Advanced Cryogenic Insulation with reduced thermal conduction and high performance at low temperatures

Quest Thermal will study engineering options to reduce low temperature conductivity in a novel discrete spacer insulation system. Heat flux at low temperatures, such as found in new integrated cryocooler designs for cryogenic instruments and cryopropellent tanks, is significantly higher than expected. Quest will study discrete spacer design, interlayer height, spacer density and radiant barrier materials to design a novel insulation system. This new system, Low-Temperature-Optimized IMLI, could reduce solid heat conduction through the insulation 2.5-fold, significantly reducing total heat flux. This advanced insulation will reduce cryocooler loads on instruments, and help achieve near Zero Boil Off of propellants. In this Phase I, Quest will design, model, analyze, build and test two prototypes. A new concept, variable spacer density, will be studied and developed, in which the density of discrete spacers is varied, directly reducing heat conduction and increasing thermal performance. A new discrete spacer will be designed. Thermal and structural analysis will be performed. Low emissivity and increased stiffness radiant barrier materials will be studied. Benchtop testing on test samples will be done. A complete small-scale tank insulation system will be designed, built, installed on a test tank, and thermal performance measured using LN2 boiloff calorimetry. Low-Temperature-Optimized IMLI could offer immediate benefits to Artemis landers and vehicles. This new advanced thermal insulation system could be used by numerous lunar landers, rovers and transport vehicles currently in design. NASA, aerospace Primes, commercial lunar payload service hardware providers and commercial satellite providers will all benefit from this new technology and product.