Astrium Gmbh

Eads Space Transportation Gmbh

Arianegroup Gmbh

Mark Michaelis

Kei Philipp Behruzi

Gaston Netter

Andreas Rittweger

Dennis Haake

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 bubble trap is especially suitable for separating gas bubbles from liquid fuel supplied from a fuel tank in a spacecraft. The bubble trap includes a rotationally symmetrical collecting container forming a container wall, plural liquid guide vanes extending radially and longitudinally along the inside of the container wall, a perforated conical gas separator that tapers conically toward an outlet of the collecting container, and screens arranged between the gas separator and the outlet.

Bubble trap for a fuel tank in a spacecraft

A fuel tank of a spacecraft stores a liquid fuel and a pressurized propellant gas that drives the fuel out of the tank though a fuel extraction arrangement including a reservoir or fuel collection container and a tank outlet. A spiraling or J-shaped or hook-shaped fuel collection channel and plural obliquely sloping fuel flow channels connect the fuel collection container to an outlet pipe of the tank outlet. The channels are configured, dimensioned, oriented and arranged to ensure that fuel will be retained in the outlet pipe without leaking back into the fuel tank, even when the tank is oriented horizontally and has a low tank filling level. These structures produce a capillary pumping effect and use the surface tension to separate the fuel from the propellant gas, and allow the inner space of the collection container to be completely filled with liquid fuel.

Fuel tank with specialized tank outlet 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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Bremen, Germany

Mark Michaelis