Efficient Thermal Insulation System for Space Transportation

TECH FOCUS AREAS: General Warfighting Requirements (GWR) TECHNOLOGY AREAS: Space Platform; Materials OBJECTIVE: The objective of this solicitation is to design insulators through physics-based models, demonstrate fabrication technologies, and validate the predicted response at relevant aero-heating conditions. The insulations should be applicable at temperatures approaching 1700 C. DESCRIPTION: U.S. Air Force and Space Force are interested in efficient reusable thermal insulations to be used on launch and reentry vehicles. This topic concentrates on efficient reusable insulations that can sustain flight thermal and aerodynamic loads over parts of the vehicles. The reusable insulations can be either a rigid insulation directly subjected to the aerodynamic loads, or a flexible insulation located beneath an aeroshell structure. The insulation must be thermally optimized to provide optimum thermal protection with the lowest possible volume and mass. Thermal optimization can be achieved though minimizing various modes of heat transfer in insulations, such as solid and gas conduction, and radiation transport. The objective of this solicitation is to design insulators through physics-based models, demonstrate fabrication technologies, and validate the predicted response at relevant aero-heating conditions. As previously stated, the insulations should be applicable at temperatures approaching 1700 C. PHASE I: Phase I should determine feasibility of to-be designed/developed small-scale test articles and preliminary thermal testing to demonstrate proof of concept. PHASE II: Focus of Phase II should be further iterations on design and development that result in functional or manufacturing scale up for larger test articles. PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS: The fundamental nature of AFOSR programs reflect the broad opportunity to commercialize science to both commercial and defense markets. Awardees will have the opportunity to integrate with prospective follow-on transition partners. The contractor will transition the solution to provide expanded mission capability to a broad range of potential Government and civilian users and alternate mission applications. NOTE: The technology within this topic is restricted under the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), 22 CFR Parts 120-130, which controls the export and import of defense-related material and services, including export of sensitive technical data, or the Export Administration Regulation (EAR), 15 CFR Parts 730-774, which controls dual use items. Offerors must disclose any proposed use of foreign nationals (FNs), their country(ies) of origin, the type of visa or work permit possessed, and the proposed tasks intended for accomplishment by the FN(s) in accordance with section 5.4.c.(8) of the Announcement and within the AF Component-specific instructions. Offerors are advised foreign nationals proposed to perform on this topic may be restricted due to the technical data under US Export Control Laws. Please direct questions to the Air Force SBIR/STTR Contracting Officer, Ms. Kris Croake, kristina.croake@us.af.mil. REFERENCES: 1. Lee, SC, and Cunnington, G.R., Conduction and Radiation Heat Transfer in High-Porosity Fiber Thermal Insulation, Journal of Thermophysics and Heat Transfer, Vol. 14, No. 2, April-June 2000, pp. 121-136 2. Cunnington, G.R., Lee, SC, and White, S.M. Radiative Properties of Fiber-Reinforced Aerogel: Theory versus Experiment, Journal of Thermophysics and Heat Transfer, Jan- March 1998, pp. 17-22 3. Veiseh, S., Hakaki-Fard, A., Numerical Modeling of Combined Radiation and Conduction Heat Transfer in Mineral Wool Insulations, Heat Transfer Engineering, Vol. 30, No. 6, 2009, pp. 477-486 4. Carvajal, S.A., Garboczi, E.J., and Zarr, R.R., Comparison of Models for Heat Transfer in High-Density Fibrous Insulation, Journal of Research of the National Institute of Standards and Technology, Vol. 124, May 2019. 5. Spagnol, S., Lartigue, B., Trombe, A., Gibiat, V., Modeling of thermal conduction in granular silica aerogels, Journal of Sol-Gel Science and Technology, Vol. 48, Nov. 2008, pp. 40-46