Small Business Innovation Research/Small Business Tech Transfer
High Temperature Acid Resistant Balloon, Phase I
Project Introduction
A Venus mission will require a vehicle for atmospheric exploration and to transport the samples from the Venus surface to the top of the atmosphere. For this purpose it is reasonable (due to the high density of the Venus atmosphere) to use inflatable balloons, which occupy minimal space in the folded position and possess buoyancy upon being inflated. The Venus atmosphere contains hot (up to 460oC) clouds of sulfuric acid. The only kinds of material for an inflatable to withstand such high temperatures are metals. A sequence of operations is proposed to build balloons of different shapes with diffusion bonding of stainless steels or other alloys, which are most resistant against hot 85% sulfuric acid. However, even these materials possess a many times greater corrosion rate than that satisfying the current topic requirements on the balloon life time and areal density. In order to provide the required corrosion resistance, the fully bonded balloon will be coated with a thin layer of gold or tantalum by a PVD process or with gold by electroplating so that the entire laminate would possess an areal density of below 1000 g/m3. Building a seamless bellows by PVD is a backup option.
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Anticipated Benefits
The proposed processing to bond thin metal foils into a sealed/inflatable object may be used to produce Earth atmospheric balloons and lightweight life rafts for Navy, Air Force and civilian needs. All extra terrestrial missions, which require lightweight materials for inflatables (balloons, bellows, ballutes, etc.) resistant against elevated temperatures and unfriendly environments, which can also withstand relatively high mechanical loads (including impacts) and retain strength at elevated temperatures. The proposed technology may also be used in all cases where high strength joints of thin films are required.
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Primary U.S. Work Locations and Key Partners
| Organizations Performing Work | Role | Type | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| ATS-MER, LLC | Lead Organization | Industry | Tucson, Arizona |
Jet Propulsion Laboratory
(JPL)
|
Supporting Organization | NASA Center | Pasadena, California |
Primary U.S. Work Locations
-
Arizona
-
California
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Organizational Responsibility
Responsible Mission Directorate:
- Space Technology Mission Directorate (STMD)
Lead Organization:
- ATS-MER, LLC
Responsible Program:
- Small Business Innovation Research/Small Business Tech Transfer
Project Management
Program Director:
Program Manager:
Principal Investigator:
Project Duration
Start: Mar 2011
End: Sep 2011
Technology Maturity (TRL)
| Start: | 2 |
| Current: | 4 |
| Estimated End: | 4 |
Applied Research
Development
Demo & Test
Technology Areas
Primary:
- TX08 Sensors and Instruments
- TX08.3 In-Situ Instruments and Sensors
- TX08.3.6 Extreme Environments Related to Critical System Health Management
Target Destination
Others Inside the Solar System
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