Hydrogen pump and / or oxygen pump high temperature inlet condition control and testing method

By controlling the tank pressure and allowing it to remain under pressure and regenerate temperature, the challenge of verifying the operation of the hydrogen-oxygen engine under high-temperature inlet conditions was solved, enabling active control of the liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen temperatures and improving the authenticity and reliability of ground tests.

CN121539408BActive Publication Date: 2026-07-07BEIJING AEROSPACE PROPULSION INST
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Patent Information

Authority / Receiving Office
CN · China
Patent Type
Patents(China)
Current Assignee / Owner
BEIJING AEROSPACE PROPULSION INST
Filing Date
2025-11-21
Publication Date
2026-07-07

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

Existing technologies cannot effectively verify the working state of hydrogen-oxygen engines under high-temperature inlet conditions, especially during ground tests, it is difficult to simulate the operation of hydrogen and oxygen pumps under actual flight conditions.

Method used

By controlling the tank pressure and allowing it to remain under pressure and regenerate temperature, the propellant temperature is gradually increased and stabilized by utilizing heat leakage from the tank wall and heat exchange between the gas pillow and the liquid, so that it reaches the target temperature, thus enabling the start-up and operation verification of the hydrogen and oxygen pumps under high-temperature inlet conditions.

Benefits of technology

It achieved active control of the temperature of liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen, simulated actual flight conditions under ground test conditions, verified the working state of the engine under high temperature inlet, and improved the authenticity and reliability of the test.

✦ Generated by Eureka AI based on patent content.

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Abstract

A kind of hydrogen pump and / or oxygen pump high-temperature inlet condition control and test method, hydrogen-oxygen engine can be started and work under the verification of pump high-temperature inlet, verify the working adaptability of hydrogen-oxygen engine under actual flight conditions, belong to the technical field of liquid rocket engine.The specific method includes: by the filling and discharging of storage tank, the pressure of storage tank is kept at the saturated vapor pressure corresponding to the target temperature, long time standing is used, the wall heat leakage of storage tank and the heat exchange between air pillow and liquid are used, the temperature of propellant in storage tank is gradually increased and stabilized at target temperature;Before starting, hydrogen tank is pressurized to rated pressure, then engine starts precooling, and can start after inlet reaches target temperature.The present application makes full use of existing test conditions, realizes the active control of liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen temperature, and achieves the purpose of hydrogen and oxygen pump high-temperature inlet condition control and test.
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Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a method for controlling and testing high-temperature inlet conditions of hydrogen pumps and / or oxygen pumps, belonging to the field of liquid rocket engine technology. Background Technology

[0002] Liquid rocket engines using hydrogen and oxygen as propellants have long been favored by the aerospace industry worldwide due to their high performance and lack of pollution. To date, dozens of different types of hydrogen-oxygen rocket engines have been developed and are widely used in the aerospace field. Because both liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen are cryogenic propellants, the hydrogen and oxygen pumps need to be pre-cooled before starting the hydrogen-oxygen engine to ensure their proper functioning. Furthermore, the inlet pressure of the hydrogen and oxygen pumps must be within a certain range above their saturated vapor pressure to ensure the propellant remains liquid. The saturated vapor pressure of the propellant is related to the liquid temperature; the higher the liquid temperature, the higher the saturated vapor pressure.

[0003] Before rocket flight, liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen are added to the rocket's propellant tanks at a pressure slightly higher than the local atmospheric pressure. The temperatures of the liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen are approximately 21.5 K and 92 K, respectively. Before liftoff, the tanks are pressurized to their operating pressure. During flight, due to continuous heat input from aerodynamic heating, solar radiation, heat leakage from the tanks and pipelines, and heat exchange between the gas cushion and the liquid, the temperatures of the liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen increase with the length of flight. Especially after prolonged coasting, when the engine needs to ignite again, it must start under conditions where both the hydrogen and oxygen pumps have high-temperature inlet conditions.

[0004] During ground tests, the storage tanks are generally vacuum-insulated tanks with double-layered vacuum-insulated pipes. The time between the completion of liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen refueling and engine ignition is often very short, resulting in lower liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen temperatures during ground tests compared to flight tests. This makes it difficult to effectively verify the engine's operating status under high-temperature inlet conditions of the hydrogen and oxygen pumps. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to overcome the shortcomings of the prior art and enable the hydrogen-oxygen engine to start and perform operational testing under high-temperature pump inlet conditions, thereby verifying the operational adaptability of the hydrogen-oxygen engine under actual flight conditions.

[0006] The objective of this invention is achieved through the following technical solutions:

[0007] In a first aspect, the present invention provides a method for controlling and testing high-temperature inlet conditions of a hydrogen pump and / or an oxygen pump, comprising:

[0008] By charging and discharging the tank, the tank pressure is maintained at the saturated vapor pressure corresponding to the target temperature. By allowing the tank to stand still for a long time, the propellant temperature inside the tank is gradually increased and stabilized at the target temperature through heat leakage from the tank wall and heat exchange between the gas pillow and the liquid. Before starting, after the hydrogen tank is pressurized to the rated pressure, the engine begins to pre-cool. Once the inlet reaches the target temperature, the engine can be started.

[0009] Based on the first aspect, in one embodiment of the present invention, the high-temperature inlet temperatures Tr and Ty of the hydrogen pump and / or oxygen pump are determined, and then the physical property parameters of liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen are queried to determine the saturated vapor pressure of hydrogen and / or the saturated vapor pressure of oxygen Prs and Pys.

[0010] Based on the first aspect, in one embodiment of the present invention, the pressure control range of the hydrogen tank and / or the pressure control range of the oxygen tank are determined according to the saturated vapor pressure and the tank pressure control accuracy of the test bench.

[0011] Based on the first aspect, in one embodiment of the present invention, the hydrogen storage tank and / or oxygen storage tank are subjected to pressure holding and static temperature recovery, and the liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen inside the tank are continuously heated by external heat leakage.

[0012] Based on the first aspect, in one embodiment of the present invention, the liquid temperatures Trl and Tyl in the hydrogen and oxygen tanks are monitored in real time. After determining that the test requirements are met based on the measured liquid temperatures in the tanks, the hydrogen and / or oxygen tanks are pressurized to the working pressure.

[0013] Based on the first aspect, in one embodiment of the present invention, after liquid hydrogen is added to the storage tank, the hydrogen tank is pressurized and allowed to stand and warm up, with the tank pressure controlled within the range of 0.265 to 0.270 MPa.

[0014] Based on the first aspect, in one embodiment of the present invention, the pressure control accuracy of the hydrogen tank does not exceed 0.005 MPa. After liquid hydrogen is added to the storage tank, the hydrogen tank is pressure-maintained and allowed to cool down, with the tank pressure controlled within the range of 0.265 to 0.270 MPa.

[0015] In a second aspect, the present invention provides a computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon computer program instructions, which, when loaded and run by a processor, cause the processor to perform the method described in the first aspect.

[0016] Thirdly, the present invention provides an electronic device, comprising:

[0017] Processor; and

[0018] Memory is used to store computer program instructions;

[0019] When the computer program instructions are loaded and run by the processor, the processor performs the method described in the first aspect.

[0020] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following advantages:

[0021] (1) This invention overcomes the problem of not being able to directly control the temperature of liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen in the storage tank, makes full use of existing experimental conditions, realizes active control of the temperature of liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen, and achieves the purpose of controlling the high temperature inlet conditions of hydrogen and oxygen pumps and conducting experiments.

[0022] (2) Based on the physical properties of liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen, this invention can control the temperature of liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen in the tank relatively accurately by controlling the tank pressure and holding the pressure and allowing it to recover temperature. It does not require an additional temperature control system, is economical, and is easy to operate.

[0023] (3) The method of the present invention enables the hydrogen and oxygen pump inlet conditions of the engine ground test to be closer to the actual flight conditions, and can more realistically verify the working state of the engine under high temperature inlet conditions, expose potential problems in advance, and improve the ground test capability.

[0024] (4) The present invention is also applicable to the control of high temperature inlet conditions for cryogenic propellants such as liquid methane and liquid nitrogen, and can be extended to other test scenarios. Attached Figure Description

[0025] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the high-temperature inlet condition control and test process for hydrogen pumps and / or oxygen pumps. Detailed Implementation

[0026] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the present invention clearer, the embodiments of the present invention will be described in further detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0027] Due to the physical properties of cryogenic propellants, the test rig cannot directly control the temperature of the propellant in the tank according to the test requirements. Based on the existing test conditions, the physical relationship between propellant temperature and saturated vapor pressure is utilized to actively control the tank pressure and maintain the pressure for temperature recovery, thereby achieving active control of the propellant temperature.

[0028] To achieve target temperature control of the hydrogen and oxygen pump inlet conditions, a method for controlling and testing high-temperature inlet conditions of the hydrogen and / or oxygen pumps is proposed. This method involves maintaining the tank pressure near the saturated vapor pressure corresponding to the target temperature through the charging and discharging of the storage tank. By employing a prolonged static state, heat leakage from the tank walls and heat exchange between the gas cushion and the liquid are utilized to gradually increase and stabilize the propellant temperature within the tank near the target temperature. Before startup, after the hydrogen tank is pressurized to its rated pressure, the engine begins pre-cooling. Start-up is possible once the inlet temperature reaches the target temperature.

[0029] like Figure 1 As shown, the specific steps include the following:

[0030] (1) Determine the high-temperature inlet temperatures Tr and Ty of the hydrogen pump and / or oxygen pump, such as Tr = 24K, Ty = 97K;

[0031] (2) Query the physical properties of liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen to determine the saturated vapor pressure of hydrogen and / or the saturated vapor pressure of oxygen, Prs and Pys, such as Prs = 0.2648 MPa and Pys = 0.1958 MPa;

[0032] (3) Based on the saturated vapor pressure and the pressure control accuracy of the test bench, determine the pressure control range of the hydrogen tank and / or the pressure control range of the oxygen tank, which are: Prx = 0.265~0.270MPa, Pyx = 0.196~0.201MPa, respectively;

[0033] (4) The hydrogen storage tank and / or oxygen storage tank are pressure-maintained and allowed to stand still to recover temperature. The external heat leakage is used to make the liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen in the tank continuously rise in temperature. As the tank pressure is stable, the liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen will eventually stabilize at around the target temperature.

[0034] (5) Monitor the liquid temperatures Trl and Tyl in the hydrogen and oxygen tanks in real time. After determining that the test requirements are met based on the measured liquid temperatures in the tanks, pressurize the hydrogen tank and / or oxygen tank to the working pressure, which are: Prp = 0.35~0.355MPa and Pyp = 0.35~0.355MPa, respectively.

[0035] (6) After the engine enters the pre-cooling process and is pre-cooled, conduct high-temperature inlet start-up and operation tests of the hydrogen pump and / or oxygen pump.

[0036] Example:

[0037] Taking the high-temperature inlet operation adaptability test of the hydrogen pump as an example, the starting and operation adaptability of the hydrogen-oxygen engine under the 24K high-temperature inlet condition of the hydrogen pump is verified. The specific process is as follows:

[0038] (1) According to the test requirements of liquid hydrogen at 24K high temperature inlet, the physical property parameters of liquid hydrogen can be found that the saturated vapor pressure of liquid hydrogen at 24K is 0.2648MPa. Therefore, the pressure holding pressure of the hydrogen tank should not be lower than 0.2648MPa.

[0039] (2) The pressure control accuracy of the hydrogen tank is 0.005MPa. After liquid hydrogen is added to the storage tank, the hydrogen tank is kept under pressure and allowed to cool down. The tank pressure is controlled within the range of 0.265 to 0.270MPa.

[0040] (3) After standing and warming up for a certain period of time, the liquid hydrogen in the hydrogen tank continues to heat up due to the continuous input of external heat into the liquid hydrogen. The temperature of the liquid hydrogen is monitored in real time by the temperature sensor in the hydrogen tank.

[0041] (4) When the liquid hydrogen temperature reaches 24K, the hydrogen tank is pressurized to the working pressure of 0.35-0.355MPa, and the engine begins to pre-cool. When the hydrogen pump inlet temperature is pre-cooled to 24K, the engine is ignited and started to test the starting and working adaptability under high temperature hydrogen inlet.

[0042] The contents not described in detail in this specification are common knowledge to those skilled in the art.

[0043] Although the present invention has been disclosed above with reference to preferred embodiments, it is not intended to limit the present invention. Any person skilled in the art can make possible changes and modifications to the technical solutions of the present invention by utilizing the methods and techniques disclosed above without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Therefore, any simple modifications, equivalent changes and alterations made to the above embodiments based on the technical essence of the present invention without departing from the content of the technical solutions of the present invention shall fall within the protection scope of the technical solutions of the present invention.

Claims

1. A method for controlling and testing high-temperature inlet conditions of a hydrogen pump and / or oxygen pump, characterized in that, include: By charging and discharging the tanks, the tank pressure is maintained at the saturated vapor pressure corresponding to the target temperature. By maintaining the pressure for a long time and allowing the tank walls to leak heat and the gas pillow to exchange heat with the liquid, the propellant temperature inside the tank gradually increases and stabilizes at the target temperature. Before starting, after the hydrogen tank and / or oxygen tank are pressurized to the rated pressure, the engine begins to pre-cool. Once the inlet reaches the target temperature, the engine can be started.

2. The method for controlling and testing high-temperature inlet conditions of hydrogen pumps and / or oxygen pumps according to claim 1, characterized in that, Determine the high-temperature inlet temperatures Tr and Ty of the hydrogen pump and / or oxygen pump, then look up the physical properties of liquid hydrogen and / or liquid oxygen to determine the saturated vapor pressure of hydrogen and / or the saturated vapor pressure of oxygen, Prs and Pys.

3. The method for controlling and testing high-temperature inlet conditions of hydrogen pumps and / or oxygen pumps according to claim 1, characterized in that, Based on the saturated vapor pressure and the pressure control accuracy of the test bench, determine the pressure control range of the hydrogen storage tank and / or the pressure control range of the oxygen storage tank.

4. The method for controlling and testing high-temperature inlet conditions of hydrogen pumps and / or oxygen pumps according to claim 1, characterized in that, The hydrogen and / or oxygen storage tanks are pressurized and allowed to cool down, utilizing external heat leakage to continuously raise the temperature of the liquid hydrogen and / or liquid oxygen inside the tanks.

5. The method for controlling and testing high-temperature inlet conditions of hydrogen pumps and / or oxygen pumps according to claim 1, characterized in that, The liquid temperatures Trl and Tyl in the hydrogen and / or oxygen storage tanks are monitored in real time. After determining that the test requirements are met based on the measured liquid temperatures in the tanks, the hydrogen and / or oxygen storage tanks are pressurized to the working pressure.

6. The method for controlling and testing high-temperature inlet conditions of hydrogen pumps and / or oxygen pumps according to claim 1, characterized in that, After liquid hydrogen is added to the storage tank, the hydrogen storage tank is pressurized and allowed to cool down, with the tank pressure controlled within the range of 0.265~0.270MPa.

7. The method for controlling and testing high-temperature inlet conditions of hydrogen pumps and / or oxygen pumps according to claim 1, characterized in that, The pressure control accuracy of the hydrogen storage tank shall not exceed 0.005 MPa. After liquid hydrogen is added to the storage tank, the hydrogen storage tank shall be pressure-maintained and allowed to cool down. The tank pressure shall be controlled within the range of 0.265~0.270 MPa.

8. A computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon computer program instructions, which, when loaded and run by a processor, cause the processor to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 7.

9. An electronic device, comprising: processor; as well as Memory is used to store computer program instructions; When the computer program instructions are loaded and run by the processor, the processor performs the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 7.

Citation Information

Patent Citations

  • Efficient pressure-control cryogenic propellant storage tank with ejector

    CN108163398A

  • Vacuum heat-insulated metallic hose for conveying liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen

    CN110578839A