Investigation of Cryogenic Chilldown in a Complex Channel Under Low Gravity Using a Sounding Rocket

Kinefuchi, Kiyoshi; Sarae, Wataru; Umemura, Yutaka; Fujita, Takeshi; Okita, Koichi; Kobayashi, Hiroaki; Nonaka, Satoshi; Himeno, Takehiro; Satô, Tetsuya

doi:10.2514/1.a34222

Cited by 17 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 16 publications

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“… Plachta et al 44 Zero Boil-Off test for oxygen tank ZBO Ground Oxygen Active cooling system for oxygen eliminated boil-off and robust controlled tank pressure. Sarae et al 45 , Kinefuchi et al 46 Chill-down process in a complex channel PTCD Suborbital Flight LN2 The transition of flow regimes from gas-liquid two-phase flow to liquid mono-phase flow was visualized. Kassemi et al 47 Comparison of CFD and experimental data from 3 different datasets of self-pressurization HP Ground, ISS, Space Shuttle Hydrogen, PnP, Freon-113 Only experimental controlled and known boundary conditions allow a good agreement with experiments and CFD of two-phase systems.…”

Section: Application Perspectives and Backgroundmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Nevertheless, significant work still needs to be done on cryocooler integration for on-orbit tanks, especially for liquid hydrogen. The boiling flow of cryogenic nitrogen in complicated channels under low-gravity condition was realized with the sounding rocket’s suborbital ballistic flight by JAXA and the University of Tokyo 45 , 46 . The transition of flow regimes from gas-liquid two-phase flow to liquid mono-phase flow was visualized.…”

Section: Application Perspectives and Backgroundmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Cryogenic propellant management in space: open challenges and perspectives

Simonini,

Dreyer,

Urbano

et al. 2024

npj Microgravity

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This paper presents open challenges and perspectives of propellant management for crewed deep space exploration. The most promising propellants are liquid hydrogen and liquid methane, together with liquid oxygen as an oxidizer. These fluids remain liquid only at cryogenic conditions, that is, at temperatures lower than 120 K. To extend the duration of space exploration missions, or even to enable them, the storage and refueling from a cryogenic on-orbit depot is necessary. We review reference missions, architectures, and technology demonstrators and explain the main operations that are considered as enablers for cryogenic storage and transfer. We summarize the state of the art for each of them, showing that many gaps in physical knowledge still need to be filled. This paper is based on recommendations originally proposed in a White Paper for ESA’s SciSpacE strategy.

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Section: Application Perspectives and Backgroundmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Application Perspectives and Backgroundmentioning

confidence: 99%

Cryogenic propellant management in space: open challenges and perspectives

Simonini,

Dreyer,

Urbano

et al. 2024

npj Microgravity

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“…The adaptable operation and high performance of cryogenic launch vehicles require the efficient use of propellants. Improvements include reduced engine chill-down consumption (Kinefuchi et al, 2019;, improved propellant settling under reduced gravity (Himeno et al, 2011;Kinefuchi et al, 2013;Kinefuchi et al, 2018), and reduced vaporization (Miyakita et al, 2014;Miyakita et al, 2018;.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Comparison of vapor cooling characteristics of a triply periodic minimal surface and other channel geometries

FUKUZAKI

KINEFUCHI

Umemura

et al. 2023

Mechanical Engineering Journal

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Vapor cooling shield is a key technology for long-term cryogenic propellant storage in space. Cooling channels with a triply periodic minimal surface embedded inside are expected to improve its cooling performance. Herein, a cooling channel with a triangle cross-section embedded gyroid structure, a type of the triply periodic minimal surface structure, was additively manufactured. The pressure drop and heat transfer performances of the channel were experimentally measured using liquid nitrogen vapor. Furthermore, in addition to the gyroid-embedded channel, three channels with different cross-sections were fabricated for comparison: circular, triangle, and triangle with a step/groove on the bottom. The gyroid-embedded channel exhibited unique characteristics, with a thermal conductance that was approximately 40% higher than that of the channel with a simple triangle crosssection, but an excessive pressure drop of approximately 50 times higher than that of the other cross-sections. This denotes that strong vortex and turbulence and the flow separation cause excess pressure drop in the gyroidembedded channel. The pressure drop characteristic of the gyroid-embedded channel against the Reynolds number completely differed from that of the other channels, and the pressure drop of the gyroid-embedded channel can be estimated assuming analogy with particle packed beds.

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