Solid-State Noncombustible Gas Generator

Deployable aerodynamic decelerators are an enabling technology for missions to planets and moons with atmospheres as well as for returning payloads to Earth. These decelerators require a gas source for inflation, and the objective is to develop a noncombustible gas generator which will enable a wider range of applications, including near-term commercial applications, in the Earth environment. Anasphere has previously demonstrated hydrogen generators suitable for use with Hypersonic Inflatable Aerodynamic Decelerators (HIADs). In the present project, the chemistry of this baseline design was changed to produce a mixture of two gases that formed the bulk of a noncombustible gas mixture. A makeup gas component was produced by a separate element of the system, yielding a final mixture which is noncombustible under Earth atmospheric conditions. Phase I work successfully demonstrated the new chemistry in small generators. Gas yield, temperature, and composition met expectations. The results showed that generators meeting specified gas production rates and temperatures can be built. Phase II work will involve the further refinement of the chemical components of the system, development of a new cooling approach which has not been used in Anasphere gas generators before, and the construction and test of several generators. Phase II will culminate in a freefall drop test from a balloon to simulate zero-g operation of a generator of this type. Target markets include HIADs used for launch vehicle asset return and payload return from Earth orbit.