NASA SBIR 2014 Solicitation

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/Zip, Phone)
Creare, Inc.
P.O. Box 71
Hanover, NH 03755 - 3116
(603) 643-3800

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/Zip, Phone)
Paul H Sorensen
phs@creare.com
P.O. Box 71
Hanover, NH 03755 - 3116
(603) 640-2340

CORPORATE/BUSINESS OFFICIAL (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/Zip, Phone)
Robert J Kline-Schoder
contractsmgr@creare.com
16 Great Hollow Road, P.O. Box 71
Hanover, NH 03755 - 3116
(603) 640-2487

Estimated Technology Readiness Level (TRL) at beginning and end of contract:
Begin: 3
End: 4

Technology Available (TAV) Subtopics
Spacecraft Technology for Sample Return Missions 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)
A key objective for NASA's next rover mission to Mars is the demonstration of oxygen production from atmospheric carbon dioxide. Such a technology demonstration may pave the way for a future sample return mission to the Red Planet as well as possibly a future manned mission to Mars. A necessary component in such a demonstration system is a blower or compressor that can deliver the necessary carbon dioxide mass flow to a production plant. Creare proposes the development of a multistage radial flow compressor that is capable of compressing 400 g/hr to a pressure of up 0.1 Bar. The compressor will be a turbomachine based on our space-qualified vacuum pump technology currently operating on the Curiosity rover in Gale Crater on Mars. In Phase I, we propose to design the compressor and perform benchtop testing. In Phase II, we propose to design and build a full-up multistage system.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS (Limit 1500 characters, approximately 150 words)
The primary application for the compressor proposed is to compress Martian atmospheric carbon dioxide to feed a solid oxide electrolysis system for oxygen production as part of an ISRU plant for the Mars 2020 mission. Furthermore, the same technology will be applicable for larger production plants for a Mars sample return and an eventual Mars human mission. This space qualified compressor may also have applications for other planetary missions to Venus, Enceladus, and Titan, as well as for NASA efforts in the area of atmospheric sampling and climate research.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS (Limit 1500 characters, approximately 150 words)
The commercial potential for a small, high efficiency compressor are numerous. We foresee that this unit will mainly be incorporated in high value analytical instruments for atmospheric sampling and for systems to detect airborne chemical, biological, and nuclear warfare agents.