Gas enrichment separation apparatus and method for use in aerospace systems

Abstract

The embodiment of the present application discloses a kind of gas enrichment separation device and method in aerospace system, device includes: gas collection unit, for the gas in external environment is collected;Gas enrichment delivery unit, including the inlet end of communication with the gas collection unit, and the gas is enriched into and is entered by the inlet end;Gas separation unit, for the gas enrichment delivery unit in the gas enriched into multiple gas components;Gas storage unit, including the gas collection port of being connected with the multiple outlet ends of the gas delivery enrichment unit each respectively, for after separation, multiple gas components each is collected;Wherein, the gas separation unit is adjusted to the gas component after gas separation by controlling separation condition.The present application is used after gas component is separated, avoid the problem such as oxidation of electrode, neutralizer and other contact with oxygen, while substantially no gas loss in separation process.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of gas collection and utilization technology in aerospace, specifically to a gas enrichment and separation device and method for aerospace systems. Background Technology

[0002] Ultra-low Earth orbit (ULE) satellites offer advantages such as higher Earth-view resolution and shorter communication latency. However, due to the significantly greater atmospheric drag in ULE compared to medium and high Earth orbits, traditional aerospace propulsion technologies would require an extremely large payload. Therefore, air-breathing electric propulsion technology suitable for ULE has become a research hotspot in this field. Existing ULE air-breathing electric propulsion technologies typically use a dedicated air intake to collect, compress, and store the rarefied gas in ULE, then use electric propulsion methods such as ion thrusters or Hall thrusters to expel it at high speed to counteract atmospheric drag. However, the oxygen in the gas can cause oxidation and other damage to the electrodes and neutralizers in the electric propulsion system.

[0003] Therefore, how to collect gases suitable for the aerospace field, and how to separate the gas components during use to avoid oxidation and other damage to electrodes, neutralizers, etc., upon contact with oxygen, is a problem that this invention urgently needs to solve. Summary of the Invention

[0004] Therefore, embodiments of the present invention provide a gas enrichment and separation device and method for aerospace systems. During the gas collection process, the device achieves efficient collection and separation of multiple gas components such as nitrogen and oxygen through component selective processing. On the one hand, it improves the efficiency of gas collection and utilization in ultra-low orbit environments, and on the other hand, it achieves effective separation of the main gas components in the environment, greatly reducing damage problems such as oxidation.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the embodiments of the present invention provide the following technical solutions:

[0006] In one aspect of the present invention, a gas enrichment and separation device for an aerospace system is provided, comprising:

[0007] A gas collection unit is used to collect gases from the external environment.

[0008] A gas enrichment and transfer unit includes an inlet end connected to the gas collection unit, through which the collected gas enters and is enriched;

[0009] A gas separation unit is used to separate the gas enriched in the gas enrichment and transfer unit into multiple gas components.

[0010] The gas collection unit includes gas collection ports connected to multiple outlets of the gas transfer and enrichment unit, for collecting the separated gas components individually; wherein,

[0011] The gas separation unit adjusts the gas components after gas separation by controlling the separation conditions.

[0012] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the gas enrichment and transfer unit includes a receiving cavity with one end connected to the gas collection unit and the other end connected to the gas storage unit, and a gas enrichment component rotatably located in the receiving cavity; and,

[0013] The gas enrichment component enriches the gas in the containment cavity near the gas collection unit and then transfers it to the side of the containment cavity near the gas storage unit by rotation.

[0014] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the gas enrichment component includes at least a plurality of gas storage capsules, which are arranged in a circular shape along the circumferential direction and rotate around the center of the circle.

[0015] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the gas collection unit includes a honeycomb air intake structure and / or a pneumatic air intake structure.

[0016] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the gas collection unit is a honeycomb intake structure with an adjustable intake cross-section.

[0017] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the honeycomb air intake structure includes a fixed air intake pipe with a fixed cross-section, and an adjustable channel group with an adjustable cross-section and / or number of air intake channels.

[0018] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the adjustable channel group is disposed in the fixed air intake pipe, and the cross-section of the fixed air intake pipe and / or the number of air intake channels in the fixed air intake pipe can be adjusted by adjusting the adjustable channel group.

[0019] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the gas collection unit further includes an ionization structure located at the end away from the gas enrichment and transfer unit, the ionization structure being used to form a divergent magnetic field to improve the coverage of the external environment.

[0020] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the separation conditions include temperature and / or pressure;

[0021] The plurality of gas-storing capsules are sequentially formed as a gas-storing bladder, a buffer bladder, and a release bladder in the direction of extension from the inlet end to the outlet end.

[0022] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the separation condition is temperature;

[0023] The gas separation unit includes a condensation section connected to the side of the gas enrichment and transfer unit near the gas collection unit, and a staged separation section connected to the side of the gas enrichment and transfer unit near the gas storage unit.

[0024] The condenser section is used to adjust the temperature of the gas before sending it to the gas enrichment and transfer unit for enrichment and collection.

[0025] The grading and separation section includes multiple temperature control components that correspond one-to-one with each of the gas collection ports. Each temperature control component is adjusted to a corresponding temperature so that the gas composition collected in each gas collection port is different.

[0026] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the condensation section is connected to the gas storage bladder, and the graded separation section is connected to the release bladder.

[0027] In another aspect of the present invention, a gas enrichment and separation method for aerospace systems is also provided, employing the gas enrichment and separation apparatus described above, the gas enrichment and separation method comprising:

[0028] S100. Set the preset values ​​for enrichment and separation conditions in the gas enrichment and transfer unit, start the gas separation unit, and wait until the internal environment of the gas enrichment and transfer unit meets the preset value requirements.

[0029] S200: Start the gas collection unit to collect the gas in the external environment into the gas enrichment and transfer unit;

[0030] S300: Under the first separation condition near the inlet, the gas is enriched and then transferred to the side near the outlet. Under the second separation condition, it is separated into multiple gas components and collected separately.

[0031] The second separation conditions corresponding to each gas collection port are not exactly the same.

[0032] The embodiments of the present invention have the following advantages:

[0033] This invention utilizes a gas separation unit to differentiate the components of the collected gas, and then collects and uses each separated gas component separately. The gas, after being classified and used separately, can be supplied to appropriate locations, thus not only enabling its practical use in aerospace propulsion systems but also preventing damage such as oxidation to electrodes and neutralizers caused by certain gas components. Attached Figure Description

[0034] To more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present invention or the technical solutions in the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are merely exemplary, and those skilled in the art can derive other embodiments based on the provided drawings without creative effort.

[0035] The structures, proportions, sizes, etc. illustrated in this specification are only for the purpose of assisting those skilled in the art in understanding and reading the content disclosed herein, and are not intended to limit the conditions under which the present invention can be implemented. Therefore, they have no substantial technical significance. Any modifications to the structure, changes in the proportions, or adjustments to the size, without affecting the effects and objectives that the present invention can produce, should still fall within the scope of the technical content disclosed in the present invention.

[0036] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the gas enrichment and separation device provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0037] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a duct in one of the air intake passages provided in Embodiment 1 of the present invention;

[0038] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an air intake in a retracted state according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0039] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of another air intake in a retracted state provided in Embodiment 1 of the present invention;

[0040] Figure 5 This is a partial structural diagram of another intake duct provided in Embodiment 1 of the present invention;

[0041] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of another intake duct provided in Embodiment 1 of the present invention;

[0042] Figure 7 This is a front view of another air intake in a retracted state provided in Embodiment 1 of the present invention;

[0043] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of another air intake in the relaxed state provided in Embodiment 1 of the present invention;

[0044] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of another air intake duct in a retracted state, as provided in Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

[0045] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of the air intake duct provided in Embodiment 2 of the present invention;

[0046] Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram of the blade under different states provided in Embodiment 2 of the present invention;

[0047] Figure 12 This is a schematic diagram of the air intake duct in one direction provided in Embodiment 3 of the present invention;

[0048] Figure 13 This is a schematic diagram of the air intake duct provided in Embodiment 3 of the present invention in another direction.

[0049] In the picture:

[0050] 1-Gas acquisition unit; 2-Gas enrichment and transfer unit; 3-Gas separation unit; 4-Gas storage unit;

[0051] 11-Intake duct;

[0052] 111 - External duct; 112 - Guide tube; 113 - Inner ring; 114 - Outer ring; 115 - Blade;

[0053] 21-Receiving cavity; 22-Gas storage capsule;

[0054] 31-Condenser section; 32-Temperature control components;

[0055] 41 - Air collection port. Detailed Implementation

[0056] The following specific embodiments illustrate the implementation of the present invention. Those skilled in the art can easily understand other advantages and effects of the present invention from the content disclosed in this specification. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some, not all, of the embodiments of the present invention. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0057] The technical solution of the present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0058] like Figure 1 As shown, the present invention provides a gas enrichment and separation device for aerospace systems, specifically comprising:

[0059] Gas collection unit 1 includes an air intake duct 11. The air intake duct 11 mainly achieves the initial collection of gases in the ultra-low orbit environment. In order to increase the collection efficiency, a honeycomb air intake structure and a pneumatic air intake structure are adopted to initially increase the gas pressure. At the same time, in order to increase the collection volume, an ionization device can be added to the front end of the air intake duct 11 (i.e., the end facing the external environment) and an additional divergent magnetic field configuration can be added to achieve gas collection with a larger collection surface.

[0060] Furthermore, for air-breathing wide-range aircraft operating in near-space and very low Earth orbit (LEO), the intake layout directly affects the efficiency of gas collection. Since the flow patterns of the incoming gas differ depending on the orbit, the most suitable intake method varies accordingly. For the rarefied gas in LEO, the intake device requires a honeycomb duct to form a narrow channel, reducing backflow and more effectively capturing particles. For the continuous flow in near-space, a boundary layer forms on the wall of the honeycomb duct, hindering gas entry; therefore, using a large-diameter intake duct is more beneficial. To achieve effective air intake for wide-range air-breathing aircraft operating in near-space and LEO, this invention further configures the intake duct 11 as a structure where the intake cross-section and the number of intake channels are adjustable. The following description, in conjunction with specific embodiments, provides further details.

[0061] Example 1: It consists of an external pipe 111 (corresponding to a fixed air intake pipe) and an internal shape memory alloy conduit 112 (corresponding to an adjustable channel group).

[0062] like Figure 2 and Figure 3 The image shown illustrates one specific structure of this embodiment. Wherein, Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the deformable honeycomb-like duct 112. Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the entire air intake duct 11, where the duct 112 is stretched into a sheet-like shape. Specifically, the duct 112 used is honeycomb-shaped, and the outer duct 111 used has grooves on both sides. The honeycomb-shaped duct 112 can be stretched into a sheet-like shape, with the extended portion placed within the grooves on both sides of the outer duct 111. These grooves are located within the solar panels or stabilizing fins to avoid increasing lateral friction. When the aircraft is flying in a very low orbit, the shape memory metal duct 112 opens into a honeycomb duct, such as... Figure 2 As shown, this increases the collision rate between particles and the wall, effectively preventing particle backflow, thereby improving the inlet compression ratio and capture rate; when the spacecraft is flying in near space, the upper and lower ends of the shape memory metal material duct 112 are stretched into a sheet shape under force, as... Figure 3 As shown, the entire air intake 11 is divided into two large-diameter inlets to reduce the influence of the boundary layer and collect more particles.

[0063] like Figures 4-7 As shown, another specific structure of this embodiment is illustrated. That is, the honeycomb-shaped conduit 112 is formed through radial contraction and expansion. Specifically, the conduit 112, made of a shape-memory alloy, can uniformly enlarge and shrink in all directions. According to the concept of fractals, the shrinking shape of the conduit theoretically has a finite area and an infinite side length. For example... Figure 5 As shown, the hexagon undergoes a first-order fractal to increase the side length, and further fractalization can be performed as needed. That is, there exists a conduit 112 that evenly covers the air inlet (e.g., Figure 6 (as shown) and catheter 112 shrinkage (as shown) Figure 7(As shown) to two sufficiently small forms. After shrinking, the conduit can be located at the center of the air inlet or on the wall of the pipe 111. The shrinking and enlarging of the conduit 112 can be controlled by an electromagnetic device located on the wall of the pipe 111.

[0064] like Figure 8 and Figure 9 As shown, this is another specific structure of this embodiment. Specifically, the duct 112 used is vortex-shaped and connected to multiple rotatable blades. The duct 112 has two forms: full-coverage and compact. During ultra-low orbit flight, the duct 112 can be rotated to fully cover the pipe 111 (e.g., Figure 8 As shown), when the vortex plate unfolds, it drives the rotatable blades to open, dividing the air intake into multiple small-hole structures, reducing backflow and improving the capture rate. During near-space flight, the duct 112 folds into a compact form (as shown). Figure 9 As shown in the figure, this makes the air inlet a large-diameter inlet.

[0065] Example 2 consists of an inner ring 113, an outer ring 114 (corresponding to a fixed intake pipe), and an adjustable blade 115 (corresponding to an adjustable channel group) located between the inner ring 113 and the outer ring 114.

[0066] like Figure 10 and Figure 11 As shown, it consists of two parts: an inner ring 113 and an outer ring 114, wherein the inner ring 113 has a honeycomb conduit at the front end. Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of the intake duct 11, and the structure of the adjustable blade 115 is shown separately. Figure 11 This diagram illustrates the adjustable blade 115 in different states during rotation, from left to right: blade 115 rotating outwards, in the middle of rotation, and blade 115 rotating inwards. In actual use, the wall surface at the junction of the inner ring 113 and outer ring 114 at the end of the air intake device is connected to the blade 115, and the blade 115 rotates according to the pressure. During ultra-low orbit flight, when the pressure in the inner ring 113 is greater than that in the outer ring 114, the blade 115 rotates outwards, the inner ring 113 air intake opens, and the outer ring 114 air intake closes. Figure 11 As shown in the leftmost image. When flying in near space, when the pressure in the outer ring 114 is greater than that in the inner ring 113, the blade 115 rotates inward, the air intake of the outer ring 114 opens, and the air intake of the inner ring 113 closes, as... Figure 11 As shown in the rightmost image in the image.

[0067] Example 3: The entire air intake duct 11 is configured to have multiple air intake channels with different diameters (for example, two air intake channels with different diameters are used in a specific embodiment of the present invention), and the air intake channels are switched according to the different airflow.

[0068] like Figure 12 and Figure 13 As shown, the front of the aircraft body consists of two air intake channels. One air intake channel has a honeycomb duct at its front end, while the other is a large-diameter duct. Pressure-controlled switches connect the ends of the air intake channels. For example, hinges with a fixed angle (90°–180°) allow the side without the honeycomb duct to collect more gas than the side with the duct when flying in near space. This results in higher pressure within the side air intake channel, causing it to open a baffle on one end, while the other baffle automatically closes, thus achieving adaptive selection of the air intake system. (Alternatively, a movable piston valve can be used, utilizing the pressure difference between the two air intake channels for control.)

[0069] Gas enrichment and transfer unit 2: includes at least a gas storage capsule 22. In a specific embodiment of the invention, the adsorption (including physical adsorption and chemical adsorption) and desorption, or liquefaction and vaporization phase change processes in gas collection are achieved by adjusting the temperature in the environment. It should also be noted that the side closer to the gas collection unit 1 is the lowest temperature region for gas enrichment and storage, while the side closer to the gas storage unit 4 is the highest temperature region for gas vaporization and release.

[0070] Furthermore, such as Figure 1 As shown, the gas storage capsules 22 are divided into three sections from left to right. The three leftmost gas storage capsules 22 (lowest temperature) form a gas storage bladder, used to collect gas through methods including but not limited to physical adsorption, chemical adsorption, and phase change. The middle group of gas storage capsules 22 forms a buffer bladder; its temperature does not require further intervention, only needing to remain below the gas's vaporization temperature, used for gas transfer and to separate the two sections with the lowest and highest temperatures. The three rightmost gas storage capsules 22 (highest temperature) form a release bladder; specifically, the temperatures of each release bladder are not entirely the same, so that different gas components can be released and collected separately by adjusting the temperature.

[0071] For the release bladder, as the turntable moves along... Figure 1 Rotating in the indicated direction, the release capsule rotates sequentially to the first gas collecting port located at the top and the second gas collecting port located at the bottom. Under different temperature conditions, different gases (nitrogen and oxygen; it should be noted that this is only under the condition that nitrogen and oxygen are not collected in the same gas collecting port 41. In actual operation, multiple sequentially arranged gas collecting ports 41 can be designed according to the different quantities of gas components that need to be distinguished) respectively achieve desorption or liquid-to-gas phase transformation, that is, realize the collection, separation and compression process of nitrogen and oxygen. For example, if phase change collection is used, the temperature of the first gas collecting port should be between -195.8℃ and -118.57℃, and the temperature of the second gas collecting port should be higher than -118.57℃.

[0072] Under this technical solution of the present invention, by setting gas storage capsules 22 with different gas capacities and matching them with appropriate rotation speeds, nearly 100% gas collection efficiency can be achieved. This further achieves the effect of improving gas utilization efficiency while separating gas and reducing damage to components during conventional gas utilization processes.

[0073] Gas separation unit 3: In a specific embodiment of the present invention, temperature is adjusted, and therefore, a temperature control management module can be used. Of course, although temperature is specifically used here, gas components can also be separated by adjusting pressure. Therefore, using a pressure management module, or combining it with a temperature control management module, can also be an implementation of the present invention.

[0074] Specifically, the temperature control management module and the gas enrichment and transfer unit 2 work together to achieve a low-temperature environment in the area where the gas storage bag is located through the temperature control management module (specifically, as shown by the heat arrow in the figure, this can be achieved by heat absorption). By heating the first gas collection port and the second gas collection port, high-temperature environments of different temperatures are achieved at the tail end of the gas collection. The temperature of the second gas collection port is higher than that of the first gas collection port.

[0075] Gas storage unit 4: Multiple gas components collected through gas collection port 41 are stored separately and then supplied to the corresponding equipment or area.

[0076] Although the present invention has been described in detail above with general descriptions and specific embodiments, modifications or improvements can be made to it, which will be obvious to those skilled in the art. Therefore, all such modifications or improvements made without departing from the spirit of the present invention fall within the scope of protection claimed by the present invention.

Claims

1. A gas enrichment and separation device for aerospace systems, characterized in that, include: Gas collection unit (1) is used to collect gases from the external environment; The gas enrichment and transfer unit (2) includes an inlet end connected to the gas collection unit (1), through which the collected gas enters and is enriched; Gas separation unit (3) is used to separate the gas enriched in the gas enrichment and transfer unit (2) into multiple gas components; The gas collection unit (4) includes gas collection ports (41) connected to multiple outlets of the gas transfer and enrichment unit, for collecting the various separated gas components; wherein, The gas separation unit (3) adjusts the gas components after gas separation by controlling the separation conditions; The gas enrichment and transfer unit (2) includes a receiving cavity (21) with one end connected to the gas collection unit (1) and the other end connected to the gas storage unit (4), and a gas enrichment component rotatably located in the receiving cavity (21); and, The gas enrichment component enriches the gas in the containment cavity (21) near the gas collection unit (1) and then transfers it to the side of the containment cavity (21) near the gas storage unit (4) by rotation. The gas enrichment component includes at least a plurality of gas storage capsules (22), which are arranged in a circular shape along the circumferential direction and rotate around the center of the circle. The separation conditions include temperature and / or pressure; The plurality of gas-storing capsules (22) are sequentially formed as a gas-storing bladder, a buffer bladder and a release bladder in the direction of extension from the inlet end to the outlet end.

2. The gas enrichment and separation device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The gas acquisition unit (1) includes a honeycomb intake structure and / or a pneumatic intake structure.

3. The gas enrichment and separation device according to claim 2, characterized in that, The gas collection unit (1) is a honeycomb intake structure with at least a portion of the intake cross-section adjustable.

4. The gas enrichment and separation device according to claim 3, characterized in that, The honeycomb air intake structure includes a fixed air intake pipe with a fixed cross-section, and an adjustable channel group with an adjustable cross-section and / or number of air intake channels.

5. A gas enrichment and separation device according to claim 4, characterized in that, The adjustable channel group is disposed in the fixed air intake pipe, and the cross-section of the fixed air intake pipe and / or the number of air intake channels in the fixed air intake pipe can be adjusted by adjusting the adjustable channel group.

6. A gas enrichment and separation device according to claim 2, characterized in that, The gas collection unit (1) also includes an ionization structure located at the end away from the gas enrichment and transfer unit (2), the ionization structure being used to form a divergent magnetic field to improve the coverage of the external environment.

7. A gas enrichment and separation device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The separation condition is temperature; The gas separation unit (3) includes a condenser (31) connected to the side of the gas enrichment and transfer unit (2) near the gas collection unit (1), and a graded separation unit connected to the side of the gas enrichment and transfer unit (2) near the gas storage unit (4). The condenser (31) is used to adjust the temperature of the gas and then send it to the gas enrichment and transfer unit (2) for enrichment and collection. The graded separation section includes multiple temperature control components (32) corresponding one-to-one with the gas collection port (41). Each temperature control component (32) is adjusted to a corresponding temperature so that the gas composition collected in each gas collection port (41) is different.

8. A gas enrichment and separation device according to claim 7, characterized in that, The condensation section (31) is connected to the gas storage bag, and the graded separation section is connected to the release bag.

9. A gas enrichment and separation method for aerospace systems, characterized in that, The gas enrichment and separation apparatus according to any one of claims 1-8, wherein the gas enrichment and separation method comprises: S100. Set the preset values ​​for enrichment and separation conditions in the gas enrichment and transfer unit, start the gas separation unit, and wait until the internal environment of the gas enrichment and transfer unit meets the preset value requirements. S200: Start the gas collection unit to collect the gas in the external environment into the gas enrichment and transfer unit; S300: Under the first separation condition near the inlet, the gas is enriched and then transferred to the side near the outlet. Under the second separation condition, it is separated into multiple gas components and collected separately. The second separation conditions corresponding to each gas collection port are not exactly the same.

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