NASA SBIR 2005 Solicitation

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/Zip, Phone)
BECK ENGINEERING, INC.
3319 21st Ave NW
Gig Harbor ,WA 98335 - 7992
(360) 876 - 9710

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/Zip, Phone)
Douglas   Beck
dbeck23@aol.com
3319 21st Ave NW
Gig Harbor, WA  98335 -7992
(360) 876 - 9710

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
NASA needs a cryogenic refrigerator for the 15-25K range for receiving arrays of ground-based antennas that will serve the telecommunications needs of future space exploration. We propose to develop a 15-25K Static-Helium Regenerator/Double Pulse Tube Cooler for receiving arrays. Our SHR/DPTC combines two of our technologies that have potential to enable pulse-tube coolers to operate efficiently in the 15-25K range: (1) our Static-Helium Regenerator (SHR) technology, which uses static helium for the regenerator's thermal mass; and (2) our Double Pulse Tube Cooler (DPTC) technology, which uses a recuperator (instead of regenerators) to transfer heat between two pulse-tube sub-cycles that operate in parallel and out-of-phase. In Phase I, we will perform system trades and generate a preliminary design of a 15-25K SHR/DPTC that minimizes life-cycle costs for receiving arrays. In Phase II, we will: develop and test SHR/DPTC components; integrate the SHR/DPTC components with cooler components we have already developed; and test the integrated cooler. In Phase III, we will build and sell SHR/DPTCs to the government and private sector.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
NASA needs cryocoolers to reliably cool detectors and associated components to temperatures as low as 5K for the Astronomical Search for the Origins and Planetary Systems theme [e.g. Next Generation Space Telescope (NGST) and the Terrestrial Planet Finder (TPF) missions] and the Structure and Evolution of the Universe theme in the Space Science Enterprise. Our SHR/DPTCs will cool detectors and associated components to temperatures as low as 5K for NASA space observatories. NASA needs coolers to liquefy and/or store cryogens for human and robotic missions to Mars. Our SHR/DPTCs will efficiently cool liquid hydrogen and other low-temperature cryogens to minimize system size and weight.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The Air Force needs coolers for cryogenic storage of reactants for space-based High Energy Laser (HEL) systems. Projected cooling requirements include 2-20 W of cooling at 20 K. An SHR/DPTC would efficiently cool the reactants to minimize system size and weight. The Air Force needs compact, lightweight coolers that provide 0.1 W of cooling at 10 K with greater than seven years lifetime and less than 100 W/W of input power to cool VLWIR focal planes. Our SHR/DPTCs will efficiently cool at 10 K to minimize system size and weight. Other commercial applications include cooling for: filters for cellular telephones; instrumentation for medical monitoring; and cryoelectronics.

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.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING

Cooling Feed System Components Fluid Storage and Handling In-situ Resource Utilization Instrumentation Large Antennas and Telescopes Production Propellant Storage Semi-Conductors/Solid State Device Materials Superconductors and Magnetic Tankage Ultra-High Density/Low Power