Reusable automatic liquid discharge storage tank

Abstract

A reusable automatic liquid drainage storage tank comprises a storage tank body, a lightweight piston, a storage tank cover, a filling and liquid drainage valve, a spring power system, a pipeline system and a piston traction rope. Wherein the storage box body is used for storing a solution; the upper port is sealed by a storage box cover, and the lower end part is conical and is connected with a pipeline system; the light piston is located in the storage box body, the outer envelope is a cone matched with the lower end of the storage box body, and the edge is tightly attached to the inner wall of the storage box body. The pipeline system comprises two pipelines, and a spring power system is arranged on the pipeline located on the axis of the storage box body. A filling drain valve is mounted on the other pipeline perpendicular to the axis of the storage tank body; one end of the piston pulling rope pulls the lightweight piston, the other end of the piston pulling rope is connected with the spring power system, and the spring power system drives the lightweight piston to move through the piston pulling rope during working. An air pressure system or a pump pipe system does not need to be additionally arranged, and the space can be efficiently utilized.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to a reusable automatic liquid discharge tank, belonging to the field of propellant tanks. Background Art

[0002] The development trend of future spacecraft and launch vehicles is to have high carrying capacity, that is, to reduce their own weight and save space occupancy to the maximum extent. Titanium alloy tank is a liquid propellant management device used for single-use space launch vehicles. It provides energy for the power system while ensuring that the system can normally realize the filling and draining functions. It is one of the most important components of space launch vehicles.

[0003] As industrial development places increasing demands on structural forms, lightweight, reusable and efficient use of space have gradually become new research hotspots. It is urgent to equip space launch vehicles with a reusable, lightweight and space-efficient tank.

[0004] At present, the mainstream tanks in the world are squeeze type and pump type. Most squeeze type tanks are diaphragm type tanks, which are thin-walled pressure vessels and are generally single-use. They need to add a gas pressure system that can release a certain amount of pressure gas. Although the tank itself is light, the added pressure system needs to occupy a certain amount of space and also some mass. As a pump type tank that can be used multiple times, the additional pump, pipe and valve system takes up too much space and has a high mass. Summary of the invention

[0005] The technical solution of the present invention is: to overcome the shortcomings of the prior art and provide a reusable automatic liquid discharge tank, which does not require an additional air pressure system or pump pipe system and can efficiently utilize space. The technical solution of the present invention is: a reusable automatic liquid discharge tank, including: a tank body, a lightweight piston, a tank cover, a filling and discharge valve, a spring power system, a pipeline system and a piston traction rope; wherein:

[0006] The tank body is cylindrical and is used to store the solution; the upper end is sealed by the tank cover, the lower end is conical, and the lower end is connected to the pipeline system;

[0007] The lightweight piston is located inside the tank body, and its outer envelope is a cone that matches the lower end of the tank body, with its edge close to the inner wall of the tank body;

[0008] The pipeline system includes two pipelines, one of which is located on the axis of the tank body and is provided with a spring power system; the other pipeline perpendicular to the axis of the tank body is provided with a filling and draining valve for filling or draining the solution in the tank;

[0009] One end of the piston traction rope pulls the lightweight piston, and the other end is connected to the clockwork power system. When the clockwork power system is working, the lightweight piston is driven to move through the piston traction rope.

[0010] Preferably, the tank body is made of titanium alloy material, and an upper end is provided with a mounting thread for mounting with the tank cover.

[0011] Preferably, the tank cover is made of titanium alloy, and is provided with threads at the contact position with the tank body for installation in coordination with the tank body;

[0012] There is a vent hole on the tank cover and aerogel is filled inside to absorb trace leaked liquid.

[0013] Preferably, the lightweight piston comprises: a mesh frame, a sealing part and a skin; wherein:

[0014] The skin is located below the web frame, that is, closer to the lower end of the tank body; the edges of the spider web frame and the skin are welded;

[0015] The sealing part is equipped with a rubber ring sealing structure, which is located at the edge of the welding position of the spider web frame and the skin, and contacts the inner wall of the tank body to ensure the sealing between the lightweight piston and the inner wall of the tank body.

[0016] Preferably, the spring power system comprises a rotating inner shaft, a rotating outer shaft, a one-way control block assembly, a rope groove, an outer housing and a spring spring, specifically:

[0017] The rotating inner shaft is installed and fixed in the external shell, and the rotating outer shaft is dumbbell-shaped, with a rope groove in the middle, and the traction rope can be wound on the rope groove; the rotating inner shaft passes through the inside of the rotating outer shaft; the one-way control block assembly and the clockwork spring are installed at both ends of the rotating inner shaft and adjacent to the inner walls of the two ends of the rotating outer shaft, wherein the one-way control block assembly controls the relative rotation of the rotating inner shaft and the rotating outer shaft; the clockwork spring is installed at both ends of the rotating inner shaft and the rotating outer shaft, and is used to add and store elastic potential energy so that the rotating inner shaft and the rotating outer shaft can rotate relative to each other.

[0018] Preferably, there are annular notches on the inner walls at both ends of the rotating outer shaft;

[0019] The one-way control block assembly includes a spring, an electric-controlled magnetic attraction and a wedge block. The spring and the electric-controlled magnetic attraction are connected to and control the wedge block: when the electric-controlled magnetic attraction is in a released state, the one-way control block assembly pops out the wedge block under the action of the spring, so that the wedge block is stuck in the annular notch of the rotating outer shaft. At this time, the rotating outer shaft can still rotate to drive the lightweight piston to move downward. The rotation direction of the rotating outer shaft is defined as the forward direction. At this time, the reverse rotation of the rotating outer shaft can be blocked by the wedge block; when the electric-controlled magnetic attraction is closed, the wedge block of the one-way control block is retracted from the annular notch of the rotating outer shaft under the action of the spring, and no longer blocks the relative rotation between the rotating outer shaft and the rotating inner shaft.

[0020] Preferably, the conical design of the lower end of the tank body is used to concentrate the liquid to the conical end during the drainage process, thereby improving the drainage rate.

[0021] Preferably, when the solution needs to be discharged, the filling and draining valve is opened, and the electrically controlled magnetic attraction of the one-way control block is not actuated, the clockwork power system rotates forward under the action of elastic potential energy, and the rotating outer shaft of the clockwork power system winds up the piston traction rope, driving the lightweight piston to the lowest position of the tank body, draining the solution inside the tank, and stopping or controlling the drainage speed midway by closing the filling and draining valve or controlling its opening.

[0022] Preferably, when the solution needs to be added, the filling and drainage valve is opened, the electrically controlled magnetic attraction of the one-way control block is attracted, and the wedge block is retracted from the annular notch of the rotating outer shaft under the action of the spring. The filling port of the external filling system is connected to the filling and drainage valve, and under the action of the filling liquid pressure, the lightweight piston moves upward, and the internal space increases until it reaches the uppermost end and stops. After the solution is filled, the external filling stops, the filling and drainage valve is closed, and the electrically controlled magnetic attraction of the one-way control block is powered off, and it is in a natural state under the action of the spring.

[0023] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following advantages:

[0024] (1) The piston of the present invention adopts a lightweight design, a spider web skeleton plus skin structure, and the tank body adopts high-quality titanium alloy plate to reduce the overall mass as much as possible;

[0025] (2) The end of the storage tank of the present invention adopts a conical design, and the liquid is finally concentrated at the conical end during the drainage process, which effectively improves the drainage rate;

[0026] (3) The spring system has a one-way control block structure during the discharge process, which can realize whether it can move in one direction according to the control requirements. It can effectively prevent the change of the tank volume due to special circumstances such as vibration during the process, causing unnecessary damage;

[0027] (4) The filling pipeline and the discharge pipeline are the same pipeline, which effectively saves pipelines and space, while also reducing the overall quality, reducing complex systems, and making the overall quality easier to control. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0028] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a reusable automatic liquid discharge storage tank of the present invention;

[0029] Figure 2 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of the spring power system of the present invention;

[0030] Figure 3 It is a schematic diagram of the spider web skeleton structure of the lightweight piston of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0031] The technical solution adopted in this design is as follows: a reusable automatic liquid discharge tank includes a tank body 1, a lightweight piston 2, a tank cover 3, a filling and draining valve 4, a spring power system 5, a pipeline system 6 and a piston traction rope 7. Among them, the lightweight piston 2 is inside the tank body, the center of the piston is pulled by the piston traction rope 7, and the other end of the piston traction rope 7 is connected to the spring power system 5; the upper end of the tank body 1 is sealed by the tank cover 3, and the lower end is connected to the pipeline system 6. The pipeline system 6 and the tank body 1 are directly facing the spring power system 5. The other branch of the pipeline system is a pipeline for filling or discharging solution, on which the filling and draining valve 4 is installed.

[0032] The tank body 1 is generally made of titanium alloy material, and is cylindrical in shape as a whole, with a mounting thread at the upper end for mounting with the tank cover 3. The lower end of the tank body 1 is conical, and the end is connected to the pipe system 6.

[0033] The tank cover 3 is also generally made of titanium alloy, with threads on the cylindrical part for installation with the tank body 1, and tiny exhaust holes on it. Aerogel is filled in the exhaust holes to absorb trace amounts of leaked liquid and have flame retardant properties.

[0034] The lightweight piston 2 includes a mesh frame 2.1, a sealing part 2.2 and a skin 2.3. The skin 2.3 is located below the mesh frame 2.1, that is, closer to the lower end of the tank body 1. The edges of the spider web frame 2.1 and the skin 2.3 are welded. The sealing part 2.2 is equipped with a rubber ring sealing structure, which is located at the edge of the spider web frame 2.1 and the skin 2.3 and contacts the inner wall of the tank body 1 to ensure the sealing between the lightweight piston 2 and the tank body 1.

[0035] The pipeline system 6 at the lower part of the tank body 1 is divided into two paths, the direct path is connected to the spring power system 5, and the branch path is equipped with a filling and draining valve 4, which is used for filling and draining the solution inside the tank.

[0036] The spring power system 5 comprises: a rotating inner shaft 5.1, a rotating outer shaft 5.2, a one-way control block assembly 5.3, a rope groove 5.4, and an outer housing 5.5; wherein:

[0037] The rotating inner shaft 5.1 is fixed in the outer housing 5.5, and the rotating outer shaft 5.2 is dumbbell-shaped, with a rope groove 5.4 in the middle, and the traction rope 7 can be wound on the rope groove 5.4; the rotating inner shaft 5.1 passes through the rotating outer shaft 5.2; the one-way control block assembly 5.3 and the spring spring 5.6 are installed at both ends of the rotating inner shaft 5.1 and adjacent to the inner wall of the rotating outer shaft 5.2, wherein the one-way control block assembly 5.3 controls the relative rotation of the rotating inner shaft 5.1 and the rotating outer shaft 5.2; the spring spring 5.6 is installed at both ends of the rotating inner shaft 5.1 and the rotating outer shaft 5.2, and is used to add and store elastic potential energy, so that the rotating inner shaft 5.1 and the rotating outer shaft 5.2 can rotate relative to each other. There are annular notches on the inner walls of both ends of the rotating outer shaft 5.2.

[0038] The one-way control block assembly 5.3 includes a spring, an electric-controlled magnetic attraction and a wedge block, and the spring and the electric-controlled magnetic attraction are connected to and control the wedge block: when the electric-controlled magnetic attraction is in a released state, the one-way control block assembly 5.3 pops out the wedge block under the action of the spring, so that the wedge block is stuck in the annular notch of the rotating outer shaft 5.2. At this time, even if there is a wedge block blocking it, the rotating outer shaft 5.2 can still rotate clockwise, driving the lightweight piston 2 to move downward; the lightweight piston 2 moving downward is defined as the positive direction; the reverse rotation of the rotating outer shaft 5.2 can be blocked by the wedge block. When the electric-controlled magnetic attraction is closed, the wedge block of the one-way control block 5.3 is retracted from the annular notch of the rotating outer shaft 5.2 under the action of the spring, and no longer blocks the relative rotation between the rotating outer shaft 5.2 and the rotating inner shaft 5.1.

[0039] Since the tank is part of the space vehicle, it does not have a separate control system and is controlled by the space vehicle control system. When the solution needs to be discharged, the filling and draining valve 4 is opened, the electric control magnetic attraction of the one-way control block 5.3 does not work, the one-way control block 5.3 is in a natural state under the action of its spring, the clockwork system 5 rotates forward under the action of elastic potential energy, the clockwork spring 5.6 is released from the tight state, driving the rotating outer shaft 5.2 to rotate, and the rotating outer shaft 5.2 tightens the piston traction rope 7 while rotating. The lightweight piston 2 reaches the lowest position of the tank body 1 under the action of the piston traction rope 7, and all the solution inside the tank is discharged. If it is necessary to stop or control the drainage speed midway, the filling and draining valve 4 is closed or its opening is controlled. Moreover, in the middle position, due to the action of the clockwork system under the one-way control block 5.3, it can be prevented from shaking outward under the action of vibration.

[0040] When the solution needs to be added, the filling and draining valve 4 is opened, and the electric-controlled magnetic attraction of the one-way control block 5.3 is attracted. The one-way control block 5.3 is in a tightened state under the action of its spring, that is, the wedge block of the one-way control block 5.3 is retracted from the annular notch of the rotating outer shaft 5.2 under the action of the spring, and the filling port of the external filling system is connected to the filling and draining valve 4. Under the action of the filling liquid pressure, the lightweight piston 2 moves upward, and the internal space increases until the lightweight piston 2 reaches the uppermost end and stops, and the solution is filled. The external filling stops, and the filling and draining valve 4 is closed. The electric-controlled magnetic attraction of the one-way control block 5.3 is powered off, and the one-way control block 5.3 is in a natural state under the action of the spring. It can prevent the lightweight piston 2 from moving upward under the action of external forces such as vibration. The filling is completed.

[0041] In this design, the lightweight piston 2 adopts a lightweight design, using a spider web skeleton plus skin structure to reduce the overall mass as much as possible.

[0042] The tank body 1 is made of high-quality titanium alloy plate to reduce the weight as much as possible. At the same time, the overall structure has a cylindrical section of a certain length that matches the tank body 1, so that the filling and drainage process can be stably extended and contracted in the length direction, effectively avoiding instability and deformation during the process and minimizing the lateral movement of the center of mass. The end of the tank adopts a conical design, and the liquid is finally concentrated at the conical end during the drainage process, which effectively improves the drainage rate.

[0043] In the design, the lightweight piston 2 and the tank body 1 are sealed with rubber or copper rings, which ensures reliable sealing and reusability.

[0044] The piston traction rope between the lightweight piston and the clockwork mechanism can be a nylon rope or a corrosion-resistant steel wire rope.

[0045] The main body of the tank body may also be cylindrical or hexahedral except for the upper and lower ends. In this case, the outer envelope of the lightweight piston 2 is adaptively designed according to the shape of the tank body.

[0046] The design uses a spring system 5 as its power system, and no additional gas extrusion system or pump system is required, which saves space and reduces quality to the greatest extent. In addition, the spring system has a one-way control block structure during the liquid discharge process, which can realize whether it can move in one direction according to the control requirements. It can effectively prevent the change of the tank volume due to special circumstances such as vibration during the process, causing unnecessary damage.

[0047] The filling pipeline and the drainage pipeline are designed to be the same pipeline, which effectively saves pipelines and space, and also reduces the overall quality. The complex system is reduced, making the overall quality easier to control.

[0048] The lightweight piston 2 and the tank body 1 can be double sealed by rubber and copper rings, which not only ensures reliable sealing but also can be reused.

[0049] The contents not described in detail in the specification of the present invention belong to the prior art known to the professional and technical personnel in this field.

Claims

1. A reusable automatic drain tank, characterized in that include: A tank body (1), a lightweight piston (2), a tank cover (3), a filling and draining valve (4), a spring power system (5), a pipeline system (6) and a piston traction rope (7); wherein: The tank body (1) is cylindrical and is used to store solution; the upper end is sealed by the tank cover (3), the lower end is conical, and the lower end is connected to the pipeline system (6); The lightweight piston (2) is located inside the tank body (1), and its outer envelope is a cone that matches the lower end of the tank body (1), and its edge is closely attached to the inner wall of the tank body (1); The pipeline system (6) includes two pipelines, wherein a spring power system (5) is arranged on the pipeline located on the axis of the tank body (1); and a filling and draining valve (4) is installed on the other pipeline perpendicular to the axis of the tank body (1) for filling or draining the solution in the tank. One end of the piston traction rope (7) pulls the lightweight piston (2), and the other end is connected to the spring power system (5). When the spring power system (5) is working, the lightweight piston (2) is driven to move through the piston traction rope (7).

2. The reusable automatic draining tank according to claim 1, characterized in that: The tank body (1) is made of titanium alloy material and is provided with a mounting thread at the upper end for mounting with the tank cover (3).

3. The reusable automatic draining tank according to claim 1, characterized in that: The tank cover (3) is made of titanium alloy and is provided with threads at the contact position with the tank body (1) for being installed in coordination with the tank body (1); The tank cover (3) is provided with an exhaust hole and is filled with aerogel for absorbing a trace amount of leaked liquid.

4. The reusable automatic draining tank according to claim 1, characterized in that: The lightweight piston (2) comprises: a mesh frame (2.1), a sealing part (2.2) and a skin (2.3); wherein: The skin (2.3) is located below the web-shaped frame (2.1), that is, closer to the lower end of the tank body (1); the edges of the spider web-shaped frame (2.1) and the skin (2.3) are welded; The sealing part (2.2) is equipped with a rubber ring sealing structure, which is located at the edge of the welding position of the spider web frame (2.1) and the skin (2.3) and contacts the inner wall of the tank body (1) to ensure the sealing between the lightweight piston (2) and the inner wall of the tank body (1).

5. The reusable automatic draining tank according to claim 1, characterized in that: The spring power system (5) comprises a rotating inner shaft (5.1), a rotating outer shaft (5.2), a one-way control block assembly (5.3), a rope accommodating groove (5.4), an outer shell (5.5) and a spring spring (5.6), specifically: The rotating inner shaft (5.1) is fixedly installed in the outer shell (5.5); the rotating outer shaft (5.2) is dumbbell-shaped, with a rope groove (5.4) in the middle, and the traction rope (7) can be wound around the rope groove (5.4); the rotating inner shaft (5.1) passes through the inside of the rotating outer shaft (5.2); the one-way control block assembly (5.3) and the spring spring (5.6) are installed at both ends of the rotating inner shaft (5.1) and adjacent to the inner walls of both ends of the rotating outer shaft (5.2), wherein the one-way control block assembly (5.3) controls the relative rotation of the rotating inner shaft (5.1) and the rotating outer shaft (5.2); the spring spring (5.6) is installed at both ends of the rotating inner shaft (5.1) and the rotating outer shaft (5.2) and is used to add and store elastic potential energy so that the rotating inner shaft (5.1) and the rotating outer shaft (5.2) can rotate relative to each other.

6. The reusable self-draining liquid storage tank according to claim 5, characterized in that: There are annular notches on the inner walls of both ends of the rotating outer shaft (5.2); The one-way control block component (5.3) comprises a spring, an electrically controlled magnetic attraction and a wedge block, wherein the spring and the electrically controlled magnetic attraction are both connected to and control the wedge block: when the electrically controlled magnetic attraction is in a released state, the one-way control block component (5.3) pops out the wedge block outward under the action of the spring, so that the wedge block is stuck in the annular notch of the rotating outer shaft (5.2), and the rotating outer shaft (5.2) can still rotate to drive the lightweight piston (2) to move downward, and the rotation direction of the rotating outer shaft (5.2) is defined as the forward direction, and the reverse rotation of the rotating outer shaft (5.2) can be blocked by the wedge block; when the electrically controlled magnetic attraction is closed, the wedge block of the one-way control block (5.3) is retracted from the annular notch of the rotating outer shaft (5.2) under the action of the spring, and no longer blocks the relative rotation between the rotating outer shaft (5.2) and the rotating inner shaft (5.1).

7. The reusable self-draining liquid storage tank according to claim 1, characterized in that: The conical design of the lower end of the tank body (1) is used to concentrate the liquid to the conical end during the liquid discharge process, thereby improving the liquid discharge rate.

8. The reusable self-draining tank according to claim 6, characterized in that: When the solution needs to be discharged, the filling and draining valve (4) is opened, and the electric-controlled magnetic attraction of the one-way control block (5.3) is not in operation. The spring power system (5) rotates forward under the action of elastic potential energy, and the rotating outer shaft (5.2) of the spring power system (5) winds up the piston traction rope (7), driving the lightweight piston (2) to the lowest position of the tank body (1), draining the solution inside the tank. The filling and draining valve (4) is closed or its opening is controlled to stop or control the drainage speed midway.

9. The reusable self-draining liquid storage tank according to claim 6, characterized in that: When it is necessary to add solution, the filling and draining valve (4) is opened, the electrically controlled magnetic attraction of the one-way control block (5.3) is attracted, and the wedge block (5.3) is retracted from the annular notch of the rotating outer shaft (5.2) under the action of the spring. The filling port of the external filling system is connected to the filling and draining valve (4). Under the action of the filling liquid pressure, the lightweight piston (2) moves upward, and the internal space increases until it reaches the uppermost end and stops. After the solution is filled, the external filling stops, the filling and draining valve (4) is closed, and the electrically controlled magnetic attraction of the one-way control block (5.3) is powered off, and it is in a natural state under the action of the spring.

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