Astrium Gmbh

Eads Space Transportation Gmbh

Arianegroup Gmbh

Gaston Netter

Kei Philipp Behruzi

Mark Michaelis

Andreas Rittweger

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.

Propellant tank for cryogenic liquids

A tank arrangement includes a tank for storing a liquid such as fuel or oxidizer for operation of a spacecraft and a pressurized driving gas for conveying the liquid out of the tank, and a gas supply and extraction device. The device includes a housing shell and plural outwardly expanding passage bodies providing openings that communicate the interior space of the tank to the inner reservoir space of the device. A baffle plate shields the outer opening of each passage body. Deflector plates are arranged in each passage body. Capillary plates extend longitudinally along the inner wall of the housing shell. By a capillary effect, the plates separate liquid from gas entering the device, so that the gas can be extracted while the liquid is stored in a reservoir of the device until it is drained back into the tank during an accelerated operation phase of the spacecraft.

Tank with a gas extraction device for storing cryogenic liquid or fuel for spacecraft

A gas supply and extraction device is arranged preferably on a tank lid or a tank wall in a tank for storing a pressurized driving gas and a liquid such as fuel or oxidizer for operation of a spacecraft. A device housing defines an interior reservoir space. Upper trumpet-shaped passage bodies and a lower trumpet-shaped passage body communicate from the interior reservoir space into the interior space of the tank. By capillary effects, baffle plates, deflector plates, capillary plates, a separation chamber and other components separate liquid from gas entering the device, so that the gas can be extracted while the liquid is stored in the reservoir space of the device until it is drained back into the tank during an accelerated operation phase of the spacecraft.

Tank with a gas supply and extraction device for storing cryogenic liquid or fuel for spacecraft

A fuel tank for a spacecraft stores a liquid fuel and a pressurized propellant gas that drives the fuel out of the tank through a fuel extraction arrangement including a reservoir or collection container and a tank outlet. The collection container bounds a fuel reservoir space that communicates with the interior space of the tank, and fuel flow channels connect the reservoir space to an outlet pipe. A side or area of the collection container opposite the fuel flow channels is provided with one or more grooves. These structures produce a capillary pumping effect and use the surface tension to separate the fuel from the propellant gas.

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Vollersode, Germany

Gaston Netter