NANOSONIC INC. — Department of Defense SBIR Phase II: SB162-014

Description

NanoSonic has designed and physically produced a lightweight (< 0.6 lb/ft2), leak-tight (holds liquid N2), composite cryotank that retains its mechanical toughness upon simulated Low Earth Orbit (LEO) irradiation. NanoSonic's "Chill Pill" capsule and advanced composite filament wound design is predicted to meet the weight requirements of < 175 lb for a 350 ft3 volume cryotank and cut the cost threshold from $1,000/ft3 by at least 50%. During Phase I, NanoSonic demonstrated that our composites offer cryogenic durability and low H2 permeability, making our cryotank a viable option for reusable or expendable space access plane tanks capable of operating with rocket propellants such as liquid oxygen (LOX) and liquid H2 (LH2). Notably, NanoSonic verified that our composites exhibit hydrostatic burst strengths of > 32,000 psi and survive ~52,000 combined thermal pressure cycles (50,000 cycles at -40 C, and 1,988 cycles at 85 C) at an ultra-high working pressure of 12,000 psi. NanoSonic has teamed with aerospace, energy and transportation industry leaders in addition to leading experts in H2 tribology and cyrogenic fugitive emissions testing to validate our Chill Pill cryotanks for use on DARPA's XS-1, cryogenic trucking tanks, and zero emission vehicles during Phase II and III of this program.