Shuttle compatible cryogenic liquid storage and supply systems

Abstract

A detailed introduction is given to a wide variety of orbital cryogenic liquid storage and supply systems required for future vehicles by NASA and DOD. The systems include small cooling applications, large chemical and electrical orbit transfer vehicles and resupply tankers, and all have the common requirements of low-g fluid management for the accomplishment of gas-free liquid expulsion, and efficient thermal control in order to manage heat leak and tank pressure. The present study considers hydrogen, oxygen, methane, argon and helium tanks ranging from 0.6 to 37.4 cu m. Conceptual designs were generated for each tank system, and fluid dynamic, structural and thermal analyses were performed in view of Shuttle requirements.