The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Apr. 07, 2020
Filed:
Apr. 22, 2016
Keystone Engineering Company, Long Beach, CA (US);
Robert Manning, Lebanon, IN (US);
Ian Ballinger, Anaheim Hills, CA (US);
Wayne H. Tuttle, Torrance, CA (US);
Keystone Engineering Company, Long Beach, CA (US);
Abstract
A rigid structure propellant management device (PMD) liquid storage tank includes an outer shell and internal structures inside the outer shell that include a plurality of vertical columns each made up of a stack of individual storage cells. Each of the storage cells has solid vertical sidewalls and top and bottom capillary windows that allow vertical liquid transfer between adjacent cells in a vertical column. The top and bottom capillary windows in each of the storage cells have permeabilities that result in a selected direction of liquid flow in each column. A piping and valve system may be connected to the top capillary window of a top storage cell and to the bottom capillary window of a bottom storage cell of each vertical column, configured to allow controlled liquid transfer between adjacent vertical columns so that locations of empty cells in the tank as liquid is drawn from the tank achieves a selected column by column drainage sequence and controls a center of mass of the tank.