Federal award (DEFINITIVE CONTRACT, fiscal year 2022)
Recipient: GINER 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: 2018-09-27 to 2020-11-30
Current total value of award: $274145
Description: THIS STATEMENT OF WORK (SOW) ADDRESSES THE REDESIGN OF THE GINER 3,600 PSI HIGH PRESSURE CELL STACK TO RESOLVE VOLTAGE STABILITY ISSUES. PREVIOUSLY, UNDER CONTRACT NNM15AA09C, GINER DESIGNED, ASSEMBLED AND TESTED A HIGH PRESSURE CELL STACK. THE EFFORT INVOLVED MODIFYING AN EARLIER DESIGN TO INCORPORATE DESIGN IMPROVEMENTS TO RESOLVE LEAKAGE ISSUES. GINER SUCCESSFULLY DEMONSTRATED ~5,000 HOURS OF OPERATION, WITH NO LEAKAGE ISSUES. HOWEVER, THIS DESIGN EXHIBITED A HIGHER VOLTAGE THAN EXPECTED. EARLIER EFFORTS DEMONSTRATED A STABLE, FLAT VOLTAGE OF ~1.8 V, WHILE THIS CELL STACK EXHIBITED RISING VOLTAGE UP TO ~2.0 V. A FAULT TREE WAS DEVELOPED TO IDENTIFY THE POSSIBLE CAUSES. THE LIKELY CAUSE WAS IDENTIFIED TO BE LACK OF COMPLIANCE IN THE CELLS, WHICH LIKELY RESULTED IN OVER COMPRESSING AND DEHYDRATING OF THE MEMBRANES. IN ADDITION, THE CATHODE SCREENS EXPERIENCED A HEIGHT REDUCTION, RESULTING IN INCREASED RESISTANCE. THIS SBIR PHASE III EFFORT SHALL REQUIRE GINER TO REDESIGN SPECIFIC COMPONENTS OF THE STACK HARDWARE TO ENHANCE COMPLIANCE TO RESOLVE THE HIGH RESISTANCE AND VOLTAGE ISSUES. GINER WILL INCORPORATE A PRESSURE PAD INTO THE CATHODE COMPARTMENT OF THE CELLS TO MINIMIZE OVER COMPRESSION OF THE SCREEN AND MEMBRANE. A FOUR CELL STACK WILL BE ASSEMBLED AND PRE-TEST HEALTH CHECKS WILL BE PERFORMED. ENDURANCE TESTING WILL BE CONDUCTED TO VERIFY PERFORMANCE AND LIFE. THE STACK SHALL BE OPERATED CONTINUOUSLY AT 3600 PSI. AT THE COMPLETION OF ENDURANCE TESTING, POST-TEST HEALTH CHECKS SHALL BE PERFORMED. GINER SHALL ALSO BE REQUIRED TO ANALYZE THE DATA AND WRITE A FINAL REPORT. GINER SHALL BE REQUIRED TO DELIVER THE CELL STACK AND FINAL REPORT TO MSFC.