Small Business Innovation Research/Small Business Tech Transfer
Foil Gas Bearing Supported Quiet Fan for Spacecraft Ventilation, Phase I
Project Description
Developing a quiet fan for Environmental Control and Life Support systems to enhance the livable environment within the spacecraft has been a challenge. A Foil Gas Bearing Supported Fan is proposed which will be quiet, efficient, reliable, contamination free, compact, and lightweight. In Phase I a set of foil gas bearings necessary to prove out the feasibility of the program will be manufactured and tested. In Phase II a complete prototype fan will be manufactured and tested incorporating the technology proved out in Phase I. In Phase III the developed fan will be system tested for airworthiness. Developing a quiet fan for Environmental Control and Life Support systems to enhance the livable environment within the spacecraft has been a challenge. A Foil Gas Bearing Supported Fan is proposed which will be quiet, efficient, reliable, contamination free, compact, and lightweight. In Phase I a set of foil gas bearings necessary to prove out the feasibility of the program will be manufactured and tested. In Phase II a complete prototype fan will be manufactured and tested incorporating the technology proved out in Phase I. In Phase III the developed fan will be system tested for airworthiness.
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Anticipated Benefits
There is a range of private sector applications for this technology including, commercial aviation, UAV's and fuel cell applications. Commercial fuel cell systems need compact and efficient blowers to feed air into the stack. This fan will be well suited for that use. The primary, near term, NASA use for this fan is in ventilation of spacecraft. This fan can be scaled to a smaller size and can be used for SPACESUIT ventilation also. Since the fan will be quiet and compact it can be used in UAV applications where noise level and compactness are key.
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Primary U.S. Work Locations and Key Partners
| Organizations Performing Work | Role | Type | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
Johnson Space Center
(JSC)
|
Lead Organization | NASA Center | Houston, Texas |
| R&D Dynamics Corporation | Supporting Organization |
Industry
Minority-Owned Business
|
Bloomfield, Connecticut |
Primary U.S. Work Locations
-
Connecticut
-
Texas
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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.