Boeing North American, Inc.

The Boeing Company

Rockwell International Corporation

David L Gerhardt

Tibor I Lak

John E Davis

James F Weber

Timothy L Gaynor, Iii

Michael V Merlin

Gene Rogers

Bruce Glen Loosli

Charles Scott MacGillivray

Courtney Ross Weiss

Donna M Brakeville

Paul J Su

A spacecraft comprised of a plurality of functionally organized, fully independent modules. Selected ones of the modules are moveable foldably in a &ldquo;clamshell&rdquo;-like manner between assembled positions, wherein various components of the spacecraft are generally not readily accessible, to a service position in which virtually all of the components of the spacecraft are substantially readily accessible for service or testing. Logically organized and routed harnesses comprised of numerous electrical and mechanical elements enable the clamshell-like folding movement of selected modules. Conventional electrical and mechanical connectors associated with the harnesses permit quick detachment and complete removal of selected modules from the spacecraft. The fully modular design significantly reduces the time required to gain access to the components on each of the modules and eliminates time consuming and extensive disassembly procedures that would ordinarily be required when performing service or test procedures on the spacecraft. The fully modular configuration also permits parallel manufacturing and testing of the independent modules, thus significantly reducing the design-to-market cycle time for the spacecraft. The modular design also facilitates replacement of selected modules with modified modules to produce derivative spacecraft or to tailor the performance of the spacecraft to better meet the needs of a particular mission.

Modular, producible, testable and serviceable spacecraft design

A cryogenic liquid heat exchanger system has a subatmospheric pressure reservoir, a tube, and an initial fluid ejector. The sub-atmospheric pressure reservoir has a vacuum exhaust. The tube extends through the reservoir. The initial fluid ejector has a suction chamber inlet that is functionally connected to the reservoir vacuum exhaust. The system may have a plurality of fluid ejectors connected to one or more exhausts either in series or parallel. The initial fluid ejector may receive one or more pressurized fluid streams, and the streams may be steam. A process for generating sub-atmospheric pressures in a cryogenic fluid heat exchanger reservoir includes the step of discharging an initial fluid stream into an initial fluid ejector having a suction chamber functionally connected to an exhaust of the reservoir. A process for generating sub-atmospheric pressures in a cryogenic fluid heat exchanger reservoir includes the step of using a fluid ejector to reduce the pressure in the reservoir. In either process, cooling cryogenic fluid is directed through the reservoir. The cooling cryogenic fluid may be liquid nitrogen or liquid hydrogen. In either process, an incoming cryogenic fluid stream is directed through a tube that extends through the reservoir. The incoming cryogenic fluid may be liquid oxygen or liquid hydrogen, or any other suitable cryogenic fluid.

Cryogenic liquid heat exchanger system with fluid ejector

A system and method for cooling a first cryogenic liquid in a vessel comprises the steps of directing a second cryogenic into the first cryogenic fluid and releasing gas from the vessel. The first cryogenic fluid has a boiling point that is higher than the boiling point of the second cryogenic fluid. Directing the second cryogenic fluid into the first cryogenic fluid results in the second fluid cooling the first fluid and the second fluid vaporizing. The vaporized fluid is released as a gas from the vessel. The vessel may be a propellant tank for a space vehicle. The first and second cryogenic fluids are delivered from supplies located outside of the vehicle. The first cryogenic liquid may be oxygen and the second cryogenic liquid may be nitrogen, neon, or helium. In another aspect of the invention, the first cryogenic liquid may be hydrogen and the second cryogenic liquid may be helium.

Cryogenic densification through introduction of a second cryogenic fluid

Slush is made from a liquid using slush making systems or according to slush making processes. A jacketed vessel of the processes and the systems has an interior wall that defines an interior space. The interior space comprises a top and a bottom. The interior space has an average overall cross-sectional area taken through a vertical axis extending generally between the top and the bottom. The interior space also has a collection portion having an average collection portion cross-sectional area taken through the vertical axis that is less than the average overall cross-sectional area. The liquid is placed into the interior space and the interior walls are cooled. Slush forms on the interior walls and migrates to the collection portion. The collection portion is located at the interior space bottom when the slush density is higher than the liquid density and the collection portion is located at the interior space top when slush density is less than the liquid density. To facilitate the migration of the slush to the collection portion, at least a conical portion of the interior space has the general shape of a cone and the collection portion is located in the proximity of an apex of the conical portion, thereby helping to funnel the slush to the collection portion. The cryogenic liquid to be made into slush may be oxygen, nitrogen, hydrogen, helium, or water. The slush may be used to densify cryogenic liquids, such as cryogenic liquid propellants.

Slush producing process and device

A cryogenic propellant tank system and process for densifying cryogenic liquid propellant comprises a tank with a combined manifold, a combined manifold line, a pressurizing gas line, and a vent line. The combined manifold is located in the tank. The combined manifold line functionally connects the combined manifold to a chilling system. The pressurizing gas line and the vent line are also functionally connected to the combined manifold line. The tank may be disposed in a vehicle. The manifold is disposed proximate the top of the tank. The chilling system may be a heat exchanger/filling system. The process for filling the tank comprises the steps of charging the tank with cryogenic liquid propellant, venting gases in the tank, densifying the cryogenic liquid propellant, and pressurizing the tank. The tank is charged with the cryogenic liquid propellant such that the orifices in the combined manifold are submerged. The gases in the tank are vented through the combined manifold and out of the tank. The venting step is arrested prior to the submerging of the combined manifold orifices. The liquid in the tank is densified by directing a recirculation stream of the cryogenic liquid propellant from the tank through the combined manifold, out of the tank, cooling and directing the recirculation stream back into the tank. The tank is pressurized by directing a pressurizing gas stream into the combined manifold and into the tank.

Combined diffuser and recirculation manifold in a propellant tank

A computer program is disclosed for specifying and solving a fluid transfer problem. Schematic manager means are provided for generating and modifying a pictorial representation of a fluid system schematic having a plurality of components. The schematic manager means Is fluid and process independent. Replicator means are provided for generating a set of simultaneous equations from the pictorial representation and for assuring that the schematic manager remains fluid and process independent. A generic run-time simulation module is provided for solving the set of simultaneous equations, thereby allowing the computer program to adapt to variations in component state and fluid state as a function of system parameters. A fluid and property database manager is invoked by the simulation module, for allowing simulation of fluid flow processes having fluid states which may be unknown at the time of model creation. The data display routine is provided for displaying program results, thereby obviating any requirement for user coding.

Growing community of inventors

Redondo Beach, CA, United States of America

David L Gerhardt