NASA SBIR 2014 Solicitation

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/Zip, Phone)
Thermacore, Inc.
780 Eden Road
Lancaster, PA 17601 - 4797
(717) 569-6551

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/Zip, Phone)
John Thayer
J.G.Thayer@Thermacore.com
780 Eden Road
Lancaster, PA 17601 - 4797
(717) 519-3136

CORPORATE/BUSINESS OFFICIAL (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/Zip, Phone)
Nelson Gernert
n.j.gernert@thermacore.com
780 Eden Road
Lancaster, PA 17601 - 4797
(717) 519-5817

Estimated Technology Readiness Level (TRL) at beginning and end of contract:
Begin: 2
End: 5

Technology Available (TAV) Subtopics
Space Nuclear Power Systems is a Technology Available (TAV) subtopic that includes NASA Intellectual Property (IP). Do you plan to use the NASA IP under the award?
No

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (Limit 2000 characters, approximately 200 words)
Wick properties are often the limiting factor in a heat pipe design. Current technology uses conventional sintering of metal powders, screen wick, or grooves to fabricate realtively simplistic wick geometries. Additive manufacturing (laser sintering) of a porous structure would allow much greater freedom in defining the wick geometry and properties. One example is the RDU thermosyphon wick. Valuable real estate was consumed for a liquid reservoir for freeze/thaw tolerance. A more complex laser-sintered geometry could put the reservoir in the center, allowing greater evaporator area, lower heat flux, and lower DT. Another example is loop heat pipes, which are in limited use due to the cost. Laser sintering of an LHP directly in to the evaporator bodye could greatly lower cost, making LHP vaible for commercial use. Applying laser sintering to develop complex wick geometries can greatly extend heat pipe heat transport capabilities and lower cost.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS (Limit 1500 characters, approximately 150 words)
Freeze/thaw tolerant thermosyphons for the Space Nuclear Power System waste heat radiators.
Other space radiators where heat transport over long distances limits performance.
Lower Cost LHP Wicks

POTENTIAL NON-NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS (Limit 1500 characters, approximately 150 words)
Complex geometry for high heat load electronics cooling vapor chambers.
Multi-kilowatt solar receiver interfaces for Stirling engines.
Extra long heat pipes.
Lower cost loop heat pipes.
Quick-turn-around heat pipes for low volume applications.