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AssigneeBoeing North American, Inc.
InventorsTibor I. Lak, John H. LeBlanc, Jay K. Yoshinaga, Martin E. Lozano
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An improved and simplified system for densifying a cryogenic liquid for space vehicles is provided, which includes a heat exchanger having heat exchange tubes therein for receiving a flow of liquid from a storage tank, for example a liquid propellant in a vehicle storage tank. The heat exchanger is filled around the exchange tubes with a two-component bath, the volume of a primary component substantially exceeding the volume of a secondary component. The secondary component has a boiling temperature that is lower than the boiling temperature of the primary component, and both are lower than the boiling temperature of the cryogenic liquid. In one example, the liquid to be densified is oxygen, the primary component is liquid nitrogen, and a secondary component is liquid hydrogen. The secondary component is preferably injected into the heat exchanger in separate flows to prevent localized freezing of the first component. A manifold having a plurality of injectors may be used for introducing the second component to the heat exchanger. A control system receives inputs from one or more sensors within the heat exchanger and operates valves that control the flow of the first and second components of the heat exchange bath.
A system for cooling and densifying a liquid, comprising:
A method of densifying a liquid, comprising:
The method of claim 17, further including monitoring the level and temperature of the heat exchange bath and adjusting the flows of the two components accordingly 28. The method of claim 27, wherein the monitoring is done with sensors within the heat exchange tank and the adjusting is done with flow control valves, the method including transmitting signals from the sensors to a controller, and transmitting signals from the controller to the flow control valves.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.