RU2515699C2 - Protection device for pneumohydraulic connection of docked objects and method for its check for impermeability - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: transport.

SUBSTANCE: invention relates to rocket-and-space engineering, cryogenic engineering and concerns pneumohydraulic connection of docked objects. Protection device for pneumohydraulic connection contains casing which is installed on connection and is provided with nozzle with plug. The casing is hermetically installed on docked objects. Bimetallic adapter is welded into the casing. The plug is also welded to casing nozzle. During test of protection device for pneumohydraulic connection, the hermeticity of pneumohydraulic connection of docked spatial objects is fixed as a result of its check for impermeability. In this process, inside of casing is filled via nozzle with excess pressure of helium-air mixture, casing impermeability is checked. Leakproof plug is installed on nozzle, and connection of plug with nozzle is checked for impermeability using residual helium-air mixture inside the casing.

EFFECT: higher reliability of docked objects functioning when connection starts leak, for instance because of vibration, shock, temperature and other impacts.

2 cl, 2 dwg

Description

The invention relates to rocket and space technology, cryogenic technology and can be applied in other industries.

In pneumohydraulic connections of rocket and space technology, operating under severe conditions of vibrational and shock loading and at cryogenic temperatures, it is necessary to maintain tightness throughout the entire period of operation of the system.

Most often, welded joints are used in pneumohydraulic systems that maximally meet the above requirements. However, in order to maintain maintainability of structural element replacement nodes during assembly and preparation of the product for operation, the use of detachable joints, including flanged pneumohydraulic joints of joined objects, is required.

The use of a detachable joint during prolonged use in harsh conditions of vibrodynamic and shock loading, as well as in space vacuum conditions does not exclude a violation of its tightness. If, for example, a detachable connection is located under the screen-vacuum thermal insulation of the cryogenic container, even a slight leakage of the detachable connection can lead to leakage of the cryogenic component (for example, gaseous oxygen) into the cavity of the screen-vacuum thermal insulation, which will lead to losses of the cryogenic component due to increased heat inflow to cryogenic capacity.

The objective of the proposed invention is to increase the reliability of the mating objects as a result of eliminating the possibility of the component flowing out of the pneumohydraulic connection of the mating objects into the surrounding space, including cryogenic, when the joint is depressurized, for example, due to vibration, shock, temperature and other influences.

The problem is solved due to the fact that in the protection device for the pneumohydraulic connection of the joined objects, a closed casing is made, hermetically mounted on the joined objects, and the pneumohydraulic connection is located inside the casing. The casing is equipped with a fitting for its tightness control, and a sealed plug is installed on the fitting.

The problem is solved due to the fact that in the method of testing the protection device for the pneumohydraulic connection of the joined objects, including fixing the fact of the tightness of the pneumohydraulic connection of the joined objects as a result of the control of its tightness, fill the casing cavity through the nozzle with excess pressure of the helium-air mixture, then check the casing for leaks, then install the casing for leaks tight plug on the fitting and check for tightness of the connection of the plug with the fitting using residual helium-air th mixture in the cavity of the housing.

In Fig. 1, as an example, a pneumohydraulic connection of abutting objects from homogeneous metals enclosed in a casing made in a welded embodiment is presented; in Fig. 2, as an example, a pneumohydraulic connection of abutting objects from dissimilar metals enclosed in a casing made in a welded embodiment with the use of a bimetallic adapter, where:

1. dockable objects;

2. casing;

3. pneumohydraulic connection;

4. fitting;

5. a stub;

6. bimetallic adapter;

7. the cavity of the casing.

In the protection device for the pneumohydraulic connection of the mating objects 1, a closed casing 2 is made, hermetically mounted on the mating objects 1, and inside the casing 2 there is a pneumohydraulic connection 3. The casing 2 is equipped with a fitting 4 for its tightness control, and a sealed plug 5 is installed on the fitting 4.

The casing 2 can be made of any sealed material (for example, metals, plastics, fabrics, etc.) and mounted on abutting objects 1 using sealed joints (for example, welded, adhesive, etc.).

The plug 5 together with the fitting 4 can be made in a threaded, detachable, welded or combined version (figure 1 shows a combined version).

The pneumatic-hydraulic connection 3 of the joined objects 1, shown in Fig. 2, is made of dissimilar metals (for example, the connection of a cryogenic tank with a booster turbopump unit, where the tank is made of aluminum alloy and the turbopump unit is made of steel, with a bimetallic adapter introduced into the casing 2 6).

If it is necessary to repair and disassemble the pneumohydraulic connection 3 of the joined objects 1, if the casing 2 is welded, they must be cut off and the casing 2 dismantled or shifted to provide access to the pneumatic-hydraulic connection 3. After repair, the casing 2 can be welded again.

In the method of testing the protection device for the pneumohydraulic connection 3 of the joined objects 1, including fixing the fact of the tightness of the pneumohydraulic connection of 3 joined objects 1 as a result of the control of its tightness, fill the cavity of the casing 7 through the nozzle 4 with excess pressure of the helium-air mixture, then check the tightness of the casing 2, then install a tight plug 5 on the nozzle 4 and check for tightness of the connection of the plug 5 with the nozzle 4 using the residual helium-air mixture in the cavity 7 ear.

The tightness control of the pneumohydraulic connection 3 of the joined objects 1 can be performed both before the installation of the casing 2 and after its installation through the fitting 4.

Leak tests can be carried out by any known method, however, to obtain a more reliable result, it is more advisable to use a helium technique.

The protection device of the pneumohydraulic connection 3 of the joined objects 1 operates as follows.

During long-term operation of the pneumohydraulic connection 3 of the abutting objects 1, for example, as part of the spacecraft propulsion system under conditions of space vacuum, the presence of possible leakage in the detachable connection will cause the component to leak into the sealed cavity of the casing 7. This cavity 7 performs a duplicate sealing value with respect to the detachable pneumohydraulic the connection of 3 joined objects 1 and provides its sealing with a high degree of reliability.

This design solution allows to increase the reliability of functioning of the joined objects 1 as a result of eliminating the possibility of the component flowing out of the pneumohydraulic connection 3 of the joined objects 1 into the surrounding space, including cryogenic, during depressurization of the connection 3, for example, due to vibration, shock, temperature and other influences.

Claims (2)

1. A device for protecting the pneumohydraulic connection of spacecraft objects to be joined, comprising a casing that is mounted on the pneumatic hydraulic connection and equipped with a fitting with a plug, characterized in that the casing is hermetically mounted on the joined objects of the pneumohydraulic connection, a bimetallic adapter is welded into the casing, while the plug is also welded to the fitting casing. 2. A method of testing a device for protecting the pneumohydraulic connection of abutting space objects, including recording the tightness of the pneumohydraulic connection of abutting space objects as a result of monitoring its tightness, characterized in that the casing cavity is filled with excess pressure of a helium-air mixture through the nipple, then the casing is sealed, and then the casing is checked for leaks tight plug on the fitting and check the tightness of the connection of the plug with the fitting using residual ievo-air mixture in the cavity of the housing.

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