An advance in transfer line chilldown heat transfer of cryogenic propellants in microgravity using microfilm coating for enabling deep space exploration
Abstract The extension of human space exploration from a low earth orbit to a high earth orbit, then to Moon, Mars, and possibly asteroids is NASA’s biggest challenge for the new millennium. Integral to this mission is the effective, sufficient, and reliable supply of cryogenic propellant fluids. Th...
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Nature Publishing Group
2021-06-01
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| Series: | npj Microgravity |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41526-021-00149-5 |
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doaj-3fa60998d5e54f39a51b703f3d3c8fb02021-06-13T11:21:50ZengNature Publishing Groupnpj Microgravity2373-80652021-06-017111110.1038/s41526-021-00149-5An advance in transfer line chilldown heat transfer of cryogenic propellants in microgravity using microfilm coating for enabling deep space explorationJ. N. Chung0Jun Dong1Hao Wang2S. R. Darr3J. W. Hartwig4Space Cryogenics Thermal Energy Management Laboratory, Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of FloridaSpace Cryogenics Thermal Energy Management Laboratory, Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of FloridaSpace Cryogenics Thermal Energy Management Laboratory, Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of FloridaSpace Cryogenics Thermal Energy Management Laboratory, Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of FloridaNASA Glenn Research CenterAbstract The extension of human space exploration from a low earth orbit to a high earth orbit, then to Moon, Mars, and possibly asteroids is NASA’s biggest challenge for the new millennium. Integral to this mission is the effective, sufficient, and reliable supply of cryogenic propellant fluids. Therefore, highly energy-efficient thermal-fluid management breakthrough concepts to conserve and minimize the cryogen consumption have become the focus of research and development, especially for the deep space mission to mars. Here we introduce such a concept and demonstrate its feasibility in parabolic flights under a simulated space microgravity condition. We show that by coating the inner surface of a cryogenic propellant transfer pipe with low-thermal conductivity microfilms, the quenching efficiency can be increased up to 176% over that of the traditional bare-surface pipe for the thermal management process of chilling down the transfer pipe. To put this into proper perspective, the much higher efficiency translates into a 65% savings in propellant consumption.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41526-021-00149-5 |
| collection |
DOAJ |
| language |
English |
| format |
Article |
| sources |
DOAJ |
| author |
J. N. Chung Jun Dong Hao Wang S. R. Darr J. W. Hartwig |
| spellingShingle |
J. N. Chung Jun Dong Hao Wang S. R. Darr J. W. Hartwig An advance in transfer line chilldown heat transfer of cryogenic propellants in microgravity using microfilm coating for enabling deep space exploration npj Microgravity |
| author_facet |
J. N. Chung Jun Dong Hao Wang S. R. Darr J. W. Hartwig |
| author_sort |
J. N. Chung |
| title |
An advance in transfer line chilldown heat transfer of cryogenic propellants in microgravity using microfilm coating for enabling deep space exploration |
| title_short |
An advance in transfer line chilldown heat transfer of cryogenic propellants in microgravity using microfilm coating for enabling deep space exploration |
| title_full |
An advance in transfer line chilldown heat transfer of cryogenic propellants in microgravity using microfilm coating for enabling deep space exploration |
| title_fullStr |
An advance in transfer line chilldown heat transfer of cryogenic propellants in microgravity using microfilm coating for enabling deep space exploration |
| title_full_unstemmed |
An advance in transfer line chilldown heat transfer of cryogenic propellants in microgravity using microfilm coating for enabling deep space exploration |
| title_sort |
advance in transfer line chilldown heat transfer of cryogenic propellants in microgravity using microfilm coating for enabling deep space exploration |
| publisher |
Nature Publishing Group |
| series |
npj Microgravity |
| issn |
2373-8065 |
| publishDate |
2021-06-01 |
| description |
Abstract The extension of human space exploration from a low earth orbit to a high earth orbit, then to Moon, Mars, and possibly asteroids is NASA’s biggest challenge for the new millennium. Integral to this mission is the effective, sufficient, and reliable supply of cryogenic propellant fluids. Therefore, highly energy-efficient thermal-fluid management breakthrough concepts to conserve and minimize the cryogen consumption have become the focus of research and development, especially for the deep space mission to mars. Here we introduce such a concept and demonstrate its feasibility in parabolic flights under a simulated space microgravity condition. We show that by coating the inner surface of a cryogenic propellant transfer pipe with low-thermal conductivity microfilms, the quenching efficiency can be increased up to 176% over that of the traditional bare-surface pipe for the thermal management process of chilling down the transfer pipe. To put this into proper perspective, the much higher efficiency translates into a 65% savings in propellant consumption. |
| url |
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41526-021-00149-5 |
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