NASA SBIR 2006 Solicitation

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/Zip, Phone)
Combustion Research and Flow Technology,
6210 Keller's Church Road
Pipersville, PA 18947 - 1020
(215) 766-1520

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/Zip, Phone)
Ashvin Hosangadi
hosangad@craft-tech.com
6210 Keller's Church Road
Pipersville, PA 18947 - 1020
(215) 766-1520

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (Limit 2000 characters, approximately 200 words)
In-space valves are required to provide precise mass flow control, wide throttling range and handle rapid on-off control. These requirements can result in significant unsteady, transient effects both on the fluid mass flow rate, as well as the torque required. However, there currently are no analytical or numerical modeling tools that can predict the unsteady/transient performance of these valves; current design tools are limited to quasi-steady models and empirical correlations. The innovation proposed here is a high-fidelity, comprehensive numerical tool that can characterize the transient performance of these flight valves and provide design support. An innovative approach to modeling valve motion in a broad range of valves designs including showerhead, ball and butterfly valves is proposed; this will permit simulations of transient valve operations and the resulting mass flow history and pressure drop. Unsteady effects at partial valve openings due to both turbulence interactions as well as multi-phase cavitation are addressed with an advanced numerical framework that incorporates both advanced LES models and real-fluid cryogenic effects. The tools and technology developed here would directly impact design support efforts for the J-2X upper-stage engine in the Ares launcher envisioned under the Constellation program for the mission to the moon.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS (Limit 1500 characters, approximately 150 words)
The end-product will be a high-fidelity, numerical simulation software (CRUNCH CFD^REG code) that would predict the transient performance of flight valve configurations , provide design support by supplementing current empirical rules, and diagnose system anomalies. Our product addresses core needs of NASA in the Constellation program, and the mission to the moon, for reliable and well-validated computational tools that can provide accurate simulations of performance in an accurate and efficient manner to be useful within a design cycle timeline. The technology developed here would directly impact analysis of the valves and the feed systems to be designed for the upper-stage J-2X feed system in the Ares launcher by providing the transient mass flow through the valve, unsteady torque loads on the actuator controlling the valve, as well diagnosing the potential for multi-phase cavitation effects that may occur either during rapid on-off control, or in water rig tests during component testing.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS (Limit 1500 characters, approximately 150 words)
The end-product will be a high-fidelity, numerical simulation software (CRUNCH CFD^REG code) that would predict the transient performance of flight valve configurations , provide design support by supplementing current empirical rules, and diagnose system anomalies. Our product addresses core needs of NASA in the Constellation program, and the mission to the moon, for reliable and well-validated computational tools that can provide accurate simulations of performance in an accurate and efficient manner to be useful within a design cycle timeline. The technology developed here would directly impact analysis of the valves and the feed systems to be designed for the upper-stage J-2X feed system in the Ares launcher by providing the transient mass flow through the valve, unsteady torque loads on the actuator controlling the valve, as well diagnosing the potential for multi-phase cavitation effects that may occur either during rapid on-off control, or in water rig tests during component testing.

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

Chemical Feed System Components Fluid Storage and Handling Operations Concepts and Requirements Simulation Modeling Environment