Tank for separating liquid from gas under weightless conditions

• US 9,108,144 B2
• Filed: 05/21/2013
• Issued: 08/18/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/21/2013
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Astrium GmbH (Airbus SE)
• Original Assignee: Astrium GmbH (Airbus SE)
• Inventors: Behruzi, Kei Philipp, Koehler, Horst, Fries, Nicolas, Schmitz, Burkhard
• Primary Examiner(s): LAWRENCE JR, FRANK M
• Application Number:
  US13/898,649
• Publication Number:
  US 20140345464A1
• Time in Patent Office: 819 Days
• Field of Search: 961/08, 961/21, 961/31, 961/34, 961/39, 961/52, 554/41, 555/25, 55D/IG.42
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 1/305 Demister (vapour-liquid separation)
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 19/0047 Atomizing, spraying, trickling
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 45/08 by impingement against baffle separators
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 53/0407 Constructional details of adsorbing systems
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 13/08 Mounting arrangements for vessels

Abstract

A separator tank for separating and retaining a liquid phase from a liquid-gas fluid mixture is suitable for use with cryogenic as well as non-cryogenic liquids, in space experiments or other applications under weightless conditions. The separator tank has liquid storage members of porous, sponge-like metal foam arranged in a tank vessel. The total pore volume and porosity characteristics of the metal foam are selected to provide capillary uptake greater than the total volume of the liquid to be retained. In a preferred example, the liquid storage members are coaxially arranged, radially spaced, annular cylindrical members, with flow passage notches at alternating opposite ends thereof, to form a meandering fluid flow path therebetween. A gas extraction device is provided at the center of the tank. The separator tank and an upstream connected fluid supply tank can be arranged within a cryostat.

Claims

1. A tank arrangement comprising a liquid separator tank adapted to separate a liquid from a gas,

wherein said liquid separator tank comprises a tank vessel having a tank inlet into which a fluid including a liquid, a gas and/or a liquid-gas mixture is to be introduced and having a tank outlet from which pure gas without liquid is to be emitted,

wherein said liquid separator tank further comprises plural liquid storage members that are arranged in said tank vessel and that comprise an open-celled porous metal foam material having pores adapted to take-up the liquid from the fluid,

wherein all of said metal foam material of all of said liquid storage members has a total pore volume of said pores greater than a volume of the liquid to be taken up, and

wherein said liquid storage members are:

(A) arranged as alternately staggered baffles between said inlet and said outlet to establish a meandering fluid flow path that meanders back-and-forth successively along and around said alternately staggered baffles from said inlet to said outlet, or

(B) configured as annular cylindrical plates arranged as plural coaxial annular cylinders spaced apart radially from one another by respective annular spaces, in a main interior space within said tank vessel.

2. The tank arrangement according to claim 1, wherein said pores of said metal foam material are configured and dimensioned to produce a capillary action with respect to the liquid, such that the liquid is taken-up and retained in said pores by said capillary action.

3. The tank arrangement according to claim 2, wherein said pores take-up and retain the liquid by said capillary action even under weightless conditions and even under accelerations arising during operation of a spacecraft in which said tank arrangement is installed.

4. The tank arrangement according to claim 1, wherein said metal foam consists of aluminum.

5. The tank arrangement according to claim 1, wherein each one of said liquid storage members respectively consists of said metal foam material.

6. The tank arrangement according to claim 1, wherein each one of said liquid storage members respectively comprises an imperforate cover layer covering all or a portion of one major surface of said metal foam material.

7. The tank arrangement according to claim 1, wherein said tank vessel comprises a cylindrical outer wall, a top cover on an upper open end of said cylindrical outer wall, and a bottom cover on a lower open end of said cylindrical outer wall.

8. The tank arrangement according to claim 7, wherein said liquid separator tank further comprises a circumferentially extending circular injection channel arranged coaxially along a radially inner side of said cylindrical outer wall, said tank inlet communicates into said circular injection channel, and said circular injection channel communicates through an annular gap in a direction outwardly toward said cylindrical outer wall into a main interior space within said tank vessel.

9. The tank arrangement according to claim 1, wherein said liquid storage members are arranged as said alternately staggered baffles between said inlet and said outlet to establish said meandering fluid flow path that meanders back-and-forth successively along and around said alternately staggered baffles from said inlet to said outlet.

10. The tank arrangement according to claim 1, wherein said liquid storage members are configured as said annular cylindrical plates arranged as said plural coaxial annular cylinders spaced apart radially from one another by said respective annular spaces, in said main interior space within said tank vessel.

11. The tank arrangement according to claim 10, wherein said liquid storage members each have openings passing through a radial thickness thereof at one axial end thereof, and said axial ends of said liquid storage members having said openings alternate axially on radially successively adjacent ones of said liquid storage members.

12. The tank arrangement according to claim 11, wherein dimensions and/or a number of said openings on each one of said liquid storage members is selected to provide an equal flow cross-sectional area respectively through each one of said coaxial annular cylinders.

13. The tank arrangement according to claim 11, wherein an opening area of each one of said openings is relatively larger on a radially inner one of said liquid storage members and relatively smaller on a radially outer one of said liquid storage members.

14. The tank arrangement according to claim 10, wherein radial spacing distances of said respective annular spaces between adjacent ones of said annular cylinders differ from one another to provide an equal cross-sectional area, on a radial section plane, of each one of said annular spaces.

15. The tank arrangement according to claim 10, wherein a radially inner one of said annular spaces is relatively larger in a radial direction, and a radially outer one of said annular spaces is relatively smaller in the radial direction.

16. The tank arrangement according to claim 1, wherein said liquid separator tank further comprises a sleeve arranged near an axial center of said tank vessel, said tank outlet communicates with a space inside said sleeve, and said sleeve is arranged around said tank outlet and is interposed between said tank outlet and flow openings of a radially innermost one of said liquid storage members.

17. The tank arrangement according to claim 16, wherein said liquid separator tank further comprises a filter cartridge, screen or mesh arranged inside said sleeve and surrounding said tank outlet.

18. The tank arrangement according to claim 1, further comprising a cryostat and a fluid supply tank, wherein an outlet of said fluid supply tank is connected to said tank inlet of said liquid separator tank, wherein said fluid supply tank and said liquid separator tank are arranged in said cryostat, and wherein said liquid separator tank is adapted to separate and retain a cryostatic liquid as the liquid.

19. The tank arrangement according to claim 18, further comprising a heater arranged in said cryostat.

20. A tank arrangement in a spacecraft, said tank arrangement comprising a liquid separator tank adapted to separate a liquid from a gas,

wherein said liquid separator tank comprises a tank vessel having a tank inlet into which a fluid including a liquid, a gas and/or a liquid-gas mixture is to be introduced and having a tank outlet from which pure gas without liquid is to be emitted,

wherein said liquid separator tank further comprises plural liquid storage members that are arranged in said tank vessel and that comprise an open-celled porous metal foam material having pores adapted to take-up the liquid from the fluid,

wherein all of said metal foam material of all of said liquid storage members has a total pore volume of said pores greater than a volume of the liquid to be taken up, and

further comprising a fluid supply tank having an outlet thereof connected to said tank inlet of said liquid separator tank, and a pressurized driving gas tank connected to a pressurizing inlet of said fluid supply tank.

21. A liquid separator tank adapted to separate a liquid from a gas, comprising:

a cylindrical tank vessel;

a tank inlet near a radially outer perimeter of said tank vessel;

a tank outlet near a central axis of said tank vessel; and

plural annular cylindrical baffles arranged coaxially in said tank vessel and spaced radially apart from one another, wherein said baffles comprise a metal foam having open-celled pores configured and dimensioned to provide a capillary attraction with respect to the liquid.