A gas-liquid separator for an on-orbit refueling interface

Abstract

The application relates to a gas-liquid separator for an on-orbit refueling interface, comprising an upper shell, an inlet pipe, an upper outlet pipe, a lower outlet pipe, a tangential pipe, a lower shell and heating fins. The gas-liquid separator of the application is used for blowing off liquid inside a pipeline before separation of a satellite on-orbit refueling interface, can realize gas-liquid separation based on pressure difference driving force and centrifugal force, makes propellants inside the pipeline of the on-orbit refueling interface be smoothly separated, keep rotating movement in the separator and finally be heated, vaporized and discharged. An inner mesh is installed at the bottom of the inner shell, propellants are supplied to the thruster without air trapping, and the working demand of the thruster is met.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a gas-liquid separator for an on-orbit refueling interface, belonging to the field of aerospace propulsion technology. Background Technology

[0002] To achieve reliable separation between the servicing satellite and the refueled satellite after propellant loading, the propellant inside the on-orbit refueling interface pipeline needs to be purged. Under microgravity, separation can only be achieved using surface tension and centrifugal force. However, the propellant in the pipeline is purged using high-pressure gas. The pressure difference driving force generated by the high-pressure gas is much greater than that of surface tension, making it difficult to achieve gas-liquid separation using conventional surface tension. Therefore, it is necessary to develop a system that utilizes centrifugal force generated by pressure difference to achieve the separation of propellant and helium. How to design structural features to achieve gas-liquid separation using centrifugal force based on pressure difference has become one of the bottlenecks restricting on-orbit propellant refueling technology for satellites. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The technical problem solved by this invention is to overcome the shortcomings of the prior art and provide a gas-liquid separator for an on-orbit refueling interface. Based on the pressure difference driving force, centrifugal force is used to achieve gas-liquid separation, so that the propellant inside the on-orbit refueling interface pipeline is successfully separated and continuously rotates inside the separator, and is finally heated and vaporized and discharged, thus meeting the mission requirements of on-orbit refueling of satellite propellant.

[0004] The technical solution of the present invention is: a gas-liquid separator for an on-orbit refueling interface, comprising an upper shell, an inlet pipe, an upper outlet pipe, a lower outlet pipe, a tangential pipe, a lower shell, and heating elements;

[0005] The upper and lower shells are welded structures, and the height of the structure formed by the upper and lower shells decreases as the diameter decreases, forming a raindrop-shaped interface;

[0006] The inlet pipe and the tangential pipe are integrally processed structures, and the inlet pipe and the tangential pipe are 90-degree bent pipe structures;

[0007] The axial direction of the tangential tube is parallel to the tangential direction of the rotary circular structure of the upper and lower shells;

[0008] The upper and lower outlet pipes are located at the center, symmetrically distributed, and perpendicular to the symmetry plane formed by the upper and lower shells;

[0009] The inlet pipe is fixed to the upper shell by welding.

[0010] Preferably, the maximum distance H between the upper shell and the lower shell forming the cavity is 13-15 mm, and the minimum distance h is 3-5 mm, ensuring that H / h is greater than 2.

[0011] Preferably, the axial position of the inlet pipe and the distance D1 between the structure center are 50-60 mm, and the maximum diameter D2 of the internal cavity of the entire structure is 90-100 mm. This structure can achieve reliable blowing and separation of 60-100 mL of propellant.

[0012] Preferably, the wall thickness of the upper and lower shells is 1 mm, which ensures that the structure can work normally under a working pressure of 2 MPa.

[0013] Preferably, the diameter of the inlet pipe is 5.5 to 6.5 mm, which is the same as the diameter of the upper outlet pipe and the lower outlet pipe, thereby reducing the flow velocity of the upper outlet pipe and the lower outlet pipe.

[0014] Preferably, the upper and lower shells have a uniform transition structure inside, and abrupt structural changes are not allowed.

[0015] Preferably, the tangential pipe is perpendicular to the inlet pipe and has a 45-degree angle at the outlet to avoid obstructing liquid flow.

[0016] Preferably, there are four heating elements, each with a heating power of 2W, which are evenly arranged at the position with the largest diameter of the upper and lower shells. Under the action of centrifugal force, the liquid gathers in the area with the largest diameter, and the evenly arranged heating elements can achieve the heating of the liquid.

[0017] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following advantages:

[0018] 1) This invention is based on the principle of eddy gas-liquid separation. It uses centrifugal force to separate the liquid from the gas-liquid mixture, and the separated propellant can be vaporized and discharged by heating. The device has a simple structure, high reliability, and can meet the usage requirements of various space environments.

[0019] 2) This invention can achieve reliable gas-liquid separation under a pressure difference of 0.1MPa, ensuring uninterrupted venting in orbit and guaranteeing reliable separation between the service satellite and the refueled satellite.

[0020] 3) This invention can withstand certain on-orbit arbitrary acceleration environments, can meet various harsh space environments, and realize gas-liquid separation function under different on-orbit acceleration environments.

[0021] 4) The present invention has a simple structure with no moving parts, high structural strength, and good flexibility. Compared with the prior art, it is easy to process, lightweight, and highly reliable.

[0022] 5) The exhaust system of this invention is a counter-jet structure, which will not generate additional forces or torques on the satellite and will not affect the satellite's attitude control. It can be widely applied to on-orbit refueling systems for various conventional propellants and cryogenic liquid propulsion. Attached Figure Description

[0023] Figure 1 This is a cross-sectional view of an embodiment of a gas-liquid separator for an on-orbit refueling interface according to the present invention;

[0024] Figure 2 This is a diagram of the raindrop-shaped structure of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 3 This is a structural diagram of a tangential tube according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 4(a) , 4(b) This is a diagram showing the cross-sectional height and installation positions of the inlet and outlet pipes in an embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0027] The following description, in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments, provides further details.

[0028] A gas-liquid separator for on-orbit refueling interfaces is made of titanium alloy, such as... Figure 1 As shown, it includes an upper shell 1, an inlet pipe 2, an upper outlet pipe 3, a lower outlet pipe 4, a tangential pipe 5, a lower shell 6, and a heating element 7; the upper shell 1 and the lower shell 6 are welded structures, and the height of the structure formed by the upper shell 1 and the lower shell 6 decreases as the diameter decreases, forming a raindrop-shaped interface, such as... Figure 2 As shown, specifically, it can be described as follows: the upper shell 1 and the lower shell 6 form a closed symmetrical cavity. The cross-section of the cavity is a circular structure of revolution. The height of the cavity decreases from both ends to the center as the diameter of the circular structure of revolution decreases. The two ends of the cavity are hemispherical structures, as shown in Figure 4(a). The maximum axial distance H of the cavity formed by the upper shell 1 and the lower shell 6 is 13-15 mm, and the minimum axial distance h is 3-5 mm, ensuring that H / h is greater than 2. The inlet pipe 2 and the tangential pipe 5 are integrally processed structures, and the inlet pipe 2 and the tangential pipe 6 are 90-degree bent pipe structures. The axis of the tangential pipe 5 is the tangential direction of the circular structure of revolution of the upper shell 1 and the lower shell 6. The upper outlet pipe 3 and the lower outlet pipe 4 are located in the central part, symmetrically distributed and perpendicular to the symmetrical plane formed by the upper shell 1 and the lower shell 6. The inlet pipe 2 is fixed to the upper shell 1 by welding.

[0029] As shown in Figure 4(b), the axial position of the inlet pipe 2 and the distance D1 between the structure center are 50-60 mm, and the maximum radius D2 of the internal cavity of the entire structure is 90-100 mm. This structure can achieve reliable blowing and separation of 60-100 mL of propellant.

[0030] The upper shell 2 and the lower shell 6 have a wall thickness of 1mm, which ensures that the structure can work normally under a working pressure of 2MPa.

[0031] The diameter of the inlet pipe 2 is 5.5 to 6.5 mm, which is the same as the diameter of the upper outlet pipe 3 and the lower outlet pipe 4, thereby reducing the flow velocity of the upper outlet pipe 3 and the lower outlet pipe 4.

[0032] The upper shell 1 and the lower shell 6 have a uniform transition structure inside, and abrupt structural changes are not allowed.

[0033] The end angle A of the tangential tube 5 is 45 degrees to avoid obstructing the flow of liquid.

[0034] There are four heating elements 7, each with a heating power of 2W, which are evenly arranged on the outermost sides of the upper shell 1 and the lower shell 6.

[0035] The diameters of the upper outlet pipe 3 and the lower outlet pipe 4 are 1 / 2 to 1 times the diameter of the inlet pipe 2, and the diameter of the inlet pipe 2 is 1.2 to 2 times h.

[0036] The working principle of this invention is as follows:

[0037] The purge pressurized gas and propellant enter the enclosed cavity consisting of the upper shell 1 and the lower shell 6 through the inlet pipe 2 and the tangential pipe 5. Since the tangential pipe 5 is arranged tangentially to the structure, the gas-liquid mixture flows tangentially, generating centrifugal force. Because the propellant is liquid and its density is much greater than that of the purge gas helium, the centrifugal force of the propellant causes the liquid medium to gradually move towards the area with a larger diameter, while the gas gradually flows towards the area with a smaller diameter, and finally exits through the symmetrically arranged upper outlet pipe 3 and lower outlet pipe 4. At the same time, the heating element 7 heats the internally rotating liquid propellant until it vaporizes. After vaporization, the propellant gradually moves towards the middle area due to the reduced centrifugal force, and finally exits through the upper outlet pipe 3 and lower outlet pipe 4.

[0038] The contents not described in detail in this specification are common knowledge to those skilled in the art.

Claims

1. A gas-liquid separator for an on-orbit refueling interface, characterized in that, It includes an upper shell, an inlet pipe, an upper outlet pipe, a lower outlet pipe, a tangential pipe, a lower shell, and heating elements; The upper and lower shells form a closed, symmetrical cavity with a circular cross-section. The cavity height decreases from both ends to the center as the diameter of the circular cross-section decreases, and the two ends of the cavity are hemispherical. The inlet pipe and the tangential pipe form a 90-degree bend. The axis of the tangential pipe is parallel to the tangent direction of the circular cross-section of the upper and lower shells. The upper and lower outlet pipes are located at the center, symmetrically distributed, and perpendicular to the symmetry plane formed by the upper and lower shells. The inlet pipe is fixed to the upper shell. The interior of the upper and lower shells has a uniform transition structure, and abrupt structural changes are not allowed. The tangential pipe is perpendicular to the inlet pipe, and the outlet has a 45-degree angle structure to avoid obstructing liquid flow. The system also includes four heating elements, evenly arranged at the largest diameter positions of the upper and lower shells. Under centrifugal force, the liquid gathers in the area with the largest diameter, and the evenly arranged heating elements heat the liquid.

2. The gas-liquid separator for on-orbit refueling interface according to claim 1, characterized in that: The maximum diameter H of the rotating circle structure is 13-15 mm, and the minimum diameter h is 3-5 mm, ensuring that H / h is greater than 2.

3. The gas-liquid separator for on-orbit refueling interface according to claim 1, characterized in that: The axial distance between the inlet pipe and the center of the symmetrical cavity, D1, is 50-60 mm, and the distance between the end of the hemispherical structure and the center, D2, is 90-100 mm. This structure can reliably purge and separate 60-100 mL of propellant.

4. The gas-liquid separator for on-orbit refueling interface according to claim 1, characterized in that: The wall thickness of the upper and lower shells is sufficient to ensure that the structure can operate normally under a working pressure of 2 MPa.

5. The gas-liquid separator for on-orbit refueling interface according to claim 1, characterized in that: The diameter of the inlet pipe is 5.5 to 6.5 mm, which is the same as that of the upper and lower outlet pipes. The inlet pipe is used to reduce the flow rate of the upper and lower outlet pipes.

6. The gas-liquid separator for on-orbit refueling interface according to claim 1, characterized in that: The diameters of the upper and lower outlet pipes are 1 / 2 to 1 times the diameter of the inlet pipe, and the diameter of the inlet pipe is 1.2 to 2 times h.

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