NASA SBIR 2014 Solicitation

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/Zip, Phone)
TDA Research, Inc.
12345 West 52nd Avenue
Wheat Ridge, CO 80033 - 1916
(303) 422-7819

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/Zip, Phone)
Gokhan Alptekin
galptekin@tda.com
12345 West 52nd Avenue
Wheat Ridge, CO 80033 - 1916
(303) 940-2349

CORPORATE/BUSINESS OFFICIAL (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/Zip, Phone)
John D Wright
krhodus@tda.com
12345 West 52nd Avenue
Wheat Ridge, CO 80033 - 1916
(303) 940-2300

Estimated Technology Readiness Level (TRL) at beginning and end of contract:
Begin: 3
End: 5

Technology Available (TAV) Subtopics
Atmosphere Revitalization and Fire Recovery for Future Exploration 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)
An on-board oxygen concentrator is required during long duration manned space missions to supply medical oxygen. The commercial medical oxygen generators based on pressure swing adsorption (PSA) are large and highly power intensive. TDA Research, Inc. (TDA) proposes to develop a small, lightweight, portable oxygen generator based on a vacuum swing adsorption (VSA) to produce concentrated medical oxygen. The unit uses ambient vehicle cabin air as the feed and delivers high purity oxygen while meeting NASA's requirements for high flow capacity, closed-loop tissue oxygen control and operation in microgravity/partial gravity. TDA's VSA system uses a modified version of the lithium exchanged low silica X zeolite (Li-LSX), a state-of-the-art air separation sorbent extensively used in commercial Portable Oxygen Concentrators (POCs) to enhance the N2 adsorption capacity.

In Phase I, we demonstrated the scientific, technical, and commercial feasibility of the oxygen concentrator module (OCM). In Phase II, we will develop a higher fidelity prototype with an adjustable pressure output to produce 2-15 lpm of O2 at 50% to +90% purity from ambient cabin air. The OCM will be capable of self-regulating the oxygenation of the patient using a closed loop feedback system that senses tissue oxygenation level. We will evaluate the sorbent performance in a breadboard bench-scale prototype under simulated microgravity/partial gravity exploration atmospheres and carry out a 1,500 hr longevity test (at a minimum) to determine its mechanical durability. Based on the experimental results, we will design a prototype unit that will meet all of NASA's requirements (e.g., low power draw over the range of flows and oxygen levels, lightweight and volume), while delivering the desired oxygen flow and purity.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS (Limit 1500 characters, approximately 150 words)
An on-board oxygen concentrator will find application in long duration manned space missions and in International Space Station (ISS) and Orion spacecraft to supply medical oxygen by recovering the excess oxygen from the cabin air. The unit will be able to concentrate oxygen with little or no net change in the vehicle cabin oxygen concentration.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS (Limit 1500 characters, approximately 150 words)
The portable medical oxygen generator will also find immediate use in the medical evacuation platforms used in the military and civilian applications as well as in portable oxygen generators. The sorbent used in the system would also be applicable to bulk production of oxygen. Oxygen is a strategically important chemical, with a $2.0 billion market value.