Flight Works, Inc. — National Aeronautics and Space Administration SBIR Phase I: Z5

Description

Flight works is proposing to demonstrate efficient Xenon Transfer for On-Orbit Servicing applications. The proposed effort utilizes a high-pressure ratio compressor to transfer xenon at greater than 10 kg/hr and can achieve a 94% utilization of supply tank Xenon mass (300 psia to 3000 psia) at a max power of less than 200 W. The transfer is done through a multi-stage compression scheme with inter-stage heat exchangers to optimize the work done on the fluid and reduce waste heat.nbsp;A Phase I demonstration of Xenon transfer is made possible by leveraging an existing compressor design developed by Flight Works work under another Phase I SBIR that determined the optimal compression staging scheme for Xenon and sized an on-orbit compressor for the targeted flow rate. This proposed effortrsquo;s use of government furnished equipment (GFE) Xenon will allow Xenon testing which otherwise would take up a major portion of a SBIR projectrsquo;s budget. Testing with Xenon will allow verification of critical compressor behaviors that are impacted by the fluid properties that affect internal efficiencies (leaks/friction) and life (wear). The current plan had been based on testing an EDU compressor with CO2 as a low-cost substitute, but it will not be able to fully simulate Xenon. For example, CO2 has a different compressibility effect and so the pressure split across stages changes and heat release will be different. Another example is that parts will wear differently in Xenon vs. CO2 due to fluid differences (viscosity and density) but also due to the different chemical environment of the two fluids changing the surface material oxides that greatly drive material tribological interactions.nbsp;This effort will allow rapid maturation of required Xenon transfer technologies and plan for Phase II to continue risk reduction testing for high cycle/highly reliable use in a microgravity environment.