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 method of making a fiber reinforced energetic composite is provided. The method includes providing a mold or mandrel defining a shape for the fiber reinforced energetic composite, providing an impregnated fiber layup over the mold or mandrel, and curing the impregnated fiber layup. The impregnated fiber layup includes a fiber layup and polymer resin, the fiber layup formed from a plurality of reinforcing fiber layers and an energetic polymer nanocomposite disposed adjacent one or more of the reinforcing fiber layers with the polymer resin impregnated within the reinforcing fiber layers. The energetic polymer nanocomposite includes core-shell nanoparticles entrained in a thermoplastic polymer matrix where the core-shell nanoparticles include a core made of metal and at least one shell layer made of metal oxide disposed on the core or a core made of metal oxide and at least one shell layer made of metal disposed on the core.

A storage vessel can include a shell that is formed by fibers wound about an axis and infused with a resin matrix. The resin matrix can include metal nanoparticles coated with a polymer and distributed within a resin. The nanoparticles provide low coefficients of thermal expansion, and the polymer coatings enhance their bonding with the resin The shells of such storage vessels provide increased tensile strength and modulus at both room and cryogenic temperatures. Such improvements stem from the higher interfacial residual thermal stress at cryogenic temperature due to their low thermal expansion properties, which in turn promotes crack branching that increases the energy dissipation of the matrix.

A storage system for storing a cryogenic medium, the storage system including a storage container for receiving the cryogenic medium. A gas removal line is configured to remove gaseous cryogenic medium from the storage container. A first heat exchanger is fluidically connected to the gas removal line and arranged outside of the storage container to heating the cryogenic medium. A second or in-tank heat exchanger is fluidically connected to the gas removal line and arranged downstream of the first heat exchanger and inside the storage container to heat liquid cryogenic medium in the storage container. A liquid removal line is configured to remove the liquid cryogenic medium from the storage container. A controllable first shut-off valve is arranged in the gas removal line, and a controllable second shut-off valve is arranged in the liquid removal line.

A tank support assembly for a vehicle includes a vehicle structure and a storage tank assembly. The storage tank assembly is held in place relative to the vehicle structure via a magnetic support system. The magnetic support system includes tank magnets affixed to the storage tank assembly and structure magnets affixed to the vehicle structure. The tank magnets interact with the structure magnets to passively provide repulsive magnetic forces that constrain movement of the storage tank assembly relative to the vehicle structure without the tank magnets mechanically engaging the structure magnets.

To manage propellant in a spacecraft, the method of this disclosure includes storing propellant in a tank as a mixture of liquid and gas; transferring the propellant out of the tank; converting the mixture of liquid and gas propellant into a single phase, where the single phase is either liquid or gaseous; and supplying the single phase of the propellant to a thruster.

The present disclosure provides a pressure vessel 10 (sometimes known as a composite overwrapped pressure vessel or “COPV”) comprising carbon fiber 20 (such as carbon fiber 20 filaments) wrapped around a tank liner 30.

A rocket propulsion system comprising a first cryogenic tank and a second cryogenic tank, wherein the first cryogenic tank is filled with a first propellant, and the second cryogenic tank is filled with a second propellant, for purposes of feeding at least one repeatedly ignitable main propulsion unit in a propulsion phase of the rocket propulsion system. For purposes of tank pressurization via at least a low level of acceleration in a ballistic phase, a first auxiliary propulsion unit can be operated by means of a first gas pressure accumulator, and at least one further auxiliary propulsion unit can be operated by means of a further gas pressure accumulator, and the rocket propulsion system is assigned an energy conversion unit, which is designed at least to charge the first and the second gas pressure accumulator, preferably in the ballistic phase.

A method for coating a wall with a metallic surface layer, the wall including an outer wall layer formed from or including a plastic material or a fiber composite material, the method comprising: in a first step providing a wall base body formed by the outer wall layer; therafter in a second step bonding the outer wall layer to an intermediate layer formed from or including a fiber composite material to form the wall to be coated, wherein fibers of the fiber composite material of the intermediate layer include a metallic surface, wherein fibers of the fiber composite material of the intermediate layer connected to the outer wall layer include a non-metallic fiber core coated with a metal or a metal alloy; and thereafter in a third step coating the wall with the metallic surface layer on a surface of the intermediate layer facing away from the outer wall layer.

A hydrogen tank having a tank structure at least partially delimiting a tank space and comprising a cooling shield formed in a lightweight construction. A conduit system, connected to the tank space, of a pressure relief system for discharging gaseous hydrogen from the tank space is formed in the cooling shield. At least one para-ortho catalyst for accelerated conversion of parahydrogen into orthohydrogen is arranged in the conduit system. A vehicle is provided having a hydrogen drive and such a hydrogen tank. A method for cooling the tank structure of such a hydrogen tank is provided.