Latest News
February 23 2020
Quest Thermal, in a six month NASA SBIR Phase I program, designed, built and tested a 0.3m diameter prototype of a new ultra-lightweight dual vacuum shell LHe dewar. NASA has need of a lightweight dewar for LHe cooled stratospheric balloon observatories. A conventional 4m diameter dewar is 2676kg, a Quest dewar would be 268kg, with heat leak reduced from 1.8W/m2 to 0.32W/m2 with Quest Light Weight Dewar (LWD) technology. LWD is at TRL4, and reduces the mass of a LHe dewar to well within the lift capability of a stratospheric balloon, enabling future 4m fully cryogenic far-IR telescope... Read More
September 20 2019
Quest Thermal’s Integrated MLI (IMLI) is an advanced, next generation multilayer insulation. IMLI had its first spaceflight in December 2018 on NASA’s Remote Refueling Mission 3. RRM3 is a flight experiment on the ISS to test cryogenic storage and transfer. Source and receiver dewars contained LCH4, the receiver dewar was insulated with IMLI.
IMLI accommodated a complex geometry varying from 2 to 21 layers, with spacial constraints such as G10 shroud. There was excellent agreement between modeled and measured heat leak (calculated 0.517W, measured 0.515W). New technologies were developed... Read More
April 15 2018
Quest Thermal is happy to announce the addition of mechanical engineer Tim Heidersheit. Tim brings new talent, and isa great addition to Quest's engineering group! Tim has contributed to several Quest insulation R&D programs, including Vapor Cooled Structure MLI, Variable Gas Radiator, and Multi-Environment MLI. Tim has good part design skills, produces new parts and fabrication fixtures, has good analytical skills, and helps with our thermal vacuum testing.
July 06 2017
Quest's Alan Kopelove presented a paper on Quest Multi-Environment MLI, a new insulation tuned for operation on Mars to the Space Cryogenics Workshop. This biannual conference of NASA and space cryogenics researchers, sponsored by the Cryogenics Society of America and NASA, allows researchers to meet and discuss the latest developments.
May 01 2017
In May 2017 Quest had three new concepts selected for award by NASA. This is great news, and allows us to move forward with three unique thermal control systems for future NASA and commercial use. One contract advances our on-Mars surface "Multi-Environment MLI", an ultra high performance low mass insulation able to operate in Mars atmosphere to protect LOX produced on Mars surface via ISRU. Two contracts were to develop novel "Variable Conductance Radiators" - highly variable spacecraft radiators. Radiators help control the thermal environment in a spacecraft, with the "turndown ratio" a... Read More
December 01 2016
NASA's Robotic Refueling Mission 3 (RRM3) team selected Quest IMLI to insulate the receiver/dewar for use in an ISS flight experiment. This will likely be the second IMLI spaceflight. RRM3 is developing new methods for refueling satellites and space instruments for longer operational life. IMLI was designed, installed, tested and validated on a ground test article. IMLI was then installed on flight hardware, tested, and provided for integration into the RRM3 experiment pallet, IMLI heat flux was modeled to be 0.515 W through the blanket, with a measured heat flux of 0.517 W.
April 01 2016
NASA has awarded Quest a Phase II, two year contract to continue development of our Vapor Cooled Structure MLI (VCS). VCS uses discrete spacers to form a vapor transport layer that provides efficient vapor cooling of tank supports. Thermal models predicted VCS could reduce tank support skirt heat flux by 57% and total heat flux by 45%. In Phase I, a VCS prototype reduced total tank heat load by 41%. VCS was proven feasible as a lightweight insulation reducing heat leak through tank skirts, reaching TRL4. Phase II work will further develop and mature VCS technology, apply it to larger tanks... Read More
October 01 2015
Quest Thermal, with support and funding from a State of Colorado Advanced Industries Accelerator grant, has begun design and development of a commercial superinsulation. Quest's "High Performance MLI" (HPMLI), uses Quest proprietary technology to provide very high performance. One-quarter inch thick HPMLI is thermally modeled to have the same heat leak as 12" of polyurethane foam, and standard fridges use about 2" of foam for insulation. Quest HPMLI could provide 1/4" thin doors and walls, increased interior volume, and about 90% less energy use. Stand by for updates!
July 01 2015
NASA has awarded Quest Thermal a new Phase I contract to begin work on a novel Mars surface insulation system. Multi-Environment MLI (MEMLI) should be capable of providing high thermal performance protecting LOX and LCH4 during multiple mission phases for a Mars mission. MEMLI is a fine-tuned discrete spacer system engineered for operation in-space during the cruise phase to Mars, then on-Mars surface to protect cryogenic fuels produced on the surface of Mars. This technology will be needed to achieve a human presence on the surface of Mars or an expanded presence in the solar system. For... Read More
June 01 2015
NASA has selected Quest for a Phase I contract to work on Vapor Cooled Structure MLI (VCSMLI). VCSMLI is a novel vapor cooled discrete spacer system that can intercept heat from cryogenic tank supports, such as skirts or struts, before the heat gets to the tank. VCSMLI is a lightweight, highly efficient cooling system, further improving cryogenic fluid storage capabilities needed for long duration space exploration missions.