Status of a five-centimeter-diameter ion thruster technology program
Prototype auxiliary propulsion subsystem with isolated single tank propellant feed system and 5-cm-diameter ion thruster
Banks, B. A.↗
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Results for “Propellant Tank”
Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.
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Proceedings - Space Transportation System Propulsion Technology Conference. Volume 4 - Cryogens
Insulation for propellant tanks of space shuttle
Source record↗
Reusable nuclear shuttle design and launch alternatives
Reusable nuclear shuttle design, considering various propellant tank configurations and expendable/reusable launch modes with respect to performance, development cost and cost effectiveness
Garcia, D.↗
Saturn S-IVB continuous vent system for propellant control during parking orbit
Saturn S-4B continuous vent system for propellant tanks during parking orbit to prevent excessive pressure, requiring liquid settling with auxiliary ullaging rockets
Neher, R. T.↗
PTFE films with improved flexibility
Development and application of flexible polytetrafluroethylene films for expulsion bladders in spacecraft propellant tanks are described. Flexibility of material is obtained by reducing crystallinity through annealing and quenching in water. Physical and mechanical properties of material are presented.
Muraca, R. F.↗
Low-g simulation testing of propellant systems using neutral buoyancy
A two liquid, neutral buoyancy technique is being used to simulate propellant behavior in a weightless environment. By equalizing the density of two immiscible liquids within a container (propellant tank), the effect of gravity at the liquid interface is balanced. Therefore the surface-tension forces dominate to control the liquid/liquid system configuration in a fashion analogous to a liquid/gas system in a zero gravity environment.
Balzer, D. L.↗
An analytical and experimental evaluation of shadow shields and their support members
Experimental tests were performed on a model shadow shield thermal protection system to examine the effect of certain configuration variables. The experimental results were used to verify the ability of an analytical program to predict the shadow shield performance including the shield-support interaction. In general, the analysis (assuming diffuse surfaces) agreed well with the experimental support temperature profiles. The agreement for the shield profiles was not as good. The results demonstrated: (1) shadow shields can be effective in reducing the heat transfer into cryogenic propellant tanks, and (2) the conductive heat transfer through supports can be reduced by selective surface coatings.
Stochl, R. J.↗
Establishment of design criteria for acceptable failure modes and fail safe considerations for the space shuttle structural system
Investigations of fatigue life, and safe-life and fail-safe design concepts as applied to space shuttle structure are summarized. The results are evaluated to select recommended structural design criteria to provide assurance that premature failure due to propagation of undetected crack-like defects will not occur during shuttle operational service. The space shuttle booster, GDC configuration B-9U, is selected as the reference vehicle. Structural elements used as basis of detail analyses include wing spar caps, vertical stabilizer skins, crew compartment skin, orbiter support frame, and propellant tank shell structure. Fatigue life analyses of structural elements are performed to define potential problem areas and establish upper limits of operating stresses. Flaw growth analyses are summarized in parametric form over a range of initial flaw types and sizes, operating stresses and service life requirements. Service life of 100 to 500 missions is considered.
Westrup, R. W.↗
Space shuttle auxiliary propulsion system design study. Phase A report: Requirements definition
The analyses and rationale used to develop requirements for the oxygen-hydrogen auxiliary propulsion systems to be used with the space shuttle are presented. The requirements apply to a fully reusable space shuttle vehicle system using internal, reusable main engine propellant tanks in both the orbiter and booster stages. Requirements of principal interest are engine thrust, number of engines, maximum system thrust, total impulse, and total impulse expenditure history.
Orton, G. F.↗
Viking Orbiter 1975 articulation control subsystem design analysis
The articulation control subsystem, developed for the Viking Orbiter 1975 spacecraft, is a digital, multiplexed, closed-loop servo system used to control the pointing and positioning of the science scan platform and the high-gain communication antenna, and to position the solar-energy controller louver blades for the thermal control of the propellant tanks. The development, design, and anlaysis of the subsystem is preliminary. The subsystem consists of a block-redundant control electronics multiplexed among eight control actuators. Each electronics block is capable of operating either individually or simultaneously with the second block. This provides the subsystem the capability of simultaneous two-actuator control or a single actuator control with the second block in a stand-by redundant mode. The result of the preliminary design and analysis indicates that the subsystem will perform satisfactorily in the Viking Orbiter 1975 mission. Some of the parameter values used, particularly those in the subsystem dynamics and the error estimates, are preliminary and the results will be updated as more accurate parameter values become available.
Horiuchi, H. H.↗
Investigation of high-performance insulation application problems
The design, fabrication, and performance of a practical, flightworthy, multilayer insulation (MLI) system for a Modular Nuclear Vehicle (MNV) LH2 propellant tank is presented. An MLI system is now available. It may be applied to the MNV or any other space vehicle requiring MLI for thermal control. This design concept was adapted for an MLI installation that covered and was successfully flown on the Skylab forward dome.
Fredrickson, G. O.↗
Introductory remarks - The Apollo 14 mission.
Description of the Apollo 14 mission within the general context of the entire Apollo program. In the Apollo 14 mission, which ended successfully on Feb. 9, 1971, more time was spent on extravehicular activities than in previous missions. In addition, enlarged propellant tanks permitted a larger payload, and some 42 kilograms of samples were brought back.
Newell, H. E.↗
Space Shuttle status report.
A description is given of the design evolution during 1972-1973 of a reusable transportation system intended to place payloads of up to 65,000 lb in a 100 nm 28-degree inclination orbit, and to retrieve and return to earth 25,000 lb from orbit. The shuttle will be launched vertically as a rocket and will land horizontally as an airplane at about 170 kts with a cross range sufficient to return to the launch site after one orbit. The shuttle system is comprised of a reusable orbiter, two recoverable solid-propellant boosters, and an expendable liquid-propellant tank.
Peil, N. G.↗
Propulsion system tests on a full scale Centaur vehicle to investigate 3-burn mission capability of the D-lT configuration
Propulsion system tests were conducted on a full scale Centaur vehicle to investigate system capability of the proposed D-lT configuration for a three-burn mission. This particular mission profile requires that the engines be capable of restarting and firing for a final maneuver after a 5-1/2-hour coast to synchronous orbit. The thermal conditioning requirements of the engine and propellant feed system components for engine start under these conditions were investigated. Performance data were also obtained on the D-lT type computer controlled propellant tank pressurization system. The test results demonstrated that the RL-10 engines on the Centaur vehicle could be started and run reliably after being thermally conditioned to predicted engine start conditions for a one, two and three burn mission. Investigation of the thermal margins also indicated that engine starts could be accomplished at the maximum predicted component temperature conditions with prestart durations less than planned for flight.
Groesbeck, W. A.↗
Orbital maneuvering subsystem functional path analysis for performance monitoring fault detection and annunciation
The functional paths of the Orbital Maneuver Subsystem (OMS) is defined. The operational flight instrumentation required for performance monitoring, fault detection, and annunciation is described. The OMS is a pressure fed rocket engine propulsion subsystem. One complete OMS shares each of the two auxiliary propulsion subsystem pods with a reaction control subsystem. Each OMS is composed of a pressurization system, a propellant tanking system, and a gimbaled rocket engine. The design, development, and operation of the system are explained. Diagrams of the system are provided.
Keesler, E. L.↗
Geysering inhibitor for vertical cryogenic transfer piping
Geysering (i.e., the expulsion of boiling liquid and its vapor from a vertical tube) has been a problem for the missile industry in long vertical cryogenic propellant feed lines connecting the launch vehicle propellant tank with the rocket engines. A proposed novel method of inhibiting geysering and the associated pressure gradients provides a self-starting self-regulating action that is not dependent on other active systems or components. The inhibiting action is attained by incorporating a concentric tube within the main transfer tube to prevent constriction of natural convective flow.
Howard, F. S.↗
The 1974 NASA-ASEE summer faculty fellowship aeronautics and space research program
Research activities by participants in the fellowship program are documented, and include such topics as: (1) multispectral imagery for detecting southern pine beetle infestations; (2) trajectory optimization techniques for low thrust vehicles; (3) concentration characteristics of a fresnel solar strip reflection concentrator; (4) calaboration and reduction of video camera data; (5) fracture mechanics of Cer-Vit glass-ceramic; (6) space shuttle external propellant tank prelaunch heat transfer; (7) holographic interferometric fringes; and (8) atmospheric wind and stress profiles in a two-dimensional internal boundary layer.
Obrien, J. F., Jr.↗
Wall mounted heat exchanger characterization
Analytical models are presented for describing the heat and mass transfer and the energy distribution in the contents of a cryogenic propellant tank, under varying gravity levels. These models are used to analytically evaluate the effectiveness of a wall heat exchanger as a means of controlling the pressure in the tank during flight and during fill operations. Pressure and temperature histories are presented for tanks varying in size from 4 to 22.5 feet in diameter and gravity levels from 0-1. Results from the subscale test program, utilizing both non-cryogenic and cryogenic fluid, designed to evaluate a tank wall heat exchanger are described and compared with the analytical models. Both the model and test results indicate that a passive tank wall heat exchanger can effectively control tank pressure. However, the weight of such a system is considerably higher than that of an active mixer system.
Bullard, B. R.↗