Cryogenic Flux Capacitor

About this technology

Overview

NASA Kennedy Space Center seeks partners interested in the commercial application of the Cryogenic Flux Capacitor (CFC). This new technology capitalizes on the energy storage capacity of liquefied gasses. By exploiting a unique attribute of nano-porous materials, aerogel in this case, fluid commodities such as oxygen, hydrogen, methane, etc. can be stored in a molecular surface-adsorbed state. This cryogenic fluid can be stored at low to moderate pressure densities, on par with liquid, and then quickly converted to a gas, when the need arises. This solution reduces both safety-related logistics issues and the limitations of complex storage systems. Currently, high pressured gasses are stored in vessels with heavy thick walls that require constant pressurization and complex storage systems to limit boil-off. These systems are not well suited to overly dynamic situations where the tank orientation can change suddenly. NASA's CFC address all of the aforementioned issues, simplifying current operations and opening the possibilities for new applications and new markets from cryogenic liquid.