IPC분류정보
국가/구분 |
United States(US) Patent
등록
|
국제특허분류(IPC7판) |
|
출원번호 |
US-0922810
(2006-09-13)
|
등록번호 |
US-8381938
(2013-02-26)
|
우선권정보 |
DE-10 2005 044 534 (2005-09-17) |
국제출원번호 |
PCT/DE2006/001605
(2006-09-13)
|
§371/§102 date |
20071221
(20071221)
|
국제공개번호 |
WO2007/031064
(2007-03-22)
|
발명자
/ 주소 |
- Behruzi, Kei Philipp
- Michaelis, Mark
- Netter, Gaston
- Rittweger, Andreas
|
출원인 / 주소 |
|
인용정보 |
피인용 횟수 :
2 인용 특허 :
47 |
초록
▼
In a propellant tank, which especially stores cryogenic propellants, for example a fuel or an oxidizer for a spacecraft, and which operates with a driving gas to drive or convey the propellant, the propellant is separated from the driving gas in a propellant extraction apparatus using sieves with hy
In a propellant tank, which especially stores cryogenic propellants, for example a fuel or an oxidizer for a spacecraft, and which operates with a driving gas to drive or convey the propellant, the propellant is separated from the driving gas in a propellant extraction apparatus using sieves with hydrostatic forces and capillary forces. The extraction apparatus includes a refillable reservoir, which is mounted near the tank floor outside of the tank shell, and which is connected via plural holes with the interior of the propellant tank. The extraction apparatus includes a double-walled housing that is thermally insulated. Capillary plates and struts are inserted in an L-shape into the reservoir. To substantially prevent the penetration of gas out of the propellant line, a cylinder-shaped pleated sieve is mounted at the end of the propellant line.
대표청구항
▼
1. A liquid storage tank arrangement for a spacecraft, adapted to store a liquid for operation of the spacecraft and a pressurized driving gas for driving the liquid out of said liquid storage tank arrangement, said liquid storage tank arrangement comprising: a liquid storage tank enclosing a tank i
1. A liquid storage tank arrangement for a spacecraft, adapted to store a liquid for operation of the spacecraft and a pressurized driving gas for driving the liquid out of said liquid storage tank arrangement, said liquid storage tank arrangement comprising: a liquid storage tank enclosing a tank interior space adapted to store the liquid and the driving gas therein, wherein said tank includes a concave tank wall that is concavely curved on a section plane and a convex tank wall that is convexly curved on said section plane, said convex tank wall is arranged radially outwardly around said concave tank wall, said convex tank wall and said concave tank wall converge toward one another and are joined together at a bottom vertex on said section plane, said tank interior space is bounded annularly between said convex tank wall and said concave tank wall and tapers toward a tank interior space bottom formed at said bottom vertex, and a selected area of said convex tank wall has plural throughholes penetrating therethrough; anda liquid extraction arrangement comprising features adapted to separate the liquid from the driving gas, a liquid reservoir that comprises a reservoir wall arranged radially outwardly on and protruding radially outwardly from said selected area of said convex tank wall such that a reservoir space is bounded between said reservoir wall and said selected area of said convex tank wall, and a liquid outlet pipe that communicates from said reservoir space out of said liquid reservoir, wherein said reservoir space communicates with said tank interior space through said throughholes in said selected area of said convex tank wall;wherein said selected area of said convex tank wall having said throuqhholes is limited to a limited circumferential portion of a periphery of said convex tank wall, and said reservoir wall extends partially circumferentially on only said limited circumferential portion of said periphery. 2. The liquid storage tank arrangement according to claim 1, wherein said section plane is an axial plane extending along a longitudinal axis of said tank about which said tank interior space extends annularly between said convex tank wall and said concave tank wall. 3. The liquid storage tank arrangement according to claim 1, wherein said convex tank wall and said concave tank wall converge to said bottom vertex at an acute angle relative to one another on said section plane. 4. The liquid storage tank arrangement according to claim 1, wherein said reservoir wall joins onto said convex tank wall adjacent to said bottom vertex. 5. The liquid storage tank arrangement according to claim 1, wherein said section plane extends along an axis about which said convex tank wall and said concave tank wall extend circumferentially, and wherein a radial plane that extends normal to said axis and passes through said bottom vertex also passes through a bottom portion of said reservoir space bounded within said reservoir wall. 6. The liquid storage tank arrangement according to claim 1, wherein said section plane extends along an axis about which said convex tank wall and said concave tank wall extend circumferentially, wherein said bottom vertex is a location of maximal axial extent of said tank interior space along said axis in a downward axial direction, and wherein said reservoir space extends farther in said downward axial direction beyond said bottom vertex. 7. The liquid storage tank arrangement according to claim 1, wherein said features of said liquid extraction arrangement are configured, dimensioned and arranged to separate the liquid from the driving gas due to a surface tension of the liquid and hydrostatic forces effective on the liquid. 8. The liquid storage tank arrangement according to claim 1, wherein said reservoir wall of said liquid reservoir comprises a double-walled vacuum-insulated reservoir wall that bounds said reservoir space. 9. The liquid storage tank arrangement according to claim 8, wherein said liquid reservoir further comprises plural layers of a foil forming a multi-layered radiative insulation arranged to further insulate said double-walled vacuum-insulated reservoir wall. 10. The liquid storage tank arrangement according to claim 1, wherein said liquid reservoir further comprises a foam insulation that insulates said reservoir wall. 11. The liquid storage tank arrangement according to claim 1, wherein at least a portion of said outlet pipe extending in said reservoir space is constructed as a heat pipe and has longitudinal grooves extending along an outer surface thereof. 12. The liquid storage tank arrangement according to claim 1, wherein said features of said liquid extraction arrangement adapted to separate the liquid from the driving gas in said reservoir space include a two-flanged metal plate having two plate flanges that extend from one another with a generally L-shape on said section plane and a curved metal plate spanning with a curved shape between said two plate flanges of said two-flanged metal plate so as to bound, between said curved metal plate and said two plate flanges, a channel with a generally quarter-circle-sector cross-sectional shape on said section plane. 13. The liquid storage tank arrangement according to claim 12, wherein said two-flanged metal plate and said curved metal plate are each perforated by plural holes. 14. The liquid storage tank arrangement according to claim 12, wherein said features of said liquid extraction arrangement adapted to separate the liquid from the driving gas further include a pleated sieve tube having a generally cylindrical shape with longitudinally extending pleats, wherein said pleated sieve tube is arranged in and extends along said channel and is connected to and communicates into said outlet pipe. 15. The liquid storage tank arrangement according to claim 14, wherein said features of said liquid extraction arrangement adapted to separate the liquid from the driving gas further include end plates having a triangular shape joined to and spanning an angle between said two plate flanges at respective opposite ends of said two-flanged metal plate, and wherein said pleated sieve tube is secured at a longitudinal center thereof on said two-flanged metal plate and at ends thereof on said end plates. 16. The liquid storage tank arrangement according to claim 14, further comprising mounting spacers interposed between and connecting said two-flanged metal plate to said reservoir wall, wherein said spacers are located adjacent to edges of said two-flanged metal plate respectively oriented away from said pleated sieve tube. 17. The liquid storage tank arrangement according to claim 12, wherein said features of said liquid extraction arrangement adapted to separate the liquid from the driving gas in said reservoir space further include plural metal stiffener rib plates that each have a triangular shape joined to and spanning an angle between said two plate flanges, whereby said stiffener rib plates make no contact with said tank wall. 18. The liquid storage tank arrangement according to claim 17, wherein said stiffener rib plates are spaced apart from one another and flare outwardly conically away from one another toward said tank wall. 19. The liquid storage tank arrangement according to claim 1, wherein said features of said liquid extraction arrangement adapted to separate the liquid from the driving gas include a pleated sieve tube having a generally cylindrical shape with longitudinally extending pleats, wherein said pleated sieve tube is connected at a center thereof to an end of said outlet pipe in a T-configuration. 20. A liquid storage tank arrangement for a spacecraft, adapted to store a liquid for operation of the spacecraft and a pressurized driving gas for driving the liquid out of said liquid storage tank arrangement, said liquid storage tank arrangement comprising: a liquid storage tank enclosing a tank interior space adapted to store the liquid and the driving gas therein, wherein said tank is formed by two half-shells including a radially inner half-shell and a radially outer half-shell that are connected with one another at a connection area and that define and bound said tank interior space annularly between said two half-shells, wherein said radially outer half-shell has plural throughholes penetrating therethrough; anda liquid extraction arrangement comprising features adapted to separate the liquid from the driving gas based on a surface tension of the liquid, a refillable liquid reservoir that is arranged directly on an outer side of said radially outer half-shell at or adjacent to said connection area and that bounds therein a reservoir space which communicates with said tank interior space through said plural throughholes, and a liquid outlet pipe that communicates from said reservoir space out of said liquid reservoir.
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