

BASIC

SBIR II RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT

RAPID INNOVATION FUND- BASIC

IGF::OT::IGF STATEMENT OF WORK MEZZO TECHNOLOGIES WATER PCM HX DEVELOPMENT PURPOSE, OBJECTIVE, AND BACKGROUND OF WORK TO BE PERFORMED: THE OBJECTIVE OF THE PHASE CHANGE MATERIAL HEAT EXCHANGER DEVELOPMENT PROJECT IS TO CREATE VIABLE SOLUTIONS FOR FUTURE EXPLORATION VEHICLES IN THE AREA OF LONG TERM SUPPLEMENTAL HEAT REJECTION. PHASE CHANGE MATERIAL HEAT EXCHANGERS (PCM HX) CAN BE USED AS A LONG DURATION SOURCE OF SUPPLEMENTAL HEAT REJECTION WHEN SUCH A SOURCE IS NEEDED. A TYPICAL PCM HX IS USED TO STORE THE EXCESS THERMAL ENERGY DURING PERIODS OF HIGH HEAT LOADS (OR HOT THERMAL ENVIRONMENTS) BY MELTING A PHASE-CHANGE MATERIAL AND REJECTING THE STORED ENERGY AT A LATER TIME. DURING THE REJECTION PERIOD, THE MATERIAL IS FROZEN AGAIN PREPARING IT FOR THE NEXT HEAT LOAD (MELTING) PERIOD. AN EXAMPLE OF THIS IS THE LOW LUNAR ORBIT THERMAL ENVIRONMENT. THIS ENVIRONMENT IS QUITE UNIQUE DUE THE MOON S HIGH IR BACKLOAD FROM ITS SURFACE. THIS RESULTS IN A HIGH ENVIRONMENTAL SINK TEMPERATURE FOR ORBITING VEHICLES. CURRENTLY, ORION HAS BASELINED A PCM HX FOR ITS EXPLORATION MISSION 2 (EM-2) DUE TO THE PLANNED LUNAR ORBIT MISSION PROFILE. THE VEHICLE IS EXPECTED TO REQUIRE MORE THAN 6000 KJ OF ENERGY STORAGE FOR THIS MISSION. THE PROJECT HAS IDENTIFIED A VIABLE DESIGN CONCEPT FOR THE NEXT GENERATION PCM HX. THIS HEAT EXCHANGER UTILIZES WATER AS A PHASE CHANGE MATERIAL (INSTEAD OF TRADITIONAL WAX), AND THE TECHNOLOGY IS AT A TRL OF 4. WATER-BASED PCM HX S OFFER A SIGNIFICANT MASS AND VOLUME SAVINGS OVER WAX-BASED PCM HX DUE TO THE INCREASED HEAT OF FUSION OF WATER OVER WAX. THE PROJECT WILL LEVERAGE AN SBIR PHASE III IN PARTNERSHIP WITH MEZZO TECHNOLOGIES TO EVALUATE MULTIPLE WATER-BASED PCM HX CONCEPTS. THE INITIAL PHASE OF DEVELOPMENT WILL CULMINATE TO A KEY DECISION POINT ON WHETHER OR NOT A WATER PCM HX IS A VIABLE OPTION AND HAS REACHED A TRL OF 5. IF SO, THE PROJECT WILL DESIGN AND FABRICATE A FLIGHT-LIKE WATER PCM HX FOR DEMONSTRATION ON THE ISS. DESCRIPTION OF THE WORK TO BE PERFORMED: MEZZO TECHNOLOGIES PCM HX DESIGN OPTION 1 THE PCM HX DESIGN OPTION 1 WILL BE CENTERED ON FABRICATION AND TESTING OF A MASS OPTIMIZED HEAT EXCHANGER FROM MEZZO. THE PROJECT WILL LEVERAGE WORK PERFORMED BY MEZZO DURING THE PHASE I EFFORT OF THE NASA SBIR. THE PHASE I SBIR WITH MEZZO YIELDED WATER PCM HX DESIGN OPTIONS THAT MET NASA REQUIREMENTS. THE REQUIREMENTS MEZZO WILL WORK TO MEET ARE OUTLINED IN TABLE 1 BELOW. THE EFFORT WILL LAST ABOUT 18 MONTHS CULMINATING WITH THE TESTING AND EVALUATION OF THE MASS OPTIMIZED PCM HX. TABLE 1. MICROTUBE WATER PCM HEAT EXCHANGER REQUIREMENTS ITEM VALUE PHASE CHANGE MATERIAL WATER COOLANT 50/50 PGW ENERGY STORAGE 450KJ MAX HX PRESSURE DROP 2.0 PSID MELTING MELT TIME 24 MIN COOLANT FLOW RATE 250 LB/HR COOLANT INLET TEMPERATURE 30 C EXIT COOLANT TEMPERATURE IDEAL<8 C ALLOWABLE<13 C FREEZING FREEZE TIME 70 MIN COOLANT FLOW RATE 250 LBS/HR COOLANT INLET TEMPERATURE -7 C MEZZO TECHNOLOGIES PCM HX DESIGN OPTIONS 2&3 ALONG WITH MASS OPTIMIZING THE MEZZO TECHNOLOGY MICROTUBE WATER PCM HX, THE PROJECT IS ALSO LOOKING TO INVESTIGATE THE USE OF THE MICROTUBE CORE IN A NOVEL WAY TO HELP MANAGE THE LOCATION OF WHERE THE WATER FREEZES AND THAWS WITHIN THE HX. THE PRIMARY PURPOSE OF DESIGN OPTIONS 2 AND 3 ARE TO MITIGATE ISSUES, IF ANY, ASSOCIATED TO THE FREEZE AND THAW OF WATER WITHIN THE HEAT EXCHANGER. THESE DESIGNS AIM TO CONFORM THE WATER AROUND THE COOLANT TUBE BUNDLE (WATER SURROUNDING IT) USING A FLEXIBLE BLADDER AND ALLOW THE BLADDER TO EXPAND AS THE WATER EXPANDS UPON FREEZING. DURING THE THAW PHASE, THE BLADDER CONTRACTS BACK DOWN ONTO THE TUBE BUNDLE TO ENSURE ALL THE WATER IS LOCATED AROUND THE TUBES WHERE THE ENERGY TRANSFER OCCURS. IN GENERAL, THIS DESIGN OPTION ALLOWS THE STRUCTURE OF THE HEAT EXCHANGER TO CONFORM TO THE FREEZE FRONT AS NEEDED, REDUCING RISK ASSOCIATED TO HEAT EXCHANGER DAMAGE DURING FREEZING. DESIGN OPTION 2 WILL INCORPORATE AN EVENLY SPAC

CONDENSER

MEZZO FABRICATES MICRO TUBE HEAT EXCHANGERS FOR A VARIETY OF APPLICATIONS, INCLUDING AEROSPACE, AUTOMOTIVE RACING, DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE GROUND VEHICLES, ECONOMIZERS FOR SHIPS, CONDENSERS, EVAPORATORS, LIQUID-LIQUID, LIQUID-AIR, RECUPERATORS, ETC. MEZZO'S EXPERTISE IS DESIGNING, MODELING AND FABRICATING HEAT EXCHANGERS THAT USE THOUSANDS, EVEN TENS OF THOUSANDS, OF STAINLESS STEEL OR NICKEL ALLOY MICRO TUBES THAT PROVIDE PERFORMANCE ADVANTAGES OVER COMPETING TECHNOLOGIES. WITH RESPECT TO RADIATORS, MEZZO'S PRODUCTS PROVIDE A HEAT TRANSFER/AIR SIDE PRESSURE DROP RATIO IMPROVEMENT OF AROUND 40-50%. THIS MEANS THAT WITHIN A GIVEN ENVELOPE AND SPECIFIED AIR FLOW RATE, MEZZO'S PRODUCTS CAN PROVIDE A SPECIFIED HEAT TRANSFER WITH GREATLY REDUCED AIR SIDE PRESSURE DROP. THIS FACT ALLOWS LIGHTER FANS THAT CONSUME LESS POWER AND WEIGH LESS. IN GENERAL, MEZZO PRODUCTS WEIGH LESS FOR GIVEN HEAT TRANSFER. IN HIGH PRESSURE APPLICATIONS, MEZZO HEAT EXCHANGERS PROVIDE EVEN GREATER REDUCTIONS IN WEIGHT AND VOLUME. MEZZO IS CURRENTLY FABRICTING AN ECONOMIZER FOR THE NAVY THAT IS LES THAN HALF THE WEIGHT AND VOLUME OF THE BRAZED PLATE HEAT EXCHANGER CURRENTLY IN USE. THERE ARE MANY ADVANTAGES TO MEZZO'S MICRO TUBE TECHNOLOGY. THE TECHNOLOGY IS ROBUST (MEZZO'S PRODUCTS ARE CURRENTLY PASSING RIGOROUS DOD SHOCK AND VIBRATION TESTS, SALT FOG TESTS, FOULING TESTS, ETC. MEZZO HEAT EXCHANGERS PROVIDE WEIGHT, VOLUME, AND PERFORMANCE SAVINGS. THEY HAVE INTERESTING CAPABILITIES WITH RESPECT TO SHAPE OPTIONS. FINALLY, THEY HAVE NOT BEEN CONSIDERED YET IN NASA APPLICATIONS. THE GOAL OF THIS PROPOSAL IS TO INTRODUCE THE NASA COMMUNITY TO MEZZO PRODUCTS AND DETERMINE THOSE APPLICATIONS WHERE MEZZO'S HEAT EXCHANGERS CAN PROVIDE THE MOST VALUE.

PHASE I SBIR

SBIR PHASE I CONTRACT

BASIC EFFORT - PHASE I SBIR

PROGRESS REPORT

OTHER DEFENSE (MANAGEMENT/SUPPORT)

DARPA SBIR PHASE I

STATUS REPORT

RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT IN THE PHYSICAL, ENGINEERING, AND LIFE SCIENCES (EXCEPT BIOTECHNOLOGY)

PHASE II SIBR

SBIR PHASE II RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT

SBIR PHASE II TOPIC N05-087