Subscribe free to our newsletters via your
. Space Industry and Business News .




TECH SPACE
Foam's Future Seen in Space and Industry
by Linda Herridge for Kennedy Space Center
Cape Canaveral FL (SPX) Dec 31, 2012


The thermal insulation system called AeroFoam was developed at the Cryogenics Testbed Laboratory at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The AeroFoam insulation is made of constituent materials, aerogel particles, aerogel blanket and polymide microballoons. Photo Credit: NASA/James Fesmire.

Materials designed with specialized thermal properties have been integral components of NASA's space shuttles and other launch vehicles for many years. Now, two thermal insulation systems developed by scientists at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida may have application for future exploration programs, as well as the commercial world.

The thermal insulation system known as layered composite insulation, or LCI, and the foam-aerogel composite material, also known as AeroFoam, were assigned U.S. Patent numbers in 2005 and 2010 respectively. Just recently, exclusive research licenses for these technologies were granted to Flexure LLC.

Cody Bateman, the chief executive officer of Flexure, said there are numerous applications and industry crossovers, particularly in transportation and construction, which could benefit from these technologies.

"Flexure has a strong working relationship with NASA at Kennedy and Goddard Space Flight Center," Bateman said. "Since we specialize in cryogenics engineering, we are exposed to many of the best technologies in the world and understand applications where they can best be used."

Jeff Kohler is the business manager for QinetiQ North America and supports Kennedy's Technology Transfer office. He said an exclusive research license is a short-term license that allows a company to look at technologies and determine how they want to develop them.

"Companies can commit significant resources during their evaluation of NASA technologies," Kohler said. "A short term exclusive research license helps protect their investment by granting them exclusive rights to the intellectual property associated with the invention"

LCI was developed by senior principal investigator James Fesmire, and senior principal scientist Dr. Stan Augustynowicz, co-founders of the Cryogenics Test Laboratory (CTL), with the idea for it dating back to 1998.

"The LCI system is the world record holder for the lowest thermal conductivity insulation system in a soft vacuum environment," Fesmire said. "It is made into blanket forms like multilayer insulation, but includes a third element of a high surface area material such as aerogel powder."

The AeroFoam technology, with origins back to 2002, was developed jointly by Fesmire, Trent Smith, who is now strategic communications manager for the Commercial Crew Program, lead polymer scientist Dr. Martha Williams in the Polymers Science and Technology Laboratory, lead engineer Jared Sass at Kennedy's CTL, and Dr. Eric Weiser, who was a senior materials engineer in the Research Directorate at NASA's Langley Research Center in Hampton, Va.

According to Fesmire, AeroFoam is a composite of polymeric foams and aerogels.

"The foams and aerogels can be in different forms and be put together in many different ways," Fesmire said. "It is currently made in molded forms using heat-oven equipment."

Fesmire said both technologies could be tailored for a wide range of different applications, including cryogenic piping and tanks, building construction, superconducting power cables, hydrogen cars and space exploration habitats.

Kohler said the licensee may investigate a combination of the AeroFoam and the LCI in a soft vacuum for aerospace and military commercial applications, and in the food storage and transportation industries.

"While independently, each of these two technologies are truly innovative, combining the two technologies creates a system that Flexure believes will revolutionize the entire thermal and acoustical insulation industry," Bateman said. "The number of applications in industry is almost limitless."

Bateman added that there is still a significant amount of research required to commercialize these technologies. The first commercial use is scheduled for 2013, as several corporations have shown significant interest.

.


Related Links
Kennedy Space Center
Space Technology News - Applications and Research






Comment on this article via your Facebook, Yahoo, AOL, Hotmail login.

Share this article via these popular social media networks
del.icio.usdel.icio.us DiggDigg RedditReddit GoogleGoogle








TECH SPACE
China sets first-half rare earth export quota for 2013
Shanghai (AFP) Dec 28, 2012
China on Friday announced its export quota for rare earth resources for the first half of next year amid declining prices and weak demand in the global market. China produces more than 95 percent of the world's rare earths, 17 elements critical to manufacturing everything from iPads to low-emission cars. The country has set production caps and export quotas on rare earths, saying it aims ... read more


TECH SPACE
Malaysia convoy in Australia rare earth plant protest

All Systems Go for Highest Altitude Supercomputer

Foam's Future Seen in Space and Industry

General Dynamics Delivers Digital Video Exploitation System to Australian Army for Operations in Afghanistan

TECH SPACE
China opens its version of GPS to public

Raytheon's US Navy satellite terminals reach Full Rate Production milestone

General Dynamics' 30,000th Combat Search and Rescue Radio Goes to Work for USAF

Europe launches major British military satellite

TECH SPACE
Investigation into Proton Launch Anomaly Continues as Root Cause is being Evaluated

NASA's Space Launch System Core Stage Passes Major Milestone, Ready to Start Construction

Investigation into Proton Launch Anomaly Continues as Root Cause is being Evaluated

Ariane 5 ECA orbits Skynet 5D and Mexsat Bicentenario satellites

TECH SPACE
Beidou helps put region on the map

China launches Beidou as rival to GPS

China's Beidou system starts service in Asian-Pacific

Cellphone, GPS data suggest new strategy for alleviating traffic tie-ups

TECH SPACE
NASA Is With You When You Fly

Taiwan upgrades dozens of fighter jets

Boeing to Provide 2 More C-40A Transport Aircraft to US Navy

Taiwan's China Airlines to buy six Boeing planes

TECH SPACE
Marvell hit with billion-dollar verdict in patent case

Physicists take photonic topological insulators to the next level

China shows electronic circuit advance

Taiwan's UMC to buy majority stake in Chinese firm

TECH SPACE
Satellites eye Great Lakes invasive plant

Turkey Steps up Collaboration with Astrium Services For SPOT 6 And SPOT 7 Data

Eighth Landsat Satellite Arrives At Launch Site

Eighth Landsat Satellite Arrives at Launch Site

TECH SPACE
Wood-burning sets off pollution alarm bells in Athens

Russia identifies main environmental risks

Small, Portable Sensors Allow Users to Monitor Exposure to Pollution on Their Smart Phones

Ozone levels have sizeable impact on worker productivity




The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2014 - Space Media Network. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA Portal Reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement,agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. Privacy Statement