Disclosed is a system for transporting fluid, including a first vessel and a second vessel, the system including: a split volume tank comprising a first volume and a second volume, wherein when one of the volumes expands the other volume collapses; and a four way valve fluidly connecting the first and second volumes and first vessel and the second vessel, the four way valve comprising a plurality of passages including a first passage and a second passage, the four way valve being controllable between a plurality of orientations including: a first orientation in which the first passage fluidly connects the first volume and the first vessel and the second passage fluidly connects the second volume and the second vessel; a second orientation in which the first passage fluidly connects the first volume and the second vessel and the second passage fluidly connects the second volume and the first vessel.

Disclosed is a system for transporting fluid, including a first vessel and a second vessel, the system including: a split volume tank comprising a first volume and a second volume, wherein when one of the volumes expands the other volume collapses; and a four way valve fluidly connecting the first and second volumes and first vessel and the second vessel, the four way valve comprising a plurality of passages including a first passage and a second passage, the four way valve being controllable between a plurality of orientations including: a first orientation in which the first passage fluidly connects the first volume and the first vessel and the second passage fluidly connects the second volume and the second vessel; a second orientation in which the first passage fluidly connects the first volume and the second vessel and the second passage fluidly connects the second volume and the first vessel.

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.

To provide a propellant tank such as a fuel tank and an oxidant tank for a spacecraft, the propellant tank discharging propellant such as liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen accumulated therein toward a rocket engine by pressurizing an inside thereof by operating gas. The propellant tank includes a tank body that accumulates therein the propellant in a liquid state, and a holding container that is provided inside the tank body and disposed with a predetermined gap from an inner wall of the tank body, so that the propellant in a liquid state can be held therein, when the inside of the tank body is in a microgravity state or a zero-gravity state.

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.

The invention relates to a container for receiving, storing, and dispensing liquids and/or viscous substances, in particular fuel, propellant, or drinking water, comprising a casing (12) with a microscopic surface structure (16) that is integrally formed on at least some parts of the casing (10) and comprises at least one approximately groove- and/or channel-shaped capillary (20) which is arranged in an interior (14) of the container (10) on the inner face (18) of the casing (12) such that an end (22) of the capillary faces an outlet opening (24) of the container (10), which extends into a region (24) that is adjacent to or borders the outlet opening (24) of the container (10), and which is made of two lateral walls (26) that are paired together and run together for conveying the liquid and/or the viscous substance within the capillary (20) to the outlet opening (24) of the container (10). The invention also relates to a method for producing the container and to the use thereof.

Disclosed is a method for gauging the liquid propellant tank of a spacecraft during a phase of high-thrust along an axis, the tank being thermally conductive and having a known geometry. The method includes steps of: attaching, on a wall of the tank, a heating member and at least one temperature sensor in proximity to the heating member and in a plane of interest perpendicular to the thrust axis; during the high-thrust phase, heating the wall of the tank and acquiring temperature measurements of the wall of the tank at rapid frequency; determining the instant I when the temperature measured by the sensor changes, such change indicating the presence of the liquid-gas interface in the tank in the plane of interest; and determining the volume of liquid propellant present in the tank at instant I.

Provided is a liquid tank, including: a cylindrical seamless tank body having both end portions being reduced in diameter toward respective end sides; and a plurality of annular baffles provided inside the tank body and arranged at intervals in an axial direction of the tank body, in which at least one of the plurality of baffles is held on an inner peripheral surface of the tank body.

A filling system that has at least one heat pipe used for heat transfer, at least one ammonia tube that pure ammonia is able to be stored at room temperature as saturated vapour, at least one delivery line that enables to deliver ammonia from the ammonia tube to the heat pipe and the heat pipe is removably engaged, at least one valve is located on the delivery line and allows ammonia flow to be controlled, at least one detector located on the delivery line and providing seal control, and at least one heater to heat the heat pipe.

A gas injection device for injecting an expulsion gas into a tank for a liquid. The gas injection device comprises an inlet pipe for receiving the gas and a distributor portion for releasing the gas through a plurality of capillary passages. The inlet pipe has a first end configured to be connected to a gas supply line and a second end located within a chamber in the distributor portion. The capillary passages respectively extend in a direction adapted to a periphery of the chamber. A tank for a liquid is provided, the tank comprising a gas injection device. A spacecraft is provided comprising such a tank.