Centrifugal space propellant storage and transfer depot

• US 5,305,970 A
• Filed: 01/12/1993
• Issued: 04/26/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 01/12/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation (Martin Marietta Corporation)
• Original Assignee: General Dynamics Corporation
• Inventors: Johns, William A., Caudle, David A., Porter, John W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Barefoot, Galen L.
• Application Number:
  US08/003,163
• Time in Patent Office: 469 Days
• Field of Search: 244/158 R, 244/158, 244/161, 244/172, 244/135 R, 244/135 A
• US Class Current: 244/172.2
• CPC Class Codes: B64G 1/1078 Maintenance satellites refueling in space B64G1/4024
• CPC Class Codes: B64G 1/12 manned
• CPC Class Codes: B64G 1/402 Propellant tanks; Feeding propellants
• CPC Class Codes: B64G 1/646 Docking or rendezvous systems refueling in space B64G1/4024
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2201/0133 toroidal
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2203/0643 Stainless steels
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2203/0646 Aluminium
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2205/013 Two or more vessels
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2221/011 Oxygen
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2221/012 Hydrogen
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2223/0161 cryogenic, e.g. LNG, GNL, PLNG
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2223/033 Small pressure, e.g. for liquefied gas
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2227/0121 by gravity
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2227/04 Methods for emptying or filling
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2260/013 Reducing manufacturing time or effort
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2265/032 by recovery
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2265/07 Generating electrical power as side effect
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2270/0194 for use under microgravity conditions, e.g. space
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 3/00 Vessels not under pressure
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/32 Hydrogen storage

Abstract

A centrifugal propellant depot positioned in outer space for storing and transferring cryogenic liquid propellants to and from transfer space vehicles which are adapted to transport cryogenic liquid propellants to the depot to receive the liquid propellants stored in the depot. The depot includes a plurality of contra-rotatable torus-shaped hollow storage tanks adapted to receive cryogenic liquid oxygen and hydrogen propellants that are carried in gas/liquid phase separation by rotational gravity. Transport rail members transversely bridge the storage tanks. A central docking hub is coupled to the transport rail members and disposed centrally of the rotating storage tanks. The docking hub may receive a transfer space vehicle on either of two opposing sides of the hub for transfer, via a transfer vehicle coupled to the rail members, outwardly to the storage tanks. The space vehicle may be flipped from an inwardly reclining position for draining of the liquid propellant into a storage tank outwardly to a position for receiving liquid propellant from a storage tank. A radially movable counterweight is also coupled to the rail members for movement as the space vehicle is carried by the transfer vehicle and transfer of liquid propellant is accomplished to ensure that the center of gravity of the depot is maintained at the central docking hub for gyroscopic stability. The counterweight includes an encapsulated hydrogen absorber, such as Lanthanum-Nickel 5 to sore waste hydrogen for further use. The rotating storage tanks of the depot are provided with variable interior baffles to ensure that the liquid propellant contained therein rotates at the same rotational speed as the storage tanks. Solar panels are attached to the depot to provide electricity.

Claims

1. A centrifugal propellant depot positioned in outer space for storing and transferring liquid propellants to and from transfer space vehicles which are adapted to transport liquid propellants to the depot for storage or to receive the liquid propellants stored in the depot and comprising:

a plurality of contra-rotatable torus-shaped hollow storage tanks adapted to receive liquid oxidizer and fuel propellants;

transport rail means transversely bridging the hollow storage tanks;

central docking hub means coupled to the rail means and adapted to securably receive a space vehicle in the central portion of the transport rail means and to assist in transporting the space vehicle outwardly to a transfer position for establishing communication between the storage tanks and the space vehicle for transfer of said oxidizer and fuel therebetween;

docking cage means operatively coupled to said central docking hub means and to the transport rail means for receiving the space vehicle and to releasably connect the space vehicle when placed in the transfer position to a predetermined storage tank for controllably transferring of said oxidizer and fuel therebetween; and

counterbalancing mass means coupled to the transport rail means for variable deployment therealong as required to counterbalance the movement of the transfer vehicle means and the secured space vehicle radially on the transport rail means and the transfer of said oxidizer and fuel between the space vehicle and a storage tank.

2. The centrifugal propellant depot of claim 1 wherein the counterbalancing mass means also includes absorbing means for releasably storing waste hydrogen for further use by the depot.

3. The centrifugal propellant depot of claim 2 wherein the absorbing means contained within the counterbalancing mass means comprises a hydrogen absorber.

4. The centrifugal propellant depot of claim 3 wherein said hydrogen absorber is encapsulated Lanthanum-Nickel 5.

5. The centrifugal propellant depot of claim 2 wherein the liquid propellants are automatically separated into liquid and gas phases by the rotation of the storage tanks.

6. The centrifugal propellant depot of claim 2 wherein the liquid propellent transfer from the depot storage tanks to the space vehicle is accomplished by positioning the space vehicle radially inwardly and within the plane of the torus-shaped storage tanks of the depot.

7. The centrifugal propellant depot of claim 2 wherein propellant transfer from the space vehicle to the depot storage tanks is accomplished by positioning the space vehicle radially outwardly and within the plane of the rotating storage tanks.

8. The centrifugal propellant depot of claim 2 wherein each of the storage tanks of the depot is provided with interior variable baffle means to ensure that the rotational speed of the liquid propellant is substantially the same as that of the containing storage tank.

9. The centrifugal propellant depot of claim 7 wherein the baffle means includes a plurality of spaced variable pitch baffles.

10. The centrifugal propellant depot of claim 2 wherein the docking hub means includes interface clutch means to selectively disengage the docking cage means from rotational engagement therewith.

11. The centrifugal propellant depot of claim 10 wherein the docking cage means further includes thruster means to completely stop rotation of the docking cage means for disengagement from rotational movement with the spinning depot to permit docking of a space vehicle into the docking cage means.

12. The centrifugal propellant depot of claim 10 wherein the docking cage means further includes robotic arm means to assist the space vehicle in docking into the docking cage means.

13. The centrifugal propellant depot of claim 12 which further includes solar panel means coupled to the central docking hub means for generating electricity for use by the depot.

14. The centrifugal propellant depot of claim 2 wherein the counterbalancing mass means is translated radially from the central docking means according to the radial movement of the docking cage and the secured space vehicle from the central docking means and to the transfer of liquid propellant between the space vehicle and the storage tanks to maintain the center of gravity of the depot at the center of the central docking hub means.

15. The centrifugal propellant depot of claim 1 wherein each of the contra-rotating storage tanks have the same radius so as to be vertically stacked.

16. The centrifugal propellant depot of claim 15 wherein the central docking hub means is adapted to receive a space vehicle on opposing sides and the transport rail means provides two opposing transversely bridging paths across the torus-shaped storage tanks and a docking cage means is provided for each transport rail means whereby a space vehicle may be received on each opposing side and transported radially outwardly to a position for transfer of liquid propellant between the space vehicle and a storage tank.

17. A centrifugal propellant depot positioned in outer space for storing and transferring liquid propellants to and from space transfer vehicles which are adapted to transport cryogenic liquid propellants to the depot for storage or to receive the liquid propellants stored in the depot and comprising:

a plurality of concentrically arranged rotating torus-shaped hollow storage tanks adapted to receive cryogenic liquid oxidizer and fuel propellants;

transport rail means transversely bridging the storage tanks;

central docking hub means coupled to the rail means and adapted to securably receive a space vehicle;

docking hub vehicle means operatively coupled to the central docking hub means and to the transport rail means for receiving the space vehicle and to transfer it to a position for transfer of liquid propellant between the space vehicle and a predetermined storage tank; and

counterbalancing mass means coupled to the transport rail means for variable deployment therealong as required to counterbalance the movement of the docking cage means and secured space vehicle to a transfer position and resultant transfer of propellant therebetween, the counterbalancing means including hydrogen absorbing means for releasably storing waste hydrogen for further use.

18. The centrifugal propellant depot of claim 17 wherein the counterbalancing mass means also includes absorbing means for releasably storing waste hydrogen for further use by the depot.

19. The centrifugal propellant depot of claim 18 wherein the hydrogen absorbing means comprises Lanthanum-Nickel 5.

20. The centrifugal propellant depot of claim 19 wherein the storage tanks are sized to the burn ratio of the propellants.

21. The centrifugal propellant depot of claim 20 wherein each storage tank is provided with means to ensure the propellant rotates at the same velocity as the containing toroidal tank.

22. The centrifugal propellant depot of claim 21 wherein the means to ensure common rotational velocity of a propellant and an enclosing tank includes a plurality of spaced variable pitch interior baffles.