Federal award (DEFINITIVE CONTRACT, fiscal year 2021)
Recipient: PARABILIS SPACE TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
Awarding agency: National Aeronautics and Space Administration / National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Funding agency: National Aeronautics and Space Administration / National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Period of performance: 2019-06-26 to 2022-03-25
Current total value of award: $749980
Description: PARABILIS SPACE TECHNOLOGIES IS PLEASED TO PROPOSE DEVELOPMENT OF A NOVEL ADDITIVELY MANUFACTURED, DYNAMICALLY-ADJUSTABLE, IN-LINE, CAVITATING FLOW-CONTROL AND MEASUREMENT VENTURI FOR USE IN ADVANCED PROPULSION SYSTEM GROUND TESTING. THIS INNOVATIVE CAPABILITY DRAMATICALLY ADDS TO AND EXTENDS THE ADVANTAGES OF USING A CAVITATING VENTURI TO ISOLATE COMBUSTION CHAMBERS OR OTHER DOWNSTREAM PROCESS FLUCTUATIONS FROM UPSTREAM FEED PRESSURE CONDITIONS. THIS DESIGN WILL GREATLY SIMPLIFY PROPULSION TESTING AND REDUCE COSTS FOR CASES WHERE DESIRED LIQUID FLOW CONDITIONS ARE EITHER NOT PRECISELY UNDERSTOOD OR COVER A RANGE OF HIGH-PRECISION FLOW RATES. THE PROPOSED GEOMETRY IS CAPABLE OF SCALING TO BOTH ULTRA-HIGH PRESSURE AND HIGH FLOW RATE APPLICATIONS. THE PRIMARY INNOVATION CONSISTS OF A UNIQUE FLOATING PINTLE DESIGN AND ASSOCIATED STRUCTURAL SUPPORT WITH BUILT-IN PRESSURE TAPS. THESE  PRINTED-IN  PRESSURE TAPS PROVIDE BOTH A TOTAL PRESSURE MEASUREMENT UPSTREAM OF THE VENTURI CONTRACTION AND A VENTURI THROAT PRESSURE MEASUREMENT, FACILITATING BUILT-IN FLOW RATE MEASUREMENT AND/OR DETERMINATION OF LIQUID/VAPOR TRANSITION.