RU2729748C1 - Cryogenic orbital filling station - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: aerospace engineering.

SUBSTANCE: invention relates to aerospace engineering and provides, along with conventional functions of orbital station, long-term storage in orbit of fuel components with conversion thereof into cryogenic as required and cryostatting of cryogenic stations and transport orbital means docked to station. Cryogenic orbital filling station is monoblock with possibility of ground or saloon maintenance with subsequent return to orbit of location, contains water tanks, power plant and electrolytic cells, in-built cryogenic fuel tanks with the possibility of cryostatting and long-term storage of water and cryogenic fuel components at the station in orbit and long storage of cryogenic fuel components of ships docked to the station, for this purpose cryogenic module includes means of active cryostating and manipulators for docking of cryograms and transfer of cryogenic fuel components, fuel tanks, equipment of onboard systems is arranged inside sealed housing, manipulators are made in the form of movable rods equipped with plates of hydraulic connectors of multiple action with possibility of being transported in the transport position under the heat protection of the station, and after docking is transferred into position of fuel transfer in circulation mode for active cryostatting of fuel and with possibility of fuel drain from fuel transfer lines before undocking, at the station there installed are deployable radiators of the thermal control system for heat release, which is released during operation of active thermal control means, made in the form of variable transformer wings-transformers.

EFFECT: invention makes it possible to more effectively use power supply systems of a station at long-term storage of fuel, to reduce losses of cryogenic fuel in orbit due to its stabilization.

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Description

The invention relates to rocket and space technology and serves to stay in orbit for a crew, for example, android robots, for scientific research, long-term storage of fuel components in orbit, cryostatisation of cryogenic fuel and its transfer to other space vehicles.

From the literature, the orbital stations "Salyut" [1], "Skyleb" [2], "Mir" [3], the International Space Station "ISS" [4], implemented in practice, are known, which use long-term storage high-boiling components in their work, refueling and pumping. fuels that give a relatively low specific thrust impulse to rocket engines, and after the station's resource is exhausted, they turn into multi-ton technogenic-hazardous space debris that requires disposal.

A cryogenic orbital filling station is known from the patent literature, containing modules with docking assemblies for docking with each other and with a transport orbital vehicle. The station includes a base module with the means of functioning of the orbital station, with means of providing energy - an energy module with solar panels, communication, means of telemetric control and monitoring of the state and position of the station, a fuel module with fuel tanks and a propulsion system for attitude control and stabilization of the station, and a payload module with living quarters and control and research equipment, sensors and scientific equipment. (See, for example, US patent No. 7559508, NCI 244 / 172.2, MCI B64G 1/00, 2009) [5], taken as a prototype.

However, in this station, while it is in orbit, the onboard power systems are ineffectively used for cryostatting the fuel, which leads to their increased wear. In addition, the repair of the station will require the crew to go into outer space.

The objective of this invention is to provide long-term storage of fuel in orbit with the achievement of the technical result in the form of more efficient use of the power systems of the station, including when pouring cryogenic fuel into the transport ships docking to it due to temperature stabilization and reducing losses in long-term autonomous and joint flight.

This problem is solved by a monoblock version of an orbital refueling station with the possibility of landing on planets and asteroids for periodic ground maintenance and repair, re-takeoff into orbit, overflow and refueling of fuel stored on board in different aggregate states and connections with the possibility of transferring from one to another.

Traditionally, the orbital cryogenic refueling station (hereinafter referred to as the SCS or the station) contains docking units for docking with the orbital vehicle, includes the means for the operation of the orbital station, the means of providing energy - the primary source of energy, for example, with solar batteries, communications, telemetric control and position control station, an attitude control and stabilization system of the station with engines and fuel tanks, a living compartment, scientific equipment, a control system, a fuel tank made in the form of a cryogenic tank with the possibility of cryostation and long-term storage of cryogenic fuel components of the station and vehicles docked to the station, for which cryogenic tanks introduced means of active cryostatting in the form of a cryorefrigerator based on the Brayton cycle and a device in the form of manipulators for docking cryo-mains and transfer of cryogenic fuel components, which are made in the form of movable rods equipped with with reusable hydraulic couplings with the possibility of attachment in the transport position to the station structure, and after docking to the orbital vehicles, they are transferred to the fuel transfer position, while high-boiling components are transferred to the filling station in direct mode, and cryogenic components in circulation mode for active cryostation of propellant components, and with the possibility of purging the fuel lines before their disconnection, deployable radiators of the thermoregulation system are installed on the SOPK to discharge the heat generated during the operation of the active thermostating means.

Next, the invention is explained in more detail using diagrams and drawings, where in Fig. 1 is a general view of the orbital cryogenic refueling station at the injection site, and in Fig. 2 - in orbital flight together with the refueled vehicle. In fig. 3 is a bottom view of the SOSC, and in Fig. 4 budget version of SOPK based on the Korona launch vehicle.

The orbital cryogenic refueling station (SOZK) contains: a monoblock body - position 1, with a radiator - 2 and solar batteries - 3 means of functioning of the orbital station, a means of providing energy - a power unit - 4, with a nuclear power plant 5, and radiators - 6 of a power module, interfaces and radio communication, means of telemetric control and monitoring of the state and position of the SOPK.

SOZK contains fuel tanks - 7 for water, fuel tanks of hydrogen - 8 and oxygen - 9, with deployable radiators - 10 thermal control systems in transformer wings, manipulators - 11 and a living compartment with control and research equipment, sensors and scientific equipment.

The fuel tanks are fixed by a thermal bridge truss in the station's body, the manipulators are made in the form of movable rods ending in multiple-action hydraulic connector plates with the ability to be attached to the SPSS structure for thermal protection in the transport position, and after docking with another SPSS or a refueled spacecraft (KK), they are transferred to the transfer position fuel in a simple mode or in a circulation mode for active cryostatisation of fuel and with the possibility of purging fuel residues in the lines before their disconnection.

Radiators are installed on the SOPK to release the heat generated during the operation of the power plant and active thermostating means, and are built into the variable geometry tail, in particular, into the heat-resistant variable geometry transformer wings.

Manipulators 11 are located on the outer surface of the POCS and are equipped with reusable hydraulic connector plates. In the transport position, they are attached to the structure of the SOPK under thermal protection. After the docking of the SCS with the refueled KK, the manipulators are transferred to the working position. The SOZK has docking units (for example, pos. 12 and airlock compartments - pos. 13, for moving the crews of the SOZK and KK. The SOZK has a propulsion system 14 and orientation and stabilization engines. - 15.

The design of the SOZK body can be made in the form of a suborbital aircraft of the MG-19 type [6], Fig. 3 or an order of magnitude cheaper reusable single-stage launch vehicle "Korona" [7], Fig. 4, which include fuel tanks with a volume of about 3000 and 1500 cubic meters, respectively. The fuel tanks are equipped with cryogenic-resistant thermal insulation and protected by a heat-resistant structure, for example, from tungsten-molybdenum alloys 16, and zirconium carbides 17. In orbital flight, vacuum shield thermal insulation (EVTI) is traditionally used for thermal insulation. To protect against external heat sources (the Sun, Earth, Moon, Mars) and man-made debris, a petal heat shield 18 made of titanium sheets is used. The equipment of the on-board systems of the SPSS is located between the tanks, including the means of active cryostatting of fuel components.

To transfer the fuel, the manipulators 11 are transferred to the operating position, in which the fuel transfer lines are docked with the fuel lines of the transport orbital vehicles or spacecraft. The manipulators transfer water in a standard mode for high-boiling components, and cryogenic fuel in a circulation mode. When the manipulators are not in use, they are transferred to the position of fixation to the SOSC under the protective tapes 18, with which they can be integrated, for example, mounted.

Cryostatting of fuel is carried out by means of active cryostatting, which are made in the form of a cryorefrigerator, for example, based on the Brayton cycle, in the mode of circulation of the cryogenic component through the pipelines of manipulators between the station and the spacecraft docked to it. In the circulating mode, the fuel from the KK tanks enters the tanks of the SCS, where it is cooled and then the cooled fuel enters the ship's tanks again.

Before undocking, the highways leading to the tanks of the SOZK are blocked, and after refueling the tanks of the ship to the required level, the highways are closed. Before undocking the detachable connections of the manipulators, the lines are cleaned from the residues of fuel components by draining it, for example, through a cryorefrigerator, into the tanks of the SPSC.

The station goes into orbit on its own, without requiring launch vehicles, as shown in the author's applications [8, 9], and, if necessary, is transferred to more energy-intensive orbits, for example, circumlunar or arecentric, is retrofitted and refueled with a similar station equipped with water tanks, or having cryogenic tanks of larger volume for overflow of unused residues.

During the further operation of the station, it is supplied with water resources extracted on the Earth, the Moon, Mars and consumes them as needed, making orbital maneuvers and refueling passing spaceships and orbital vehicles.

In an emergency situation, a refueled station on duty in orbit, having propulsion engines and nuclear power plants of megawatt and gigawatt class [8, 9], can be sent to meet or chase an asteroid threatening the Earth to change its orbit.

After depletion of a significant part of the resource, the SOPC land it on vertical landing engines 19 on the celestial bodies closest to the Earth and, with the help of robots, bury it in the ground (in dust collected in bags), to use the SOPC as premises on a planetary base or storage 20. For formation the interior uses equipment: shredders, 3D printers and intra-tank transformer partitions.

Thus, SOPK, along with the usual functions of an orbital station, performs new functions:

- long-term storage of cryogenic components of the station fuel in orbit in the form of water;

- conversion of water into cryogenic oxygen and hydrogen as required;

- cryostation and long-term storage of cryogenic components of the fuel of transport orbital vehicles docked to the station;

- periodic ground maintenance and repair of the station with the provision of scientific equipment and equipment for solving the next urgent tasks;

- utilization of the station on the mastered celestial bodies as premises for planetary bases and storage facilities or as a massive body to create a fulcrum for tether orbital transport systems.

That is, there is an expansion of the arsenal of multipurpose technical means in the field of cosmonautics.

Literature *)

1) Orbital station "Salyut" - pictures.

2) Skylab Orbital Station - photo.

3) Orbital station "Mir" - pictures.

4) International Space Station (ISS) - photo.

5) US Patent No. 7559508, NKI 244 / 172.2, MKI B64G1 / 00, 2009

6) Suborbital aircraft "M-19" pictures. + Illustrated encyclopedia of aircraft Myasishchev V.M., volume 8.

7) Reusable launch vehicle "Korona" - pictures.

8) Denisov V.D. Patent application No. 2018129132 dated 08/09/18

9) Denisov V.D. Patent application No. 2018135618 dated 9.10.18

List of items in drawings

Claims (4)

1. Orbital cryogenic refueling station (SOZK) for storing fuel supplies and pumping it from one spacecraft to another through the station, refueling spaceships, containing a sealed hull and tanks with docking units for docking with each other and with the orbital vehicle, including means functioning of the orbital station, means of providing energy with solar panels, communications, means of telemetric control and monitoring of the state and position of the station, a fuel module with fuel tanks and a propulsion system for orientation and stabilization of the station and a payload module with a living compartment and control and research equipment, sensors and scientific equipment, engines, characterized in that for the purpose of providing ground service and repair of the station, it is made monoblock and equipped with propulsion engines for takeoff from celestial bodies and landing. 2. SOSK according to claim 1, characterized in that for the purpose of storing and refueling ships with cryogenic propellants, it is equipped with cryogenic tanks with means of active cryostation for long-term storage of cryogenic propellants at the station in orbit and long-term storage of cryogenic propellants of ships docked to the station and manipulators with reusable hydraulic connector plates for docking with spacecraft cryo-lines and transfer of cryogenic propellants in any direction. 3. SOCC according to claim 1, characterized in that in order to reduce energy consumption for storage of a cryogenic oxygen + hydrogen fuel pair, it is equipped with tanks for storing them in the form of water and means for converting it into oxygen and hydrogen as needed, for example, electrolysers and refrigerators for chilling. 4. SOSK according to claim 1, characterized in that in order to ensure compactness during takeoff and landing, a plumage of variable geometry is used as radiators for dumping heat from a power plant, for example, a nuclear power plant, for example, heat-resistant transformer wings, and the manipulators are made in the form of movable rods with the ability to retrace in the transport position and be fixed under thermal protection.

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