Company Information
Quest Thermal Group are world-leading experts in advanced thermal insulation. Quest Thermal's Integrated MultiLayer Insulation (IMLI) uses Discrete Spacer Technology™ with low thermally conductive polymer spacers between radiant barriers. IMLI has half the heat flux per layer as conventional netting-based MLI, half the mass, is a structural insulation capable of supporting loads, with a robust bonded structure that provides highly predictable performance.
IMLI insulated the flight receiver dewar on NASA's RRM flight experiment, with the first in-space cryogenic propellant transfer; insulated the NASA GPIM spacecraft; and is insulating the instrument radiator on the Lucy spacecraft currently heading to Jupiter's Trojan asteroids. IMLI is in design, install and test phases for various missions, including NASA Roman Space Telescope, NASA Near Earth Object Survey space telescope, lunar surface operation, Mars surface operation and human lunar landers. IMLI has flight heritage and is at TRL9.
Quest Thermal has developed different systems using our proprietary Discrete Spacer Technology™. We have been awarded 31 contracts by multiple NASA centers for R&D work and numerous R&D contracts by Aerospace Prime Contractors.
IMLI insulates cryopropellant tanks, helping systems achieve near Zero Boil Off, using highly efficient active or passive vapor cooling of Broad Area Cooled shields embedded within IMLI. Quest's patented Wrapped MLI provides very high performance insulation for cryofeedlines. Quest Thermal has insulation systems designed for launch vehicles that have aeroshells; systems for both in-air and in-space operation; and lightweight vacuum shells systems for operation at various conditions. We offer load bearing MLI that supports external loads; MM/OD multishock shield structures integrated with IMLI, dual wall IMLI for very lightweight LHe dewars, efficient vapor cooled tank support insulation and integrated vapor cooled shields, and highly variable spacecraft radiators with turndown ratios over 25:1.
Quest Thermal is developing commercial superinsulation, with one application refrigerators and freezers. Quest's UltraTherm thin (0.2", 5mm) insulation has high thermal performance (R-100, 0.001 W/m-K). We are in early development of advanced vapor cooled IMLI systems for LH2 storage for aircraft and transportation. Our early work is promising.
Quest Thermal provides innovative thermal solutions. We develop and bring to market innovative, disruptive technology for a variety of thermal applications, ranging from ultra-high performance insulation of cryogenic propellants on launch vehicles and spacecraft, to commercial superinsulation.
Core Team
The Quest Thermal Core Team, composed of scientists and engineers, has been working together since 2006. Senior Key Team Members include:
