Astrium Gmbh

Airbus Ds Gmbh

Daimlerchrysler Aerospace Ag

Walter Schwarting

Sylvain Goek

Sylvain Goëk

In a process for cleaning contaminating silicon dioxide SiOoff of turbine blades, silicon dioxide that is on the turbine blades is reduced selectively in a vacuum process that takes place in dry conditions and at elevated temperature inside a high vacuum furnace, by feeding gas having a reducing action, consisting of hydrogen gas or carbon monoxide, is introduced into the high vacuum furnace. The temperature inside the high vacuum furnace is at least about 1000 degrees Celsius, and the residence time of the turbine blades in the high vacuum furnace is determined with reference to the diminishment of the SiO concentration, as analyzed with a mass spectrometer. The electrically heatable high vacuum furnace is evacuable by means of a vacuum system that consists of a backing pump and a turbomolecular pump with an adjustable throttle valve and a water-cooled baffle. Further, the gas with reducing action is fed into the furnace via a precision high vacuum regulating valve, and it is equipped with a mass spectrometer.

Method of cleaning turbine blades

A tank especially suitable for use as a fuel or oxidizer tank in spacecraft is divided into two tank spaces by a membrane. A liquid is stored on one side of the membrane and a pressure gas is stored on the other side of the membrane. The pressure gas is to drive the liquid out of the tank. The membrane is made of a polymer material and is held by a spring ring in a recess on the outer wall of the tank. The spring ring has a substantially C-shaped cross-section to exert elastic spring holding forces on the membrane in the recess.

Fuel tank with separating membrane

A temperature regulating arrangement (,) at least partially surrounds a fuel or oxidizer storage tank (,). The tank (,) is divided by a polymer membrane (,) into a first partial chamber (,) receiving the fuel (,) therein, and a second partial chamber (,) receiving a gaseous pressure medium (,) therein. The temperature regulating arrangement (,) includes thermal insulation, at least one heater, at least one heat sensor, and a temperature control and regulating unit. By heating the second partial chamber containing the gaseous pressure medium, any fuel vapor permeating through the membrane (,) from the first partial chamber (,) into the second partial chamber (,) is prevented from condensing within the second partial chamber (,). The permeation process is also limited. It is simply necessary to maintain the second partial chamber (,) at a temperature a few degrees Celsius higher than the temperature of the liquid fuel. This tank arrangement is especially suitable for use as a fuel tank or oxidizer tank in a satellite or orbital space station.

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Oldenburg, Germany

Walter Schwarting