Autogenous pressurizer device for a propellant tank
AssigneeSnecma
InventorsAntoine CARATGE, Jean Michel SANNINO, Stephanie DREYER, Jean-Luc BARTHOULOT
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An autogenous pressurizer device for a main propellant tank, the device includes a pressurizer pipe connected to the main tank to inject propellant into the main tank, a pressurizer valve arranged on the pressurizer pipe, and a heater for heating the propellant upstream from the pressurizer valve. The pressurizer device includes a buffer tank connected to the pressurizer pipe upstream from the pressurizer valve.
Claims8
An autogenous pressurizer device for a main propellant tank, the device comprising a pressurizer pipe connected to the main tank to inject propellant into said main tank, a pressurizer valve arranged on the pressurizer pipe, and a heater for heating the propellant upstream from the pressurizer valve, wherein the pressurizer device comprises a buffer tank connected to the pressurizer pipe upstream from the pressurizer valve, the heater is electric,
- the device further includes a fuel cell electrically connected to the heater for supplying electricity to the heater, and in that an auxiliary pipe extends between the buffer tank and the fuel cell in order to fill the fuel cell with propellant.
The pressurizing method for pressurizing a main propellant tank, the method comprising:
- filling a buffer tank with propellant from the main tank;
- using an electric heater powered by a fuel cell to heat the pressurizing fluid situated upstream from a pressurizer valve, the pressurizer valve being arranged in a pressurizer pipe connecting the buffer tank to the main tank, and the fuel cell being fed with propellant by an auxiliary pipe extending between the buffer tank and said fuel cell;
- and
- opening the pressurizer valve to enable the heated propellant to flow to the main tank.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.