The Boeing Company

Alfredo Lopez

Gary David Grayson

Martin Edward Lozano

Jonathan David Embler

Christopher C Veto

John W Behrens

Jeffrey J Cronick

Victor John Barackman

Frank O Chandler

Keith Charles Kreutztrager

John Matthew Nichols

Tin Anh Luu

Stephen Michael Addison

Morgan Ashley Lewis

Jonathan Edward Toomey

Scott K Oechsle

Chinh Manh Cao

A fuel tank comprises an interior wall, a sump, and a baffle that comprises a center fitting, a full-length containment petal, a partial-length containment petal, a dump tube. The full-length containment petal comprises a full-length side edge, extending radially outward from the center fitting. The partial-length containment petal comprises a partial-length side edge, extending radially outward from the center fitting. The dump tube is connected to the sump. The full-length side edge of the full-length containment petal is longer than the partial-length side edge of the partial-length containment petal. All of the partial-length side edge of the partial-length containment petal is attached to a linear portion of the full-length side edge of the full-length containment petal.

Fuel tanks and reusable launch vehicles comprising these fuel tanks

Example implementations relate to Additive Manufacturing (AM) pressurization diffusers. An example diffuser includes an integral component configurable for receiving and diffusing pressurant. Particularly, the integral component includes multiple elements manufactured as a single-piece structure, including an inner filter, outer shell, and flange. The inner filter includes micro-diamond holes that enable pressurant received at an opening of the inner filter to diffuse out of the inner filter and subsequently through holes positioned in a shell surface of the outer shell. The flange can position the diffuser such that the opening of the inner filter is in pressurant communication with a pressurant source (e.g., opening of a tank) enabling the diffuser to receive and diffuse pressurant in a predefined pattern. For example, when the diffuser is positioned inside a tank, the diffuser can have a frustum configuration that helps diffuse pressurant upwards towards inner sidewalls of a pressure vessel, tube or channel.

Additively manufactured pressurization diffusers

An antivortex device for use in suppressing formation of a vortex created by fluid flowing through multiple outlet ports defined in a sump is provided. The antivortex device includes a plurality of center plates extending through a central axis of the sump, an extension plate substantially aligned with one of the plurality of center plates and extending substantially radially outward from the central axis, and a top plate coupled to the plurality of center plates.

Antivortex device and method of assembling thereof

A cryocooler is located on a spacecraft bus, such as a bus box, separate from the cryogenic propellant tanks disposed on a separable and distinct propellant cartridge system spacecraft docked to the spacecraft bus. In operation, propellant may be continuously pumped from the tanks through the cryocooler cold heat exchanger and then back to the tanks on the separable propellant cartridge system spacecraft through temporarily couplable lines. After the propellant tanks are depleted, the propellant cartridge system is then undocked from the bus and typically discarded. A new propellant cartridge system spacecraft comprising a full set of tanks may then be docked to the bus and the cryocooler supply/return lines coupled. The remote cryocooler may function as part of a larger space depot for spacecraft resupply, although it is not limited to such applications.

Remotely located cryocooler

Growing community of inventors

Chicago, IL, United States of America

Alfredo Lopez