A heat exchange system includes cooling tubes that carry coolant and are placed on an external surface of a storage tank, which may be spherical, cylindrical, or other shape. The storage tank may be a cryogenic rocket fuel tank. The cooling tubes are bent to particular radius of curvatures that correspond to the varying curvatures of the storage tank. A network of spacers and bridge brackets with adjustable setscrews are used to precisely place the cooling tubes in correct positions on the external surface of the storage tank. Once placed in the desired position, the setscrews are adjusted to maximize the surface area contact between the cooling tubes and the exterior surface of the storage tank, resulting in optimal heat transfer without overstressing the materials of the tubing or the storage tank. The precisely positioned tubes may then be permanently affixed to the exterior surface of the storage tank using a cryogenic adhesive.

A tank device for a tank liquid comprises a pressure vessel with a first chamber for the tank liquid and second chamber arranged in an interior of the tank. The first and second chamber are closed off with respect to each other and are in operative connection via at least one membrane which separates the first and second chambers and is capable of vibration. The tank device further comprises a controllable element for effecting a pressure surge in the pressure vessel, a pressure sensor for detecting a pressure vibration resulting from the pressure surge and a temperature sensor for measuring a temperature prevailing in the pressure vessel. An evaluation device of the tank device is configured to determine a current gas volume in the pressure vessel from a respectively detected pressure vibration and a measured temperature to thereby calculate the mass of the tank liquid.

A system for fluid management in low or micro gravity environment, the system including: a two-phase gas-liquid tank suitable for storage of a two-phase gas-liquid, the two-phase gas-liquid tank including an outer surface, an inner cavity, and an outlet between the inner cavity and the outer surface. The system further includes a thermal or electromagnetic device disposed on or proximal to the two-phase gas-liquid tank. The system further includes a controller operatively coupled to the thermal or electromagnetic device, the controller being configured to energize the thermal or electromagnetic device in a controlled manner (i) to generate a thermal or electromagnetic gradient heat in the two-phase gas-liquid and (ii) urge a portion of the two-phase gas-liquid to the outlet of the two-phase gas-liquid tank.

Provided is a composite inner frame multi-bonded barrel, a shell-integrated projectile propellant tank including the same, and a method for manufacturing the barrel and the tank. The shell-integrated projectile propellant tank may include the composite inner frame multi-bonded barrel including a cylinder portion including a plurality of inner frames bonded together; a dome portion including an upper dome frame and a lower dome frame bonded to an upper end and a lower end of the cylinder portion, respectively; a cylindrical shell coated on an outside of the composite inner frame multi-bonded barrel; and at least one manhole cover sealing a manhole cover coupling hole formed in a center of the upper dome frame or the lower door frame, and the at least one manhole cover has a fluid injection port formed on one side thereof.

A metallic positive expulsion fuel tank with stress free weld seams may include a first hemispherical shell with a first edge; a pressurized gas inlet attached to the first hemispherical shell; and a metallic cylinder with first and second edges attached to the first hemispherical shell along matching first edges by a first weld seam. The tank may also include a second hemispherical shell with a first edge attached to a fuel outlet fixture. An elastomeric diaphragm may be attached to the fuel outlet fixture on the second hemispherical shell. The second hemispherical shell may be attached to the second edge of the metallic cylinder along matching edges by a second weld seam thereby forming a positive expulsion fuel tank with two interior chambers separated by the elastomeric diaphragm. The first and second weld seams may be subjected to a localized post-weld stress relief heat treatment in which heating of the tank is confined to a distance of 2 inches (5.08 cm) of the first weld seam and a distance of 2 inches (5.08 cm) of the second weld seam such that the stresses in the first and second weld seams are relieved and the elastomeric diaphragm is unaffected by the heat treatment.

A rigid structure propellant management device (PMD) liquid storage tank includes an outer shell and internal structures inside the outer shell that include a plurality of vertical columns each made up of a stack of individual storage cells. Each of the storage cells has solid vertical sidewalls and top and bottom capillary windows that allow vertical liquid transfer between adjacent cells in a vertical column. The top and bottom capillary windows in each of the storage cells have permeabilities that result in a selected direction of liquid flow in each column. A piping and valve system may be connected to the top capillary window of a top storage cell and to the bottom capillary window of a bottom storage cell of each vertical column, configured to allow controlled liquid transfer between adjacent vertical columns so that locations of empty cells in the tank as liquid is drawn from the tank achieves a selected column by column drainage sequence and controls a center of mass of the tank.

Liquid storage systems for space vehicles include at least one storage tank including a tank inlet, a tank outlet, and a plurality of liquid storage compartments coupled to each other in series between the tank inlet and the tank outlet. Each liquid storage compartment includes an end plate including a porous outlet at an end of the liquid storage compartment adjacent to another liquid storage compartment. Propulsion systems for space vehicles include at least one such liquid storage tank. Methods of providing a liquid propellant to a thruster of a space vehicle include withdrawing a liquid propellant from a first compartment within a tank and flowing the liquid propellant from a second compartment into the first compartment through a porous element associated with an end plate separating the first compartment from the second compartment.

A grid stiffened structure which includes a wall which extends in a direction transverse relative to a plane and an elongated rib connected along an elongated dimension of the rib to the wall such that the elongated rib extends along the wall and forms an angle with an axis which extends in a direction perpendicular to the plane. The elongated rib defines a free sidewall which extends from the wall positioned on a first side of the elongated rib and extends in a direction about the elongated rib and transverse to the elongated dimension to the wall positioned on a second side of the elongated rib. The wall and the elongated rib are constructed of a plurality of layers of material which extend in a direction transverse to the axis.

A storage tank 10A has a heat insulating material layer 14 formed on the outer side of a partition wall 12 that has a container shape. The inside of the storage tank 10A is divided into two storage spaces V.sub.1, V.sub.2. The first storage space V.sub.1 stores liquefied hydrogen LH.sub.2 and the second storage space V.sub.2 storing slush hydrogen SH.sub.2. A plurality of fins 18 are disposed on the partition plate 16 so as to promote heat transfer between the liquefied hydrogen LH.sub.2 and the slush hydrogen SH.sub.2 and to reduce the amount of evaporation gas from the liquefied hydrogen LH.sub.2. An escape pipe 20 is connected to the storage space V.sub.1, and the fuel supply pipes 24a, 24b are connected to the storage spaces V.sub.1, V.sub.2, respectively. The fuel supply pipes 24a, 24b are connected to a combustor 26 via the main fuel pipe 24.

A device for mounting and supporting a generally cylindrical or tapered tank, having a main axis X, that includes a pair of first retaining rods for retaining the tank along a vertical axis Z on each of a first and second end of the tank, a second retaining rod for retaining the tank along a horizontal axis Y, perpendicular to the main axis, on the first end of the tank, and a third retaining rod for retaining in a ball-and-socket joint, the means being located around the vertical axis and connected to the second end of the tank.