This material was provided by Jim Cairelli (James.E.Cairelli@grc.nasa.gov), who is the project manager for this work and Steve Geng (segeng@grc.nasa.gov) of the Thermo-mechanical Systems Branch.

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this project is to develop and demonstrate the key advanced refrigerator/freezer technologies required for future Life and Biomedical Sciences spaceflight experiments.

BACKGROUND

Life and Biomedical Sciences researchers have identified five classes of refrigerator/freezers (R/F) equipment which are required to enable future, long duration spaceflight experiments. In 1993, an R/F Technology Team, consisting of scientists and engineers from NASA Headquarters, , Goddard Space flight Center, Johnson Space Center, Glenn Research Center, and Marshall Space Flight Center, completed a study to qualitatively assess the state of R/F technology. They concluded that a technology development program is needed to provide the advanced R/F technologies required for future Life and Biomedical Sciences experiments. This project initiated as a three year effort co-funded by NASA's Code XS (Office of Space Access and Technology, now Code AF) and Code UL (Life and Biomedical Sciences & Applications Division) and began in January, 1994.

APPROACH

This project is divided into two phases:

Phase I: Technology Assessment

• Determine R/F system requirements.
• Assess R/F technologies on a systems basis and determine which technologies merit further development to bring them to the readiness level required for integration in future R/F flight system hardware.
• Develop conceptual designs for system(s) to meet those requirements.

Phase II: Technology Development and Demonstration

• Develop the needed key technologies.
• Design and fabricate a brassboard (approaches form and fit, as well as function) R/F system.
• Test the brassboard to demonstrate the technologies developed under this project.

RATIONALE

The main technical effort in this project will be accomplished by contract. Therefore, the advanced R/F technology will reside with industry to provide widespread availability to all potential users. A limited amount of "in house analysis and technology development may be undertaken to verify and/or enhance the effort. The expertise within NASA GRC and other NASA field centers will be utilized as appropriate. To the extent that it is possible, the project activities will be coordinated with Space Shuttle and International Space Station efforts, since these are the most likely platforms for application of these technologies. A major goal of this activity is to minimize the number of technologies needing development to cover all five R/F classes., while meeting the system performance requirements. A system level matrix tracking method will be utilized throughout the project, to ensure that all the requirements are addressed and that all project goals are met.

DELIVERABLES

• Phase I Technology Assessment Report
• Technology Development Plan
• Brassboard Hardware
• Final Report

STATUS

• Oceaneering Space Systems, Inc. (OSS), of Houston Texas, was selected as the contractor for both Phase I and Phase II of the contract effort.
• A Technology Assessment summary paper entitled "NASA Life Sciences Advanced Refrigerator/Freezer Technology Assessment Results" (NASA TM-1072225) was presented at the 26th International Conference on Environmental Systems, in Monterey California, in July, 1996. The Phase I report entitled "Advanced Refrigerator/Freezer Technology Development, Technology Assessment " (NASA Contractor Report 198484) was published in October, 1996. This report identifies and ranks, in order of priority, nine candidate technologies for development.
• Resource availability forced a limiting of the Phase II technology development contract effort to only the highest priority technology, Rigid Polymer Panel Multi-Layer Insulation (MLI). Center panel insulation values >R-100/inch of thickness were achieved for short times (few days). However, the overall insulation value for a six sided panel box (with edge conduction effects, achieved only about R-13/inch. Current technology foam filled vacuum (0.5 torr) insulation panels have average insulation values of >R-30/inch, with a two year expected useful life. Long term (up to 10 years) maintenance of the panel internal vacuum at10-4 torr (critical to achieve the MLI potential R-value) remains a technology challenge.
• The OSS contract Final Report has been delivered to GRC for NASA review and editing. This contractor report is expected to published in the fall of 1998.
• The Stirling Orbiter Refrigerator/Freezer (SOR/F), which flew as a Shuttle spaceflight experiment on STS-60, was acquired from JSC to serve as a brassboard system for "in house" advanced R/F technology testing at NASA-GRC. The current GRC effort is aimed at improving the SOR/F performance and logistic flexibility, i.e., reducing the power consumption, reducing the heat rejection, reducing the rate of temperature rise with the cooler turned off, reducing noise and vibration, and extending the operating temperature range down to -80 C.

Other Home Pages:

Electromechanical Systems Branch

Power Technology Space Applications

Global Cooling Manufacturing Co.*, 94 N. Columbus Rd., Athens OH 45701, USA, Phone: (740) 592-2655, FAX: (740) 592-2695, WWW.globalcooling.com, manufacturer of Stirling cycle coolers for food storage applications, manufacturer of the SOR/F replacement coolers.

Stirling Technology Company, Inc.*, 4208 W. Clearwater Ave, Kennewick, WA 99336, USA, Phone: (509) 735-4700X103, FAX: (509) 736-3660, WWW.stirlingtech.com, manufacturer of Stirling cycle coolers and engines, sub-contractor for Phase I of the Advanced Refrigerator/Freezer Technology Development Project.

SunPower Inc.*, P.O. Box 2625, Athens, OH 45701-2625, USA, Phone: (740) 594-2221, FAX: (740) 593-7531, WWW.sunpower.com, manufacturer of Stirling cycle coolers and engines, built the original cooler for the SOR/F.

Thermacore, Inc.*, 780 Eden Road, Lancaster, PA, 17601-4794, USA, Phone: (717) 569-6551, FAX: (717) 569-4797, www.thermacore.inter.net, manufacturer of heat pipe products, supplied the original acetone heat pipes and the replacement propylene heat pipes for the SOR/F, sub-contractor for Phase I of the Advanced Refrigerator/Freezer Technology Development Project.

Oceaneering Space Systems, Inc.*, 1665 Space Center Blvd., Houston, TX 77058-2268, USA, Phone: (713) 488-9080, FAX: (713) 488-2027, WWW.oceaneering.com, prime contractor for the Advanced Refrigerator/Freezer Technology Development Project.

Last updated: Tuesday, June 29, 1999

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