Compositex, Inc.
Products,
Services & Technologies
The main specialties of Compositex, Inc. are aircraft, rocket propulsion and composite
structures.
We offer unique and elegant inventions,
innovative manufacturing technologies, custom engineering, product development,
and research services. We can design parts to requirements, perform sophisticated
analyses, get tooling & prototypes built, perform the required tests, and
smooth the transition of the parts into high-rate production.
1. Kestrel:
Aircraft Concept with USB Powered Lift / Propulsion / Control System.
- Very high maximum CL for an ultra-low minimum airspeed while
maintaining full control authority.
- High efficiency, low-drag tailless configuration. High L/D
even in power-off mode.
- Simple, 2-actuator control scheme that works with or without conventional
control surfaces.
- Potential for very stealthy, quiet operation.
Virtually undetectable with radar or infrared.
- Custom-designed and built for specific aircraft applications of any size.
2. Comp-L:
Simple, high-performance liquid rocket propulsion systems for spacecraft.
- Hydrogen peroxide and hydrocarbon propellants; High-density, storable, non-toxic,
non-hypergolic, safe, reliable, and low cost.
- High performance;
Combustion efficiency >95% and ISP up to 320
seconds (in vacuum) with propellant mass fractions >90%.
- Custom-designed and built for specific applications; main propulsion and/or
ACS.
3. AVOx:
High-performance liquid propulsion systems for launch vehicles and boosters.
- Simple, lightweight storage, pressurization, and fluid management of moderate
density (0.9 g/cc) LOX/hydrocarbon propellants.
- Main propulsion and ACS functions, including all required injectors,
chambers, valves, igniters, and structural interfaces.
- High system performance: ISP = 250 - 350 seconds (vacuum)
with propellant mass fractions 94-97%.
- Typically implemented in a booster with LOX/kerosene propellants. Especially suitable for reusable fly-back booster.
- Could also be used in upper stage applications.
- Customizable for specific missions; adaptable and scalable to launch vehicle
designs of virtually any size.
4. ECPS:
High-performance cryogenic propulsion system concept for space vehicles.
- Simple, lightweight storage, pressurization, and fluid management of
liquefied hydrogen and oxygen propellants.
- System provides main propulsion and ACS functions, including all required
injectors, chambers, valves, igniters, and structural interfaces.
- Extremely high system performance. ISP = 420 - 450 seconds
(vacuum) with propellant mass fractions >94%.
- Single-stage-to-orbit (SSTO) launch vehicle is a feasible application,
particularly with an altitude-compensating nozzle (Expansion-Deflection or Plug
nozzle).
- Customizable for specific applications; adaptable to a variety of high deltaV
missions and scalable to large sizes.
5. Design and Analysis of Aerospace Systems and Composite Structures -
We have unique and varied computational capabilities, and the experience to use
them properly.
- Composite pressure vessel design and analysis, for metal or non-metal lined, cryogenic or high temperatures.
- Linear and non-linear FEA with pre- and post-processors tailored to composite
structures, as described in this NASA TechBrief.
- Design and analysis tools for axisymmetric
composite airframe elements and other structures.
- Launch vehicle design and analysis tools with imbedded performance and cost
optimization routines.
- Rocket and RBCC propulsion system design and optimization codes.
6. Fabrication Technology- Innovative processing and tooling
technologies have been developed for fabricating high performance plastic,
composite, and metal parts.
- Sil-Phen: Low-cost fabrication processes for
phenolic resin-based ablative materials.
- Seamless metal and plastic liner manufacturing processes for filament-wound
vessels.
- CNC foam cutting for complex shaped wing cores, sandwich panels, short-run
tooling (plugs or molds), etc.
- Vacuum-assisted RTM processes with high temperature resins, for large
structures.
- Filament-winding processes for large, thin wall metal-lined cryogenic tanks.
- Combined textile stitching and plastic film seaming for light, strong,
leak-proof skins.
7. Short Run Production, Process Development, and Tooling- Production
of high-performance composite, plastic, and metal parts along with molds,
mandrels and other composite tooling.
- Filament winding (3-axis) up to 60 inch OD, 100 inch long parts (cylinders,
closed end vessels, spheres, cones, etc.) using towpreg or wet winding
techniques.
- CNC machining on winding machine and standard machining on metal & wood
lathes, mills, drills, band saws, etc.
- Ablative nozzles and thrust chambers (includes ablative liner, composite
overwrap, and integral attachment rings).
- Fabric-film seaming, thermoforming, and welding of thermoplastic tubes and
sheets.
- Hand laminating, vacuum-bagging, RTM, and elevated temperature curing of
laminate.
- Resistance spot and seam welding of metal foil as thin as 0.001" (for
tank liners).
- Plaster, wood and foam master patterns and composite molds, mandrels, etc.
8. Testing- Structural and flight testing of pressure vessels, wings,
propellers, airframes, rocket engines, etc. can be accomplished using:
- Rocket engine static testing up to 10,000 lb of thrust.
- Tensile, compression, and shear strength testing up 5,000 lb breaking load.
- Hydroproof and hydroburst
pressure testing of pressure vessels up to 6,000 psi.
- Flight testing with on-board logging and downlink data acquisition; airspeed, altitude, temperatures, servo
positions, RPMs, GPS position-speed-altitude-course,
multi-axis acceleration, 3-axis attitude, current-voltage-power consumption.
- Various pressure transducers, load cells, strain gages, RTDs,
and thermocouples.
- Hydraulic pistons and pumps for applying static loads.
- Portable data acquisition system, up to 16 channels, 20Khz, 14 bit
resolution, hosted by laptop computer.
Compositex, Inc. provides speedy solutions to technically challenging problems by merging innovative design concepts with efficient fabrication technologies and proven test techniques. Be it a new aircraft concept, rocket propulsion system, ablative nozzle, filament-wound composite tank, or an advanced composite structure; you’ll be amazed how quickly we can take it from a back-of-the-envelope sketch to fabrication to a successful qualification test. We take great pride in our capabilities, workmanship, and the excellent value we offer to our customers. Work can be done on a time & material, cost plus fixed fee, or a firm fixed price basis. Our rates are DCAA-approved, renewed annually. Please contact us anytime.
Phone/FAX: (801) 501-0562 Email: danmoser@gmail.com
Compositex
Sil-Phen: Low Cost & High
Performance Silica-Phenolic Ablative Materials and Manufacturing Processes
Using the technologies developed originally by Utah Rocketry, Compositex, Inc. is offering a low-cost
phenolic-based ablative material, and a manufacturing process that keeps it low
in cost without sacrificing its incredible performance characteristics. The
plot given below is an excerpt from NASA Technical Memorandum 107041, "Ablative
Material Testing for Low-Pressure, Low-Cost Rocket Engines," published
in October 1995. It shows the results of the ablative material comparison as
reported by
One the specialties of Compositex, Inc. is fabricating a Sil-Phen liner, bonding it to a metal attachment ring, then overwrapping it with a leak-proof composite outer shell. This results in a one-piece thrust chamber assembly (see picture above) that is very robust and lightweight. Northrop-Grumman (formerly TRW), Microcosm, Orbital Sciences, AeroAstro, Beal Aerospace, and others have successfully implemented this low-cost thrust chamber technology into their engine systems. Our ablative thrust chamber assembly technology can also be used with low or zero erosion throat inserts, such as ceramic matrix composite, 3-D carbon-carbon, ceramic-coated graphite, or refractory metals, such as Tungsten.
We also offer our phenolic resin base with many other powdered and fibrous refractory fillers: carbon, graphite, SiC, zirconia, alumina, magnesia, mullite, glass, basalt, etc. A blend of fillers can be customized to meet specialized requirements, such as extreme oxidizing / reducing chamber conditions or extremely low thermal conductivity.
Phone/FAX: (801) 501-0562 Email: danmoser@gmail.com
The Kestrel: A Truly
Revolutionary Aircraft Concept
Compositex, Inc. has developed novel fixed wing aircraft concept called the Kestrel. It is a tailless aircraft configuration with an innovative powered lift system based on the concept of Upper Surface Blowing, USB. The innovative USB device is called the jet slat, and it provides propulsive thrust as well as circulation control. The Kestrel has a very low minimum airspeed because the jet slat adds kinetic energy to the boundary layer, thereby delaying the onset of stall at slow speeds. Lift coefficients as high as 12 are predicted, depending upon the degree of blowing and wing aspect ratio. The Kestrel features an efficient lightweight airframe, sleek low-drag geometry, and excellent potential for stealth capabilities. It also has the ability to use USB techniques to maneuver without the use of conventional control surfaces, simply by controlling the degree of blowing over various portions of the wing.
The first series of wind tunnels tests at the University of Washington Aeronautical Laboratory (UWAL) in January, 2002 (see above) has convincingly proven the viability of the Kestrel aircraft concept. Very high lift coefficients were measured, along with good response to control commands on all 3 axes (pitch, roll, and yaw) without the use of external control surfaces. UWAL’s precision 6-axis force balance was used to collect data in this test series, along with 32 surface pressure measurements. A Phase II SBIR contract between Compositex, Inc. and the Air Force Research Laboratory, Air Vehicles Directorate is nearing completion. Extensive 2-D wind tunnel testing, research, and analysis work has been conducted, along with flight testing of several proof of concept models. The Kestrel aircraft design concept and our unique optimization design/analysis tools are now available to prospective customers. Using our proprietary database and unique engineering capabilities, a customized aircraft configuration can be quickly derived to meet challenging customer requirements. Applications range from a stealthy micro-UAV to a large, high-performance STOL passenger aircraft.
Phone/FAX: (801) 501-0562 Email: danmoser@gmail.com
Rocket Propulsion Systems for Space
Vehicles
Comp-L is a new liquid rocket propulsion concept that grew from an old idea. Goddard, Wyld, and others used a similar rocket propulsion concept in the 1930s, and with the materials and technologies available today, it's an idea whose time has come. Comp-L is a very simple pressure-fed liquid rocket that utilizes the vapor pressure of light hydrocarbon fuels to feed both fuel and oxidizer fluids to the engine. Comp-L combines the ISP performance of a bipropellant system with the simplicity and ease of operation of a monopropellant system. When compared to existing systems, Comp-L offers improved performance, reliability, safety, and cost effectiveness. Comp-L can provide a space vehicle with both main propulsion and attitude control, all in one compact system. Some of the features and specifications of the Comp-L system are:
· Storable, non-toxic, and non-hypergolic propellants; high concentration
hydrogen peroxide oxidizer and a light hydrocarbon fuel.
· Vacuum ISP of up to 330 seconds can be achieved.
· Propellant mass fractions > 90% can be achieved.
· Safe handling characteristics; hydrogen peroxide spills are easily diluted
with water, fuel vapor dissipates rapidly.
· Propellants are low cost, commercially available chemicals.
· Inherently high combustion efficiency and acoustic stability; faster to
develop.
· No ignition system required. "Hard starts" are virtually
impossible.
· Extremely low non-recurring and recurring costs.
· Wide operating temperature range; <0ºF to >100ºF.
· All propellants and pressurants are stored in a single, lightweight composite
tank.
· High delivered propellant/pressurant density; > 1.10 g/cc.
· High-performance filament-wound composite tank technology; PV/W > 1.7 × 106
inches.
· Low chamber stagnation temperature; 4,200 - 4,600 ºF.
· Self-cooled thrust chambers; both radiation and ablative cooled versions.
· No exotic or expensive materials used in construction.
· Reliable operation in weightlessness. No surface tension screens required for
fluid acquisition.
· Clean exhaust; approximately 70% H2O and 30% CO2, by weight.
· No pressure regulators or isolation valves required.
Comp-L is a family of custom-designed propulsion systems, each one built to meet specific customer requirements. Applications range from missile/booster propulsion to nanosatellite main propulsion with attitude control thrusters. The 1997 version of the Comp-L system (at left) was designed for boost and/or upper stage propulsion. A subscale prototype was built and tested in 1997 under NASA-Marshall Contract NAS8-97153, "Fuel Vapor Pressurized Rocket Technology." In 2001, a smaller version of the system (right) was designed for small satellite applications as part of the Phase I SBIR contract with AFRL-Edwards AFB. Hot fire test data (sample below) validated the predicted high performance levels. A recent development contract with DARPA was aimed at applying the Comp-L system to nanosatellite applications, although this has not as of yet been adequately demonstrated. More information on the Comp-L propulsion system is published in AIAA paper 2001-3248, "High-Performance, Non-Toxic Spacecraft Propulsion System Development."
Compositex, Inc. is now offering Comp-L as a turnkey, design-and-build-to-spec system. We can supply a proposal and quotation on a Comp-L system that will meet your requirements.
Phone/FAX: (801) 501-0562 Email: danmoser@gmail.com
Compositex,
Inc. offers a new rocket
propulsion system:
ECPS, Evaporated Cryogen Propulsion System for space
vehicles
ECPS is a synergistic combination of structures and propulsion technologies. It is designed to deliver the maximum deltaV performance attainable from chemical propellants, and yet it is an astonishingly simple and affordable system. The ECPS concept originated by combining the old "big, dumb booster" concepts for cheap pressure-fed rockets with modern composite tank fabrication technology and evaporated propellant tank pressurization system designs. Existing launch vehicle upper stages tend to be very complicated and expensive, so there is a growing need for an inexpensive, high thrust, high deltaV upper stage. ECPS can fill that need in a more cost efficient manner than any other competing propulsion concept. It is designed to be inexpensive enough to be expendable, yet it is robust enough to be refilled and reused several times, if need be. Since ECPS uses hydrogen and oxygen propellants, ISP performance is extremely high, potentially up to 450 seconds in a vacuum environment. ECPS tanks and other structures consist primarily of high performance, low cost composite materials, resulting in increased payload capacity and/or deltaV. The simplicity of the gas pressure-fed system based on evaporated propellants offers the potential for improved operability and reliability without sacrificing performance. Some of the features and advantages of the ECPS concept are listed below:
· Highly-simplified evaporated propellant feed system for cryogenic hydrogen
and oxygen.
· Very high ISP performance, up to 450 seconds (vacuum).
· High propellant mass fractions (> 94%) can be achieved, enabling the
potential for SSTO.
· Advanced polymer matrix composite tank materials, suitable for cryogenic
temperature operations.
· High-performance filament-wound composite tank technology; PV/W > 1.7 × 106
inches.
· Low cost, high efficiency insulation materials for reduced boil-off rates,
and longer mission durations.
· Robust monocoque tank walls react internal pressure,
flight dynamic loads, and ground handling loads without need of stiffening
features (stringers, isogrids, etc.)
· Tank arrangement results in high volumetric packaging efficiency, and
distributed thrust load transfer to payload interface.
· Thrust chambers are self-cooled (film, radiation & ablative), enabling
long duration burns with no performance loss.
· ACS uses gaseous propellants from main tank, eliminating the need for a
separate storage/feed subsystems
· Fuel cell power supply can provide ample electrical power to payload prior to
solar panel deployment.
· Cryogenic propellants can serve as an efficient heat sink, eliminating the
need for active cooling or heavy metal heat sinks for electronics.
· Very clean engine exhaust, consisting only of H2 and H2O.
Currently,
a design study is being conducted to apply the ECPS concept to an expendable
SSTO (Single Stage To Orbit) launch vehicle
design. A medium lift launch vehicle
named the “Eagle” was designed to haul at least 12,500 pounds of payload to a
200 km circular orbit, inclined approximately 40 degrees. The Eagle’s gross lift-off weight is
estimated to be 200,000 pounds, and the overall size of the stage is 4 meters
in diameter, and 32 meters long, excluding the payload. The Eagle SSTO design study has reaffirmed
the value of the ECPS concept. One of
the most recent projections from the ascent simulation program is plotted at
left. A throttledown
will be initiated at approximately T+105 seconds to limit acceleration to no
more than 4 Gs. The Eagle design
features a variable area injector and a variable expansion ratio nozzle, which
enables an increase in ISP concurrent with a decrease in thrust
output. Main Engine Cut-Off (MECO) will
occur at approximately T+332 seconds when the vehicle achieves minimal LEO
insertion velocity.
ECPS propulsion system and Eagle SSTO are fluid, evolving designs. The preliminary ECPS design is scaleable and adaptable to a wide range of sizes and can be tailored to meet specific customer requirements. Compositex, Inc. is now offering the ECPS concept for further development/demonstration, technology licensing, or inclusion into an existing/evolving space vehicle design. Please contact us to discuss specific arrangements for implementing ECPS into your project.
Phone/FAX: (801) 501-0562 Email: danmoser@gmail.com
Compositex, Inc. designs
a new (old) propulsion system:
AVOx, Actively Vaporized Oxidizer
AVOx is a new propulsion technology that is well-suited to provide the initial “push” towards space. A launch vehicle first stage, or “booster” as it is commonly known, has historically used high density solid propellants or moderate density liquid propellants for good physical reasons. The initial portion of the booster ascent requires high thrust at near sea level and a sturdy structure for the high aero-inertial loading it experiences, yet it is also important to attain decent ISP performance throughout the ascent in order to give the upper stage(s) and payload a good “head start” up and out of the atmosphere with a substantial velocity gain. As with other Compositex propulsion systems, the AVOx booster system concept arose from the old "big, dumb booster" concepts for cheap pressure-fed rockets. In fact, the illustration on the left is from a 1936 publication by the American liquid rocket pioneer James Hart Wyld, “The Problem of Rocket Fuel Feed,” Astronautics, Journal of the American Rocket Society, No. 34, June, 1936. Here it is 70 years later, and this simple configuration is very similar to the current AVOx propellant feed subsystem design. Modern composite tank fabrication technology, self-cooled thrust chambers, and new propellant evaporator designs have reinvigorated this old concept and have, at long last, made it technically and economically feasible in today’s launch systems. AVOx is inexpensive enough to be expendable, yet it is robust enough to be utilized as a reusable booster. Low re-entry heat fluxes are achieved with a very low empty weight and a controlled high angle of attack. Recovery can be by conventional parachute-splashdown, or by deployable flexwing or parafoil with low speed motor–propeller propulsion to enable autonomous return-to-launch-pad flight after re-entry. Some of the characteristics of the AVOx booster are listed below:
· Highly-simplified propellant feed system for non-volatile hydrocarbon fuel
and LOX (liquid oxygen).
· Very high ISP performance, up to 350 seconds (vacuum).
· High propellant mass fractions (> 95%).
· Advanced polymer matrix composite materials, suitable temperatures ranging
from cryogenic to Mach 8 re-entry aeroheating.
· High-performance filament-wound composite tank technology; PV/W > 1.7 × 106
inches.
· Low cost, high efficiency insulation materials for reduced boil-off rates,
and extend launch pad hold times.
· Robust monocoque tank walls react internal pressure,
flight dynamic loads, and ground handling loads without need of stiffening
features (stringers, isogrids, etc.)
· Common bulkhead tank arrangement results in maximum volumetric efficiency
with excellent distributed thrust load transfer to upper stage and payload.
· Thrust chambers are ablatively cooled, eliminating propellant flow pressure
losses, as typically experienced in regeneratively-cooled
chambers.
· Altitude-compensating nozzle for optimum thrust efficiency at all times
during ascent through the atmosphere.
· The “High alpha – Low Q” re-entry enables the booster to be readily reused
without complex TPS reinspection or refurbishment,
except for the low-cost ablative chamber that is replaced before each flight.
AVOx is a customizable structural & propulsion system design. Compositex, Inc. is now offering the AVOx concept for further development/demonstration, technology licensing, or inclusion into an existing/evolving space vehicle design. Please contact us to discuss specific arrangements for implementing AVOx into your project.
Phone/FAX: (801) 501-0562 Email: danmoser@gmail.com
ã 2000-2008, Daniel J. Moser, All rights reserved