Fluid management system, gas liquefaction system and method for microgravity environment

Abstract

The invention discloses a fluid management system and a gas liquefaction system and method for a microgravity environment, and belongs to the technical field of space resource on-orbit processing and space environment control. In order to solve the core problems of low efficiency or failure of gas-liquid separation under microgravity, difficulty in on-orbit maintenance and insufficient fluid management precision, the fluid management system is composed of two core modules of self-adaptive gas-liquid separation and intelligent fluid storage and transportation. As a key application, the system can further integrate a gas pretreatment module, a refrigeration liquefaction module, an energy management module and a global safety protection module to form a complete gas liquefaction closed loop. The core innovation of the device is as follows: a modular rotary capillary dynamic separator is adopted, the separator realizes gas-liquid capture through a capillary network rotating at a high speed, and the problems of microgravity separation and on-orbit maintenance are cooperatively solved by virtue of an optimized liquid collection structure and a vertical bag-shaped or catenary bionic arc-shaped collection cavity module which can be quickly detached; meanwhile, a resettable diaphragm collecting device is integrated, and a diaphragm is driven to reciprocate through precise servo control of a driving air cavity, so that lossless collection, precise metering and controllable transfer of liquid under microgravity are realized. According to the system, step-by-step condensation and product purity improvement can be realized through modular series-parallel configuration, or linear expansion of processing capacity can be realized. The invention provides a universal fluid operation platform for space tasks, and particularly solves the bottleneck problems of autonomous guarantee and fine management of low-temperature fluid in long-term space tasks.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application belongs to the technical field of space resource on-orbit processing and space environment control, and particularly relates to a fluid management system for microgravity environment, a gas liquefaction system and method. BACKGROUND

[0002] In a microgravity space environment, due to the disappearance of gravity sedimentation effect, the separation of gas-liquid mixture, the collection, storage and accurate transfer of liquid become extremely difficult. The traditional separation technology based on gravity difference or density difference is basically invalid, and secondary forces such as surface tension and capillary force become the main factors of fluid behavior, but their spontaneous action often leads to problems such as uncontrollable phase distribution, difficult interface capture, low separation efficiency and inaccurate liquid measurement. This has become a bottleneck restricting the development of key technologies such as life support of space station, on-orbit refueling of propellant, recycling and utilization of space resources (such as air and water); Some existing microgravity separation technologies are often limited by specific inlet working conditions and lack of wide range of adaptability. The static capture structure used faces the risk of blockage and reliability in complex tasks. Moreover, the functional design usually fails to cover the accurate measurement and controllable transfer of the separated liquid, thereby limiting its application in advanced space missions that require fine fluid management; Especially for the liquefaction and separation of cryogenic fluids, the challenge is more severe, and a general solution that is efficient, reliable, intelligent and easy to maintain is urgently needed. SUMMARY

[0003] I. Invention purposes The purpose of the present application is to overcome the shortcomings of the prior art, and first to provide a general fluid management system that can adapt to microgravity environment and realize efficient gas-liquid separation and accurate liquid management. Another purpose of the present application is to provide an efficient, safe, intelligent gas liquefaction system and method based on the above system, which is particularly suitable for gas liquefaction scenarios and has high purification capacity and scalability.

[0004] II. Technical solutions To achieve the above purposes, the present application provides the following technical solutions: Solution one: a fluid management system for microgravity environment The system is characterized in that it comprises: - an adaptive gas-liquid separation module for realizing efficient separation of gas-liquid mixture in a microgravity environment, which comprises a modular rotary capillary dynamic separator; - an intelligent fluid storage and transportation module for collecting, storing and controllably transferring the liquid separated by the adaptive gas-liquid separation module, which comprises a resettable diaphragm collection device; The liquid outlet of the modular rotary capillary dynamic separator is in fluid communication with the resettable diaphragm collection device. Scheme II: A gas liquefaction system As a key application of the above fluid management system, the system can be configured as a gas liquefaction system. It is characterized in that it further comprises: - a gas processing module for purifying and pressurizing the raw gas; - a refrigeration liquefaction module for cooling and liquefying the processed gas; - an energy comprehensive management module for recovering and utilizing mechanical and thermal energy in the system; - a comprehensive safety protection module for ensuring safe and reliable operation of the system under various working conditions; The gas processing module, refrigeration liquefaction module, adaptive gas-liquid separation module, energy comprehensive management module, and intelligent fluid storage and transportation module are sequentially connected and constitute a closed-loop control. The inner wall of the liquid collection structure in the modular rotary capillary dynamic separator is preferably provided with an integrated variable slope conical section for guiding the separated liquid to stably collect at the outlet. Further, the end of the liquid collection structure can be connected to a bionic arc-shaped collection cavity module through a quick-release interface. The bionic arc-shaped collection cavity module is a vertical sac-shaped or catenary-shaped structure to optimize the liquid collection effect and buffering capacity, and facilitate on-orbit replacement and maintenance.

[0005] III. Core technology principle (Microgravity-based fluid control principle based on liquid surface tension and capillary effect) All core modules of the present application work on the basis of actively utilizing the physical effects that dominate fluid behavior in microgravity environments, especially liquid surface tension and capillary effect 1. Application in the adaptive gas-liquid separation module: a. Gas-liquid separation mechanism: The modular rotary capillary dynamic separator realizes efficient separation through the synergistic effect of liquid surface tension, capillary effect, and centrifugal force, specifically including one or both of the following mechanisms: i. Capillary adsorption capture: The capillary network actively creates a large gas-liquid interface. Liquid components are preferentially adsorbed and captured in the micro-pore diameter of the capillary network under the strong capillary force driven by liquid surface tension; ii. Collision-centrifugal peeling: Liquid components (droplets or liquid films) collide and wet the surface of the high-speed rotating capillary network, and are immediately peeled off and transported under the strong centrifugal force; Both mechanisms effectively separate liquid from gas; b. Liquid film formation and collection: The captured liquid is flung to the liquid collection structure on the inner wall of the separator under the action of centrifugal force. Under microgravity, the liquid spreads on the inner wall by its surface tension to form a stable and continuous liquid film. The optimized variable-slope liquid collection structure, through the careful design of the wall angle and surface energy, guides the liquid film to achieve controllable and directional collection and transport under the joint action of surface tension and centrifugal force components; 2. Application in intelligent fluid storage and transportation module: Interface stability and control: In the resettable diaphragm collection device, the system ensures that the gas-liquid interface is always in a stable state determined by the liquid surface tension by precisely controlling the pressure of the driving gas cavity, avoiding the breaking of the liquid or the entrainment of gas due to inertia under microgravity, thereby achieving lossless control of the liquid.

[0006] Four, detailed description of the core innovation of the present application (1) Modular rotary capillary dynamic separator system This device is the core of the self-adaptive gas-liquid separation module, which adopts modular design, taking into account high performance, high maintainability and high scalability. This modular design gives the system high configuration flexibility: by connecting multiple separator units in series and cooperating with precise temperature control, step-by-step condensation and purification of gases based on boiling point differences can be achieved; by connecting multiple separator units in parallel, the processing flux and scale of the system can be linearly expanded. This "series purification, parallel expansion" feature makes the system flexible to adapt to various application scenarios from small experimental platforms to large space stations, lunar bases, etc. 1. Separation main body and capillary network a. Rotary core: The rotary main shaft is made of titanium alloy TC4 and is supported by magnetic suspension bearings, with a working speed range of 1000-5000 rpm; b. Capillary separation assembly: The capillary network is made of silicon carbide ceramic matrix composite material, with a network structure pore size of 10-100 μm, and the surface is coated with a silica nano coating by sol-gel method, with a contact angle of ≤10° for liquid oxygen; 2. Liquid collection structure This structure is used to collect the liquid separated by the capillary network, and its core is the smooth converging arc-shaped inner wall for guiding the stable collection of liquid to the outlet a. Structure definition and modularization: The liquid collection structure described in this system is a functional assembly. In the basic embodiment, it is an indivisible whole. In the preferred, high-maintainability embodiment, it consists of a fixed main structure with a variable-slope conical section and a detachable bionic arc-shaped collection cavity module (such as a vertical sac-shaped or catenary-shaped) connected through a quick-release interface; b. Variable slope conical section: A variable slope conical section is preferably provided on the inner wall of the main structure of the liquid collection structure, which is integrally machined from 316L stainless steel and has an inner surface that is electrolytically polished to a roughness Ra≤0.2 μm. The inner wall of the conical section is designed with an optimized variable slope, with the two end regions near the gas inlet and the liquid outlet being gentle slope sections with a slope of 10° to 25° for smooth guiding of the liquid and formation of an initial liquid film; the middle main body region is a steep slope section with a slope of 40° to 55° for accelerated collection and efficient axial transport of the liquid. Preferably, the slope of the gentle slope section is 15° and the slope of the steep slope section is 45°, which can achieve the best balance between liquid collection efficiency and flow stability in a microgravity environment; c. Bionic arc-shaped collection cavity module: As a preferred embodiment, a bionic arc-shaped collection cavity module (such as a vertical sac or catenary shape) is connected to the end of the liquid collection structure to further optimize the final collection and buffering of the liquid to the outlet by utilizing its excellent fluid mechanics profile; d. Liquidophilic facility: To further optimize the initial collection behavior of the liquid in microgravity, a liquidophilic facility for guiding and anchoring the liquid is provided at the bottom of the liquid collection structure, particularly the bottom of the bionic arc-shaped collection cavity module. This facility can be achieved by preparing micro-nano structures on the substrate surface, coating a liquidophilic coating, or using a liquidophilic material, which has a surface energy much higher than the surrounding area, providing a strong anchoring effect for the collected liquid, promoting rapid spreading of the liquid film and formation of a stable liquid pool; e. Maintenance advantage: Modular design supports quick replacement in orbit, maintenance cycle is shortened by more than 80%, significantly improving the on-orbit life and mission flexibility of the system; 3. Cooperative working process a. Gas-liquid separation stage: The gas-liquid mixture enters the separator tangentially, and high-efficiency gas-liquid separation is achieved by capillary adsorption capture or collision-centrifugal stripping mechanism; b. Centrifugal transport and primary collection stage: The captured liquid is flung to the inner wall of the liquid collection structure under the action of centrifugal force, forming a liquid film and primary collection; c. Fine collection and anchoring stage: The primary collected liquid stably flows along the inner wall of the variable slope conical section and / or the bionic arc-shaped collection cavity module to the bottom, and is effectively captured and anchored by the liquidophilic facility at the bottom, forming a high-concentration liquid pool; d. Export stage: The system monitors in real time, and after the liquid in the liquid collection structure (particularly the bionic arc-shaped collection cavity module) is collected to the predetermined capacity, the resettable diaphragm collection device is triggered to start work, and the entire batch of liquid is absorbed and accurately measured without loss. This batch-type triggering transfer strategy effectively prevents gas entrainment; (2) Resettable diaphragm collection device The core of the device is its resettable property, that is, the flexible diaphragm has the ability to reciprocate between the empty state and the full collection state, so as to realize the repeated and accurate collection and discharge of the liquid 1. Specific structure: a. Rigid bottle body: adopt aluminum alloy liner composite material structure, working pressure 0.1-2.0MPa; b. Recyclable resettable flexible diaphragm: adopt metal bellows structure, material is 316L stainless steel, has good fatigue life and extremely low leakage rate, ensures that it can complete thousands of reset cycles in the whole life cycle; c. Driving system: including micro air pump, precision pressure sensor and servo valve, working pressure range 0-2.0MPa, has high-precision pressure control and fast response ability, provides power guarantee for realizing stable and controllable reset motion of the diaphragm; d. State monitoring system: including laser displacement sensor and temperature and pressure composite sensor, constitutes pressure-displacement double closed loop control; 2. Cycle working process: a. Emptying / reset state: the driving air cavity maintains a high pressure, so that the diaphragm is tightly attached to the liquid interface side, and the container is in the empty standby state; b. Collection state: after receiving the trigger signal from the upstream liquid collection structure, the driving air cavity pressure is gently reduced, the diaphragm moves to the driving air cavity side under the action of pressure difference, the container volume increases, and the liquid is inhaled and collected without loss; c. Storage and metering state: maintain the driving air cavity pressure, and obtain the liquid volume in real time by monitoring the diaphragm displacement, realize accurate metering; d. Discharge and reset state: open the outlet valve, control the driving air cavity pressure to rise, push the diaphragm to move to the liquid cavity side, completely discharge the liquid, and at the same time, reset the diaphragm to the initial state of step (a), prepare for the next cycle; (Three) System intelligent collaborative control strategy The fluid management system of the application, the adaptive gas-liquid separation module and the intelligent fluid storage and transportation module are not independent, but through the following intelligent collaborative control strategy, the high precision and high reliability of fluid management under microgravity are ensured: 1. Batch trigger mechanism for secondary collection and transfer: To prevent gas entrainment during liquid transfer and ensure absolute accuracy of metering, the system adopts an optimized batch operation mode. Specifically, the modular rotary capillary dynamic separator continuously performs gas-liquid separation and collects liquid at the bottom of the liquid collection structure. At this time, the resettable diaphragm collection device does not start immediately, but waits for the liquid to accumulate to a predetermined volume through monitoring means such as monitoring the liquid level, mass or internal pressure change in the collection chamber. When the trigger condition is reached, the system instructs the resettable diaphragm collection device to start a complete "suction-metering-discharge" cycle to collect and transfer the entire batch of liquid without loss. This "collection first, then transfer" batch trigger mechanism fundamentally avoids the problem of gas entrainment caused by continuous suction, and is the key guarantee for "accurate metering" and "controllable transfer"; 2. Backflow prevention and interface stabilization mechanism: For the movement behavior of the liquid in the liquid collection structure, the system ensures its stable transport to the outlet through multiple designs. The liquid ejected from the high-speed rotating capillary net hits the arc-shaped inner wall of the liquid collection structure due to its large initial momentum. At the same time, the smooth converging arc structure provides excellent guidance for the liquid, guiding it to flow stably to the bottom outlet. The liquid collected at the bottom is immediately sucked and transferred by the stable pressure difference generated by the resettable diaphragm collection device, thereby completely eliminating the risk of backflow, dispersion or phase distribution out of control of the liquid under microgravity due to surface tension; (Four) Energy coupling design at system level The system adopts a unique energy recovery architecture: 1. Mechanical energy direct connection system: The compressor, turbine expander and separator are connected through a coaxial mechanism to achieve efficient mechanical energy direct transmission; 2. Compressed gas energy storage system: including high-pressure storage tank (working pressure 5MPa) and expansion generator set, with high energy storage density and high energy recovery efficiency; 3. Heat energy comprehensive utilization system: including thermoelectric generator and controllable heat radiator (heat dissipation capacity 1-10kW), realizing comprehensive utilization of waste heat; (Five) Comprehensive safety protection system Adopting a three-layer protection architecture: 1. Prevention layer: intrinsically safe design, including non-combustible material system, parameter avoidance oxygen formation zone (-218.8℃~-249.3℃), and pre-leakage design concept; 2. Protection layer: active protection system, including high-frequency multi-parameter state monitoring, rapid response protection (can complete detection and action execution in a very short time after failure occurs), and system reconstruction function; 3. Fault-tolerant layer: reliability guarantee, including N+1 backup of key components, intelligent health management based on digital twinning (capable of early warning and high-precision diagnosis of faults), emergency safety interlock. Advantages

[0007] Compared with the prior art, the present application has the following remarkable advantages: 1. Universality and scalability: the core separation and storage module of the present application serves as a universal fluid management platform, which can be used not only for gas liquefaction but also widely applied to spacecraft propellant management, wastewater treatment of life support systems, etc. The modular design supports linear extension of processing capacity through parallel configuration or high-purity separation through serial configuration, realizing full-spectrum coverage; 2. Separation efficiency and purity: the modular rotary capillary dynamic separator realizes extremely high single-stage separation efficiency under microgravity, and high-purity gas products can be further obtained through multi-stage serial process; 3. Maintenance performance: the detachable modular design greatly shortens the on-orbit maintenance time and significantly improves system availability 4. Energy utilization efficiency: through system-level energy coupling design, excellent comprehensive energy efficiency is achieved; 5. Safety and reliability: the use of triple safety protection design significantly reduces system failure rate; 6. Fluid management: the resettable diaphragm collection device realizes accurate metering and controllable transfer of liquid through the reciprocating motion of the diaphragm combined with an intelligent batch triggering mechanism, solving the microgravity fluid management dilemma; 7. Service life: the key components are designed for long service life, significantly extending the maintenance cycle; 8. Operation and maintenance: the health management system based on digital twinning realizes predictive maintenance, greatly improving operation and maintenance efficiency and system reliability. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0008] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the overall architecture and workflow of the system.

[0009] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the modular rotary capillary dynamic separator, the biomimetic arc-shaped collection cavity module (vertical sac-shaped \ catenary-shaped), and the collection bottle.

[0010] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the structure and working state of the resettable diaphragm collection bottle.

[0011] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the energy management system.

[0012] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of the safety protection system architecture.

[0013] Figure 6 is a control system hardware block diagram.

[0014] Figure 7 is a software control logic flow diagram.

[0015] Figure 8 is a separator series purification mode schematic diagram.

[0016] Figure 9 is a separator parallel expansion mode schematic diagram.

[0017] Figure 10 is a three-dimensional diagram of a modular rotary capillary dynamic separator.

[0018] It should be noted that these drawings are all schematic simplified diagrams, only for the purpose of clarity and simplicity to illustrate the embodiments of the present application, and not to limit the actual structure or process of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0019] The present application will be further described in detail below in conjunction with the drawings and examples. It should be noted that the fluid management system and its core components of the present application, in addition to being used in the following gas liquefaction examples, are also applicable to other scenarios on spacecraft that require microgravity gas-liquid separation and liquid transfer, such as on-orbit propellant refueling and management, wastewater recovery and gas-liquid separation, etc.

[0020] Example 1: System integration implementation As shown in Figure 1 , the system is composed of six main modules. The raw gas first enters the gas treatment module, through a primary filter (e.g. 10 μm precision), a molecular sieve adsorption tower (e.g. 13X and 5A mixed bed), and a low-temperature catalytic reactor (e.g. using Pt-Pd catalyst, working temperature ~ 150°C), to remove particulate matter, CO2, water vapor, and trace amounts of CO, H2, etc. The purified gas enters a two-stage isothermal compression system, the first stage is compressed to 0.8 MPa, and after inter-stage cooling, the second stage is compressed to 2.0 MPa, and the temperature is always controlled below 80°C during the compression process. The high-pressure gas then enters the reverse Brayton refrigeration cycle, using helium as the working medium, through three-stage heat exchange and two-stage expansion, to cool the process gas to the liquefaction temperature. The first-stage turbine expander outlet temperature can reach -120°C, and the second-stage turbine expander outlet temperature can reach -195°C.

[0021] Example 2: Gas-liquid separation implementation Referring to Figure 2 , the working process of the modular rotary capillary dynamic separator is as follows: (1) Start-up phase: the system is powered on, and the main shaft is accelerated to a set speed (e.g. 3000 rpm) within tens of seconds; (2) Separation phase: the gas-liquid mixture enters tangentially at a certain flow rate (e.g. 2 m / s), and the liquid is captured by the capillary network; (3) Primary collection: the droplets form a liquid film on the inner wall of the liquid collection structure (e.g. a variable slope conical region) and are preliminarily collected; (4) Fine collection: the preliminarily collected liquid enters the biomimetic arc-shaped collection cavity module through the quick-release interface, and stably slides along the inner wall of the vertical sac-shaped biomimetic arc-shaped structure to the bottom; (5) Discharge phase: the separated liquid enters the bottom of the collection cavity and is transported to the collection bottle through pressure difference; (6) Shutdown phase: the main shaft is decelerated and stopped within tens of seconds.

[0022] Example 3: In-orbit replacement implementation of the biomimetic arc-shaped collection cavity module When the biomimetic arc-shaped collection cavity module needs to be replaced, the following steps are taken: (1) The system is shut down, and the pressure is released to ensure that the pressure on both sides of the interface is balanced; (2) The locking device of the quick-release flange interface is released; (3) The old biomimetic arc-shaped collection cavity module (e.g. vertical sac-shaped) is removed along the guide pin shaft; (4) The new biomimetic arc-shaped collection cavity module is installed, ensuring that the sealing element is in place and the flange is locked; (5) Helium mass spectrometry leak detection is performed, and after the leakage rate is qualified, the system can be restarted; The entire replacement process is convenient and efficient, which can significantly shorten the in-orbit maintenance time.

[0023] Example 4: Control system implementation Referring to Figure 6 , Figure 7 1. The control system adopts a distributed architecture: a. Master controller: space-grade ARM processor, responsible for system-level control and decision-making; b. Local controller: implemented by FPGA, responsible for real-time control of each module; c. Sensor network: including various sensors such as temperature, pressure, flow, displacement, vibration distributed at key nodes of the system; d. Actuator: including multiple controlled electric / pneumatic valves and motor drivers; 2. The control software adopts modular design, including: a. System monitoring module: real-time monitoring of all parameters; b. Sequence control module: performing start-up, operation, shutdown, etc. c. Fault handling module: Implement a three-level fault response mechanism; d. Health management module: Realize predictive maintenance based on digital twin technology.

[0024] Example 5: Security system implementation Referring to Figure 5 , the security protection system adopts a three-layer architecture: 1. Prevention layer: Intrinsic safety design, including: a. Material selection: All components in contact with oxygen-rich medium use non-flammable materials; b. Parameter avoidance: Avoid the solid oxygen area by precise temperature control; c. Structural safety: Adopt the design concept of leakage before fracture; 2. Protection layer: Active protection system, including: a. Real-time monitoring: High-frequency multi-parameter state monitoring; b. Rapid response: Can complete detection and action execution in a very short time after failure occurs; c. System reconstruction: Realize fault isolation and function degradation; 3. Fault-tolerant layer: Reliability guarantee, including: a. Redundant design: N+1 backup for key components; b. Intelligent maintenance: State prediction based on machine learning; c. Emergency treatment: Multiple safety interlock protection.

[0025] Example 6: Series-parallel implementation of separator module (for oxygen-nitrogen separation) The modular rotary capillary dynamic separator of the present application has excellent configuration flexibility and can be deployed in series or parallel according to task requirements, especially suitable for the separation and purification of mixed gas. The following takes oxygen-nitrogen separation as an example (see Figure 8 , Figure 9 ) 1. Series purification mode: As shown in Figure 8 , to obtain high-purity liquid oxygen and liquid nitrogen from air mixture respectively, a two-stage separator (S1, S2) series process can be used. The first stage separator S1 maintains a higher temperature, liquefies and separates a large amount of oxygen; the second stage separator S2 maintains a lower temperature, liquefies and purifies the nitrogen-rich gas, and finally obtains high-purity liquid nitrogen. This mode uses boiling point difference to realize step-by-step and selective liquefaction and separation; 2. Parallel expansion mode: As shown in Figure 9 , to meet the large-scale gas liquefaction demand, multiple separator units (P1, P2,... Pn) can be connected in parallel. The gas-liquid mixture is distributed to each unit for parallel processing, and the total processing capacity is approximately the sum of each unit, realizing linear expansion of processing scale.

[0026] Example 7: Multi-element space task application of the system as a general fluid operation platform This embodiment aims to illustrate that the fluid management system is not limited to gas liquefaction. Its core modules, the adaptive gas-liquid separation module and the intelligent fluid storage and transportation module, constitute a universal microgravity fluid manipulation platform that can be widely applied to other key space mission scenarios Application scenario one: urine recovery and water regeneration in space station life support system In the space station environment, astronaut urine is a valuable water resource. Urine is a complex gas-liquid-solid multiphase mixture containing bubbles and solid crystals. Traditional static separation methods are inefficient in microgravity 1. Application scheme: a. Gas-liquid separation: The pretreated urine first enters the modular rotary capillary dynamic separator. Under the action of the high-speed rotating capillary network, the liquid in the urine is efficiently captured and separated, and the gas (such as dissolved air, volatile ammonia) is discharged to the subsequent catalytic treatment unit; b. Liquid collection and transfer: The separated urine liquid is accurately measured and temporarily stored by the resettable diaphragm collection device. Subsequently, the system controllably transfers the quantified urine to the subsequent water purification system (such as distillation, reverse osmosis module) through the resettable diaphragm collection device; 2. Core problems solved: - Efficient and stable gas-liquid separation of solid and gas-containing urine in microgravity is achieved; - Precise measurement by the diaphragm device provides stable and controllable feed for subsequent purification processes, improving the efficiency and reliability of the entire water recovery system; - Modular and quick disassembly design greatly simplifies the on-orbit maintenance process that may be required due to fouling or clogging; Application scenario two: nutrient solution management in controlled ecological life support system (CELSS) In the plant cultivation unit of a space station or future deep space habitat, accurate supply, recovery, and recycling of nutrient solution are crucial. This system involves the recovery and redistribution of exudate (gas-liquid mixture) from the culture medium 1. Application scheme: a. Exudate recovery: The nutrient solution mixed with rhizosphere respiratory gas that flows back from the plant root substrate enters the adaptive gas-liquid separation module. The separator completely separates the nutrient solution from the gas, ensuring that the recovered liquid is pure and avoiding gas blockage of subsequent pipelines; b. Precise feeding and formula management: The recovered nutrient solution is collected and accurately measured by the resettable diaphragm collection device. The control system can mix the recovered liquid with concentrated nutrient mother liquor in the diaphragm device according to the preset formula, and then controllably transfer it to the plant cultivation box through the resettable diaphragm collection device, realizing closed-loop management and precision agriculture of the nutrient solution; 2. Core problems solved: Ensure the reliable separation of gas and liquid phases in the nutrient solution recovery circuit, ensuring the stable operation of the liquid pumping system. Achieve non-destructive collection and milliliter-level accurate delivery of nutrient solution, meeting the fine needs of different growth stages of plants; The entire process is carried out in a closed system, reducing the risk of microbial contamination and meeting the high cleanliness requirements of space agriculture; Application scenario three: water ice extraction and processing in lunar / mars in-situ resource utilization (ISRU) Scenario challenge analysis: Water ice extracted from soil (lunar soil / mars soil) on the lunar polar region or the surface of Mars will form a complex multiphase flow with high temperature, high humidity, and a large amount of ultra-fine dust particles after sublimation. Traditional filtration solutions are easily clogged by fine dust, and gas-liquid separation is difficult in microgravity. This requires a fluid management system that can withstand extreme conditions, achieve efficient separation, and seamlessly connect with subsequent purification processes Application of the system: This system solves this problem systematically through a four-step process of "pretreatment-primary separation-deep capture-accurate management". The core is to decompose the complex three-phase separation problem into multiple sub-problems efficiently handled by special modules First step: condensation and dust agglomeration (pretreatment) 1. Process: The high-temperature and high-humidity dust-containing gas stream extracted from lunar soil / mars soil first enters a condensation heat exchanger. The gas stream is cooled below the water dew point, and water vapor undergoes phase change and condenses; 2. Key mechanism: Condensation does not occur uniformly, and dust particles act as effective condensation nuclei, causing water vapor to condense preferentially on their surfaces. This process converts dispersed, difficult-to-capture dry ultra-fine dust particles into larger, wet "liquid-solid agglomerates" (i.e. mud droplets). This is essentially a "gas-solid" to "liquid-solid" pretreatment conversion; Second step: primary separation and removal of a large amount of dust (core separation function) 1. Process: The above-mentioned gas stream rich in "liquid-solid agglomerates" is then tangentially introduced into the first self-adaptive gas-liquid separation module; 2. Separation mechanism: a. Centrifugal capture: In the strong centrifugal force field generated by the high-speed rotation of the capillary tube network, "liquid-solid agglomerates" and liquid droplets with larger mass are preferentially thrown to the inner wall of the separator; b. Liquid film dust transport: The agglomerates and liquid droplets that hit the inner wall form a liquid film on the surface of the optimized variable slope liquid collection structure. This liquid film acts as a "transport carrier" and stably transports the captured dust particles to the bottom of the biomimetic arc-shaped collection cavity module by the axial component of the centrifugal force and surface tension; 3. Output: a. Liquid output: The enrichment in the collection chamber is the primary water-dust mixture (mud) containing a large amount of dust; b. Gas output: The separated gas becomes significantly reduced in dust content, but still contains uncondensed water vapor and finer aerosols; Third step: Deep condensation and fine purification (improve product purity) 1. Process: The gas that has been preliminarily purified from the first-stage separator enters the second-stage adaptive gas-liquid separation module. This module operates at a lower temperature; 2. Functions: a. Deep recovery: Further condense and recover residual water vapor in the gas; b. Fine purification: Since most of the dust has been removed in the first stage, the second-stage separator operates in a cleaner working condition, and the purity of the liquid output is significantly higher than that of the first stage; 3. System configuration flexibility: Through this series configuration and precise control of the temperature of each stage, a fractional distillation-like effect can be achieved. For example, when processing the Martian atmosphere (mainly composed of CO2), the first stage can capture water ice at a higher temperature, and the second stage can capture CO2 ice at a lower temperature, thereby achieving step-by-step collection and purification of resources; Fourth step: Precise metering and controllable transfer of products (intelligent storage and transportation) 1. Process: The "mud" produced by the first stage and the "pure water" produced by the second stage are respectively introduced into the respective resettable diaphragm collection devices 2. Core functions: a. Non-destructive collection and precise metering: The device achieves non-destructive suction and high-precision volume metering of liquids of different purities by precisely controlling the pressure of the driving gas chamber and driving the flexible diaphragm to reciprocate. This provides key data for material balance and yield calculation of the ISRU plant; b. Controllable transfer and interface management: The system can controllably discharge the collected liquid (whether mud or pure water) to subsequent modules (such as a mud treatment unit or a pure water storage tank) according to instructions, and the entire process always maintains a clear and stable gas-liquid interface, avoiding gas entrainment; 3. Key problems solved: a. Overcome the problem of blockage in dusty conditions: Through "condensation agglomeration" pretreatment, the fatal dry dust problem is transformed into a manageable wet dust problem, and then using centrifugal separation and liquid film transport mechanism, the system can tolerate extremely high dust content, fundamentally avoiding the blockage risk of filtration solutions; b. Achieving efficient separation and product purification: The multi-stage modular design not only maximizes water resource recovery, but also naturally achieves product grading and purification through process separation ("dirty stage" and "clean stage"), allowing direct access to high-purity water that meets drinking water or electrolytic oxygen production requirements; c. Providing key process data and controllability: The resettable diaphragm collection device goes beyond simple storage, providing accurate yield measurement and controllable fluid transport for subsequent processes, which is the core of intelligent and closed-loop ISRU factories; d. Ensuring ultimate reliability and maintainability of the system: The long-life design of all core modules, anti-clogging properties, and the ability to quickly replace the biomimetic arc-shaped collection cavity module in orbit, together ensure the stable operation of the system in unattended, long-maintenance-cycle extraterrestrial bases.

[0027] The above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present application, but not to limit it; although the present application has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that they can modify the technical solutions recorded in the foregoing embodiments, or make equivalent replacement for part of the technical features; and these modifications or replacements do not make the essence of the corresponding technical solutions deviate from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application.

Claims

1. A fluid management system for microgravity environments, characterized in that, include: An adaptive gas-liquid separation module is used to achieve efficient separation of gas-liquid mixtures in a microgravity environment. It includes a modular rotary capillary dynamic separator. The intelligent fluid storage and transportation module is used to collect, store and controllably transfer the liquid separated by the adaptive gas-liquid separation module, and includes a resettable diaphragm collection device. The liquid outlet of the modular rotary capillary dynamic separator is in fluid communication with the resettable diaphragm collection device.

2. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The modular rotary capillary dynamic separator includes: A separation body, which contains a capillary network that can rotate at high speed; A liquid collection structure for collecting the liquid separated by the capillary network; The liquid collection structure has a smooth, converging arc-shaped inner wall to guide the liquid to converge at the outlet.

3. The system according to claim 2, characterized in that, The inner wall of the liquid collection structure includes a variable-slope conical region, which comprises gentle slope sections at both ends and a steep slope section in the middle.

4. The system according to claim 3, characterized in that, The slope of the gentle slope is between 10° and 25°, and / or the slope of the steep slope is between 40° and 55°.

5. The system according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that, The bottom of the liquid collection structure is equipped with a hydrophilic device for guiding and anchoring the liquid.

6. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The resettable diaphragm collection device includes: A rigid container; A flexible diaphragm divides the interior of the rigid container into non-communicating liquid chambers and driving gas chambers; A drive system is configured to drive the flexible diaphragm to reciprocate by controlling the pressure of the drive air chamber, thereby achieving the collection and discharge of liquid.

7. A gas liquefaction system, characterized in that, include: The fluid management system for microgravity environments as described in any one of claims 1-6; And a gas processing module and a refrigeration liquefaction module that are sequentially connected to the inlet end of the adaptive gas-liquid separation module of the fluid management system.

8. A microgravity fluid control method, characterized in that, Using the fluid management system described in any one of claims 1-6, high-precision control of fluids in a microgravity environment is achieved through the following steps: - Drive the modular rotary capillary dynamic separator to rotate, and use the synergistic effect of capillary effect and centrifugal force to overcome the problem of phase distribution runaway under microgravity, and perform efficient gas-liquid separation on the input gas-liquid mixture; -Precisely control the driving air chamber pressure of the resettable diaphragm collection device to drive its flexible diaphragm to reciprocate, thereby collecting, accurately measuring and controllably transferring the separated liquid while avoiding gas entrainment and liquid breakage.

9. The method according to claim 8, characterized in that, The steps of collecting, accurately measuring, and controllably transferring the separated liquid employ a batch-triggered mechanism, specifically including: - Monitor the amount of liquid collected within the liquid collection structure of the modular rotary capillary dynamic separator; When the amount of liquid collected reaches a predetermined threshold, the resettable diaphragm collection device is triggered to perform a complete inhalation-metering-emission cycle.

10. A spacecraft, characterized in that, It integrates a fluid management system as described in any one of claims 1-6, or a gas liquefaction system as described in claim 7.

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