TAS::80 0121::TAS SMALL AND MICRO-SPACECRAFTS REQUIRE THE EFFICIENT, MICRO-PROPULSION SYSTEMS. CHEMICAL MIC…

Public award description

TAS::80 0121::TAS SMALL AND MICRO-SPACECRAFTS REQUIRE THE EFFICIENT, MICRO-PROPULSION SYSTEMS. CHEMICAL MICRO-PROPULSION IS BEST SUITED FOR USE AS PRIMARY THRUST, ORBITAL INSERTION AND ATTITUDE CONTROL BECAUSE OF ITS HIGH ENERGY DENSITY. WHEN GROUPED INTO ARRAYS FOR LARGER THRUST APPLICATIONS, MICRO-PROPULSION DEVICES PROVIDE HIGH PROPULSIVE FLEXIBILITY OR CAN BE USED AS IGNITERS. THE PROPOSED EFFORT WILL FOCUS ON THERMO-CATALYTIC IGNITION AND COMBUSTION OF ADVANCED MONO- AND BI-PROPELLANTS IN MICRO-CHANNELS; AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF A MICRO-PROPULSION DEVICE. AN INNOVATIVE NEAR NET SHAPE FORMING TECHNIQUE, IN COMBINATION WITH CARBON NANOTUBE DEPOSITION, WILL FACILITATE MANUFACTURING OF SUB-MILLIMETER DIAMETER MICRO-CHANNELS AND TUBES WITH ENHANCED INTERNAL SURFACES AREA FOR MAXIMUM CATALYTIC REACTION. THE MICROCHANNELS WILL PROVIDE THERMO-CATALYTIC IGNITION OF BI-PROPELLANT ROCKETS WITHOUT NEEDING HIGH VOLTAGE IGNITERS AND CAN ALSO PROVIDE STABLE AND RELIABLE IGNITION SOURCE FOR ADVANCED, ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY, MONO-PROPELLANTS.