Optimal design of a Thermodynamic Vent System for cryogenic propellant storage. (December 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Mer, Samuel; Fernandez, David; Thibault, Jean-Paul; Corre, Christophe
• Is Part Of: Cryogenics. Volume 80:Part 1(2016)
• Page Start: 127
• Page End: 137
• Publication Date: 2016-12
• Subjects: Long duration space mission -- Cryogenic propellant storage -- Thermodynamic Vent System -- Performance optimization; Low temperature engineering -- Periodicals; Low temperature research -- Periodicals; 536.56
• DOI: 10.1016/j.cryogenics.2016.09.012
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0011-2275

Abstract

Highlights: An homogeneous thermodynamic model is extended to model a complete TVS system. The TVS components are optimized to yield a maximum venting time. Optimal TVS designs yield a venting time similar to an ideal (pure vapor) DV system. Tank volume and heat load influence on optimal TVS designs are analyzed. Abstract: Future operations in space exploration require to store cryogenic liquids for long duration. Residual heat loads, due to heat conduction in the launcher structure or solar radiation, induce cryogenic propellant vaporization and tank self-pressurization. The Thermodynamic Vent System (TVS) permits to control self-pressurization using the following procedure: a fraction of liquid propellant is removed from the tank by a pump, cooled down by a heat exchanger and re-injected inside the tank as a jet or a spray. As no natural heat sink is available in space, the cold source is created by removing another fraction of liquid propellant which is expanded in a Joule-Thomson valve and vented to space. The sub-cooled injection is followed by vapor condensation and liquid bath destratification due to mixing. In this work, an optimization method is applied to an extended homogeneous thermodynamic model to design a TVS system maximizing the storage duration under various heat load and tank size assumptions.