JPH04126699A - Liquid tank for minute gravitational space - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To enable complete gas/liquid separation during liquid supply by rotatably providing an inner tank device having openings at its peripheral edge with respect to an outer tank device having a liquid supply port and thereby supplying the liquid to the outside of the tank device by the urging force generated as a result of a centrifugal force. CONSTITUTION:Supply of liquid into a tank unit is effected via a through hole formed at the center of a main shaft 6. During ordinary storage of liquid, an inner tank device 7 is kept out of rotation and during liquid supply only, is rotated by being driven. And by rotating the inner tank device 7 via the main shaft 6, the liquid therein is urged and pressed to its peripheral portion by the action of a centrifugal force, is extruded from openings of the peripheral portion, and thus is filled between guide vanes 4 fixed at the inner side of an outer tank device 2 and kept at rest and also filled in the vicinity of a liquid supply port 3. By opening the liquid supply port 3 with the inner tank device being in rotation in this way, the liquid is supplied to the outside of the tank unit by the urging force generated as a result of the centrifugal force.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a liquid tank used for storing liquid and supplying it to the outside in microgravity space in space.

[Conventional technology]

Figure 4 shows a microgravity liquid tank currently being researched in the United States to be installed on the space station as a storage and supply system for propellants such as liquid hydrogen or oxidizers such as liquid oxygen, which are used as fuel for space travel vehicles. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a surface tension type tank of a first example. In the figure, 01 is the tank body, 02 is the liquid stored inside the body, 03 is the liquid supply port provided at the bottom of the body, and 04 is the capillary screen provided at the top of the body. . This is a screen that retains liquid by its surface tension in microgravity. 05 is a fine mesh similarly provided within the main body. This is installed near the liquid supply port, and like the capillary screen described above,
It is a mesh that holds only liquid by surface tension. By making the mesh extremely fine, gas-liquid separation is achieved and only liquid is stably supplied.

A frame-like holder is provided to maintain structural strength. 06 is a vent valve, which vents gas vaporized during storage and prevents internal pressure from rising.

The above device separates the gas and liquid in the tank,
When supplying the liquid, the liquid is supplied using gas pressure.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a second example of a liquid tank for microgravity space, an elastic boundary membrane type tank, which is being researched in the United States for the same purpose as the above. In the figure, 01 is a tank body, 02 is a liquid stored inside, 03 is a liquid supply port provided at the bottom of the main body, and 07 is an elastic boundary membrane that covers the surface of the liquid.

In this tank, gas and liquid in the tank are separated by an elastic boundary membrane, and when liquid is supplied, the liquid is pressurized with gas and supplied through the elastic boundary membrane.

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

The surface tension type tank according to the first example of the prior art has the disadvantages that the internal structure of the tank is complicated and that the pressure gas used for supplying the liquid is not always sufficiently separated from the liquid.

Furthermore, in the elastic boundary membrane type tank of the second example of the prior art, active cooling cannot be performed due to the nature of the elastic boundary membrane.
It is not suitable for storing cryogenic liquids, it uses a short-lived elastic boundary membrane and the tank itself has a correspondingly short life, and the position of the boundary membrane Since it is unstable, it is difficult to vent using normal means, and the structure of the vent mechanism becomes complicated.

The present invention solves the drawbacks of the prior art and achieves (1) simple structure, (2) complete gas-liquid separation during liquid supply, (3) cooling capability, and (4) long-term use. The purpose of this project is to provide a liquid tank for use in microgravity space that can be used in microgravity spaces.

[Means to solve the problem]

The present invention has solved the above-mentioned problems, and includes an external tank having a liquid supply port that can be opened and closed; A tank, and a cylindrical reversing shaft having an inertial mass equivalent to that of the internal tank, coaxially provided outside the main shaft, and driven to rotate in the opposite direction to the main shaft via a reversing gear. The present invention relates to a liquid tank for use in microgravity space.

[Effect]

In the liquid tank for microgravity space of the present invention, when storing liquid, the liquid supply port is closed and the internal tank is kept stationary without rotating. When supplying liquid to the outside, the internal tank is rotated by the drive device via the main shaft. At this time, the internal liquid gathers around the periphery of the internal tank due to centrifugal force, is pushed out through the opening, and fills the inside of the external tank and the vicinity of the liquid supply port. At this time, when the liquid supply port is opened, the liquid is supplied to the outside by a pressing force based on centrifugal force. In addition, the reversing shaft, which is rotated in the opposite direction via the reversing gear, can cancel out the rotational reaction force of the internal tank.
This tank can be installed on a space station, etc. and used without any problems.

〔Example〕

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a gearbox used in the same embodiment, and FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. In FIG. 1, 1 is a fixed part of a space station or the like, and 2 is an external tank attached to the fixed part. This external tank is C-C in the diagram.
It is shaped like an abacus ball with a line as its axis, and inside it, the periphery (the left and right ends in the figure) are narrow. 3
4 is an openable and closable liquid supply port provided at one end of the external tank (lower end in the figure); 4 is a liquid supply port extending from near the liquid supply port to the periphery of the external tank; a plurality of guide vanes fixed and stationary arranged radially; 5 a gearbox fixed to the external tank via the ends of the guide vanes; 6 one end held by the gearbox; A main shaft, the other end of which is supported by a bearing provided in the external tank, protrudes outward from the external tank, and is rotationally driven by a drive device (not shown) provided in the fixed part; 7 is provided inside the external tank; It is an abacus-shaped internal tank that is connected to the main shaft and driven to rotate.

An opening is provided at the periphery of the internal tank (left and right ends in the figure). 8 is a reversing gear provided in the gear box (see FIGS. 2 and 3); 9 is provided coaxially with the main shaft and outside the main shaft; It is a reversing shaft that is rotationally driven in the direction of. This reversing shaft has an inertial mass equivalent to that of the internal tank and rotates in the opposite direction, thereby canceling out the rotational reaction force. The shaded area 10 in FIG. 1 is the position of the liquid when the internal tank is rotating.

In this device, liquid is supplied into the tank through a through hole provided at the center of the main shaft 6. When the present device normally stores liquid, the internal tank 7 is not driven to rotate, but is driven to rotate only when the liquid is supplied. When the internal tank 7 is driven to rotate via the main shaft 6, the liquid inside is pushed to its periphery by the action of centrifugal force, and is further pushed out from the opening in the periphery and fixed inside the external tank 2. Guide vane 40 at rest
The area around the liquid supply D3 is filled with water. like this,
If you open the liquid supply port 3 while the internal tank is rotating,
The liquid is supplied to the outside by the pressing force caused by the centrifugal force.

As described above, the liquid tank of the present invention has a function as a liquid storage tank in a microgravity space, and a liquid supply function using centrifugal force pressing force. Since no auxiliary equipment is required, it is possible to provide a liquid tank for microgravity space that has a simple structure, complete gas-liquid separation during liquid supply, can be cooled, and has a long life, reducing manufacturing and maintenance costs. can be measured.

In addition, the reversing shaft cancels out the reaction force of the rotation of the internal tank, so when this liquid tank is mounted on a space station, rotational force is prevented from being applied to the space station, so there is no problem in space. can be used.

[Effects of the Invention] The liquid tank for microgravity space of the present invention has an external tank that has a liquid supply port that can be opened and closed, and can be rotated by being driven via a main shaft inside the external tank, and has a It has an internal tank with an opening, an inertial mass equivalent to that of the internal tank, and a reversing shaft that is driven to rotate in the opposite direction to the main shaft through a reversing gear.
It has a simple structure, can perform complete gas-liquid separation, can be cooled, and can withstand long-term use.

[Brief Description of the Drawings] Fig. 1 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of an embodiment of the present invention, Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a gearbox used in the embodiment, and Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a gearbox used in the embodiment.
4 is a sectional view of a first example of a conventional liquid tank for microgravity space, and FIG. 5 is a sectional view of a second example of a conventional liquid tank for microgravity space. be. DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1... Fixed part, 2... External tank, 3... Liquid supply port, 4... Guide vane, 5... Gear box,
6... Main shaft, 7... Internal tank, 8
... Reversing gear, 9... Reversing shaft, 10... Liquid when the internal tank rotates, 01... Tank body, 02... Liquid, 03...
Liquid supply port, 04...Capillary screen, 05...Fine mesh, 06...Henthalb, 07...Elastic boundary membrane. Agent Patent Attorney Akatsuki Sakama 2 names: 1, 1, 2, 3, 3

Claims (1)

[Claims] An external tank with a liquid supply port that can be opened and closed, an internal tank that can be rotated by being driven by a main shaft inside the external tank and has an opening on its periphery, and an inertial mass equivalent to that of the internal tank. A liquid tank for microgravity space, comprising: a cylindrical reversing shaft that is provided coaxially outside the main shaft and is driven to rotate in the opposite direction to the main shaft via a reversing gear.