Small Business Innovation Research/Small Business Tech Transfer
Sprayable Thermal Insulation for Cryogenic Tanks, Phase I
Project Description
The innovation addressed in this proposal is Sprayable Thermal Insulation for Cryogenic Tanks, or STICT. This novel system could be applied in either an automated or manual spraying process, with much less sensitivity to process chemistry and environmental parameters than cur-rent spray-on foam insulation (SOFI) products like BX-265, while providing better insulation performance. The resulting material would form an aerodynamically smooth, uniform coating with better cohesion and significantly lower thermal conductivity. This would allow thinner layers of insulation which, when combined with greater material strain-to-failure, will eliminate the generation of in-flight debris. In this way, the proposed CryoGel insulation can render future space transportation systems safer and more reliable.
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Anticipated Benefits
Potential NASA Commercial Applications: STICT would compete against polyurethane and polyisocyanurate foams anywhere consistency, high quality, and low thermal conductivity are valued. Some examples of this would be subsea oil and gas pipelines, fuel cell systems, and LNG transport ships.
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Primary U.S. Work Locations and Key Partners
| Organizations Performing Work | Role | Type | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
Marshall Space Flight Center
(MSFC)
|
Lead Organization | NASA Center | Huntsville, Alabama |
| Aspen Aerogels, Inc. | Supporting Organization | Industry | Northborough, Massachusetts |
Primary U.S. Work Locations
-
Alabama
-
Massachusetts
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This is a historic project that was completed before the creation of TechPort on October 1, 2012. Available data has been included. This record may contain less data than currently active projects.