Propellant Cooling via Expansion and Phase Transition
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing fluid cooling systems for liquid-propellant rockets require excessive propellant discard during inertial travel, leading to increased weight and hindered launching performance due to the need for larger storage tanks.
Innovation Solution
A fluid cooling system where the propellant is stored in a liquid state, expanded to reduce temperature, and used to cool the feed pipes from the outside, reducing the amount of propellant needed for cooling and minimizing waste by utilizing latent heat of vaporization in a two-phase gas-liquid state.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If the propellant is discarded to replace heated fluid in feed lines and main lines during inertial travel, then the fluid temperature is maintained low, but the amount of wasted propellant increases excessively with increasing inertial traveling time
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the thermodynamic parameters of the propellant by expanding it through an expansion device, transforming it from a high-temperature state to a low-temperature state. This parameter change allows the expanded propellant to serve as effective cooling medium without requiring excessive quantities, thus resolving the contradiction between maintaining low temperature and minimizing propellant waste
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes phase transition of the propellant during expansion, where the propellant transitions from liquid phase to two-phase gas-liquid state. This phase transition absorbs heat (latent heat of vaporization), providing efficient cooling effect while reducing the total amount of propellant needed for cooling compared to simple discarding methods
2Temperature
If excessive propellant is discarded for precooling, then the fluid cooling is effective, but the storage tank needs to contain enough propellant leading to an increase in weight
Solution Approach 1:
By expanding the propellant to change its temperature and phase parameters, the system achieves effective fluid cooling with a reduced quantity of propellant. This reduces the propellant storage capacity requirement, thereby decreasing storage tank size and overall system weight
Solution Approach 2:
The phase transition of propellant during expansion provides intense cooling effect through latent heat absorption, making the cooling process more efficient. This efficiency gain reduces the total propellant volume needed, allowing for smaller storage tanks and reduced system weight
3Temperature
If the propellant is expanded to reduce temperature for cooling, then the cooling efficiency increases, but the propellant is discharged outside after use
Solution Approach 1:
The propellant undergoes phase transition during expansion, absorbing latent heat of vaporization which significantly enhances cooling efficiency. Although the expanded propellant is discharged, the high cooling efficiency per unit mass reduces the total quantity needed, thereby minimizing overall propellant loss
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 efficiently cools the propellant, reducing the amount required for cooling and minimizing propellant discard, potentially reducing the discarded propellant by up to 1/3 compared to traditional methods.
Implementation Method 1
the fluid having traveled through the pump is reduced in temperature by being expanded
Implementation Method 2
the fluid having traveled through the pump is reduced in temperature by being expanded
Implementation Method 3
the low-temperature fluid cools the fluid in at least one of the first feed pipe and the second feed pipe from the outer peripheral side
Implementation Method 4
If the fluid used for cooling in the cooling section is in a two-phase gas-liquid state, the amount of heat exchange can be increased by utilizing latent heat of vaporization
Data Source
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AI summary
Provided are an aircraft/spacecraft fluid cooling system and an aircraft/spacecraft fluid cooling method in which a fluid in a pipe installed in aircraft or spacecraft can be cooled efficiently so that the amount of fluid required for cooling the fluid can be reduced. A fluid cooling system (1) includes a feed line (6) that feeds a fluid from a storage tank (4) to a pump (8), and a cooling section (26) that expands a propellant having traveled through the pump (8), feeds the propellant to the outer periphery of the feed line (6) so as to cool the propellant in the feed line (6), and discharges the expanded propellant outside.