Moon night survival system based on liquid oxygen methane combustion heat exchange

Abstract

The invention discloses a moon night survival system based on liquid oxygen methane combustion heat exchange, and relates to the field of moon exploration. The residual liquid oxygen methane propellant after the lunar landing of the lander is used for combustion heat exchange, and the temperature of the heat preservation cabin is maintained within the range of-20 DEG C to 40 DEG C through intermittent combustion and a temperature zone maintaining working mode. The system comprises a low-temperature propellant storage box, a high-pressure self-locking valve, a constant flow valve, a low-temperature heat exchanger, a combustion heat exchanger, a gravity-driven two-phase fluid loop, a low-temperature self-locking valve, a heat preservation cabin and the like, energy conversion and temperature control are achieved through combustion heat exchange and the gravity-driven two-phase fluid loop, and the problem of shortage of living energy at the moon night is effectively solved.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to the field of aerospace cryogenic propellant comprehensive utilization, in particular to a lunar night survival system based on liquid oxygen and methane combustion heat exchange. BACKGROUND

[0002] The lunar rotation period is about 28 days, of which the lunar day is 14 days and the lunar night is 14 days. There is a large temperature difference between day and night on the lunar surface, with the highest temperature of the lunar day being up to 120℃ and the lowest temperature of the lunar night being as low as -180℃. How to cope with the extremely cold conditions of the lunar night so that the spacecraft can realize cross-day and night survival after deploying on the lunar surface poses a severe challenge to the design of the lunar night energy supply system for lunar exploration.

[0003] For lunar surface independent explorers and various exploration equipment, the lunar night energy supply options include isotope heat sources and batteries. The isotope heat source scheme is relatively mature and stable, but the isotope (such as plutonium-238) material is scarce, the cost is high, and there is a risk of radiation; the mass cost of the battery during the 14-day lunar night is unacceptable. For the above reasons, the current commercial lunar transporters (such as all commercial landers under the Artemis Commercial Lunar Payload Project) with economic as the main target do not have the ability to survive the lunar night.

[0004] Therefore, seeking a low-cost lunar night survival scheme has become one of the technical problems that must be solved to improve the lunar exploration capability and realize the long-period and cross-day and night survival of equipment. SUMMARY

[0005] In order to solve the above problems, the present application provides a lunar night survival system based on liquid oxygen and methane combustion heat exchange, comprising: A cryogenic propellant tank (1) for storing liquid oxygen and methane; A high-pressure self-locking valve (2) connected to the cryogenic propellant tank (1) through two metal pipelines for isolating the propellant vapor in the tank; A constant flow valve (3) connected to the high-pressure self-locking valve (2) through two metal pipelines for maintaining constant flow; A cryogenic heat exchanger (4) connected to the constant flow valve (3) through two metal pipelines for initial heat exchange of the propellant vapor; A combustion heat exchanger (5) connected to the cryogenic heat exchanger (4) through a metal pipeline for combusting the propellant vapor and heating the heat exchange medium in the gravity-driven two-phase fluid circuit (6); A gravity-driven two-phase fluid circuit (6) connected to the combustion heat exchanger (5) through a metal pipeline and fixedly installed on the inner side of the wall panel (801) of the heat preservation cabin (8) for circulating the heat exchange medium; A low-temperature self-locking valve (7) is connected in series with the gravity-driven two-phase fluid circuit (6) to isolate the heat exchange medium of the fluid circuit; A heat preservation cabin (8) has the gravity-driven two-phase fluid circuit (6), the moon night comprehensive controller (11), the storage battery (12) and the temperature sensor (802) fixedly installed on the inner side of the wall plate (801) of the heat preservation cabin (8) to provide heat preservation for the load device; A variable thermal conductance switch (9) is connected between the wall plate (801) of the heat preservation cabin and the cabin wall heat dissipation surface (10) to control the heat dissipation of the heat preservation cabin (8); The cabin wall heat dissipation surface (10) is connected with the variable thermal conductance switch (9) to dissipate heat; The moon night comprehensive controller (11) is connected with the storage battery (12) to control the operation of the system; The storage battery (12) is used to supply power to the moon night comprehensive controller (11).

[0006] Optionally, the low-temperature propellant storage tank (1) includes an oxygen storage tank (101) and a methane storage tank (102), which are made of all metal or metal lining, have composite thermal insulation materials arranged on the outer layers, and have pressure sensors (103), heaters (104) and safety valves (105) arranged inside.

[0007] Optionally, the constant flow valve (3) has two transversely installed and riveted diaphragms arranged inside, and the constant flow is maintained by controlling the corresponding relationship between the pressure difference and the aperture.

[0008] Optionally, the low-temperature heat exchanger (4) has a gas discharge pipe (401) and a steam coil (402) arranged inside, the steam coil (402) is installed on the outer wall surface of the gas discharge pipe (401), and the preheating of the propellant steam by the gas is realized.

[0009] Optionally, the combustion heat exchanger (5) includes an injector (501), a spark plug (502) and a flat plate evaporator (503), the injector (501) includes a plurality of annular nozzles to realize the mixed combustion of oxygen and methane, the spark plug (502) is used to ignite the mixed gas according to the system requirement, and the flat plate evaporator (503) is used to realize the heat exchange between the high-temperature gas and the fluid circuit.

[0010] Optionally, the gravity-driven two-phase fluid circuit (6) comprises an ascending pipe (601), a condensing pipe (602), an accumulator (603) and a propylene working medium (604), when the low-temperature self-locking valve (7) is opened, the propylene working medium (604) enters the flat plate evaporator (503) in liquid state, absorbs evaporation to form propylene vapor, enters the condensing pipe (602) installed on the thermal insulation cabin wall plate (801) through the ascending pipe (601), completes heat exchange and condensation, and the condensed liquid propylene enters the accumulator (603) under the action of gravity and enters the combustion heat exchanger (5) through the low-temperature self-locking valve (7) to form a loop.

[0011] Optionally, the variable thermal conductive switch (9) is used to control the thermal conduction of the thermal insulation cabin (8) and the cabin wall heat dissipation surface (10), so as to maintain the temperature in the thermal insulation cabin (8).

[0012] Optionally, the cabin wall heat dissipation surface (10) is used to dissipate heat in the thermal insulation cabin (8) when the variable thermal conductive switch (9) is turned on.

[0013] Optionally, the temperature sensor (802) in the thermal insulation cabin (8) is used to monitor the temperature in the thermal insulation cabin (8) and transmit a temperature signal to the lunar night comprehensive controller (11).

[0014] Optionally, the battery (12) is used to supply power to the lunar night comprehensive controller (11), the high-pressure self-locking valve (2), the low-temperature self-locking valve (7) and the spark plug (502).

[0015] Compared with the prior art, the present application at least has the following beneficial effects: The system provided by the present application utilizes the remaining liquid oxygen and methane propellant after the lunar landing vehicle lands on the moon, converts it into heat energy, and uses it to maintain the temperature of the thermal insulation cabin, avoiding the high cost and mass penalty of traditional lunar night energy supply methods such as isotope heat source or large-capacity battery, greatly reducing the economic cost of the mission, and improving the utilization efficiency of the propellant.

[0016] The system adopts a gravity-driven two-phase fluid circuit and an intermittent combustion working mode, avoiding the complex flow regulation mechanism required for constant temperature control, reducing the complexity and failure risk of the system. Only a small amount of electrical energy is required to maintain the operation of key components such as valves and controllers, which minimizes power consumption and enables the system to operate reliably during the 14-day lunar night.

[0017] The present application selects propylene as the heat exchange medium, which has a low freezing point (-185℃), ensuring that the heat exchange medium will not freeze in the extremely low temperature lunar night environment, thereby avoiding the need for additional heating or the risk of pipe blockage, significantly improving the adaptability and operational stability of the system. These features make the system an economical, reliable and efficient lunar night survival solution. Attached Figure Description

[0018] Other features, objects, and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of non-limiting embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a lunar night survival system based on liquid oxygen and methane combustion heat exchange, provided as an embodiment of the present invention.

[0019] Figure label: 1-Cryogenic propellant tank, 2-High pressure self-locking valve, 3-Constant flow valve, 4-Cryogenic heat exchanger, 5-Combustion heat exchanger, 6-Gravity-driven two-phase fluid circuit, 7-Cryogenic self-locking valve, 8-Insulated chamber, 9-Variable thermal conductivity switch, 10-Bulkhead heat dissipation surface, 11-Lunar night integrated controller, 12-Battery; 101-Oxygen storage tank, 102-Methane storage tank, 103-Pressure sensor, 104-Heater, 105-Safety valve; 401 - Gas exhaust pipe; 402 - Steam coil; 501 - Injector, 502 - Spark plug, 503 - Flat plate evaporator; 601-Rising pipe, 602-Condensation pipe, 603-Accumulator, 604-Propylene working fluid; 801 - Insulated chamber wall panel; 802 - Insulated chamber temperature sensor. Detailed Implementation

[0020] The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to specific embodiments. These embodiments will help those skilled in the art to further understand the present invention, but do not limit the invention in any way. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make several changes and improvements without departing from the concept of the present invention. These all fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

[0021] like Figure 1 As shown, the present invention provides a lunar night survival system based on liquid oxygen and methane combustion heat exchange, including a cryogenic propellant tank 1, a high-pressure self-locking valve 2, a constant flow valve 3, a cryogenic heat exchanger 4, a combustion heat exchanger 5, a gravity-driven two-phase fluid circuit 6, a cryogenic self-locking valve 7, an insulated chamber 8, a variable thermal conductivity switch 9, a chamber wall heat dissipation surface 10, a lunar night integrated controller 11, and a battery 12.

[0022] The low-temperature propellant tank 1 comprises an oxygen tank 101 and a methane tank 102, which are made of full metal or metal lining + outer layer composite material winding, and are coated with composite heat insulation material outside. The tank is internally provided with a pressure sensor 103, a heater 104 and a safety valve 105, so as to realize temperature control and pressure control in the tank. The oxygen tank 101 and the methane tank 102 are connected to the gas inlet end of a low-temperature heat exchanger 4 through a high-pressure self-locking valve 2 and a constant flow valve 3 respectively, and the gas outlet end of the low-temperature heat exchanger 4 is connected to the injector 501 gas inlet of a combustion heat exchanger 5 through a metal pipeline. The liquid inlet of the combustion heat exchanger 5 is connected to the liquid outlet of a gravity-driven two-phase fluid circuit 6 through a low-temperature self-locking valve 7. The condensing pipeline 602 of the gravity-driven two-phase fluid circuit 6 is arranged on the inner wall of the heat preservation cabin 8, and the inner wall of the heat preservation cabin 8 is connected to the cabin wall heat dissipation surface 10 through a variable thermal conductance switch 9. The moon night comprehensive controller 11 is electrically connected with the high-pressure self-locking valve 2, the low-temperature self-locking valve 7 and the spark plug 502, and the storage battery 12 supplies power to the moon night comprehensive controller 11.

[0023] The low-temperature heat exchanger 4 comprises a steam coil 402 and a gas discharge pipe 401, the steam coil 402 is installed around the outer wall surface of the gas discharge pipe 401, so as to realize preheating of the propellant steam by the gas. The combustion heat exchanger 5 comprises an injector 501, a spark plug 502 and a flat plate evaporator 503, the injector 501 comprises a plurality of annular nozzles, which are used for realizing sufficient mixing and combustion of gas oxygen and gas methane, the spark plug 502 is used for realizing ignition of the mixed gas, and the flat plate evaporator 503 is used for realizing heat exchange between the high-temperature gas and the fluid circuit.

[0024] The gravity-driven two-phase fluid circuit 6 comprises an ascending pipeline 601, a condensing pipeline 602, an accumulator 603 and propylene working medium 604, and the freezing point of the propylene working medium 604 is-185 DEG C. The bottom of the ascending pipeline 601 is connected to the gas outlet of the flat plate evaporator 503, the top of the ascending pipeline 601 is connected to the gas inlet of the condensing pipeline 602, the condensing pipeline 602 is arranged on the inner side of the wall plate 801 of the heat preservation cabin 8, the liquid outlet of the condensing pipeline 602 is connected to the liquid inlet of the accumulator 603, and the liquid outlet of the accumulator 603 is connected to the liquid inlet of the combustion heat exchanger 5 through the low-temperature self-locking valve 7. The temperature sensor 802 is arranged in the heat preservation cabin 8, which is used for monitoring the temperature in the heat preservation cabin 8.

[0025] The system structure provided by the application will be further described in detail in combination with the working process of the system.

[0026] After the moon landing, the remaining liquid oxygen and methane propellants in the tank are discharged, so that the partial pressure of the external pressurizing gas is reduced and the partial pressure of the propellant steam is increased.

[0027] Before entering the moon night, the moon night comprehensive controller 11 starts the heater 104 in the tank 1 to heat, so that the pressure in the tank is increased to the set value 2.5 MPa.

[0028] After nightfall, the variable thermal conductivity switch 9 between the thermal insulation chamber 8 and the heat dissipation surface 10 of the chamber wall is disconnected, and the temperature inside the thermal insulation chamber 8 slowly decreases.

[0029] When the temperature inside the insulation chamber 8 is lower than the set lower limit of -20℃, the Moonlit Integrated Controller 11 automatically opens the high-pressure self-locking valve 2 and the low-temperature self-locking valve 7. The oxygen and combustion steam in the storage tank pass through the high-pressure self-locking valve 2 and the constant flow valve 3 in sequence, and then enter the combustion heat exchanger 5 through the steam coil 402 in the low-temperature heat exchanger 4 at a constant gas flow rate.

[0030] One second after the high-pressure self-locking valve 2 opens, the Moonlight Integrated Controller 11 autonomously sends a "spark plug ignition command". Spark plug 502 ignites, and gaseous oxygen and gaseous methane are ignited inside the combustion heat exchanger 5 and begin continuous combustion to heat the flat plate evaporator 503.

[0031] After combustion heat exchange, the gas is discharged through the gas exhaust pipe 401 and enters the low-temperature heat exchanger 4 to preheat the oxygen and combustion steam in the steam coil 402.

[0032] Propylene working fluid 604 enters the flat plate evaporator 503 in liquid form, absorbs and evaporates to form propylene vapor, and then enters the condenser pipe 602 installed on the wall panel 801 of the insulated chamber through the riser pipe 601 to complete heat exchange and condensation.

[0033] The condensed liquid propylene enters the accumulator 603 under gravity, and then re-enters the combustion heat exchanger 5 through the low-temperature self-locking valve 7 to form a loop.

[0034] When the temperature monitored by the insulation chamber 8 exceeds the set upper limit of 40°C, the moonlit integrated controller 11 automatically closes the high-pressure self-locking valve 2 and the low-temperature self-locking valve 7, the combustion heat exchange stops, and the gravity-driven two-phase fluid circuit 6 stops operating.

[0035] The thermal chamber 8 enters a natural cooling state, and the temperature gradually decreases. When the temperature drops to -20℃, the system starts running again, and this process repeats, so that the temperature of the thermal chamber 8 is maintained in the range of -20℃ to 40℃ during the lunar night.

[0036] This article uses specific examples to illustrate the inventive concept in detail. The description of the above embodiments is only for the purpose of helping to understand the core idea of ​​the present invention. It should be noted that any obvious modifications, equivalent substitutions or other improvements made by those skilled in the art without departing from the inventive concept should be included within the protection scope of the present invention.

[0037] Other embodiments of this application will readily occur to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the specification and practice of the invention disclosed herein. This application is intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of this application that follow the general principles of this application and include common knowledge or customary techniques in the art not disclosed herein. The specification and examples are to be considered exemplary only, and the true scope and spirit of this application are indicated by the foregoing claims.

[0038] It should be understood that this application is not limited to the precise structure described above and shown in the accompanying drawings, and various modifications and changes can be made without departing from its scope. The scope of this application is limited only by the appended claims.

[0039] It should be understood that "multiple" as used in this article refers to two or more. "And / or" describes the relationship between related objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can represent: A alone, A and B simultaneously, or B alone. The character " / " generally indicates that the preceding and following related objects have an "or" relationship.

[0040] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of this application and is not intended to limit this application. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of this application should be included within the protection scope of this application.

[0041] Specific embodiments of the present invention have been described above. It should be understood that the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments described above, and those skilled in the art can make various changes or modifications within the scope of the claims, which do not affect the essence of the present invention. Unless otherwise specified, the embodiments and features described in this application can be arbitrarily combined with each other.

Claims

1. A lunar night survival system based on liquid oxygen and methane combustion heat exchange, characterized in that, include: Cryogenic propellant tank (1) is used to store liquid oxygen and methane; A high-pressure self-locking valve (2) is connected to the cryogenic propellant tank (1) through two metal pipelines to isolate the propellant vapor in the tank; The constant flow valve (3) is connected to the high pressure self-locking valve (2) through two metal pipelines to maintain a constant flow rate; The cryogenic heat exchanger (4) is connected to the constant flow valve (3) through two metal pipes and is used for initial heat exchange of cryogenic propellant steam. The combustion heat exchanger (5) is connected to the cryogenic heat exchanger (4) via a metal pipeline and is used to burn propellant vapor and heat the heat exchange medium in the gravity-driven two-phase fluid loop (6). The gravity-driven two-phase fluid circuit (6) is connected to the combustion heat exchanger (5) through a metal pipeline and is fixedly installed on the inner side of the wall panel (801) of the heat-insulating chamber (8) for the circulation of the heat exchange working fluid. The low-temperature self-locking valve (7) is connected in series with the gravity-driven two-phase fluid circuit (6) to isolate the heat exchange medium of the fluid circuit; The heat-insulating chamber (8) has the gravity-driven two-phase fluid circuit (6), the lunar night integrated controller (11), the battery (12) and the temperature sensor (802) fixedly installed on the inner side of its wall panel (801) to provide heat insulation for the load equipment; A variable thermal conductivity switch (9) connects the wall panel (801) of the insulated chamber and the heat dissipation surface (10) of the chamber wall to control the heat dissipation of the insulated chamber (8); The heat dissipation surface (10) of the bulkhead is connected to the variable thermal conductivity switch (9) for heat dissipation; The Moonlight Integrated Controller (11) is connected to the battery (12) and is used to control the operation of the system; A storage battery (12) is used to power the Moonlight Integrated Controller (11).

2. The lunar night survival system based on liquid oxygen and methane combustion heat exchange according to claim 1, characterized in that, The cryogenic propellant tank (1) includes an oxygen tank (101) and a methane tank (102), which are made of all-metal or metal lining, with a composite heat insulation material on the outer layer, and a pressure sensor (103), a heater (104) and a safety valve (105) installed inside.

3. The lunar night survival system based on liquid oxygen and methane combustion heat exchange according to claim 1, characterized in that, The constant flow valve (3) has two transversely mounted diaphragms riveted together inside, which maintain a constant flow rate by controlling the relationship between the pressure difference and the orifice.

4. The lunar night survival system based on liquid oxygen and methane combustion heat exchange according to claim 1, characterized in that, The low-temperature heat exchanger (4) is equipped with a gas discharge pipe (401) and a steam coil (402). The steam coil (402) is installed on the outer wall of the gas discharge pipe (401) to achieve preheating of the propellant steam by the gas.

5. The lunar night survival system based on liquid oxygen and methane combustion heat exchange according to claim 1, characterized in that, The combustion heat exchanger (5) includes an injector (501), a spark plug (502), and a flat plate evaporator (503). The injector (501) contains multiple annular nozzles for achieving mixed combustion of oxygen and methane. The spark plug (502) is used to ignite the mixed gas according to system requirements. The flat plate evaporator (503) is used to achieve heat exchange between high-temperature gas and fluid circuits.

6. The lunar night survival system based on liquid oxygen and methane combustion heat exchange according to claim 1, characterized in that, The gravity-driven two-phase fluid circuit (6) includes an ascending pipe (601), a condensing pipe (602), a accumulator (603), and a propylene working fluid (604). When the low-temperature self-locking valve (7) is opened, the propylene working fluid (604) enters the flat plate evaporator (503) in liquid state, absorbs and evaporates to form propylene vapor, and enters the condensing pipe (602) installed on the heat exchange chamber wall panel (801) through the ascending pipe (601) to complete heat exchange and condensation. The condensed liquid propylene enters the accumulator (603) under the action of gravity, and enters the combustion heat exchanger (5) through the low-temperature self-locking valve (7) to form a circuit.

7. The lunar night survival system based on liquid oxygen and methane combustion heat exchange according to claim 1, characterized in that, The variable thermal conductivity switch (9) is used to control the thermal conductivity between the insulated chamber (8) and the heat dissipation surface (10) of the chamber wall to maintain the temperature inside the insulated chamber (8).

8. The lunar night survival system based on liquid oxygen and methane combustion heat exchange according to claim 1, characterized in that, The heat dissipation surface (10) of the cabin wall is used to dissipate heat inside the insulated cabin (8) when the variable thermal conductivity switch (9) is turned on.

9. The lunar night survival system based on liquid oxygen and methane combustion heat exchange according to claim 1, characterized in that, The temperature sensor (802) inside the insulated chamber (8) is used to monitor the temperature inside the insulated chamber (8) and transmit the temperature signal to the lunar night integrated controller (11).

10. The lunar night survival system based on liquid oxygen and methane combustion heat exchange according to claim 1, characterized in that, The battery (12) is used to power the moonlit integrated controller (11), the high-voltage self-locking valve (2), the low-temperature self-locking valve (7) and the spark plug (502).

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