Research and Development

 

Oxygen from the Moon

Packer Engineering completed a NASA SBIR program on the extraction of oxygen from lunar soil. Lunar soil, also called regolith, is 40% oxygen by weight, but that oxygen is tightly bound in minerals. Oxygen is vitally important for space operations, both for propellant and for life support. To reduce mission constraints, an oxygen factory is needed which produces many times its own weight each year. A new approach to oxygen beneficiation arose during this work, in a collaborative effort between Packer Engineering and CU Aerospace (Urbana, IL) which could produce 40 times its weight in oxygen in one year. This is a potential candidate for the MoonROx Challenge, issued by the California Space Authority, for a $1,000,000 prize to the first team to produce 2.5 kg of oxygen in 4 hours from simulated lunar soil. This work is part of a broader initiative to enable space solar power, a technology with the potential to provide all mankind with pollution-free energy for all time to come.

Hydrogen Storage for Fuel Cells

Packer Engineering holds 6 patents pending on the use of nano-porous silicon for storing hydrogen. Hydrogen is the ideal fuel for a fuel cell, but efficient storage of this tiny, energetic substance is very difficult. The Department of Energy has a large budget allocated to hydrogen storage, which is a key part of the President's Hydrogen Fuel Initiative, announced in 2003. Packer has demonstrated a very impressive 4.9% storage during an initial feasibility study funded by the Edison Materials Technology Center (Dayton, OH), co-funded by Delphi Corp. These results were first released publicly at an invited lecture at the National Nano Engineering Conference 2007 held in Boston. Current research efforts aim to validate key engineering issues to clear the way for commercialization. Beyond the vehicle market, hydrogen storage will be needed in portable electronics, and for stationary/backup power generation.

Stalk Stoker

Packer Engineering is conducting research into the use of agricultural residues for energy.  Converting crop waste to useful power helps free American farmers from their need for foreign petroleum.  Our patent pending "Stalk Stoker" pyrolyzes corn stover, wheat straw, bean stalks and wood chips into synthesis gas.  This powerful "syngas" is burned in a gas turbine to produce electrical power and hot exhaust, so that a farm could become a net exporter of energy.  Packer Engineering has partnered with a local university and other companies around the state to begin development of a holistic, integrated approach to energy management for agricultural operations.

Shot Counter

Packer Engineering has invented a device to count the number of rounds fired from a self-loading pistol or rifle.  Our patent pending concept directly harvests the mechanical energy of an automatic or semi-automatic weapon so that the shot counter requires no battery.  A prototype was tested on-site and demonstrated flawless performance.  Shot counters are like an odometer, and can save money for the US military by scheduling maintenance based on use instead of time.  Law enforcement offices, shooting hobbyists and gun collectors can also benefit from this self-powered shot counter.

1903 Wright Flyer

To commemorate the 100th Anniversary of the Wright Brothers first powered flight on Dec 17, 1903, four separate groups (including NASA) built an exact, flight-worthy reproduction of the first airplane. One group, The Wright Redux Association (WRA) of Glen Ellyn, Illinois, built a plane called "The Spirit of Glen Ellyn." In May, they reached a verbal agreement with Packer Engineering to build a replica of the original gasoline engine to power their airplane.

NASA

Why wait until we are living on the moon to find out what special manufacturing problems we are going to encounter in a reduced gravity environment? Packer Engineering took part in a Solidification Design and Control Consortium project addressing one aspect of that question.

The consortium was administered by Auburn University in Alabama on behalf of the American Foundry Society Engineering Division and NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center. Packer Engineering's role in this project was to produce a robust simulation software package capable of predicting the thermo-physical phenomena that occur during casting in various gravity environments. Four Packer employees took their experiment up in NASA's KC-135 during March, 2002. The KC-135 turbojet transport aircraft, reducing gravity, flew in a parabolic trajectory. The periods of reduced gravity lasted between 20 to 25 seconds each. The solidification of a metal was simulated during the reduced gravity by using a metal analog. An infrared camera recorded the data of the solidification process for further study as to whether the lack of gravity reconfigures the data. This experiment was all about the potential reconfiguration.

Wheelchair Aerobic Fitness Trainer (WAFT)

A past assignment involved the Wheelchair Aerobic Fitness Trainer (WAFT). It is a device for the evaluation, rehabilitation, and development of cardiorespiratory fitness for individuals with lower limb disabilities. The WAFT uses computer-controlled brakes and data recordings to measure wheelchair speed and physical work at each exercise stage. The WAFT was a joint development venture of Packer Engineering and the Rehabilitation Research & Development department at Edward Hines, Jr. hospital, a facility of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

With on-site laboratories and testing facilities as well as a full staff of highly-trained engineers and technicians, Packer Engineering has the resources and experience to provide quality research and development services. Contact Packer Engineering for more information on how we can assist you in your next research venture.