Device for expelling/containing liquids for a spacecraft tank

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9517590-B2
Application number	US-201214352536-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 18, 2012
Priority date	Oct 18, 2011
Publication date	Dec 13, 2016
Grant date	Dec 13, 2016

Abstract

A device for expelling/containing a predetermined liquid. The device configured to be built into a liquid tank operable at low or zero gravity and comprising a unitary three-dimensional sponge structure. The sponge structure comprises a set of substantially wire-like elements that extend between a peripheral area of the sponge structure and an area for expelling/containing liquid. The wire-like elements are substantially oriented in the direction of flow of the fluid within the device. The wire-like elements are connected together by crosspieces and are arranged such that the capillary gradient is positive or zero in the direction of flow of the fluid from the peripheral area to the area for expelling/containing liquid.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A device for expelling/retaining a predetermined liquid and suitable for integration in a liquid tank operable at low or zero gravity, the device comprising:
a peripheral zone;
a liquid expulsion/retention zone;
a single three-dimensional structure comprising a set of wire elements spaced apart from one another and extending between the peripheral zone and the liquid expulsion/retention zone, and a set of spacers intersecting and linking the wire elements together to form a lattice;
wherein the wire elements are substantially oriented in a direction of flow of the liquid within the device, the liquid being retained between the wire elements by capillarity;
wherein, for at least part of a surface orthogonal to the wire elements, intersections of the wire elements with an orthogonal surface are points determining sides of polygons forming a paving of the orthogonal surface; and
wherein the wire elements are linked together by spacers comprising projections, parallel to a direction of the wire elements, on the surface orthogonal to the wire elements merged with the sides of the polygons.

2. The device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the wire elements are arranged such that a capillary gradient of the liquid arranged within the wire elements is positive or zero in the direction of flow of the liquid from the peripheral zone to the liquid expulsion/retention zone.

3. A device for expelling/retaining a predetermined liquid and suitable for integration in a liquid tank operable at low or zero gravity, the device comprising:
a peripheral zone;
a liquid expulsion/retention zone;
a single three-dimensional structure comprising a set of wire elements spaced apart from one another and extending between the peripheral zone and the liquid expulsion/retention zone, and a set of spacers intersecting and linking the wire elements together to form a lattice;
wherein the wire elements are substantially oriented in a direction of flow of the liquid within the device, the liquid being retained between the wire elements by capillarity; and
wherein the spacers are wholly or partly substantially wire-like structural elements, and the spacers are not orthogonal to the wire elements, an angle between the spacers and the wire elements is between 20° and 70°.

4. The device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said spacers are arranged to reduce inducement of capillary peaks occurring along the wire elements where the spacers are located.

5. The device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the spacers are wholly or partly substantially wire-like structural elements.

6. The device as claimed in claim 3 , wherein, for at least part of a surface orthogonal to the wire elements, intersections of the wire elements with an orthogonal surface are points determining sides of polygons forming a paving of the orthogonal surface.

7. The device as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising zones in which the spacers are substantially wire-like, a distance between two consecutive spacers in the zones decreases when moving in the direction of the flow of the liquid from the peripheral zone to the liquid expulsion/retention zone.

8. The device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the wire elements comprise a non-convex section to enhance rigidity of the wire elements.

9. A device for expelling/retaining a predetermined liquid and suitable for integration in a liquid tank operable at low or zero gravity, the device comprising:
a peripheral zone;
a liquid expulsion/retention zone;
a single three-dimensional structure comprising a set of wire elements spaced apart from one another and extending between the peripheral zone and the liquid expulsion/retention zone, and a set of spacers intersecting and linking the wire elements together to form a lattice;
wherein the wire elements are substantially oriented in a direction of flow of the liquid within the device, the liquid being retained between the wire elements by capillarity;
wherein, for at least part of a surface orthogonal to the wire elements, intersections of the wire elements with an orthogonal surface are points determining sides of polygons forming a paving of the orthogonal surface; and
wherein the wire elements comprise a non-convex section to enhance rigidity of the wire elements, the section comprising protuberances extending along the sides of the polygons forming a polygonal paving of a network of the wire elements.

10. The device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the single three-dimensional structure is manufactured from a single piece according to a rapid manufacture method.

11. The device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the device is manufactured from a single piece according to a fast powder-based manufacturing method.

12. A satellite comprises a device as claimed in claim 1 .

13. The device as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the wire elements are arranged such that a capillary gradient of the liquid arranged within the wire elements is positive or zero in the direction of flow of the liquid from the peripheral zone to the liquid expulsion/retention zone.

14. The device as claimed in claim 3 , wherein said spacers are arranged to minimize inducement of capillary peaks occurring along the wire elements where the spacers are located.

15. The device as claimed in claim 3 , further comprising zones in which the spacers are substantially wire-like, a distance between two consecutive spacers in the zones decreases when moving in the direction of the flow of the liquid from the peripheral zone to the liquid expulsion/retention zone.

16. The device as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the wire elements comprise a non-convex section to enhance rigidity of the wire elements.

17. The device as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the single-piece three-dimensional structure is manufactured from a single piece according to a rapid manufacture method.

18. The device as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the device is manufactured from a single piece according to a fast powder-based manufacturing method.

19. A satellite comprises a device as claimed in claim 3 .

20. The device as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the wire elements are arranged such that a capillary gradient of the liquid arranged within the wire elements is positive or zero in the direction of flow of the liquid from the peripheral zone to the liquid expulsion/retention zone.

21. The device as claimed in claim 9 , wherein said spacers are arranged to minimize inducement of capillary peaks occurring along the wire elements where the spacers are located.

22. The device as claimed in claim 9 , further comprising zones in which the spacers are substantially wire-like, a distance between two consecutive spacers in the zones decreases when moving in the direction of the flow of the liquid from the peripheral zone to the liquid expulsion/retention zone.

23. The device as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the single-piece three-dimensional structure is manufactured from a single piece according to a rapid manufacture method.

24. The device as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the device is manufactured from a single piece according to a fast powder-based manufacturing method.

25. A satellite comprises a device as claimed in claim 9 .

Assignees

• Astrium Sas
• Airbus Defence & Space Sas

Inventors

• Dandaleix Louis

Classifications

• B64G1/402

  Propellant tanks; Feeding propellants · CPC title

• F05D2300/614

  Fibres or filaments · CPC title

• F17C2223/0153

  Liquefied gas, e.g. LPG, GPL · CPC title

• F17C2201/0104

  cylindrical · CPC title

• F17C2270/0194

  for use under microgravity conditions, e.g. space · CPC title