Two-phase liquid storage device under microgravity environment and preparation process thereof

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of pump-driven two-phase flow loop cooling, and discloses a two-phase liquid storage device in a microgravity environment and a preparation technology thereof.The two-phase liquid storage device comprises a container structure, a liquid collecting structure and a cooling pipe, the container structure comprises a liquid storage barrel, a front end cover and a rear end cover, and the front end cover and the rear end cover are arranged at the two axial ends of the liquid storage barrel in a matched mode; the liquid collecting structure is arranged in the inner cavity of the liquid storage cylinder and comprises a capillary core tube and a capillary liquid collecting net arranged on the side wall of the capillary core tube; the cooling pipe penetrates through an inner cavity of the capillary core pipe; according to the preparation process of the two-phase liquid storage device, complex processes and customization processes such as multiple sintering, stainless steel cylinder machine tool machining and stainless steel wire net accurate shaping are not needed, the preparation process is simplified, the preparation period is shortened, and the manufacturing cost is reduced; and the manufacturing process of sintering, winding and welding of the outer wall of the liquid storage device is adopted, so that the size design difficulty of the liquid storage device is reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of pump-driven two-phase flow loop cooling, and particularly to a two-phase accumulator under microgravity environment and its preparation process. Background Art

[0002] With the highly differentiated design of satellites, satellite thermal control technology faces increasing challenges. Lack of effective thermal control will bring serious potential hazards. For example, the propellant pipeline may freeze or expand due to extremely low temperature, resulting in rupture or fuel leakage, increasing the explosion risk. The thermal expansion and contraction of materials may cause cracks in welds and solder joints, further leading to open circuits or structural failures. Temperature changes will also cause fluctuations in battery voltage and capacity, instability of the voltage of the solar cell array, and performance deviation of precision instruments, such as timing drift or misalignment of optical devices.

[0003] To address these challenges, the aerospace industry and scientific research institutions are actively investing in advanced thermal control technologies, including new types of heat pipes, high-performance heat-conducting materials, thermal switches and thermal diode technologies, and variable surface property materials. However, traditional satellite thermal control methods, such as heat conduction tapes, thermal control coatings and heat pipes, are difficult to meet the needs of large-scale satellite deployment due to their high development costs and long cycles. Therefore, improving the modularization and generalization of satellite heat dissipation systems has become an urgent problem to be solved.

[0004] Compared with traditional thermal control methods, two-phase flow cooling systems have the advantages of high cooling power and large temperature control range. Swanson of the Goddard Space Flight Center of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) outlined the thermal control technology of future spacecraft, as well as the advanced technologies and emerging technologies adopted in 2003. Under the development trend of miniaturization and high power of future satellites, two-phase fluid circulation is considered the most advanced technology in the current heat transfer field and is not easily replaced, becoming the main driving force of heat transfer technology.

[0005] In a two-phase flow cooling system, the accumulator is the core of cooling control, which has the functions of controlling the saturation pressure of the working medium, regulating the loop temperature, and stabilizing the instantaneous heat flux impact. However, in order to adapt to the microgravity environment in space, the internal structure of the accumulator is complex. At present, the design and manufacture of accumulators applied to microgravity environment still stay in the stage of multiple processing. Due to technical limitations, the manufacturing cost is high and the cycle is long, which restricts the large-scale application of space two-phase flow cooling systems to a certain extent. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The purpose of this part is to outline some aspects of the embodiments of the present invention and briefly introduce some preferred embodiments. Some simplifications or omissions may be made in this part, as well as in the abstract and title of the present application, to avoid obscuring the purpose of this part, the abstract and the title, and such simplifications or omissions shall not be used to limit the scope of the present invention.

[0007] In view of the problem that the existing liquid storage devices in the microgravity environment cannot be applied on a large scale as described above, the present invention is proposed.

[0008] Therefore, the object of the present invention is to provide a two-phase liquid storage device in a microgravity environment, aiming to solve the problem that the large-scale application of the two-phase flow cooling system in the space environment is restricted by the defects of the existing liquid storage devices in the microgravity environment, such as high processing difficulty, long production cycle, and high process cost.

[0009] To solve the above technical problems, the present invention provides the following technical solution: A two-phase liquid storage device in a microgravity environment, which includes a container structure, a liquid collection structure, and a cooling pipe. Among them, the container structure includes a liquid storage cylinder and a front end cover and a rear end cover that are cooperatively arranged at both axial ends of the liquid storage cylinder; the liquid collection structure is arranged in the inner cavity of the liquid storage cylinder and includes a capillary core tube and a capillary liquid collection net arranged on the side wall of the capillary core tube; the cooling pipe penetrates through the inner cavity of the capillary core tube and communicates with the inner cavity of the liquid storage cylinder.

[0010] As a preferred solution of the two-phase liquid storage device in the microgravity environment of the present invention, wherein: a heater is arranged on the outer side wall of the liquid storage cylinder; a stainless steel capillary net layer is integrated on the surface of the side wall of the inner cavity of the liquid storage cylinder, and the stainless steel capillary net layer is formed by stacking a plurality of layers of stainless steel wire meshes.

[0011] As a preferred solution of the two-phase liquid storage device in the microgravity environment of the present invention, wherein: through holes are opened on the side walls of the front end cover and the rear end cover.

[0012] As a preferred solution of the two-phase liquid storage device in the microgravity environment of the present invention, wherein: the capillary core tube includes a capillary tube and a first connecting tube and a second connecting tube connected to both ends of the capillary tube, and the inner cavities of the three are communicated.

[0013] As a preferred solution of the two-phase liquid storage device in the microgravity environment of the present invention, wherein: the ends of the first connecting tube and the second connecting tube away from the capillary tube pass through the through holes and extend out of the inner cavity of the liquid storage cylinder; and at least one branch tube is also communicated with the side walls of the first connecting tube and the second connecting tube.

[0014] As a preferred solution of the two-phase liquid storage device in the microgravity environment of the present invention, wherein: the capillary liquid collection net is composed of a corrugated stainless steel wire mesh, one end of which is connected to the side wall of the capillary tube, and the other end is connected to the stainless steel capillary net layer.

[0015] As a preferred solution of the two-phase liquid storage device in the microgravity environment of the present invention, wherein: a plurality of connection points are arranged at the end of the capillary liquid collection net connected to the stainless steel capillary net layer, and the connection points are distributed at equal angular intervals.

[0016] As a preferred embodiment of the two-phase liquid storage device in the microgravity environment of the present invention, wherein: the axial length of the capillary tube is not greater than the axial length of the stainless steel capillary mesh layer, and the distribution length of the capillary liquid collection mesh is not greater than the axial length of the capillary tube.

[0017] As a preferred embodiment of the two-phase liquid storage device in the microgravity environment of the present invention, wherein: a cooling working medium is introduced into the cooling tube.

[0018] Another object of the present invention is to provide a manufacturing process for a two-phase liquid storage device in a microgravity environment, aiming to manufacture the above-mentioned two-phase liquid storage device.

[0019] To solve the above technical problems, the present invention provides the following technical solutions: A process for manufacturing the above-mentioned two-phase liquid storage device in a microgravity environment, the process comprising the following steps: S1: Sinter a stainless steel plate and a stainless steel capillary mesh in a vacuum and high-temperature environment to form a substrate with a stainless steel wire mesh layer. S2: Wind and shape the substrate with the stainless steel wire mesh layer, and weld the notch in a protective environment to form a liquid storage cylinder with a capillary structure. S3: Install a heater on the outer wall surface of the liquid storage device. S4: Bend several layers of stainless steel wire mesh into a corrugated shape and shape it with a mold to form a capillary liquid collection mesh. S5: Weld one end of the capillary liquid collection mesh to the outer wall of the capillary tube to form a combination, place it inside the liquid storage cylinder, and perform equal-angle multi-point welding of the other end of the capillary liquid collection mesh to the surface of the stainless steel wire mesh layer. S6: Align the first connecting pipe and the second connecting pipe with the pipe orifices at both ends of the capillary tube respectively, pass through the through holes of the front end cover and the rear end cover respectively, and then screw in a certain distance and position to form a capillary core tube. S7: Insert and penetrate the cooling tube through the tube body of the capillary core tube, and seal the pipe orifices of both ends of the connecting pipe. S8: Install the front end cover and the rear end cover at the orifices of the liquid storage cylinder correspondingly and fit them together for installation.

[0020] Advantages of the present invention: 1. The preparation process of the two-phase liquid storage device of the present invention does not require complex processes and customized processes such as multiple sintering, machine processing of stainless steel cylinders, and precise shaping of stainless steel wire meshes, simplifies the preparation process, shortens the preparation cycle, and reduces the production cost. 2. The manufacturing process of "sintering - winding - welding" on the outer wall of the liquid storage device used in the present invention reduces the difficulty of the size design of the liquid storage device. 3. The sintering process for the outer wall of the liquid reservoir used in the present invention allows for a complex capillary structure including multiple layers and varying porosity on one side of the outer wall of the liquid reservoir, improving the design upper limit of the two-phase liquid reservoir and expanding the application potential of the liquid reservoir. 4. The stainless steel wire mesh sintering process used in the present invention replaces the stainless steel powder sintering in traditional liquid reservoirs, and the sintered stainless steel capillary mesh fits tightly with the outer wall, ensuring the porosity accuracy and uniformity of the capillary structure inside the liquid reservoir and improving the finished product quality of the two-phase liquid reservoir. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention, the following will briefly introduce the drawings required for use in the description of the embodiments. Obviously, the drawings in the following description are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those of ordinary skill in the art, without creative efforts, other drawings can also be obtained based on these drawings. Among them: Figure 1 It is a schematic overall sectional plane structure diagram of the two-phase liquid reservoir in the microgravity environment of the present invention.

[0022] Figure 2 It is a schematic internal radial structure diagram of the two-phase liquid reservoir in the microgravity environment of the present invention.

[0023] Figure 3 It is a schematic connection structure diagram of the capillary core tube and the cooling tube of the two-phase liquid reservoir in the microgravity environment of the present invention.

[0024] Figure 4 It is a schematic end cap structure diagram of the two-phase liquid reservoir in the microgravity environment of the present invention.

[0025] Figure 5 It is a schematic diagram of the outer wall processing process of the two-phase liquid reservoir in the microgravity environment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

[0026] In order to make the above objects, features, and advantages of the present invention more obvious and understandable, the following will give a detailed description of the specific embodiments of the present invention with reference to the drawings in the specification.

[0027] Many specific details are set forth in the following description in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. However, the present invention may be implemented in other ways different from those described herein. Those skilled in the art can make similar extensions without departing from the connotation of the present invention. Therefore, the present invention is not limited by the specific embodiments disclosed below.

[0028] Second, the "one embodiment" or "embodiment" referred to herein means a specific feature, structure or characteristic that may be included in at least one implementation manner of the present invention. The "in one embodiment" that appears in different places in this specification does not all refer to the same embodiment, nor is it an individual or selectively mutually exclusive embodiment with other embodiments.

[0029] Thirdly, the present invention is described in detail in conjunction with schematic diagrams. When detailing the embodiments of the present invention, for the convenience of explanation, the cross-sectional views showing the device structure will be locally enlarged out of the general proportion, and the schematic diagrams are only examples and should not limit the scope of protection of the present invention herein. In addition, in actual production, three-dimensional spatial dimensions including length, width and depth should be included.

[0030] Embodiment 1 Referring to Figures 1 to 4 , which is the first embodiment of the present invention, a two-phase liquid storage device in a microgravity environment is provided. This liquid storage device includes a container structure 100, a liquid collection structure 200 and a cooling pipe 300. Among them, the container structure 100 is the container housing part of this two-phase liquid storage device, and is used to accommodate and connect the liquid collection structure 200 inside; the liquid collection structure 200 is used to form a fluid passage in the liquid storage device to realize the circulation of the cooling working medium; the cooling pipe 300 is in contact with the liquid collection structure 200, and by guiding the cooling working medium, the heat in the liquid storage device is cycled out.

[0031] Specifically, the container structure 100 includes a liquid storage cylinder 101 and a front end cover 102 and a rear end cover 103 which are arranged at both axial ends of the liquid storage cylinder 101 in a matching manner; the liquid storage cylinder 101 is a cylinder with both ends open, and the front end cover 102 and the rear end cover 103 are respectively installed at the ports of its cylinder body, and can be fixedly connected by detachable installation or welding and other methods.

[0032] A heater 101a is arranged on the outer side wall of the liquid storage cylinder 101; this heater 101a can be in the form of a heating sheet, a heating film or an electric heating wire, etc., and it is attached to the outer surface side wall of the liquid storage cylinder 101 for heat preservation or heating of the liquid storage cylinder. The inner cavity side wall surface of the liquid storage cylinder 101 is integrated with a stainless steel capillary network layer 101b, and the stainless steel capillary network layer 101b is formed by stacking several layers of stainless steel wire meshes, and the integrated thickness is about 3 mm; and each layer of stainless steel wire mesh has different porosities.

[0033] Through holes K are opened on the cover side walls of the front end cover 102 and the rear end cover 103, and these through holes K are used for the first connecting pipe 201b and the second connecting pipe 201c in the capillary core tube 201 to pass through.

[0034] Further, a liquid collecting structure 200 is disposed in the inner cavity of the liquid storage cylinder 101, which includes a capillary core tube 201 and a capillary liquid collecting net 202 disposed on the side wall of the capillary core tube 201; wherein, the capillary liquid collecting net 202 is used to replace gravity to confine the coolant in the area near the inlet and outlet in the liquid storage device, connect with the capillary core tube 201, and form a path for the flow of the cooling working medium.

[0035] Specifically, the capillary core tube 201 has a three-section structure, which includes a capillary tube 201a in the middle and a first connecting tube 201b and a second connecting tube 201c connected to both ends of the capillary tube 201a. The inner cavities of the three are communicated to facilitate the placement of the cooling tube 300.

[0036] The overall length of the capillary core tube 201 is greater than the axial length of the liquid storage cylinder 101. Therefore, the ends of the first connecting tube 201b and the second connecting tube 201c far from the capillary tube 201a pass through the through hole K and extend out of the inner cavity of the liquid storage cylinder 101; at least one branch pipe Z is also communicated on the side walls of the first connecting tube 201b and the second connecting tube 201c; it should be noted that, for the convenience of connecting the two connecting tubes with the external circulation pipeline and connecting with the connecting tubes to introduce the cooling working medium, etc., at least one branch pipe Z is communicated on the pipe body of the first connecting tube 201b and / or the second connecting tube 201c, forming a form of a three-way pipe or a four-way pipe.

[0037] The capillary liquid collecting net 202 is composed of a corrugated stainless steel wire mesh, and specifically, a 400-mesh corrugated stainless steel wire mesh can be used; one end of it is connected to the side wall of the capillary tube 201a, and the other end is connected to the stainless steel capillary mesh layer 101b. And the end connected to the stainless steel capillary mesh layer 101b has a plurality of connection points, and each connection point is distributed at equal angular intervals, and the included angle between adjacent corrugations is preferably 15°.

[0038] Furthermore, the axial length of the capillary tube 201a is not greater than the axial length of the stainless steel capillary mesh layer 101b, and the distribution length of the capillary liquid collecting net 202 is not greater than the axial length of the capillary tube 201a; so that the capillary liquid collecting net 202 can be completely connected to the capillary tube 201a, and the capillary tube 201a can be completely encapsulated in the cavity of the liquid storage cylinder 101, so that the heat in the liquid storage cylinder 101 can be absorbed and circulated.

[0039] The cooling tube 300 penetrates through the inner cavity of the capillary core tube 201 and is communicated with the inner cavity of the liquid storage cylinder 101; therefore, the cooling working medium introduced into the cooling tube 300 can be output after passing through the inner cavity of the liquid storage cylinder 101 to facilitate the transmission and circulation of heat.

[0040] Embodiment 2 Refer to Figure 5, which is the second embodiment of the present invention, is used to manufacture the two-phase liquid reservoir proposed in Embodiment 1, and a manufacturing process of the two-phase liquid reservoir in a microgravity environment is proposed. The manufacturing process includes the following steps: S1: In a vacuum and high-temperature environment, sinter a stainless-steel plate and a stainless-steel capillary mesh to make a substrate J with a stainless-steel wire mesh layer 101b. Among them, the vacuum and high-temperature environment can be a vacuum environment at 1300 °C.

[0041] S2: Wind and shape the substrate 101 with the stainless-steel wire mesh layer 101b, and weld the notch in a protective environment to form a liquid storage cylinder 101 with a capillary structure. Preferably, the protective environment is an inert gas environment, and the preferred protective gas is argon.

[0042] S3: Install the heater 101a on the outer wall surface of the liquid reservoir. Optionally, the installation method of the heater 101a is diffusion welding; and the installation position of the heater 101a is optimal at the upper end of the outer wall of the liquid reservoir.

[0043] S4: Bend several layers of stainless-steel wire mesh into a corrugated shape and shape it with a mold to make a capillary liquid collection mesh 202. Specifically, sinter multiple layers of 400-mesh stainless-steel wire mesh at 1300 °C in a vacuum, bend it into a corrugated shape, and then shape it with a mold. S5: Weld one end of the capillary liquid collection mesh 202 to the outer wall of the capillary 201a; form a combination body and place it inside the liquid storage cylinder 101, and perform equal-angle multi-point welding on the other end of the capillary liquid collection mesh 202 with the surface of the stainless-steel wire mesh layer 101b. S6: Align the first connecting pipe 201b and the second connecting pipe 201c with the pipe orifices at both ends of the capillary 201a respectively, pass them through the through holes K of the front end cap 102 and the rear end cap 103 respectively, and then screw them in a certain distance and position to make a capillary core tube 201. Among them, the two connecting pipes can be made of stainless-steel pipes by laser cutting and vacuum brazing; the capillary 201a is supported by winding, sintering, and cutting of stainless-steel wire mesh. When the two connecting pipes are connected to the capillary 201a, it is an interference fit, and electric welding is performed at a certain distance at the overlapping part of the two to improve the connection effect.

[0044] S7: Insert and penetrate the cooling pipe 300 into the tube body of the capillary core tube 201, and seal the pipe orifices at both ends of the connecting pipe. The sealing method is: use vacuum brazing to weld the gap between the cooling pipe 300 and the pipe orifice of the connecting pipe to form a seal.

[0045] S8: Install the front end cap 102 and the rear end cap 103 at the tube orifices of the liquid storage cylinder 101 correspondingly and fit them together; that is, use vacuum brazing for sealed welding to fix the end caps at both ends of the liquid storage cylinder 101, and complete the preparation of the overall two-phase liquid reservoir.

[0046] It should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention rather than to limit it. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the preferred embodiments, those of ordinary skill in the art should understand that the technical solutions of the present invention can be modified or equivalently replaced without departing from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the present invention, and they should all be covered within the scope of the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. A two-phase liquid storage device in a microgravity environment, characterized in that: Comprising, A container structure (100), which includes a liquid storage cylinder (101) and a front end cover (102) and a rear end cover (103) that are cooperatively arranged at both axial ends of the liquid storage cylinder (101); A liquid collecting structure (200), which is arranged in the inner cavity of the liquid storage cylinder (101), and includes a capillary core tube (201) and a capillary liquid collecting net (202) arranged on the side wall of the capillary core tube (201); A cooling tube (300), which penetrates through the inner cavity of the capillary core tube (201) and communicates with the inner cavity of the liquid storage cylinder (101).

2. The two-phase liquid storage device in a microgravity environment according to claim 1, wherein: A heater (101a) is arranged on the outer side wall of the liquid storage cylinder (101); A stainless steel capillary net layer (101b) is integrated on the surface of the inner cavity side wall of the liquid storage cylinder (101), and the stainless steel capillary net layer (101b) is formed by stacking several layers of stainless steel wire meshes.

3. The two-phase liquid reservoir under microgravity environment according to claim 2, wherein: Through holes (K) are formed on the side walls of the front end cover (102) and the rear end cover (103).

4. The two-phase liquid storage device in a microgravity environment according to claim 3, characterized in that: The capillary core tube (201) includes a capillary tube (201a) and a first connecting tube (201b) and a second connecting tube (201c) connected to both ends of the capillary tube (201a), and the inner cavities of the three are communicated.

5. The two-phase liquid storage device under microgravity according to claim 4, wherein: One ends of the first connecting tube (201b) and the second connecting tube (201c) far from the capillary tube (201a) pass through the through hole (K) and extend out of the inner cavity of the liquid storage cylinder (101); No less than one branch pipe (Z) is also communicated with the side walls of the first connecting tube (201b) and the second connecting tube (201c).

6. The two-phase liquid reservoir in a microgravity environment according to claim 5, characterized in that: The capillary liquid collecting net (202) is composed of a corrugated stainless steel wire mesh, one end of which is connected to the side wall of the capillary tube (201a), and the other end is connected to the stainless steel capillary net layer (101b).

7. The two-phase liquid storage device in a microgravity environment according to claim 6, characterized in that: Several connection points are arranged at the end of the capillary liquid collecting net (202) connected to the stainless steel capillary net layer (101b), and each connection point is distributed at equal interval angles.

8. The two-phase liquid reservoir in a microgravity environment according to claim 7, characterized in that: The axial length of the capillary tube (201a) is not greater than the axial length of the stainless steel capillary net layer (101b), and the distribution length of the capillary liquid collecting net (202) is not greater than the axial length of the capillary tube (201a).

9. The two-phase liquid reservoir under microgravity according to claim 8, characterized in that: A cooling working medium is introduced into the cooling tube (300).

10. A process for manufacturing a two-phase liquid reservoir under microgravity as described in any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that: Including the following steps: In a vacuum and high-temperature environment, sinter a stainless steel plate and a stainless steel capillary net to make a substrate (J) with a stainless steel wire mesh layer (101b); Wind and shape the substrate (101) with the stainless steel wire mesh layer (101b), and weld the notch in a protective environment to form a liquid storage cylinder (101) with a capillary structure; Install the heater (101a) on the outer side wall surface of the liquid storage device; Bend several layers of stainless steel wire meshes into a corrugated shape and shape them with a mold to make a capillary liquid collecting net (202); Weld one end of the capillary liquid collecting net (202) to the outer side wall of the capillary tube (201a) to form an assembly, place it inside the liquid storage cylinder (101), and perform equal-angle multi-point welding on the other end of the capillary liquid collecting net (202) and the surface of the stainless steel wire mesh layer (101b); The first connecting pipe (201b) and the second connecting pipe (201c) are respectively aligned with the orifices at both ends of the capillary tube (201a). After passing through the through-holes (K) of the front end cover (102) and the rear end cover (103) respectively, they are screwed in by a certain distance and positioned to form a capillary core tube (201). Insert the cooling pipe (300) into and through the tube body of the capillary core tube (201), and seal the orifices of the connecting pipes at both ends. Install the front end cover (102) and the rear end cover (103) correspondingly at the orifice of the liquid storage cylinder (101), and fit and install them into one body.

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