Device for expelling/containing liquids for a spacecraft tank

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°.

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.