RU2739647C1 - Onboard experimental-testing unit and method of its operation - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: astronautics.

SUBSTANCE: group of inventions relates to extravehicular activity (EVA) of an astronaut. Proposed installation comprises sealed chamber, sealed cover with window, vacuum-pumping system (VPS), gas inertia feeder, pressure indicator, space suit fragment (SF), TV recorder and devices for recording of analyzed objects. Sealed chamber is made as compartment of sealed circuit of shell of orbital station module. SF is tightly connected to bottom of sealed chamber through structure in form of bellows. VPS comprises a pump for pumping gas from the sealed chamber into the atmosphere of the module, pressure relief valves into the overboard space and balancing the pressure with the pressure in the module. During operation of the installation, the analyzed objects are fixed in a sealed chamber and the SF assembled with the bellows is installed. Astronaut in SF implements operations: in air - during pumping of gas from sealed chamber into atmosphere of module until creation of standard pressurization; in neutral medium - at complete pumping and filling of sealed chamber with inert gas; at overboard pressure - by evacuation of sealed chamber through discharge valve. Investigation of objects and processes may be performed is carried out automatically or remotely. Note here that bellows with SF are dismantled, sealed cover is installed, and after evacuation of sealed chamber, visual observations are carried out through window in sealed cup.

EFFECT: technical result is higher safety, reliability and efficiency of EVA means and methods.

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Description

The group of inventions relates to space technology, in particular, to means and methods of research and optimization of extravehicular activities of an astronaut.

The installation can be used for research, experimental development and testing of a wide range of instruments and devices intended for operation in space conditions.

The design and method of using devices, apparatus and instruments, especially for individual use, requires particularly careful engineering, ergonomic and technological testing both for compatibility with the design and operational features of the spacesuit and with the cosmonaut's functional capabilities, taking into account the long-term negative influence of space flight factors on physiology and human biomechanics. For the development and testing of space equipment, it is widely practiced to simulate the physical factors of outer space in ground conditions: vacuum, microgravity, thermal effects and radiation, as well as the participation of a tester in a spacesuit at a standard level of excess pressure. To obtain more reliable results, the problem is posed of modeling the combined and synchronous impact of two or more factors inherent in open space. Solving the problem calls for the creation of special installations and special conditions for their operation.

Known belay device for weightlessness, patent RU 2528504 (publ. 03/27/2014, bull. No. 9, IPC: B64G 1/66 (2006.01), which is a fabric halyard placed inside a tension spring, wound tangentially coil to coil. the use of the device, which is equipped with all domestic space suits "Orlan" for work in outer space, confirmed the effectiveness of the inner halyard when bending and changing the length of the spring shell during extravehicular activity (analogue).

Known simulator stand and a method for integrating space flight conditions (BE Paton, DA Dudko, OS Tsygankov. Stand simulator for simulating welding in space. // Space research in Ukraine. Publishing house "Naukova Dumka ", Kiev - 1975. S. 18-21; OS Tsygankov. Modeling of conditions for the development of space instruments. // Flight - 11. 2001. P. 41-44) (prototype).

The simulator contains a sealed working chamber with a vacuum pumping system, with portholes, a fragment of a space suit is installed on the front wall of the working chamber in such a way that any required gas pressure difference between the chamber and the environment can be provided to simulate the actual working conditions of the astronaut, on The chamber wall contains a set of electrical sealed leads and leakages for filling the chamber with air or other working gas, as well as a hatch for changing samples. The front wall is closed with a sealed cover with quick-release clamps.

The disadvantage of the prototype device is the limited operating field due to the rigid attachment of a fragment of the spacesuit.

The method of operating the simulator stand consists in simulating the conditions for working out operations by the following actions (prototype):

- the limitations that the spacesuit imposes on the mobility of the tester are achieved by lowering the pressure in the chamber to a difference with the ambient pressure equal to the standard excess

pressure in the suit, while the chamber can be filled with residual air or, after evacuation, with inert gas;

- the combined effect of the spacesuit and microgravity limitations is achieved by installing a stand with a pumping system in the cabin of the laboratory aircraft performing a parabolic maneuver, with the chamber filling with residual air or inert gas;

- the combined effect of the spacesuit and vacuum limitations is achieved by placing the stand in a local pressurized volume with a pressure equal to the nominal pressure of the spacesuit, for this modeling method an oxygen mask is used (OS Tsygankov. Modeling of conditions for testing space instruments. // Flight - 11. 2001. S. 41-44).

To develop technologies and experiments in open space on melting, welding, soldering, restoration of coatings, crystallization, adhesion, tribology, as well as for manipulations and observations available to an astronaut in a spacesuit, time periods are required that are much higher than the modes of artificial reproduction of gravity in flight ( ~ 30 sec). An essential and irreplaceable disadvantage of the prototype method on Earth is the short duration of microgravity modes.

Since the creation of the considered simulator stand (1973) and the conduct of manual electron-beam welding outside the orbital station (1984), much has changed in the organization and technical support of experiments on board the orbital stations. Experience has been accumulated in the use of geoorbital stations as space laboratories, the saturation of onboard experimental installations has increased, for example, furnaces for melting, spraying coatings, growing single crystals, centrifuges, etc. Currently, the trend is being updated to use the orbital station as a testing ground for developing new technologies and equipment. for promising programs. The space station provides unlimited opportunities for using the state of microgravity and vacuum, but at the same time, the duration of the session of the extravehicular activity of the crew is strictly limited, the number of which is also limited, while EVA is associated with a level of risk that is increased relative to the flight of the crew inside the pressurized compartments.

The task of the group of inventions is to create an on-board experimental test facility (BEIU) and a method of its operation, which form conditions as close as possible to the environment and the state of the cosmonaut's body, ensuring an increase in the safety, reliability and efficiency of the means and methods of extravehicular activity of the cosmonaut.

The technical result of the group of inventions is to improve the safety, reliability and efficiency of means and methods of extravehicular activities of the cosmonaut.

The technical result is achieved by the fact that the on-board experimental test facility contains a hermetic cover with a window and quick-acting clamps, an electric pressure seal installed on the bottom of the pressurized chamber, a vacuum-pumping system, a leak for inert gas supply, a pressure indicator, a fragment of a suit, lighting means installed in the pressurized chamber, TV - the recorder and devices for fixing the objects under study, a fragment of the spacesuit is hermetically attached to the bottom of the pressurized chamber by a flange connection through a structure in the form of a bellows made of two flanges with cylindrical processes, in the grooves between which a helical cylindrical tension spring is installed, wound tangentially from the coil to the coil and forming the internal space the said bellows, closed by a hermetic cover, and the inner surface of the bellows is covered with a fabric shell, and the outer surface is covered with a three-layer shell made of a sealed, power and protective shell attached to the closed cylindrical processes, while the pressurized chamber is made as a compartment included in the pressurized circuit of the shell of the orbital station module, the vacuum pumping system includes a pump for pumping gas from the pressurized chamber into the atmosphere of the module, a valve for releasing gas pressure into the outboard space, a pressure equalization valve with atmospheric pressure in the module.

The technical result is achieved by the method of operation of the on-board experimental test facility, which consists in placing and fixing the objects under investigation in the pressurized chamber, installing a fragment of the suit on the bottom of the pressurized chamber, and before installing the fragment of the suit on the bottom of the pressurized chamber, assemble it with a bellows, the test cosmonaut is placed in a fragment of a spacesuit, depending on the tasks assigned to the test cosmonaut, the following operating modes of the installation are implemented: to perform target operations in the air, the gas is pumped out of the pressurized chamber into the module atmosphere by a pump, or the gas pressure in the pressurized chamber is released through the pressure relief valve until a difference with the atmospheric pressure in a module equal to the nominal pressure of the spacesuit; To perform targeted operations in a neutral medium, a pump is pumped out of the pressurized chamber into the module atmosphere to a pressure of at least 10 ^-1 mm Hg, the residual gas is released through the pressure relief valve, the pressurized chamber is evacuated and filled with an inert gas to achieve a pressure difference in the pressurized chamber and in the module before the regular pressure of the spacesuit; to perform targeted operations at a pressure in the pressurized chamber equal to the outboard pressure, the gas is pumped out of the pressurized chamber into the module atmosphere by a pump to a pressure of at least 10 ^-1 mm Hg, the pressurized chamber is evacuated through the pressure relief valve, after the cycle of the above operations is completed, the pressurized chamber is filled with gas from the atmosphere of the module; to study objects and processes operating in automatic mode or remotely controlled, dismantle the assembly of the bellows with a fragment of the spacesuit, then place and fix the objects under study in the pressurized chamber, install a pressurized cover, pump gas from the pressurized chamber into the module atmosphere to a pressure of at least 10 ^-1 mm Hg .st., then through the pressure relief valve the pressurized chamber is evacuated and visual observations are carried out through the window in the pressurized cover, using the pressure equalization valve, the pressurized chamber is filled with gas from the atmosphere of the module, the pressurized cover is removed and the objects of study are removed.

The technical rationale for the invention of the on-board experimental test facility is as follows.

1. Revealed and used a unique property of a coil tension coil wound tangentially to coil: preservation of the shape and volume of space inside the spring during bending and change in length; this property allows the tester to perform bending back and forth and to the sides, thus expanding the operating field inside the pressurized chamber.

2. Virtually unlimited time to complete target tasks.

3. Unlimited resource of microgravity state.

4. Unlimited possibilities of vacuumizing the pressurized chamber.

5. Adequate condition of the test body.

6. Careful use of gas reserves on board by pumping gas out of the pressurized chamber before evacuating the module into the atmosphere with a pump.

7. Always ready to work.

The invention is illustrated in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2.

FIG. 1 - BEIU design.

FIG. 2 - bellows construction.

In the figures, the designations are adopted:

1 - hermetic chamber;

2 - space station module;

3 - the bottom of the pressurized chamber;

4 - a fragment of a spacesuit;

5, 6 - illuminator;

7 - TV - recorder;

8 - pump;

9 - electroherm inlet;

10 - pressure relief valve (KSD);

11 - pressure equalization valve (HPC);

12 - leak valve for inert gas supply;

13 - flange of a fragment of a spacesuit;

14, 15 - bellows flange;

16, 17, 33, 34 - cylindrical process;

18 - tissue shell;

19 - sealed shell;

20 - power shell;

21 - protective shell;

22, 23 - bandage;

24, 25 - glue;

26, 27, 28 - fixation device;

29 - bellows;

30 - hermetic cover;

31 - porthole;

32 - spring;

35 - pressure indicator.

The on-board experimental test facility (Fig. 1) consists of a pressurized chamber 1, which is an integral part of the containment of the module 2 of the orbital station, in the pressurized chamber 1 there are lighting means (illuminators 5 and 6), a TV recorder 7, fixation devices 26, 27, 28 , in the bottom 3 of the pressurized chamber 1, an electroherm inlet 9, a vacuum pumping system, as well as a leak for inert gas supply 12, a pressure indicator 35 are installed. The pressurized chamber 1 contains a valve 2 for releasing pressure 10 into the outboard space. The vacuum pumping system includes pump 8 for pumping gas from the pressurized chamber into the atmosphere of the module, valve 2 for dumping gas pressure 10 into the outboard space, valve 3 for equalizing pressure 11 with atmospheric pressure in module 2 of the orbital station. On the bottom 3 of the pressurized chamber (Fig. 2), a bellows 29 is installed, made of bellows flanges 14 and 15, which have cylindrical processes 16, 17, 33, 34, in the grooves between which a helical cylindrical tension spring 32 (for example, from wire 2- Т-12Х18Н10Т, GOST 18143-72), wound tangentially from the turn to the turn and forming the inner space of the bellows, the inner surface of the bellows 29 is covered with a fabric cover 18 (for example, technical fabric TU 8378-153-35227510-2007), attached with glue 25, 24 ( for example, SV2a TU 38-5-390-69) to the cylindrical processes 16, 17. The outer surface of the bellows 29 is covered with a three-layer shell made of hermetic 19 (for example, synthetic latex BSZO GOST 11808-88), power 20 (for example, technical fabric polyester TU 8378-144-352275-10-2007), protective 21 (for example, technical fabric TU 8378-143-352275-10-07) shells attached to cylindrical processes 34, 33 with bandages 22, 23 (for example, technical tape GOST 13939-90). The inner space of the bellows 29 is closed by a hermetic cover 30 with a window 31 and quick-acting clamps (not shown in the figures). On the flange 14 of the bellows 29, a fragment of the spacesuit 4 is fixed by connecting the flange of the fragment of the spacesuit 13 and the flange of the bellows 14.

1 - for example, a pumping unit for pumping air from a volume of 1.55 m ³ with an initial pressure of no more than 770 mm Hg. up to a pressure of 462 mm Hg. (0.6 kgf / cm2) in a volume of no more than 100 m ³ with a pressure of 770 mm Hg. within 4 minutes.

2 - for example, KSD - pressure relief valve with an equivalent diameter of 20 mm.

3 - for example, HPC (pressure equalization valve with an equivalent diameter of 20 mm) in a volume of 1.5 m ³ with a pressure of 462 mm Hg. and in a volume of 100 m ³ with a pressure of 770 mm Hg. for no more than 8 minutes.

The operation of the on-board experimental test facility is carried out as follows.

1. Development of target tasks directly by the test cosmonaut, for which the assembly of a fragment of a spacesuit 4 and a bellows 29 is installed on the bottom 3 of a pressurized chamber 1.

1.1. Simulation of the standard pressurization of a spacesuit, for which a pressure difference is created in the pressurized chamber 1 and in the module 2 of the orbital station by pumping gas from the pressurized chamber 1 by means of the pump 1 8 (in order to save gas reserves) into the atmosphere of the module or by dumping through KSD2 10 into the outboard space The test cosmonaut performs the target operations using the inclinations of the bellows 29 by bending the spring 32, in an air, inert atmosphere or in a vacuum.

1.2. Creation of a neutral medium in the pressurized chamber 1, for which gas is pumped out of the pressurized chamber 1 into the atmosphere of the module 2 of the orbital station to a pressure of at least 10 ^-1 mm Hg, the residual gas is dumped through KSD2 10 and the pressurized chamber is evacuated, then filled pressurized chamber 1 through the leak valve 12 with an inert gas to achieve a pressure difference in the pressurized chamber 1 and in module 2 to the standard pressurization of the spacesuit. The test cosmonaut performs target operations in a neutral environment.

1.3. Creation of a pressure equal to the outboard pressure in the pressurized chamber 1, for which the gas is pumped out of the pressurized chamber 1 by means of the pump 8 into the atmosphere of the module to a pressure of at least 10 ^-1 mm Hg, the pressurized chamber 1 is evacuated through the KSD2 10, which sets the pressure of the spacesuit fragment of 1 at ., which critically limits the mobility of the hands and the ability to change the position of the fragment of the spacesuit 4 using the bellows 29. If necessary, it is permissible to perform limited movements of the fingers

hands to influence controls, for example, buttons, keys, toggle switches, as well as direct observation of the ongoing processes. After the completion of the cycle of operations, the pressurized chamber 1 by means of KVD3 11 is filled with gas from the atmosphere of module 2.

2. Research of objects and processes operating in automatic mode or remotely controlled.

The objects under investigation are placed and fixed in the pressurized chamber 1 by means of devices 26, 27, 28, the pressurized cover 30 is installed, the gas is pumped out from the pressurized chamber 1 by the pump 8 into the atmosphere of the module to a pressure of at least 10 ^-1 mm Hg, the pressurized chamber 1 is evacuated through the KSD2 10 and perform targeted operations, conduct visual observations through the window 31 in the hermetic cover 30. By means of KVD3 11, the pressurized chamber 1 is filled with gas from the atmosphere of module 2, the hermetic cover 30 is removed, the objects of research are removed.

Security measures. When preparing the pressurized chamber 1 for operation, before using the KSD2 10, a pressurized cover 30 should be installed, which is removed after fixing a stable state of tightness. Between the periods of using the installation, the hermetic cover 30 must be permanently installed, all the taps are closed, the electrical consumers are de-energized.

Claims (2)

1. An on-board experimental test facility containing a pressurized chamber, a pressurized cover with a porthole and quick-acting clamps, an electrical pressurized lead installed on the bottom of the pressurized chamber, a vacuum evacuation system, a leak for inert gas supply, a pressure indicator, a fragment of a suit, lighting equipment installed in the pressurized chamber, TV- a recorder and devices for fixing the objects under study, characterized in that a fragment of the spacesuit is hermetically attached to the bottom of the pressurized chamber by a flange connection through a structure in the form of a bellows made of two flanges with cylindrical processes, in the grooves between which a helical cylindrical tension spring is installed, wound tangentially from the coil to the coil and forming the inner space of the said bellows, closed by a hermetic cover, and the inner surface of the bellows is covered with a fabric shell, and the outer surface is covered with a three-layer shell made of a sealed, power and protective shells attached to said th cylindrical processes, while the pressurized chamber is made as a compartment included in the pressurized circuit of the shell of the orbital station module, the vacuum pumping system includes a pump for pumping gas from the pressurized chamber into the module atmosphere, a gas pressure relief valve into the outboard space, a pressure equalization valve with atmospheric pressure in the module. 2. The method of operation of the on-board experimental test facility, which consists in placing and fixing the objects under investigation in the pressurized chamber, installing on the bottom of the pressurized chamber a fragment of the suit, characterized in that before installing the fragment of the suit on the bottom of the pressurized chamber, it is assembled with a bellows, the test cosmonaut is placed in a fragment of a spacesuit, and, depending on the tasks assigned to the test cosmonaut, the following operating modes of the installation are implemented: to perform target operations in the air, gas is pumped out of the pressurized chamber into the module atmosphere by a pump or the gas pressure in the pressurized chamber is released through a pressure relief valve until the difference with the atmospheric pressure in the module, equal to the nominal pressure of the spacesuit; to perform targeted operations in a neutral medium, a pump is pumped out of the pressurized chamber into the atmosphere of the module to a pressure of at least 0.1 mm Hg. Art., through the pressure relief valve, the residual gas is dumped, the pressure chamber is evacuated and filled with an inert gas to achieve a pressure difference in the pressure chamber and in the module until the suit is normally pressurized; to perform targeted operations at a pressure in the pressure chamber equal to the outboard pressure, the gas is pumped out of the pressure chamber into the module atmosphere by a pump to a pressure of at least 0.1 mm Hg. Art., the pressurized chamber is evacuated through the pressure relief valve, after the completion of the cycle of the above operations, the pressurized chamber is filled with gas from the atmosphere of the module; to study processes and objects operating in automatic mode or remotely controlled, dismantle the assembly of the bellows with a fragment of the suit, then place and fix the investigated objects in the pressurized chamber, install a pressurized cover, pump gas from the pressurized chamber into the module atmosphere to a pressure of at least 0.1 mm Hg ... Art., then through the pressure relief valve the pressurized chamber is evacuated and visual observations are carried out through the window in the pressurized cover, using the pressure equalization valve, the pressurized chamber is filled with gas from the atmosphere of the module, the pressurized cover is removed and the objects of study are removed.

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