High-Purity, Defined-Envelope Pressure Bladder

The NASA Portable Life Support System (PLSS) for the Exploration Extravehicular Mobility Unit (xEMU) incorporates a Feedwater Supply Assembly (FSA) to store consumable cooling water. The FSA must accept a total of 12 lbs of pure water prior to each Extra-Vehicular Activity (EVA), then supply this water to the cooling loop at ambient suit pressure during the EVA, functioning reliably for up to 15 years of service. To meet these requirements, NASA has specified multiple ultra-pure fluoropolymer bladders captured in restraints providing overpressure tolerance to 38 psi. The assembly must also conform to a defined geometric envelope. Unfortunately, designs to date have failed, for two primary reasons. First, typical constructions involving a lay-flat bladder captured within a sewn textile restraint do not use space efficiently enough to store the required volume within the available space. Second, wrinkles that form as the bladders inflate cause the fluoropolymer membrane to tear. Other challenges include robust mounting to a rigid structure and visual access for inspection. New thinking is required to achieve a viable design.RAPA Technologies has developed a novel defined envelope pressure bladder that meets all specifications for the FSA. The design combines the benefits of a flexible bladder with the strength and convenience of a rigid tank, providing an ultra-pure, ambient-pressure reservoir with high overpressure tolerance, high volumetric efficiency within the available envelope, near-zero dead volume, optical transparency for visual inspection, simplified mounting, and low mass. In Phase I we will demonstrate the performance, overpressure resistance, and cycle life of this novel bladder system. In Phase II, we will develop and deliver multiple qualification FSA units tailored for use in the NASA xEMU.