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At least 19 records

Improved Models for Simulation of Cryogenic Spray Cooling for Propellant Tank Chilldown

This paper presents advances in spray boiling models for cryogenic fluids that exhibit strong variation in thermodynamic properties; it accounts for the interaction of the spray droplets with walls and the complex heat transfer and boiling processes that play a vital role in chilling solid surfaces. The model has been developed by corroborating and validating it with test data in liquid nitrogen obtained at the University of Connecticut. The test data includes detailed visualization and plate temperature measurements for liquid nitrogen sprays impinging on a warm test plate and subsequent transient chilldown of the plate. Simulations of transient plate chilldown in liquid nitrogen were carried out and temperature histories at various locations on the plate were compared with test measurements to demonstrate the validity of the spray boiling models that have been developed for cryogens.

Boiling↗

Improved Models for Simulation of Cryogenic Spray Cooling for Propellant Tank Chilldown

This paper presents advances in spray boiling models for cryogenic fluids that exhibit strong variation in thermodynamic properties; it accounts for the interaction of the spray droplets with walls and the complex heat transfer and boiling processes that play a vital role in chilling solid surfaces. The model has been developed by corroborating and validating it with test data in liquid nitrogen obtained at the University of Connecticut. The test data includes detailed visualization and plate temperature measurements for liquid nitrogen sprays impinging on a warm test plate and subsequent transient chilldown of the plate. Simulations of transient plate chilldown in liquid nitrogen were carried out and temperature histories at various locations on the plate were compared with test measurements to demonstrate the validity of the spray boiling models that have been developed for cryogens.

Boiling↗

Improved Models for Simulation of Cryogenic Spray Cooling for Propellant Tank Chilldown

This paper presents advances in spray boiling models for cryogenic fluids that exhibit strong variation in thermodynamic properties; it accounts for the interaction of the spray droplets with walls and the complex heat transfer and boiling processes that play a vital role in chilling solid surfaces. The model has been developed by corroborating and validating it with test data in liquid nitrogen obtained at the University of Connecticut. The test data includes detailed visualization and plate temperature measurements for liquid nitrogen sprays impinging on a warm test plate and subsequent transient chilldown of the plate. Simulations of transient plate chilldown in liquid nitrogen were carried out and temperature histories at various locations on the plate were compared with test measurements. The final paper will present sensitivity studies and additional comparisons with test data.

Computational Fluid Dynamics, Cryogenic, Spray Chi↗

Cryogenic Flow Boiling Parabolic Flight Experiment and Universal Correlations for Cryogens

Cryogenic fluids are employed in many industries and play crucial roles in space applications, including nuclear thermal propulsion systems, LOX/LCH4 ascent and descent stage feedlines, LOX/LH2 transfer lines for in-space fuel depots, and LHe transfer lines that cool space experiments. Due to the ultra-low boiling point of cryogens, phase change is inevitable in these systems, which leads to complex boiling behavior in reduced gravity. For cost-effective design and sizing of the aforementioned systems, accurate knowledge of two-phase parameters such as pressure drop, heat transfer coefficient (HTC), and critical heat flux (CHF) is desired. Since 2018, researchers from Purdue University and NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC) have been collaborating to investigate the effects of reduced gravity on cryogenic pool boiling, flow boiling ins tubes, and spray cooling. Using a variety of both terrestrial and parabolic flight experimental rigs, extensive LN2 data have been amassed and combined with cryogenic data from World literature to develop both ‘universal’ empirical correlations and CFD models, which are expected to serve as foundation for design of future space systems involving cryogenic fluids. This presentation will provide an overview of both the experimental work and predictive tools that have resulted from the joined Purdue-Glenn studies.

Flow Boiling↗

Numerical Simulation on Liquid Hydrogen Chill-Down Process of Vertical Pipeline

In order to improve the cryogenic propellant management technologies for a liquid hydrogen rocket with high specific impulse, JAXA, the University of Tokyo, and the NASA Glenn Research Center have jointly organized a multi-agency model validation collaboration project. As part of this project, JAXA's boiling simulation was validated with NASA's experimental data on vertical pipeline chill-down. Simulation results were in good agreement with the experimental data obtained using an improved boiling model to reproduce the spray flow. This activity achieved liquid hydrogen turbo-pump simulation at JAXA for grasping the boiling flow phenomenon from engine cut-off to re-ignition. This joint research resulted in an international cooperative relationship for discussing the cryogenic propellant management technologies necessary to develop next-generation liquid rockets.

Umemura, Yutaka↗

Enhancement of Nucleate Boiling Heat Flux on Macro/Micro-Structured Surfaces Cooled by Multiple Impinging Jets

An experimental investigation of nucleate boiling heat transfer from modified surfaces cooled by multiple in-line impinging circular jets is reported and found to agree with single jet results. A copper block is heated from the back by two electrical arcs, and cooled on the opposite side by three identical liquid jets of distilled water at subcoolings of 25 C 50 C and 77 C and Freon 113 at 24 C subcooling. Liquid flow rates are held constant at 5, 10, and 15 GPH for each of the three jets with jet velocities ranging from 1.4 m/s to 1 1.2 m/s and jet diameters from 0.95 mm to 2.2 mm. To increase the maximum heat flux (CHF) and heat removal rate, the boiling surface was modified by both macro and micro enhancements. Macro modification consists of machined radial grooves in the boiling surface arranged in an optimally designed pattern to allow better liquid distribution along the surface. These grooves also reduce splashing of liquid droplets, and provide 'channels' to sweep away bubbles. Micro modification was achieved by flame spraying metal powder on the boiling surface, creating a porous, sintered surface. With the addition of both micro and macro structured enhancements, maximum heat flux and nucleate boiling can be enhanced by more than 200%. Examination of each surface modification separately and together indicates that at lower superheats, the micro structure provides the enhanced heat transfer by providing more nucleation sites, while for higher superheats the macro structure allows better liquid distribution and bubble removal. A correlation is presented to account for liquid subcoolings and surface enhancements, in addition to the geometrical and fluid properties previously reported in the literature.

Kugler, Scott Lee↗

A Summary of Recent SBIR and STTR Projects in Support of Cryogenic Fluid Management Modeling

Over the last five years, NASA has invested in development of sub-models to improve the current capabilities of Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) codes utilized for cryogenic fluid management (CFM) predictions. The goal is for the submodels to be modular so that they can easily be implemented into NASA’s CFD codes such as ANSYS Fluent, Siemens STAR-CCM+, and Streamline Numerics Loci-Stream. These technologies are being developed through Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) contracts under the CFM subtopic solicitation and funded by the CFM Portfolio Project. All contracts presented include cryogenic experiments to enable model validation. A sub-grid boiling model has been developed by Combustion Research and Flow Technology Inc. and Massachusetts Institute of Technology for cryogenic line chilldown predictions and has completed Phase III. A spray chill-and-fill model for cryogenic tankage is being developed by Combustion Research and Flow Technology Inc. and University of Connecticut and is currently in Phase II. Last, film condensation modeling to support cryogenic liquefaction was progressed through a Phase I contract with Combustion Research and Flow Technology Inc. and University of Connecticut. A summary of accomplishments for each contract is presented.

cryogenics↗

Testing of a Spray-Bar Zero Gravity Cryogenic Vent System for Upper Stages

The capability to vent in zero gravity without resettling is a fundamental technology need that involves practically all uses of subcritical cryogenics in space. Venting without resettling would extend cryogenic orbital transfer vehicle capabilities. However, the lack of definition regarding liquid/ullage orientation coupled with the somewhat random nature of the thermal stratification and resulting pressure rise rates, lead to significant technical challenges. Typically a zero gravity vent concept, termed a thermodynamic vent system (TVS), consists of a tank mixer to destratify the propellant, combined with a Joule- Thomson (J-T) valve to extract then-nal energy from the propellant. In a cooperative effort, Marshall Space Flight Center's (MSFC's) Multipurpose Hydrogen Test Bed (N4HTB) was used to test a unique "spray bar" TVS system developed by Boeing. A schematic of this system is included in Figure 1. The system consists of a recirculation pump, a parallel flow concentric tube, heat exchanger, and a spray bar positioned close to the longitudinal axis of the tank. In the mixing mode, the recirculation pump withdraws liquid from the tank and sprays it radially into the tank liquid, ullage, and exposed tank surfaces. When energy extraction is required, a small portion of the recirculated liquid is passed sequentially through the J-T expansion valve, the spray bar heat exchanger element, and is vented overboard. The vented vapor cools the circulated bulk fluid, thereby removing thermal energy and reducing tank pressure. Figure 2 is a plot of ullage pressure (P4) and liquid vapor pressure (PSAI) versus time. The pump operates alone, cycling on and off, to destratify the tank liquid and ullage until the liquid vapor pressure reaches the lower set point. At that point, the J-T valve begins to cycle on and off with the pump. Thus, for short duration missions, only the mixer may operate, thus minimizing or even eliminating boil-off losses. The primary advantage of the spray bar configuration is that pressure reduction is achieved independent of liquid and vapor location, thereby enhancing the applicability of normal gravity test data to zero gravity conditions. The in-tank components are minimized with the proposed TVS design. Because the recirculation pump is external to the tank, no electrical power penetration of the tank is required for pump or valve operation. This is especially desirable for L02 tanks since the presence of an electrical ignition source in oxygen represents a critical failure mode. Also, since the critical components (pump, motor, valve, orifice) are external to the tank, system checkout and ground servicing/replacement are easier. For zero-g operation, component replacement external to the tank may be a significant benefit. In addition to satisfying the zero g TVS design objectives, the TVS concept tested offers additional benefits to the integrated subcritical cryogenic storage and launch system.

Lak, Tibor↗

Axisymmetric Two-Dimensional Modeling of No Vent Filling of a Cryogenic Tank using Generalized Fluid System Simulation Program

This paper presents preliminary analysis using a finite volume based computational method for network flow analysis for the simulation of chill and fill of a cryogenic tank. An axisymmetric two-dimensional model of a spherical tank was developed using a nodal approach. No Vent Filling (NVF) was accomplished using a Thermodynamic Vent System assisted injector where the injector was cooled by the cold gas generated by Joule-Thompson expansion of the liquid propellant. The numerical model accounts for a) different regimes of pool boiling heat transfer, b) condensation of vapor around spray droplets, and c) condensation of vapor at the interface of the cooled injector and ullage. The numerical predictions of tank pressure, filling rate, and wall temperatures were compared with the test data and one-dimensional (1D) model predictions. It was demonstrated that the axisymmetric 2D model provided a more realistic prediction than the 1D model.

Cryogenics↗

Two-Dimensional Network Flow Modeling of No-Vent Tank Filling of A Cryogenic Tank With Thermo-Dynamic Vent System Assisted Injector

A finite volume-based network flow modeling tool, Generalized Fluid System Simulation Program (GFSSP), was used to simulate the no-vent filling of a cryogenic tank with a thermodynamic vent system assisted injector. The tank was discretized into nodes in the radial and axial directions to calculate two-dimensional axisymmetric flow with heat transfer between the solid wall and fluid. The nodes are connected by branches where momentum equations are solved to calculate the flowrates. The mass and energy conservation equations and the equation of state are solved to calculate pressure, temperature, and resident mass at the nodes. The energy conservation equations at the solid nodes were solved to calculate the temperature of the solid wall. The system of equations was solved by a combination of successive substitution and simultaneous Newton-Raphson method. The numerical model accounts for a) different regimes of pool boiling heat transfer, b) condensation of vapor around the spray droplets, c) condensation of vapor at the interface of the cooled injector and ullage, and d) condensation at the liquid-vapor interphase. The numerical predictions of tank pressure, filling rate, and wall temperatures were compared with the test data. The paper also presents the effect of nodal discretization by comparing the results of the 1D and 2D models and examines the effect of the droplet diameter on tank filling.

Nodal Model↗

Two-Dimensional Network Flow Modeling of No-Vent Tank Filling of A Cryogenic Tank With Thermo-Dynamic Vent System Assisted Injector

A finite volume-based network flow modeling tool, Generalized Fluid System Simulation Program (GFSSP), was used to simulate the no-vent filling of a cryogenic tank with a thermodynamic vent system assisted injector. The tank was discretized into nodes in the radial and axial directions to calculate two-dimensional axisymmetric flow with heat transfer between the solid wall and fluid. The nodes are connected by branches where momentum equations are solved to calculate the flowrates. The mass and energy conservation equations and the equation of state are solved to calculate pressure, temperature, and resident mass at the nodes. The energy conservation equations at the solid nodes were solved to calculate the temperature of the solid wall. The system of equations was solved by a combination of successive substitution and simultaneous Newton-Raphson method. The numerical model accounts for a) different regimes of pool boiling heat transfer, b) condensation of vapor around the spray droplets, c) condensation of vapor at the interface of the cooled injector and ullage, and d) condensation at the liquid-vapor interphase. The numerical predictions of tank pressure, filling rate, and wall temperatures were compared with the test data. The paper also presents the effect of nodal discretization by comparing the results of the 1D and 2D models and examines the effect of the droplet diameter on tank filling.

Nodal Model↗

Modeling and Simulation of Tank Pressure Control using Zero-Boiloff Active Thermal Control for LOXSAT Technology Demonstration Mission

To-date, research and modeling of cryogenic fluid management technologies (CFM) for spaceflight has been limited to ground tests, short-duration zero-g simulations (e.g. drop towers), and small-scale experiments on-orbit. There has not been a large-scale flight demonstration of a flight-like system. As future NASA missions to take humans further from Earth will require large, in-space cryogenic propulsion vehicles, it is imperative to begin collecting flight data for these systems to accurately model and design future vehicles. To meet this goal, NASA awarded tipping point technology demonstration awards to Eta Space, Lockheed Martin, Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX), and United Launch Alliance (ULA) to demonstrate on-orbit storage and transfer of cryogenic propellant. For its award, Eta Space is developing LOXSAT-1. It is a small satellite that will be launched on a Rocket Lab Electron rocket. The spacecraft consists of a Rocket Lab Photon spacecraft bus with a primary payload of a spherical liquid oxygen (LOX) storage tank with thermodynamic control systems. The primary objective of the mission is to demonstrate zero-boil-off storage of liquid oxygen. To accomplish this objective, the payload is equipped with an active thermal control system fluid loop that consists of propellant management device (PMD), positive-displacement pump, heat exchanger connected to a cryocooler, and a spray bar mixing injector. When the fluid loop is operating, fluid is drawn from the tank by the PMD and pumped through the heat exchanger, lowering the fluid temperature below the fluid temperature in the tank. This subcooled liquid is then injected back into the tank through the spray bar. The subcooled injected liquid has two effects. If it is sprayed into the ullage space, the injected liquid will form into jets or droplets and exchange heat with the ullage gas. This will cool and condense the gas, reducing the pressure in the tank. Additionally, the liquid that is not sprayed through the ullage, as well as any remaining liquid spray from the ullage, will rejoin the liquid mass of the tank, lowering the bulk temperature of the liquid. These combines effects provide for zero-boil off pressure control by lowering the tank pressure and the liquid saturation pressure simultaneously, ensuring the liquid stays subcooled. To model these complex mechanics and predict the performance of the active thermal control system, NASA is providing Eta Space with 3 parallel models of the tank. The approach of providing 3 different models allows for cross-checking and comparisons between the three to better understand how different modeling assumptions and selection semi-empirical factors affects the modeling result. Additionally, developing 3 models provides three different schemes for numerical simulation, providing confidence that results depict real physical phenomenon and not numerical quirks of the program. Within the tank thermodynamics, there are two primary areas of heat transfer we concern ourselves with: the heat transfer between the ullage space and the droplet spray, and between the ullage space and bulk liquid. For the droplet heat transfer, there are multiple sets of assumptions that can be made and correlations that can be used. Currently, two working models - the TankSIM model and Easy5 model – provide for an overview of the different approaches available. The TankSIM model and Easy5 model use two different models for droplet heating and evaporation that illustrate how the models use different types of mechanisms to arrive at the same answer. For the TankSIM model, droplets are treated as spheres of constant radius. Heat is transferred from the ullage to the droplet and warms the droplet until it reaches saturation, then the droplet begins evaporating and reducing its radius and mass. To calculate the heat transfer coefficient between the droplet and ullage, the Ranz-Marshall correlation is used. To determine the number of droplets in the ullage, a resident mass approach is used. This approach averages the number of droplets such that residuals at the start-up and shut-off of the spray bar cancel out. This same approach is used in the Easy5 model. The GFSSP model implements a linked list to track individual droplet “nodes” within the model. For the Easy5 model, the droplet is assumed to have an interface at a temperature equal to the saturation temperature corresponding to the pressure of the gas phase. The heat transfer from the gas to the interface and the interface to the droplet bulk is then calculated, and the net mass transfer between the droplet and interface is determined by performing an energy balance across the interface. For the gas side of the interface, the Ranz-Marshall correlation is used. For the liquid side of the interface, a variety of correlations were tried, including Kronig and Brink (1950) and effective conductivity models. As a result of these assumptions, the Easy5 model currently predicts faster depressurization, as at saturated vapor conditions, the heat transfer coeffect on the liquid side for the Easy5 model is greater than the heat transfer coefficient predicted by Ranz-Marshall used in the TankSIM code. This greater heat flux translates into faster condensation of the saturated ullage gas. At the bulk liquid to ullage interface, the models are in much closer agreement. Both models model the ullage as a sphere centered within the bulk liquid in the tank, and both use the energy-jumping boundary condition to model heat and mass transfer across the interface. There are slight differences in how the interface temperature is calculated, however. The Easy5 model assumes the temperature of the interface is equal to the saturation temperature associated with the pressure of the gas phase. The TankSIM model calculates this temperature with Alabovskii’s equation, which provides a correction factor for interface temperatures. Analysis tasks are focused on determining rates of depressurization within the tank during active cooling operation. To maintain net positive suction head at the pump inlet, the tank pressure cannot fall faster than the saturation pressure associated with the temperature of the bulk liquid. Additionally, there is interest in analyzing the performance of the loop at different pump speeds and cryocooler input powers. Adjusting the flowrate affects both the performance of the heat exchanger between the cryocooler and pumped liquid, and the heat transfer between the droplet spray and the ullage. Ideally, a pump speed and cryocooler power can be selected that will allow the tank to operate in zero-boil-off mode with a very narrow range of storage pressure.

zero boil-off↗

Modeling and Simulation of Tank Pressure Control using Zero-Boil Off Active Thermal Control for LOXSAT Technology Demonstration Mission

To-date, research and modeling of cryogenic fluid management technologies (CFM) for spaceflight has been limited to ground tests, short-duration zero-g simulations (e.g. drop towers), and small-scale experiments on-orbit. There has not been a large-scale flight demonstration of a flight-like system. As future NASA missions to take humans further from Earth will require large, in-space cryogenic propulsion vehicles, it is imperative to begin collecting flight data for these systems to accurately model and design future vehicles. To meet this goal, NASA awarded tipping point technology demonstration awards to Eta Space, Lockheed Martin, Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX), and United Launch Alliance (ULA) to demonstrate on-orbit storage and transfer of cryogenic propellant. For its award, Eta Space is developing LOXSAT-1. It is a small satellite that will be launched on a Rocket Lab Electron rocket. The spacecraft consists of a Rocket Lab Photon spacecraft bus with a primary payload of a spherical liquid oxygen (LOX) storage tank with thermodynamic control systems. The primary objective of the mission is to demonstrate zero-boil-off storage of liquid oxygen. To accomplish this objective, the payload is equipped with an active thermal control system fluid loop that consists of propellant management device (PMD), positive-displacement pump, heat exchanger connected to a cryocooler, and a spray bar mixing injector. When the fluid loop is operating, fluid is drawn from the tank by the PMD and pumped through the heat exchanger, lowering the fluid temperature below the fluid temperature in the tank. This subcooled liquid is then injected back into the tank through the spray bar. The subcooled injected liquid has two effects. If it is sprayed into the ullage space, the injected liquid will form into jets or droplets and exchange heat with the ullage gas. This will cool and condense the gas, reducing the pressure in the tank. Additionally, the liquid that is not sprayed through the ullage, as well as any remaining liquid spray from the ullage, will rejoin the liquid mass of the tank, lowering the bulk temperature of the liquid. These combines effects provide for zero-boil off pressure control by lowering the tank pressure and the liquid saturation pressure simultaneously, ensuring the liquid stays subcooled. To model these complex mechanics and predict the performance of the active thermal control system, NASA is providing Eta Space with 3 parallel models of the tank. The approach of providing 3 different models allows for cross-checking and comparisons between the three to better understand how different modeling assumptions and selection semi-empirical factors affects the modeling result. Additionally, developing 3 models provides three different schemes for numerical simulation, providing confidence that results depict real physical phenomenon and not numerical quirks of the program. Within the tank thermodynamics, there are two primary areas of heat transfer we concern ourselves with: the heat transfer between the ullage space and the droplet spray, and between the ullage space and bulk liquid. For the droplet heat transfer, there are multiple sets of assumptions that can be made and correlations that can be used. Currently, two working models - the TankSIM model and Easy5 model – provide for an overview of the different approaches available. The TankSIM model and Easy5 model use two different models for droplet heating and evaporation that illustrate how the models use different types of mechanisms to arrive at the same answer. For the TankSIM model, droplets are treated as spheres of constant radius. Heat is transferred from the ullage to the droplet and warms the droplet until it reaches saturation, then the droplet begins evaporating and reducing its radius and mass. To calculate the heat transfer coefficient between the droplet and ullage, the Ranz-Marshall correlation is used. To determine the number of droplets in the ullage, a resident mass approach is used. This approach averages the number of droplets such that residuals at the start-up and shut-off of the spray bar cancel out. This same approach is used in the Easy5 model. The GFSSP model implements a linked list to track individual droplet “nodes” within the model. For the Easy5 model, the droplet is assumed to have an interface at a temperature equal to the saturation temperature corresponding to the pressure of the gas phase. The heat transfer from the gas to the interface and the interface to the droplet bulk is then calculated, and the net mass transfer between the droplet and interface is determined by performing an energy balance across the interface. For the gas side of the interface, the Ranz-Marshall correlation is used. For the liquid side of the interface, a variety of correlations were tried, including Kronig and Brink (1950) and effective conductivity models. As a result of these assumptions, the Easy5 model currently predicts faster depressurization, as at saturated vapor conditions, the heat transfer coeffect on the liquid side for the Easy5 model is greater than the heat transfer coefficient predicted by Ranz-Marshall used in the TankSIM code. This greater heat flux translates into faster condensation of the saturated ullage gas. At the bulk liquid to ullage interface, the models are in much closer agreement. Both models model the ullage as a sphere centered within the bulk liquid in the tank, and both use the energy-jumping boundary condition to model heat and mass transfer across the interface. There are slight differences in how the interface temperature is calculated, however. The Easy5 model assumes the temperature of the interface is equal to the saturation temperature associated with the pressure of the gas phase. The TankSIM model calculates this temperature with Alabovskii’s equation, which provides a correction factor for interface temperatures. Analysis tasks are focused on determining rates of depressurization within the tank during active cooling operation. To maintain net positive suction head at the pump inlet, the tank pressure cannot fall faster than the saturation pressure associated with the temperature of the bulk liquid. Additionally, there is interest in analyzing the performance of the loop at different pump speeds and cryocooler input powers. Adjusting the flowrate affects both the performance of the heat exchanger between the cryocooler and pumped liquid, and the heat transfer between the droplet spray and the ullage. Ideally, a pump speed and cryocooler power can be selected that will allow the tank to operate in zero-boil-off mode with a very narrow range of storage pressure.

zero boil-off↗

Computations of turbulent evaporating sprays

A computational study of turbulent evaporating sprays is reported. The major focus is to examine the sensitivity of the vaporization behavior of turbulent sprays to the transient liquid-phase processes. Three models considered to represent these processes are the thin skin, infinite diffusion, and diffusion limit models. Favre-averaged equations with k-epsilon-g turbulence model are employed for the gas phase. The Lagrangian approach with a stochastic separated flow method is used for the liquid phase where the effects of gas turbulence on droplet trajectories and interphase transport rates are considered using random-walk computations. Also the variable-property effects are considered in detail. Results indicate that, depending upon the boiling temperature and heat of vaporization of the fuel considered, the vaporization behavior of turbulent sprays may be quite sensitive to the modeling of transient liquid-phase processes. Thus, it is important that for most hydrocarbon fuels these processes be adequately represented in any comprehensive spray computations. The present results also provide further support to the conclusions of earlier studies which have been based on simplified spray configurations.

Aggarwal, S. K.↗

Modeling and Simulation of Tank Pressure Control using Zero-Boil Off Active Thermal Control for LOXSAT Technology Demonstration Mission

To-date, research and modeling of cryogenic fluid management technologies (CFM) for spaceflight has been limited to ground tests, short-duration zero-g simulations (e.g. drop towers), and small-scale experiments on-orbit. There has not been a large-scale flight demonstration of a flight-like system. As future NASA missions to take humans further from Earth will require large, in-space cryogenic propulsion vehicles, it is imperative to begin collecting flight data for these systems to accurately model and design future vehicles. To meet this goal, NASA awarded tipping point technology demonstration awards to Eta Space, Lockheed Martin, Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX), and United Launch Alliance (ULA) to demonstrate on-orbit storage and transfer of cryogenic propellant. For its award, Eta Space is developing LOXSAT-1. It is a small satellite that will be launched on a Rocket Lab Electron rocket. The spacecraft consists of a Rocket Lab Photon spacecraft bus with a primary payload of a spherical liquid oxygen (LOX) storage tank with thermodynamic control systems. The primary objective of the mission is to demonstrate zero-boil-off storage of liquid oxygen. To accomplish this objective, the payload is equipped with an active thermal control system fluid loop that consists of propellant management device (PMD), positive-displacement pump, heat exchanger connected to a cryocooler, and a spray bar mixing injector. When the fluid loop is operating, fluid is drawn from the tank by the PMD and pumped through the heat exchanger, lowering the fluid temperature below the fluid temperature in the tank. This subcooled liquid is then injected back into the tank through the spray bar. The subcooled injected liquid has two effects. If it is sprayed into the ullage space, the injected liquid will form into jets or droplets and exchange heat with the ullage gas. This will cool and condense the gas, reducing the pressure in the tank. Additionally, the liquid that is not sprayed through the ullage, as well as any remaining liquid spray from the ullage, will rejoin the liquid mass of the tank, lowering the bulk temperature of the liquid. These combines effects provide for zero-boil off pressure control by lowering the tank pressure and the liquid saturation pressure simultaneously, ensuring the liquid stays subcooled. To model these complex mechanics and predict the performance of the active thermal control system, NASA is providing Eta Space with 3 parallel models of the tank. The approach of providing 3 different models allows for cross-checking and comparisons between the three to better understand how different modeling assumptions and selection semi-empirical factors affects the modeling result. Additionally, developing 3 models provides three different schemes for numerical simulation, providing confidence that results depict real physical phenomenon and not numerical quirks of the program. Within the tank thermodynamics, there are two primary areas of heat transfer we concern ourselves with: the heat transfer between the ullage space and the droplet spray, and between the ullage space and bulk liquid. For the droplet heat transfer, there are multiple sets of assumptions that can be made and correlations that can be used. Currently, two working models - the TankSIM model and Easy5 model – provide for an overview of the different approaches available. The TankSIM model and Easy5 model use two different models for droplet heating and evaporation that illustrate how the models use different types of mechanisms to arrive at the same answer. For the TankSIM model, droplets are treated as spheres of constant radius. Heat is transferred from the ullage to the droplet and warms the droplet until it reaches saturation, then the droplet begins evaporating and reducing its radius and mass. To calculate the heat transfer coefficient between the droplet and ullage, the Ranz-Marshall correlation is used. To determine the number of droplets in the ullage, a resident mass approach is used. This approach averages the number of droplets such that residuals at the start-up and shut-off of the spray bar cancel out. This same approach is used in the Easy5 model. The GFSSP model implements a linked list to track individual droplet “nodes” within the model. For the Easy5 model, the droplet is assumed to have an interface at a temperature equal to the saturation temperature corresponding to the pressure of the gas phase. The heat transfer from the gas to the interface and the interface to the droplet bulk is then calculated, and the net mass transfer between the droplet and interface is determined by performing an energy balance across the interface. For the gas side of the interface, the Ranz-Marshall correlation is used. For the liquid side of the interface, a variety of correlations were tried, including Kronig and Brink (1950) and effective conductivity models. As a result of these assumptions, the Easy5 model currently predicts faster depressurization, as at saturated vapor conditions, the heat transfer coeffect on the liquid side for the Easy5 model is greater than the heat transfer coefficient predicted by Ranz-Marshall used in the TankSIM code. This greater heat flux translates into faster condensation of the saturated ullage gas. At the bulk liquid to ullage interface, the models are in much closer agreement. Both models model the ullage as a sphere centered within the bulk liquid in the tank, and both use the energy-jumping boundary condition to model heat and mass transfer across the interface. There are slight differences in how the interface temperature is calculated, however. The Easy5 model assumes the temperature of the interface is equal to the saturation temperature associated with the pressure of the gas phase. The TankSIM model calculates this temperature with Alabovskii’s equation, which provides a correction factor for interface temperatures. Analysis tasks are focused on determining rates of depressurization within the tank during active cooling operation. To maintain net positive suction head at the pump inlet, the tank pressure cannot fall faster than the saturation pressure associated with the temperature of the bulk liquid. Additionally, there is interest in analyzing the performance of the loop at different pump speeds and cryocooler input powers. Adjusting the flowrate affects both the performance of the heat exchanger between the cryocooler and pumped liquid, and the heat transfer between the droplet spray and the ullage. Ideally, a pump speed and cryocooler power can be selected that will allow the tank to operate in zero-boil-off mode with a very narrow range of storage pressure.

Cameron J. Hines↗

Modeling and Simulation of Tank Pressure Control using Zero-Boil Off Active Thermal Control for LOXSAT Technology Demonstration Mission

To-date, research and modeling of cryogenic fluid management technologies (CFM) for spaceflight has been limited to ground tests, short-duration zero-g simulations (e.g. drop towers), and small-scale experiments on-orbit. There has not been a large-scale flight demonstration of a flight-like system. As future NASA missions to take humans further from Earth will require large, in-space cryogenic propulsion vehicles, it is imperative to begin collecting flight data for these systems to accurately model and design future vehicles. To meet this goal, NASA awarded tipping point technology demonstration awards to Eta Space, Lockheed Martin, Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX), and United Launch Alliance (ULA) to demonstrate on-orbit storage and transfer of cryogenic propellant. For its award, Eta Space is developing LOXSAT-1. It is a small satellite that will be launched on a Rocket Lab Electron rocket. The spacecraft consists of a Rocket Lab Photon spacecraft bus with a primary payload of a spherical liquid oxygen (LOX) storage tank with thermodynamic control systems. The primary objective of the mission is to demonstrate zero-boil-off storage of liquid oxygen. To accomplish this objective, the payload is equipped with an active thermal control system fluid loop that consists of propellant management device (PMD), positive-displacement pump, heat exchanger connected to a cryocooler, and a spray bar mixing injector. When the fluid loop is operating, fluid is drawn from the tank by the PMD and pumped through the heat exchanger, lowering the fluid temperature below the fluid temperature in the tank. This subcooled liquid is then injected back into the tank through the spray bar. The subcooled injected liquid has two effects. If it is sprayed into the ullage space, the injected liquid will form into jets or droplets and exchange heat with the ullage gas. This will cool and condense the gas, reducing the pressure in the tank. Additionally, the liquid that is not sprayed through the ullage, as well as any remaining liquid spray from the ullage, will rejoin the liquid mass of the tank, lowering the bulk temperature of the liquid. These combines effects provide for zero-boil off pressure control by lowering the tank pressure and the liquid saturation pressure simultaneously, ensuring the liquid stays subcooled. To model these complex mechanics and predict the performance of the active thermal control system, NASA is providing Eta Space with 3 parallel models of the tank. The approach of providing 3 different models allows for cross-checking and comparisons between the three to better understand how different modeling assumptions and selection semi-empirical factors affects the modeling result. Additionally, developing 3 models provides three different schemes for numerical simulation, providing confidence that results depict real physical phenomenon and not numerical quirks of the program. Within the tank thermodynamics, there are two primary areas of heat transfer we concern ourselves with: the heat transfer between the ullage space and the droplet spray, and between the ullage space and bulk liquid. For the droplet heat transfer, there are multiple sets of assumptions that can be made and correlations that can be used. Currently, two working models - the TankSIM model and Easy5 model – provide for an overview of the different approaches available. The TankSIM model and Easy5 model use two different models for droplet heating and evaporation that illustrate how the models use different types of mechanisms to arrive at the same answer. For the TankSIM model, droplets are treated as spheres of constant radius. Heat is transferred from the ullage to the droplet and warms the droplet until it reaches saturation, then the droplet begins evaporating and reducing its radius and mass. To calculate the heat transfer coefficient between the droplet and ullage, the Ranz-Marshall correlation is used. To determine the number of droplets in the ullage, a resident mass approach is used. This approach averages the number of droplets such that residuals at the start-up and shut-off of the spray bar cancel out. This same approach is used in the Easy5 model. The GFSSP model implements a linked list to track individual droplet “nodes” within the model. For the Easy5 model, the droplet is assumed to have an interface at a temperature equal to the saturation temperature corresponding to the pressure of the gas phase. The heat transfer from the gas to the interface and the interface to the droplet bulk is then calculated, and the net mass transfer between the droplet and interface is determined by performing an energy balance across the interface. For the gas side of the interface, the Ranz-Marshall correlation is used. For the liquid side of the interface, a variety of correlations were tried, including Kronig and Brink (1950) and effective conductivity models. As a result of these assumptions, the Easy5 model currently predicts faster depressurization, as at saturated vapor conditions, the heat transfer coeffect on the liquid side for the Easy5 model is greater than the heat transfer coefficient predicted by Ranz-Marshall used in the TankSIM code. This greater heat flux translates into faster condensation of the saturated ullage gas. At the bulk liquid to ullage interface, the models are in much closer agreement. Both models model the ullage as a sphere centered within the bulk liquid in the tank, and both use the energy-jumping boundary condition to model heat and mass transfer across the interface. There are slight differences in how the interface temperature is calculated, however. The Easy5 model assumes the temperature of the interface is equal to the saturation temperature associated with the pressure of the gas phase. The TankSIM model calculates this temperature with Alabovskii’s equation, which provides a correction factor for interface temperatures. Analysis tasks are focused on determining rates of depressurization within the tank during active cooling operation. To maintain net positive suction head at the pump inlet, the tank pressure cannot fall faster than the saturation pressure associated with the temperature of the bulk liquid. Additionally, there is interest in analyzing the performance of the loop at different pump speeds and cryocooler input powers. Adjusting the flowrate affects both the performance of the heat exchanger between the cryocooler and pumped liquid, and the heat transfer between the droplet spray and the ullage. Ideally, a pump speed and cryocooler power can be selected that will allow the tank to operate in zero-boil-off mode with a very narrow range of storage pressure.

zero boil-off↗

Numerical Modeling of No Vent Filling of a Cryogenic Tank

This paper presents a multi-node finite volume model of the chilling and filling of a cryogenic tank using the Generalized Fluid System Simulation Program (GFSSP), a general purpose flow network code. Vented Chill and No Vent Fill (VCNVF) tests were conducted at Marshall Space Flight Center where a flight-like tank was filled with liquid nitrogen from a supply tank. In the VCNVF tests, the tank was partially chilled while the vent valve was open. After the partial chilling, the vent valve was closed and the tank was filled without any venting. An integrated numerical model of the test set up was developed. The model included the transfer line from the supply tank, the target tank with the spray nozzle and solid walls, and the discharge line with the vent valve. The tank was discretized into multiple fluid nodes and branches to represent the ullage and liquid nitrogen and multiple solid nodes to represent the tank wall and structure. The heat transfer between solid to fluid was calculated from pool boiling correlations which include film, transition, and nucleate boiling, as well as natural convection during pre- and post-boiling. The model also accounts for the condensation of vapor in the tank when it comes in contact with the liquid spray. The predicted pressure, resident mass, wall and ullage temperature in the tank were compared with the test data.

Alok Majumdar↗

Numerical Modeling of No Vent Filling of a Cryogenic Tank

This paper presents a multi-node finite volume model of the chilling and filling of a cryogenic tank using the Generalized Fluid System Simulation Program (GFSSP), a general purpose flow network code. Vented Chill and No Vent Fill (VCNVF) tests were conducted at Marshall Space Flight Center where a flight-like tank was filled with liquid nitrogen from a supply tank. In the VCNVF tests, the tank was partially chilled while the vent valve was open. After the partial chilling, the vent valve was closed and the tank was filled without any venting. An integrated numerical model of the test set up was developed. The model included the transfer line from the supply tank, the target tank with the spray nozzle and solid walls, and the discharge line with the vent valve. The tank was discretized into multiple fluid nodes and branches to represent the ullage and liquid nitrogen and multiple solid nodes to represent the tank wall and structure. The heat transfer between solid to fluid was calculated from pool boiling correlations which include film, transition, and nucleate boiling, as well as natural convection during pre- and post-boiling. The model also accounts for the condensation of vapor in the tank when it comes in contact with the liquid spray. The predicted pressure, resident mass, wall and ullage temperature in the tank were compared with the test data.

Alok Majumdar↗