Reusable rocket return stage tank propellant management device

CN116971894BActive Publication Date: 2026-10-09SHANGHAI AEROSPACE SYST ENG INST
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Patent Information

Application Number
CN202310942997.1
Authority / Receiving Office
CN · China
Patent Type
Patents(China)
Current Assignee / Owner
Filing Date
2023-07-28
Publication Date
2026-10-09
Estimated Expiration
2043-07-28

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

[0004]本发明的目的在于提供一种可重复使用火箭返回段贮箱推进剂管理装置,解决可重复使用火箭返回段再入返回时面临的大扰动负过载下贮箱推进剂管理难的问题

Benefits of technology

[0016] This invention overcomes the shortcomings of the prior art and proposes for the first time a propellant management scheme using a compartmentalized structure and a storage device in the propellant tank. It has the ability to resist strong interference and large negative overload impact, can restrain most of the propellant in the large propellant tank, and has the ability to suppress swaying, prevent vortex and collapse, increase swaying frequency and reduce swaying mass, thus meeting the propellant management requirements of reusable rocket stage return engine multiple starts.

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Abstract

The reusable rocket return stage tank propellant management device comprises a cross partition, a semicircular anti-sloshing plate, an annular anti-sloshing plate, a circular cover plate, a conical cylinder with holes, an anti-whirl and anti-collapse structure and a storage device; the side edges of the cross partition are connected with the inner wall surface of the tank; the semicircular anti-sloshing plate is connected with the inner wall surface of the tank; the outer circle of the annular anti-sloshing plate is connected with the inner wall surface of the tank and closely adheres to the lower edge of the cross partition; a hole is formed in the center of the cross partition, the conical cylinder with holes is arranged in the hole, the large opening end of the conical cylinder with holes is connected with the inner circle of the annular anti-sloshing plate; the circular cover plate is connected with the small opening end of the conical cylinder with holes; the storage device is arranged in the conical cylinder with holes, the opening end of the storage device is connected with the inner wall surface of the tank and covers the tank propellant delivery port; the anti-whirl and anti-collapse structure is arranged in the storage device and connected with the storage device through a connecting rod, and the anti-whirl and anti-collapse structure is located directly above the tank propellant delivery port.
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Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the design of liquid launch vehicle tank sloshing and propellant management, and more specifically to a propellant management device for a reusable rocket return stage tank. Background Technology

[0002] The reentry and return process of a reusable rocket's first stage includes the first and second stage separation phase, attitude adjustment phase, high-altitude reentry phase, deceleration phase, atmospheric reentry phase, and landing phase. The deceleration and landing phases involve the first stage engine ignition. During the first and second stage separation phase, due to the action of the retro-rocket and the effect of the second stage ignition, the first stage experiences significant negative overload. In the attitude adjustment phase, the first stage undergoes large-scale attitude rolls in a microgravity environment, resulting in significant lateral disturbances. During the reentry coasting phase when the engines are not operating, the first stage experiences unsteady random acceleration disturbances. Under these large disturbances, the propellant in the first stage tanks will exhibit phenomena such as floating, gas trapping, misdirection, and evaporation. If these phenomena are not properly managed, they will affect the first stage's attitude control, engine restart, and the normal operation of the pressurization system, and in severe cases, may even cause flight malfunctions, leading to flight failure.

[0003] Currently, common methods for managing propellant in launch vehicle tanks include continuous forward thrust, intermittent forward thrust rockets, forward displacement devices, and accumulators. These methods are mainly used during the coasting phase of the final stage of a launch vehicle and the brief coasting phase of the upper stage during the separation process between rocket stages. Compared to the first stage reentry phase, the disturbance to the propellant in the tank mainly comes from the amplified amplitude of liquid sloshing caused by engine shutdown. Generally, negative overload conditions will not occur. Placing anti-sloshing rings in the tank can suppress the amplification of liquid sloshing amplitude. For the first-stage return tank, under heavy negative overload interference, directly adopting a positive thrust propellant management scheme is insufficient to manage and constrain several tons of propellant due to the relatively small positive overload provided. It cannot guarantee that the propellant will sink to the bottom and reposition itself within tens of seconds, which will lead to engine start-up failure. If an accumulator scheme is adopted, the limited volume of the accumulator can only constrain a small amount of propellant, while a large amount of propellant will still impact the top of the tank from the bottom. Although the liquid stored in the accumulator can ensure that the engine can run for a few seconds, after the engine ignites, the sudden increase in positive overload will cause several tons of propellant to rapidly impact the bottom of the tank from the top, which may damage the accumulator and the bottom of the tank. At the same time, a large amount of disordered and mixed propellant cannot be quickly replenished into the accumulator, which will lead to engine shutdown. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to provide a reusable rocket reentry stage propellant management device to solve the problem of propellant management under large disturbances and negative overloads encountered during reentry of reusable rockets.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides a reusable rocket reentry stage propellant management device, comprising a cross-shaped partition, a semi-circular anti-sway plate, an annular anti-sway plate, a circular cover, a perforated conical cylinder, an anti-vortex and anti-collapse structure, and a storage device; the side edges of the cross-shaped partition are connected to the inner wall of the propellant tank; the semi-circular anti-sway plate is connected to the inner wall of the propellant tank; the outer circle of the annular anti-sway plate is connected to the inner wall of the propellant tank, and the annular anti-sway plate is in close contact with the lower edge of the cross-shaped partition; the perforated conical cylinder is open at both ends, with the diameter of one opening being larger than the diameter of the other opening, and a through hole is formed in the cylinder wall; a hole is formed in the center of the cross-shaped partition. The perforated conical cylinder is placed in the hole, with its large opening end connected to the inner circle of the annular anti-sway plate, and its small opening end extending above the upper edge of the cross-shaped partition. The circular cover plate is connected to the small opening end of the perforated conical cylinder, sealing it off. The accumulator is placed inside the perforated conical cylinder, with its opening end connected to the inner wall of the tank, covering the propellant delivery port. The anti-vortex and anti-collapse structure is placed inside the accumulator and connected to it via a connecting rod, with the anti-vortex and anti-collapse structure located directly above the propellant delivery port.

[0006] The aforementioned reusable rocket return stage propellant management device, wherein the perforated conical cylinder, the circular cover plate, and the cross-shaped partition together form a compartment structure.

[0007] The aforementioned reusable rocket reentry tank propellant management device includes the following: the cross-shaped partition consists of two intersecting flat plates, both of which are parallel to the tank's axial direction; the semi-circular anti-sway plate is a non-perforated semi-circular plate, which is radially parallel to the tank; the annular anti-sway plate is a non-perforated annular plate, which is radially parallel to the tank; the circular cover plate is a non-perforated plate, which is radially parallel to the tank; and the anti-vortex and anti-collapse structure is a circular flat plate, which is radially parallel to the tank.

[0008] The aforementioned reusable rocket return stage propellant management device includes a relief hole on the cross-shaped partition plate, which ensures that the total flow area reaches more than 10% of the side plate area.

[0009] The aforementioned reusable rocket return tank propellant management device is divided into layers along the tank axis, with two semi-circular anti-sway plates in each layer. The two semi-circular anti-sway plates in the same layer are at 90° to each other, and any two adjacent semi-circular anti-sway plates are staggered.

[0010] The aforementioned reusable rocket return stage propellant management device has a spacing of 0.25 to 0.35 times the tank radius between any two adjacent layers; and the radius of the semi-circular anti-sway plate is 0.25 times the tank radius.

[0011] The aforementioned reusable rocket return section propellant management device, wherein the wall thickness of the perforated conical cylinder is 0.5mm to 2mm, and the connection is reinforced and thickened, and the total flow area of ​​the perforated conical cylinder 5 reaches 20% of the side plate area.

[0012] The aforementioned reusable rocket reentry tank propellant management device, wherein the storage device is a cylindrical structure with one end open and the other end closed; the volume of the storage device is 1% to 2% of the tank volume.

[0013] The aforementioned reusable rocket reentry tank propellant management device includes a relief hole with a diameter of 5mm to 10mm on the cross-shaped partition; a through hole with a diameter of 5mm to 10mm on the perforated conical cylinder; and the number of relief holes and through holes is determined by the engine operating flow rate.

[0014] The aforementioned reusable rocket reentry tank propellant management device employs an isolation structure and a storage device, combined with a continuous forward thrust method to achieve propellant management.

[0015] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial technical effects of the present invention are:

[0016] This invention overcomes the shortcomings of the prior art and proposes for the first time a propellant management scheme using a compartmentalized structure and a storage device in the propellant tank. It has the ability to resist strong interference and large negative overload impact, can restrain most of the propellant in the large propellant tank, and has the ability to suppress swaying, prevent vortex and collapse, increase swaying frequency and reduce swaying mass, thus meeting the propellant management requirements of reusable rocket stage return engine multiple starts.

[0017] This invention employs a propellant management scheme using a compartmentalized structure and a storage device, which minimizes the impact of propellant surface sloshing on the rocket body while simultaneously achieving stable propellant storage, thereby improving the ability of reusable rockets to ignite multiple times.

[0018] The propellant management device of the present invention is an integrated stable structure composed of multiple plates and the bottom of the tank, which effectively improves the load-bearing capacity of the tank bottom. The staggered through holes arranged on the cross partition plate and the annular inclined hole plate not only achieve a good effect of suppressing liquid sloshing, but also facilitate liquid flow and achieve weight reduction. The entire device is lightweight, low-cost, easy to install, and has good structural strength and rigidity characteristics, and has good prospects for practical engineering applications. Attached Figure Description

[0019] The reusable rocket return tank propellant management device of the present invention is given by the following embodiments and figures.

[0020] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a reusable rocket return tank propellant management device according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0021] The following will combine Figure 1 The reusable rocket return tank propellant management device of the present invention will be described in further detail.

[0022] The propellant management technology of reusable rocket reentry tanks is extremely important for the attitude control of the first-stage reentry phase, engine restart, and normal operation of the pressurization system. The propellant management and control in the reusable rocket reentry tanks must meet the following requirements: First, engine restart requirements: It must be able to withstand large disturbances during flight, ensure that the propellant delivery port is not exposed in the air cushion, ensure that the propellant has settled to the bottom before the engine is re-ignited, and ensure that the propellant entering the engine is not trapped. Second, liquid center of gravity control requirements: It must suppress the amplitude of propellant sloshing, maintain the position of the propellant's center of gravity, and reduce the resulting attitude disturbances of the rocket body.

[0023] This invention aims to suppress propellant surface sloshing in the return tank under complex overload conditions and enhance resistance to external interference. It ensures that the propellant covers the delivery pipe opening throughout the entire process, guaranteeing that the propellant has settled to the bottom before engine restart and that the propellant entering the engine is free of air, thus meeting the engine restart conditions. At the same time, it reduces the structural mass of the tank anti-sloshing device and improves the reliability of the sloshing design.

[0024] Figure 1 The diagram shown is a schematic of a reusable rocket return tank propellant management device according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0025] like Figure 1 The reusable rocket return tank propellant management device of this embodiment includes a cross-shaped partition 1, a semi-circular anti-sway plate 2, an annular anti-sway plate 3, a circular cover plate 4, a perforated conical cylinder 5, an anti-vortex and anti-collapse structure 6, and a storage device 7.

[0026] The cross-shaped partition 1, the semi-circular anti-sway plate 2, the annular anti-sway plate 3, the cover plate 4, the perforated conical cylinder 5, the anti-vortex and anti-collapse structure 6, and the storage device 7 are all installed inside the storage tank, and the cross-shaped partition 1, the annular anti-sway plate 3, the cover plate 4, the perforated conical cylinder 5, the anti-vortex and anti-collapse structure 6, and the storage device 7 are all located on the side close to the propellant delivery port 9 of the storage tank;

[0027] The cross-shaped partition 1 consists of two intersecting flat plates, both of which are parallel to the axial direction of the tank. The side edges of the cross-shaped partition 1 match the inner wall surface 8 of the tank, and are connected to it. The cross-shaped partition 1 is the main load-bearing structure of the propellant management device, used to separate the propellant within the tank, suppress propellant sloshing, increase the frequency of propellant sloshing, and reduce the mass of propellant sloshing. Simultaneously, relief holes are opened on the cross-shaped partition 1. Figure 1 (Not shown in the text) The cross partition 1 satisfies the requirement that the total flow area reaches more than 10% of the side plate area, so as to reduce the structural weight and increase the liquid flow in the four partition areas;

[0028] The semi-circular anti-sway plate 2 is a semi-circular, non-perforated plate arranged radially parallel to the tank. The semi-circular anti-sway plate 2 is connected to the inner wall 8 of the tank. The tank is divided into layers along its axial direction (i.e., the height direction), with two semi-circular anti-sway plates 2 in each layer (i.e., two semi-circular anti-sway plates 2 at different heights within the tank). The two semi-circular anti-sway plates 2 in the same layer are at a 90° angle, and any two adjacent layers of semi-circular anti-sway plates 2 are staggered. Preferably, each layer is evenly spaced, the radius of the semi-circular anti-sway plate 2 is 0.25 times the tank radius, and the distance between any two adjacent layers is 0.25 to 0.35 times the tank radius. The semi-circular anti-sway plate 2 is used to suppress propellant sloshing within the tank and improve overall sloshing damping.

[0029] The annular anti-sway plate 3 is an annular non-perforated plate, which is arranged radially parallel to the tank. The outer circle of the annular anti-sway plate 3 is connected to the inner wall surface 8 of the tank and is in close contact with the lower edge of the cross partition 1. The annular anti-sway plate 3 is used to prevent the vertical flow of propellant in the edge area to resist the negative overload impact and sway of the propellant.

[0030] The perforated conical cylinder 5 has openings at both ends, with the diameter of one opening being larger than the diameter of the other opening. Through holes are formed in the cylinder wall. The diameter of the larger opening of the perforated conical cylinder 5 is equal to the inner diameter of the annular anti-sway plate 3. A hole is formed in the center of the cross-shaped partition 1, and the perforated conical cylinder 5 is placed in this hole. The larger opening of the perforated conical cylinder 5 is connected to the inner circle of the annular anti-sway plate 3, and the smaller opening of the perforated conical cylinder 5 extends beyond (i.e., protrudes above) the upper edge of the cross-shaped partition 1. Preferably, the wall thickness of the perforated conical cylinder 5 is 0.5mm to 2mm, and it is reinforced and thickened at the connection with the cross-shaped partition 1 to minimize structural weight while ensuring good load-bearing capacity.

[0031] The circular cover plate 4 is a non-perforated plate, which is arranged radially parallel to the storage tank; the circular cover plate 4 is disposed at the small opening end of the perforated conical cylinder 5, connected to the perforated conical cylinder 5, and seals the small opening end of the perforated conical cylinder 5; the circular cover plate 4 is used to prevent the vertical flow of propellant in the central region, so as to resist the negative overload impact and swaying of the propellant;

[0032] The perforated conical cylinder 5, the circular cover plate 4, and the cross-shaped partition 1 together form a compartment structure; the total flow area of ​​the perforated conical cylinder 5 reaches 20% of the side wall area of ​​the perforated conical cylinder 5, which effectively suppresses the flow of propellant in the vertical direction and ensures that the propellant can flow into and out of the compartment structure in a stable lateral direction without drifting or splashing.

[0033] The storage device 7 is a cylindrical structure with one open end and the other closed. The storage device 7 is placed inside the perforated conical cylinder 5. The open end of the storage device 7 is connected to the inner wall 8 of the storage tank, and the storage device 7 covers the propellant delivery port 9 of the storage tank. The storage device 7 is used for the storage, delivery, and discharge of small amounts of propellant, providing the propellant required for repeated ignition of the engine, and completing the refilling of the storage device after continuous engine operation. Preferably, the closed end of the storage device 7 is an arc surface, and the volume of the storage device 7 is 1% to 2% of the storage tank volume.

[0034] The anti-vortex and anti-collapse structure 6 is a circular flat plate, which is arranged radially parallel to the tank. The anti-vortex and anti-collapse structure 6 is placed inside the storage device 7 and connected to the storage device 7 by a connecting rod. The anti-vortex and anti-collapse structure 6 is located directly above the propellant delivery port 9 of the tank. The anti-vortex and anti-collapse structure 6, together with the cross partition 1, is used to prevent the propellant from vortexing and collapsing, thereby improving the utilization rate of the propellant.

[0035] Compared to the upper edge of the cross-shaped partition 1, the lower edge of the cross-shaped partition 1 is closer to the propellant delivery port 9 of the storage tank.

[0036] Both the cross-shaped partition 1 and the perforated conical cylinder 5 are porous structures. In order to ensure that the propellant can be freely transported inside and outside the propellant management device, while taking into account the propellant flow resistance, a certain retention capacity under microgravity and process feasibility, a certain number of round holes need to be opened. The diameter of the round holes is generally between 5mm and 10mm, and the number of holes is determined by the engine working flow rate.

[0037] The main causes of interference in the propellant management of the first stage are as follows: (1) In the first and second stage separation phase, in order to ensure the safety of the separation between the first and second stages and reduce the runaway time of the second stage, the separation force of the first and second stages and the plume generated by the operation of the second stage engine will exert a large negative overload interference force on the first stage; (2) During the shutdown process of the first stage, due to the sudden stop of thrust, the propellant in the tank will exhibit amplified sloshing. Under the combined action of the negative overload generated during the separation process of the first and second stages and the shutdown of the first stage, the remaining propellant in the tank will move towards the top of the tank, causing the propellant to run away from control, thereby causing the subsequent engine to fail to start.

[0038] To address the impact of the aforementioned two types of interference on the propellant in the reusable rocket reentry tank, the reusable rocket reentry tank propellant management device of this invention is placed inside the liquid at the bottom of the tank. To minimize the entry of gas into the propellant management device, the liquid level of the remaining propellant in the tank is generally not less than 100 mm from the circular cover plate 4, which can suppress more than 90% of the propellant liquid sloshing, so that the liquid sloshing amplitude is not amplified during the first stage reentry stage shutdown process.

[0039] The flow trajectory of the propellant liquid inside the reusable rocket return tank propellant management device during normal engine operation is as follows: When the return tank is overloaded and facing downwards, the propellant above the circular cover plate 4 flows through the perforated conical cylinder 5 into the compartment structure composed of the cross partition 1, etc., enters the storage device 7, and finally flows into the tank propellant delivery port 9.

[0040] Under the interference force during first and second stage separation, the propellant liquid flow trajectory inside the reusable rocket reentry tank propellant management device is as follows: When the reentry tank is overloaded and facing upwards, the circular cover plate 4 and the perforated conical cylinder 5 can jointly constrain most of the propellant inside the tank, preventing the propellant liquid inside the propellant management device from moving towards the top of the tank. Only a small amount of propellant liquid outside the propellant management device and a small amount of propellant liquid leaking out through small holes in the area between the perforated conical cylinder 5 and the annular anti-sway plate 3 will be out of control. These small amounts of overflowing propellant liquid are mainly distributed on the surface and do not affect the liquid inside the propellant management device, nor will they cause air bubbles to enter the remaining propellant liquid area.

[0041] To address the propellant management process within the tank under the aforementioned two types of interference forces, during engine operation, the remaining propellant in the tank settles to the bottom and enters the area of ​​the cross-shaped partition 1. It then flows through small holes in the compartment structure into the perforated conical cylinder 5, subsequently flowing into the storage device 7, and finally exiting through the anti-vortex and anti-collapse structure 6 and the tank propellant delivery port 9. The design principle of the entire propellant management device is as follows: the height of the circular cover plate 4 is slightly lower than the propellant level at the first-stage ascent shutdown point. Due to the compartmentalized design, the initial propellant sloshing at the shutdown point will be suppressed to a small range. After the first stage shuts down, amplified propellant sloshing will occur. Because the outlet of the perforated conical cylinder 5 is designed perpendicular to the liquid surface, the circular cover plate 4 and the perforated conical cylinder 5 can eliminate this amplification. The negative overload generated by the combined action of the retro-rocket and the second-stage engine plume only affects the propellant liquid located within the circular cover plate 4, the perforated conical cylinder 5, and the cross-shaped partition 1. A small amount of propellant liquid will flow out through the perforated conical cylinder 5. Therefore, during the entire first and second stage separation process, the vast majority of the propellant liquid will remain within the compartment structure and storage device 7. Before subsequent engine ignition, the propellant within the entire compartment structure and storage device 7 will be maintained at the bottom of the tank by the positive thrust, and no air bubbles will be introduced.

[0042] During the first-stage engine shutdown phase, the circular cover plate 4 and the perforated conical cylinder 5 can effectively suppress liquid sloshing before the main engine shutdown, reducing the amplification of liquid sloshing caused by engine shutdown; constrain the movement of most of the remaining propellant in the tank, significantly reducing the interference of propellant liquid sloshing during first and second stage separation and post-separation attitude adjustment; at the same time, it can significantly reduce the propellant liquid settling time and propellant liquid turbulence, reducing the generation of bubbles; in addition, the propellant management scheme using a compartment structure + accumulator device can significantly reduce the volume and development difficulty of the accumulator; the entire compartment-type propellant management device is a passive structure, safe and reliable, with simple structural design and manufacturing process, and convenient installation.

[0043] The operation of the accumulator 7 is as follows: After propellant loading into the propellant tank, the accumulator 7 is filled, and the propellant management device is entirely composed of liquid propellant. When the rocket's reentry stage engine needs ignition, the valve control device is opened, allowing the liquid propellant in the accumulator 7 to be transported to the engine through the delivery pipe under the pressure of the tank for ignition. Simultaneously, the liquid propellant outside the accumulator 7 in the tank sinks and refills, replenishing the accumulator 7 with propellant. The liquid propellant is continuously transported to the engine through the delivery pipe until the engine completes the entire ignition process. When the rocket's reentry stage engine needs to ignite again, this process is repeated.

[0044] During the unpowered glide phase of reentry in the first-stage return phase, propellant in the propellant management system may slowly leak from the perforated conical cylinder 5. Due to the compartmentalized structure and accumulator design, propellant constraint and control are relatively good. Compared to conventional low-overload continuous positive thrust management schemes, a lower-thrust positive thrust engine can be selected to meet the overload requirements (providing approximately 5 × 10⁻⁶ thrust for the first-stage return phase). -3 A small overload on the order of g can maintain the propellant in the propellant management device at the bottom (the propellant is kept at the bottom), and the propellant consumed by the forward thrust engine will be greatly reduced. Therefore, with the help of the small overload continuous forward thrust management scheme, it can be ensured that the first stage has a sufficient supply of gas-free propellant when the engine ignites after a long coasting period.

[0045] The above description is only the best specific embodiment of the present invention, but the protection scope of the present invention is not limited thereto. Any changes or substitutions that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed in the present invention should be within the protection scope of the present invention.

[0046] The contents not described in detail in this specification are common knowledge to those skilled in the art.

Claims

1. A reusable rocket reentry stage propellant management device, characterized in that, It includes cross-shaped partitions, semi-circular anti-sway plates, annular anti-sway plates, circular cover plates, perforated conical cylinders, anti-vortex and anti-collapse structures, and storage devices; The side edges of the cross-shaped partition are connected to the inner wall of the tank; The semi-circular anti-sway plate is connected to the inner wall of the storage tank; The outer circle of the annular anti-sway plate is connected to the inner wall of the storage tank, and the annular anti-sway plate is in close contact with the lower edge of the cross partition. The perforated conical cylinder has openings at both ends, with the diameter of one opening being larger than the diameter of the other opening. A through hole is formed in the cylinder wall. A hole is formed in the center of the cross partition, and the perforated conical cylinder is placed in the hole. The large opening end of the perforated conical cylinder is connected to the inner circle of the annular anti-sway plate, and the small opening end of the perforated conical cylinder is higher than the upper edge of the cross partition. The circular cover plate is connected to the small opening end of the perforated conical cylinder, sealing the small opening end of the perforated conical cylinder; The storage device is placed inside the perforated conical cylinder, and the open end of the storage device is connected to the inner wall of the tank, covering the propellant delivery port of the tank. The anti-vortex and anti-collapse structure is placed inside the storage device and connected to the storage device via a connecting rod. The anti-vortex and anti-collapse structure is located directly above the propellant delivery port of the storage tank. The cross-shaped partition consists of two intersecting flat plates, both of which are parallel to the axial direction of the storage tank; the semi-circular anti-sway plate is a semi-circular non-perforated plate, which is radially parallel to the storage tank; the annular anti-sway plate is an annular non-perforated plate, which is radially parallel to the storage tank; the circular cover plate is a non-perforated plate, which is radially parallel to the storage tank; and the anti-vortex and anti-collapse structure is a circular flat plate, which is radially parallel to the storage tank.

2. The reusable rocket reentry stage propellant management device as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The perforated conical cylinder, the circular cover plate, and the cross-shaped partition together form a compartment structure.

3. The reusable rocket reentry stage propellant management device as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The cross-shaped partition plate has light-reducing holes to ensure that the total flow area reaches more than 10% of the side plate area.

4. The reusable rocket reentry stage propellant management device as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The tank is divided into layers along its axial direction, with two semi-circular anti-sway plates in each layer. The two semi-circular anti-sway plates in the same layer are at 90° to each other, and any two adjacent semi-circular anti-sway plates are staggered.

5. The reusable rocket reentry stage propellant management device as described in claim 3, characterized in that, The distance between any two adjacent layers is 0.25 to 0.35 times the radius of the storage tank; the radius of the semi-circular anti-sway plate is 0.25 times the radius of the storage tank.

6. The reusable rocket reentry stage propellant management device as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The wall thickness of the perforated conical cylinder is 0.5 mm to 2 mm, and it is reinforced and thickened at the connection. The total flow area of ​​the perforated conical cylinder reaches 20% of the side plate area.

7. The reusable rocket return stage propellant management device as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The storage device is a cylindrical structure with one end open and the other end closed; the volume of the storage device is 1% to 2% of the volume of the storage tank.

8. The reusable rocket reentry stage propellant management device as described in claim 3, characterized in that, The diameter of the relief holes on the cross-shaped partition is 5mm to 10mm; the diameter of the through holes on the perforated conical cylinder is 5mm to 10mm; the number of relief holes and through holes is determined by the engine operating flow rate.

9. The reusable rocket return stage propellant management device as described in claim 2, characterized in that, Structurally, it adopts an isolation structure and a storage device, combined with a continuous forward thrust method to achieve propellant management.

Citation Information

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