Cryogenic Housing Segments with Intermediate Insulating Cavity
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current thermal insulation methods for spacecraft cryogenic components, such as turbopumps, are restrictive and dependent on manual installation, leading to inefficiencies in thermal management and potential ice formation issues due to heat loss.
Innovation Solution
A modular casing system composed of segments with an intermediate cavity filled with low thermal conductivity insulating material, produced via additive manufacturing, where orifices in the external wall allow for insulating material injection and subsequent closure, creating a multi-layered structure with reduced thermal conductivity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If manual insulation systems are used, then thermal insulation can be provided, but implementation complexity and installation difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the structural housing and thermal insulation into a single integrated component. The housing walls are designed with multi-layer construction where insulating materials are embedded between structural layers, eliminating the need for separate manual insulation installation and reducing implementation complexity while maintaining effective thermal protection
2Loss of energy
If external insulation layers are added, then thermal protection is improved, but manufacturing and installation restrictions increase
Solution Approach 1:
The thermal insulation is incorporated into the housing structure during the manufacturing process itself, rather than being added as a separate post-manufacturing step. The multi-layer wall construction with embedded insulating materials is created directly during housing fabrication, eliminating installation restrictions and simplifying the manufacturing workflow
3Loss of energy
If thick insulation layers are used, then thermal insulation efficiency improves, but the overall size and weight of the component increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs composite material construction with multiple layers having different thermal properties. By combining structural materials with high thermal resistance materials in a multi-layer configuration, the design achieves effective thermal insulation with reduced overall thickness and weight compared to using single thick insulation layers, optimizing the weight-insulation efficiency trade-off
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach enhances thermal insulation efficiency by integrating insulation within the component's structure, reducing manual installation complexities and enabling effective thermal protection without external insulation, thus minimizing heat loss and ice formation risks.
Implementation Method 1
an intermediate cavity arranged between the inner wall and the outer wall... said intermediate cavity is filled with insulating material, said insulating material having a lower thermal conductivity than that of the material forming the casing
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a housing of a cryogenic body of a spacecraft, said housing consisting of a plurality of segments (2), each one comprising: an inner wall (22) defining an inner space, and an outer wall (23) opposite the inner wall, characterised in that each of said segments (2) also comprises an intermediate cavity (3) located between the inner wall (22) and the outer wall (23), the outer wall (23) of each of the segments (2) comprising openings (4) allowing the filling of the intermediate cavity (3).