NOFBX™ Monopropulsion Systems
- Develop high performance, liquid/gas monopropellant blends with bipropellant performance (NOFBX™monopropellants) that are low cost, non-toxic, self-pressurizing, and space-storable.
- Develop NOFBX™ fluid regulation systems with redundant anti-flashback inhibits.
- Develop robust, high temperature NOFBX™ gas generator cores and rocket thruster designs that can be operated over >10x dynamic range of thrust and in short pulse or continuous thrust modes.
NOFBX™ 100 lbf engine with carbon-carbon vacuum nozzle in front of an RL-10 upper
stage engine crudely illustrating difference in engine complexity
Short duration atmospheric pulse test of NOFBX™ 100 lbf engine combustion core.
12 m (40 ft) impact test of NOFBX™ monopropellant drop test article demonstrating insensitivity of the NOFBX™ monopropellants (4 different series were tested) to a high energy fall. The 12 m drop test is a MIL-STD2105C test requirement for assuring impact insensitivity of a container containing an energetic material.
Principal Investigators:
Greg Mungas, David Fisher
Technology Updates:
Demonstrated complex thruster design, characterized monopropellant specific impulse, characterized monopropellant physical properties, and defined ground handling safety procedures.
• Baseline propulsion option for Odyssey Space Research’s Altair (Lunar Lander Module) ascent main engine, descent stage RCS thrusters, and ascent stage RCS thrusters.
• NASA 2008-2010 Phase I/II SBIR development of NOFBX™ 25 - 100 lbf class engines for manned program ACS engines and scaled down test engines for future ascent stage engine testing.
• Completed 2008 NOFBX™ thruster exhaust plume interaction study with simulated Europa ice for feasibility study of a soft land Europa scientific probe (funded through Arizona State University).
• Completed 2005-2007 NASA Mars Advanced Technology Program award in Low Cost propulsion technologies (NASA NOFBOBS). Under this program the NOFBX™ monopropellants were invented, developed, and characterized for use in rocket thruster and power applications. In addition, preliminary NOFBX™ feed system hardware and breadboard NOFBX™ rocket thrusters have been demonstrated.
Patents:
- Eleven Patents Pending
Publications:
G.S. Mungas, D.J. Fisher, J.A. Smith, K.W. Doyle, G.H. Peters, A.P. London, L. Droppers, J. Fryer, S. Coley, T. Delange, NOFBX™ COLT Engine Development and Testing, Joint Army, Navy, NASA, Air Force (JANNAF) Interagency Propulsion Conference, SPS-IIE-3, CPIA/JHU, Colombia, MD (May 2010)G.S. Mungas, G.S. Regeneratively-Cooled, Vortex-Jacket, Fluids and Heat Transfer Model for Rocket Combustion Chambers, Joint Army, Navy, NASA, Air Force (JANNAF) Interagency Propulsion Conference, LPS-IIP-3, CPIA/JHU, Colombia, MD (May 2010)
G.S. Mungas, D.J. Fisher, M. Johnson, B. Rishikof, NOFB Monopropulsion System for Lunar Ascent Vehicle Utilizing Plug Nozzle Ascent Engine. Joint Army, Navy, NASA, Air Force Interagency Propulsion Conference (JANNAF), LPS-II-33, CPIA/JHU, Colombia, MD (Dec 2008).
G.S. Mungas, D.J. Fisher, C.B. Mungas, B. Carryer, NOFB Monopropellants – Background, Characterization, and Testing. Joint Army, Navy, NASA, Air Force Interagency Propulsion Conference (JANNAF), SPS-I-11, CPIA/JHU, Colombia, MD (Dec 2008).
G.S. Mungas, D.J. Fisher, Regeneratively-Cooled Porous Media Jacket Theory and Model. Joint Army, Navy, NASA, Air Force (JANNAF) Interagency Propulsion Conference, LPS-II-30, CPIA/JHU, Colombia, MD (Dec 2008)
G.S. Mungas, G. S., Fisher, D. J., Mungas, C. D., and Carryer, B., “NOFB Monopropellants – Background, Testing, and Characterization,” JPL Technical Report to Subcontract 1265181, 2008.
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