RU2267023C2 - Method of and system for charging on-road helium bottles of launch vehicles and spacecraft - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: space vehicles.

SUBSTANCE: proposed method includes cooling of gaseous helium in cryostat to harmful freeze-out temperature. Then helium is filter and heated to temperature tolerable for serviceability of sealing members of on-board systems. Cryostat inlet and outlet pressure is monitored. Then triple filling of bottles with helium, thus obtained, is carried out, and their venting is done after which bottles are charged to operating pressure. If pressure differential at cryostat inlet and outlet exceeds 1 MPa, cryostat is disconnected and second cryostat is connected in its place. Proposed method is implemented by helium charging system consisting of helium receiver connected by main line with electric heater, pipeline, tank, nitrogen and additional helium receiver and at least two cryostats connected with electric heater. Each helium receiver is connected with one of cryostats and, through pipelines with fitted-in shutoff valves, with tank. Electric heater including at least three coils is connected by manifold with fitted-in shutoff-and-control valves, with on-board bottles. One coil of electric heater communicates nitrogen receiver with each cryostat. Each of remaining coils is located between corresponding cryostat manifold. Each manifold is furnished with check valve, manifolds being connected into common output manifold with fitted-in shutoff valves. Shutoff-and-control valves of manifold are essentially electropneumatic valves, one of which is normally open and the other, normally closed. Check valves are installed between manifolds and common output manifold.

EFFECT: dispensing with expensive frost-resistant materials in launch vehicles joint units, simplified design and dispensing with insulating materials to prevent heat losses in manifolds.

3 cl, 3 dwg

Description

The present invention relates to rocket and space technology, and more specifically to helium refueling onboard cylinders of launch vehicles and spacecraft during regular operations at ground-based launch complexes.

A known method of filling containers with compressed gas according to the description of the invention RU 2133403 C1, CL F 17 C 9/02, 5/06, 1999, a method for compressing gaseous helium carried out by an apparatus for compressing gaseous helium according to the description of the invention EP 0 436 084 A1, cl. F 17 C 5/06, F 17 C 13/02, F 25 B 9/00, F 25 B 41/04, 1990 and the helium refueling method for side cylinders, carried out by the gas supply system according to Fig. 5.16 sec 192 books "Cosmodrome" under the editorship of prof. A.P. Volsky, Military Publishing House, M., 1977.

Known methods are filling containers with compressed gas for various objects. Systems implementing the known methods consist of compressed gas sources connected via collectors to the controlled shut-off valves installed on them with the consumer. However, these methods and systems for refueling containers with compressed gas do not provide helium refueling onboard cylinders of launch vehicles and spacecraft during routine work on space-rocket complexes with the parameters necessary to solve this technical problem.

Also known is a method and apparatus for supplying helium to several production lines according to the description of the invention EP 0 976 969 A1, class. F 17 C 9/02, F 17 C 5/06, 1999. A known method consists in feeding helium to several production lines. The installation implementing the known method consists of a helium source connected via a line to a reservoir connected by means of a collector with a controlled shut-off and control valve installed on it with a consumer.

The specified method and installation are closest to the claimed technical solution.

However, the known method and installation for supplying helium to several production lines does not provide helium refueling of the onboard cylinders of launch vehicles and spacecraft during routine work on space-rocket complexes with the parameters necessary to solve this technical problem, which consists in cooling helium in a cryostat to temperature of freezing of harmful impurities, filtration and its subsequent heating to an acceptable temperature for the performance of sealing elements of on-board systems.

The objective of the invention is to refuel helium on-board cylinders of launch vehicles and spacecraft during regular operations with specified parameters on space-rocket complexes.

The required technical result is achieved by the fact that in the method of filling helium on-board cylinders of launch vehicles and spacecraft with helium, which consists in heating and filling on-board cylinders with helium obtained, the helium gas is cooled to a freezing temperature of harmful impurities, filtered and then heated to an acceptable temperature for the operability of the sealing elements of the on-board systems, while controlling the pressure at the inlet and outlet of the cryostat, then they carry out three times filling helium cylinders with the obtained helium and draining them, after which they fill the cylinders to operating pressure, and in the event of a pressure drop at the inlet and outlet of the cryostat of more than 1 MPa, the cryostat is turned off and the second cryostat is connected.

To implement this method of helium refueling onboard cylinders of launch vehicles and spacecraft, a helium refueling system for onboard cylinders of launch vehicles and spacecraft is proposed, consisting of a helium receiver connected via a main line to an electric heater connected via a collector with shut-off and control valves installed on it on-board cylinders, a pipeline with shutoff valves and a tank installed on it, equipped with nitrogen and additional helium receivers, n less than two cryostats connected to an electric heater made with at least three coils, and through pipelines with shutoff valves installed on them - to the tank, while each of the helium receivers is connected to one of the cryostats, one coil of the electric heater communicates with the nitrogen receiver with each of cryostats, and each of the remaining coils is located between the corresponding cryostat and the collector equipped with a check valve, and the collectors are combined into a common collector of delivery with installed shutoff valves on it, and the shutoff and control valves of the collectors are made in the form of electro-pneumatic valves, one of which is normally open and the other is normally closed, and non-return valves are installed between them and the common output manifold.

Distinctive features from the prototype are that gaseous helium in the cryostat is cooled to the freezing temperature of harmful impurities, filtered and then heated to an acceptable temperature for the sealing elements of the on-board systems to work, while the pressure at the inlet and outlet of the cryostat is controlled, then they are tripled filling helium cylinders with the obtained helium and draining them, after which they fill the cylinders to operating pressure, and in the event of a pressure drop at the entrance and exit of the cryostat more than 1 MPa, the cryostat is turned off and the second cryostat is connected. In addition, the helium refueling system of onboard cylinders of launch vehicles and spacecraft is equipped with nitrogen and additional helium receivers, at least two cryostats connected to an electric heater made with at least three coils, and through pipelines with shutoff valves installed on them - with reservoir, while each of the helium receivers is connected to one of the cryostats, one coil of the electric heater communicates with the nitrogen receiver with each of the cryostats, and each of the remaining coils is located wives between the respective cryostat and the collector equipped with a non-return valve, and the collectors are combined into a common output manifold with shut-off valves installed on it, and the shut-off and control valves of the collectors are made in the form of electro-pneumatic valves, one of which is normally open and the other is normally closed between them and a common collector of delivery installed check valves.

The authors are not aware of technical solutions with the essential features given in the distinctive part of the formula.

Figure 1 shows a system implementing the proposed method. Figure 2 shows a graph of the temperature change of helium in a cryostat. Figure 3 shows a graph of the pressure change of helium in airborne cylinders.

The helium refueling system of onboard cylinders of launch vehicles and spacecraft consists of a helium receiver 1 (see Fig. 1), connected via line 2 through a gas reducer, a throttle and valves (shown in Fig. 1 without a pos.) To an electric heater 3 connected by means of a manifold 4 with shutoff-regulating valves 5 installed on it with side cylinders 6, a pipeline 7 with shutoff valves 8 installed on it and a tank 9 that functions as a storage of liquid nitrogen, and is also equipped with nitrogen 10 and additional gas li 11 receivers, at least two cryostats 12, 13 connected to an electric heater 3 made with at least three coils 14, 15, 16. In addition, cryostats 12, 13 are connected to the tank 9 (liquid nitrogen storage) through pipelines 7 , 17 with shutoff valves 8, 18 installed on them, and each of the helium receivers 1.11 is connected to one of the cryostats 12, 13 via lines 2, 19. One of the coils 14 of the electric heater 3 communicates with the nitrogen receiver 10 via a collector 20 with each of cryostats 12, 13, and each of the remaining snakes Ikov 15, 16 is located respectively between the cryostats 12, 13 and collectors 4, 21 with shut-off and control valves 5, 22 mounted on them and equipped with check valves 23, 24. Collectors 4, 21 are combined into a common outlet manifold 25 with a shut-off valve installed on it valves 26 and drain valve 27. The shut-off and control valves of the collectors 4, 21 are made in the form of electro-pneumatic valves (EPC), one of which 5 is normally open and the other 22 is normally closed, and non-return valves 23, 24 are installed between them and the common output manifold 25 .

A specific example of the implementation of the proposed method and system for filling helium on-board cylinders of launch vehicles (LV) and spacecraft (SC) with helium will be considered during work at the stage of preparation for launching a launch vehicle from a ground launch complex, for example, 17P32 complex.

To fill helium cylinders with helium at the stage of preparation for launching the launch vehicle, it is necessary to purify helium from mechanical impurities, oil, moisture and other harmful impurities, which is why it is cooled in cryostats, where harmful impurities are frozen and precipitated on filter elements. Previously, cryostats 12, 13 are poured through pipelines 7, 17 with fittings 8, 18 installed on them with liquid nitrogen with a temperature of minus 196 ° C from the liquid nitrogen storage 9 and then helium from helium receivers 1, 11 enters cryostats 12, 13, where , cooling in liquid nitrogen to a temperature that ensures freezing of harmful impurities (not higher than minus 150 ° C, see figure 2), it is cleaned of impurities that are retained on the filter elements (temperature at the exit of the cryostat is approximately minus 45 ° C), and enters the electric heater 3 for subsequent naked eva. When refueling helium on-board cylinders, each of the cryostats works alternately. Initially, upon receipt of a command to start refueling, a cryostat 12 is connected and helium is supplied from it to the coil 15, where it is heated to a temperature that ensures the performance of the sealing elements of the on-board systems (from about minus 40 ° С to plus 50 ° С), and through collector 4 through normally open EPK 5 and the check valve 23 enters the common outlet manifold 25 to the shutoff valves 26. Next, triple rinse the side cylinders with the helium obtained to remove any possible contaminants, for which by opening the manual shutoff valve Aturi board 26 is filled cylinders 6 (to a pressure of 4 MPa, see. Figure 3), then closing the shut-off valves 26 and opening the drain valve 27 is drained (up to 1 MPa pressure). Three "rinses" with a given pressure are determined empirically during factory tests. After rinsing, the shut-off valve 26 is fully opened (drain valve 27 is closed) and the side cylinders are filled with helium to a predetermined working pressure (not more than 22 MPa). In this case, the pressure at the inlet and outlet of the cryostat is controlled and, in the event of a pressure differential of more than 1 MPa, the cryostat 12 is turned off by closing a normally open EPK 5 and a second cryostat 13 is connected, for which a normally closed EPK 22 and helium are opened under the same conditions, that when working with the first cryostat, through the coil 16, the collector 21, the normally-closed EPK 22, the non-return valve 24 and the shut-off valve 26 enters the common outlet manifold 25 and then to the side cylinders 6.

Onboard cylinders of launch vehicles and spacecraft are filled with gaseous helium to a predetermined working pressure, for example, 21.5 ± 0.5 MPa. This means that the pressure of helium in the side cylinders 6 can be in the range from 21 MPa (with a lower tolerance) to 22 MPa (with an upper tolerance). In the receivers 1,11 (figure 1) helium is stored under a pressure of 40 MPa. The helium supply to the cryostat 12 (13) is carried out through a gas reducer (Fig. 1 is shown without a pos.), Which maintains a predetermined pressure of 22.5 MPa at the outlet. In each of the cryostats 12 (13) (Fig. 1), which operates alternately, a filter with a filter fineness of 20 μm is installed, which, when cleaning helium from harmful impurities, gradually becomes clogged, its live section decreases, as a result of which the hydraulic resistance of the filter increases and increases pressure difference at the inlet and outlet of the cryostat. Numerous experiments show that at the beginning of operation with an unclogged filter, its hydraulic resistance is ~ 0.5 MPa, and at the end of operation with a clogged filter, its hydraulic resistance reaches 1 MPa or more. As for the hydraulic resistances of helium communication from the gas reducer to the entrance to the side cylinders (Fig. 1), experiments have shown that they are negligible, since at the above pressures the helium consumption during refueling is about 20 g / s.

Thus, the hydraulic resistance of the filter ΔP _f , which is in the range of 0.5≤ΔP _f ≤1.0 MPa, is decisive. The pressure at the entrance to the side cylinders is:

- with an unclogged filter (at the beginning of the work) P _bb = P _red -ΔP _f = 22.5-0.5 = 22 MPa,

where R _bb - pressure at the entrance to the side cylinders, MPa;

P _red - pressure at the outlet of the gas pressure reducer, MPa;

ΔP _f - hydraulic resistance of the filter, MPa.

Similarly, with a clogged filter at the end of the work P _bb = 22.5-1.0 = 21.5 MPa. From this it can be seen that the required pressure range of 21.0 ... 22.0 MPa at the inlet of the onboard cylinders is provided and the technical result of the invention is achieved throughout the interval of the pressure drop across the filter of 0.5≤ΔP _f ≤1.0 MPa.

When the pressure drop across the filter ΔP _f > 1.0 MPa is reached, indicating that it is completely clogged, the cryostat is turned off and the second cryostat is connected. In this case, the disconnection of one and the connection of another cryostat is performed by the operator manually exclusively according to the visual pressure readings on the manometers installed before and after each cryostat. If the operator does not switch from one cryostat to another (ΔР _Δ > 1.0 MPa), additional pressure losses are possible with a completely clogged filter up to 0.5 MPa, which are also taken into account in the range of working pressure of helium (21.0 ... 22.0 MPa ) supplied to the onboard cylinders. In addition, with a clogged cryostat filter, a significant drop in helium consumption during refueling (≪20 g / s) occurs, which is unacceptable. The clogging of the disconnected cryostat is eliminated during its regeneration, after which it is again ready for operation. So, cryostats work alternately until the technical result is fully achieved with the given parameters.

At the end of helium refueling on-board cylinders, a command is issued to close the EPA. Then, after the cryostats are stopped, for their regeneration, the cryostats are disconnected from the helium receivers, the remaining helium is drained, liquid nitrogen is drained and low-pressure heated nitrogen is supplied. For this, from a nitrogen receiver 10 through a collector 20, low pressure nitrogen is supplied to a coil 14 of an electric heater 3, which is heated and enters cryostats 12, 13 for their freezing and further regeneration.

The advantage of the claimed method and system for filling helium on-board balloons of spacecraft and spacecraft with helium is that prior to the supply of helium to the consumer, it is cleaned of all kinds of impurities by cooling, filtering and subsequent heating. Using the proposed technical solutions, depending on the type and class of the PH, it is possible to ensure helium refueling of "immersed" (in liquid oxygen) on-board cylinders, for which it is sufficient to exclude the use of an electric heater, and supply helium with any temperature necessary for the operation of on-board equipment.

In addition, the heating of helium after cryostats to a temperature that ensures the operability of the sealing elements of the on-board systems provides the following main advantages:

- eliminates the use of expensive frost-resistant materials necessary for the manufacture of special docking devices with a LV carrier;

- eliminates the use of various kinds of insulating materials to prevent heat loss in the collectors;

- simplifies the design of the nodes of docking with the side of the launch vehicle due to the use of elementary rubber-technical seals operating at a temperature not lower than minus 40 ° С.

Appliances used in the industry for fine purification of helium lead to a significant increase in the cost of ground equipment at modern rocket and space complexes due to the construction of special treatment facilities containing expensive equipment (containers with liquid nitrogen and adsorbents, chromatographs, etc.).

Thus, the proposed method and system for filling helium onboard balloons of spacecraft and spacecraft with helium not only provide the consumer with helium of a high degree of purification, but also greatly simplify the design of docking nodes, reduce the cost of ground equipment through the use of less expensive materials and completely eliminate pipe insulation by ground rocket and space complexes.

Currently, the method and system for filling helium onboard balloons of spacecraft and spacecraft with helium have undergone factory tests and their further use is expected to be used on the ground launch complexes of the Baikonur and Plesetsk cosmodromes.

Sources of information

1. The spaceport. Under the general editorship of A.P. Volsky. M., Military Publishing House, 1977, p. 191-192, Fig. 5.16 - analogue.

2. M.S. Shteher. Fuel and propellants of rocket engines. M., Engineering, 1976, p. 273-274.

3. E.I. Mikulin. Cryogenic engineering, M., Mechanical Engineering. 1969, p.207-231.

4. EP 0 976 969 A1, F 17 C 9/02, 5/06. 1999. Method and installation for supplying helium to several production lines (prototype).

5. RU 2133403 C1, F 17 C 9/02, 5/06, 1999. The method of filling the tank with compressed gas (analogue).

6. EP 0436084 A1, F 17 C 5/06, F 17 C 13/02, F 25 B 9/00, F 25 B 41/04, 1990. Apparatus for compressing gaseous helium (analogue).

7. WO 138780 A1, F 17 C 7/04, F 17 C 13/02, F 17 D 3/01, 2000. Method and system for discharging gas from several vessels.

8. RU 000218330100, 7 F 17 C 3/08, 2000. A device for storage and supply of cryogenic products.

9. FR 2794843, 7 F 17 C 13/00, F 17 C 3/00, G 05 D 16/20, 1999. Pressure control device for a cryogenic vessel and a fluid supply system with this device.

10. FR 2734341, F 17 C 7/00, 1995. Installation for supplying gas under low pressure.

11. WO 85/02244, F 17 C 5/00, 1985. Method and device for filling a container with gas.

12. WO 92/20956, F 17 C 13/04, G 05 D 16/06, B 01 D 53/22, 1992. Gas supply system.

13. US 4961325, F 17 C 7/04, 1990. High pressure gas supply system.

14. EP 0416630 B2, F 17 C 7/04, F 17 C 9/02. 1998. High pressure gas supply system.

15. WO 95/00800, F 17 C 5/00, G 07 F 17/06, 1995. Apparatus for filling cylinders with a metered amount of gas.

16. EP 0124405 B1, F 17 C 7/00, F 17 C 13/04, 1987. A device for supplying a fluid substance to a pipeline under a certain pressure from two cylinders.

17. EP 0099037 A1, F 17 C 9/02, F 17 C 7/04, 1983. Method and apparatus for supplying compressed gas.

18. RU 2116584 C1, 6 F 25 B 1/00, F 17 D 1/07, F 25 B 30/00. Compressed gas cooling system at the compressor station of the main gas pipeline.

Claims (2)

1. A method of filling helium onboard cylinders of launch vehicles and spacecraft with helium, which consists in heating and filling onboard cylinders with helium obtained, characterized in that gaseous helium is cooled in a cryostat to the temperature of freezing of harmful impurities, filtration and its subsequent heating to an acceptable temperature for operability the sealing elements of the on-board systems, while controlling the pressure at the inlet and outlet of the cryostat, then they fill three times with boron obtained with helium of commercial cylinders and their drainage, after which they fill on-board cylinders to operating pressure, and in the event of a pressure drop at the inlet and outlet of the cryostat of more than 1 MPa, the cryostat is turned off and the second cryostat is connected. 2. A helium refueling system for the onboard cylinders of launch vehicles and spacecraft, consisting of a helium receiver connected via a line to an electric heater connected by means of a manifold with shut-off and control valves installed on it with on-board cylinders, a pipeline with shutoff valves and a tank installed on it, characterized in that it is equipped with nitrogen and additional helium receivers, at least two cryostats connected to an electric heater, made at least with three with coils, and through pipelines with shutoff valves installed on them with a tank, each helium receiver connected to one of the cryostats, one coil of the electric heater communicates with the nitrogen receiver with each of the cryostats, and each of the remaining coils is located between the corresponding cryostat and collector, equipped with a check valve, and the collectors are combined into a common output manifold with shut-off valves installed on it, and the shut-off and control valves of the collectors are made in the form of electric tropnevmoklapanov, one of which is normally open, and another is normally closed, and between them and the general collector of delivery the backpressure valves are installed.

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