SAM #T2P-MSFC-00054

NASA Marshall Space Flight Center is offering a technology transfer licensing opportunity for its patented cladding and freeform deposition process for coolant channel closeout in rocket engine nozzles. - Technology: Laser Wire Direct Closeout (LWDC) additive manufacturing process - Enables construction of nozzle liner outer jackets to close out coolant channels - Allows real-time inspection and use of bimetallic parts - Demonstrated on various alloys and validated through hot-fire testing - Opportunity: License rights to commercialize, manufacture, and market the technology - Licenses available on exclusive or nonexclusive basis - No funding provided by NASA with license - No follow-on procurement expected from responses - No specific OEMs, vendors, or products are being procured; this is a technology licensing opportunity - Place of performance/contracting office: NASA Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, AL

NASA’s Technology Transfer Program solicits inquiries from companies interested in obtaining license rights to commercialize, manufacture and market the following technology. License rights may be issued on an exclusive or nonexclusive basis and may include specific fields of use. NASA provides no funding in conjunction with these potential licenses.  

THE TECHNOLOGY:  

Low-cost, large-scale liquid rocket engines with regeneratively cooled nozzles will enable reliable and reduced-cost access to space. Coolant, contained under high pressure, circulates through a bank of channels within the nozzle to properly cool the nozzle walls to withstand high temperatures and prevent failure. It has been a challenge to affordably manufacture and close out the intricate nozzle channels. As such, NASA developed a robust and simplified additive manufacturing technology to build the nozzle liner outer jacket to close out the channels within and contain the high-pressure coolant. The new Laser Wire Direct Closeout (LWDC) capability reduces the time to fabricate the nozzle and allows for real-time inspection during the build. One variation enables a bimetallic part (copper/super-alloy, e.g.) to help optimize material where it is needed. The manufacturing process has been demonstrated on a series of different alloys. Hot-fire testing is complete&#8212the parts were exposed to extreme combustion chamber temperatures and pressure conditions for 1,000+ seconds. Micro-graph examination of the hot-fired test article has verified that the coolant channel closeout bonds are reliable and that there is very little deformation to the coolant channels.  

To express interest in this licensing opportunity, please submit a license application through NASA’s Automated Technology Licensing Application System (ATLAS) by visiting https://technology.nasa.gov/patent/MFS-TOPS-81  

If you have any questions, please e-mail NASA’s Technology Transfer Program at Agency-Patent-Licensing@mail.nasa.gov with the title of this Technology Transfer Opportunity as listed in this SAM.gov notice and your preferred contact information. For more information about licensing other NASA-developed technologies, please visit the NASA Technology Transfer Portal at https://technology.nasa.gov/ 

These responses are provided to members of NASA’s Technology Transfer Program for the purpose of promoting public awareness of NASA-developed technology products, and conducting preliminary market research to determine public interest in and potential for future licensing opportunities. No follow-on procurement is expected to result from responses to this Notice.