DEVICE, SYSTEM, AND METHOD FOR PRESSURIZING AND SUPPLYING FLUID

Abstract

A heat exchanger generally employs a method for supplying liquid having critical pressure or higher or high pressure in order to suppress boiling. However, gas obtained by a evaporator behind the heat exchanger has relatively low pressure, and therefore supplying the liquid to the heat exchanger requires a system for converting an energy form of the obtained gas into kinetic energy or electrical energy, and increasing the pressure by a mechanical pump. Thus, the complicated system involving an efficiency loss is only solution, and it is difficult to achieve simplification of a system or reduction in the weight of a propellant supply device in a moving body, specifically, a flying object.

Claims

1. A device for pressurization and supply configured to: increase pressure of raw fluid as a material of gas, by the gas itself manufactured by reducing, by use of an evaporator, pressure of fluid whose pressure and temperature are increased after heat exchange by a heat exchanger with a heat source, while securing a mass flow rate by utilization of a density difference between the gas and the raw fluid; and supply the raw fluid with increased pressure to the heat exchanger.

2. The device according to claim 1, comprising an auxiliary device at the same time, the auxiliary device that employs a form in which the raw fluid is liquefied to be stored in a storage vessel, maintains the storage vessel at pressure exceeding vapor pressure, and supplies the raw fluid to the heat exchanger while suppressing generation of an air bubble.

3. The device according to claim 1, wherein pressure increase is performed by a mechanical discharge device in which a gas side for the pressure increase process is set to a low pressure side, an inlet side to the heat exchanger is set to a high pressure side, and conversion of an energy form of the gas into kinetic energy or electrical energy is not required.

4. The device according to claim 3, wherein pistons having different diameters are provided, the gas side for the pressure increase process is set to a large diameter side, the inlet side to the heat exchanger is set to a small diameter side, and the pistons perform pressure increase.

5. The device according to claim 4, wherein pressure of the raw fluid as the material of the gas for performing pressurization and supply is sequentially increased by reciprocating motion performed by the pistons.

6. The device according to claim 5, wherein pressure increase in multi-stages is performed by use of pistons having a further enhanced diameter ratio by use of low pressure gas discharged through the pressure increase process.

7. The device according to claim 5, wherein pressure increase is performed by use of parallel pistons in order to change a phase of reciprocating motion of each of the pistons, and suppress pulsation of supplied pressure, in the pressure increase process.

8. A device for pressurization and supply configured to: increase pressure of raw fluid as a material of gas, by the gas itself manufactured by reducing, by use of an evaporator, pressure of fluid whose pressure and temperature are increased after heat exchange by a heat exchanger with a heat source as a surplus heat source from a combuster or a thrust generation mechanism, or another installed heat source while securing a mass flow rate by utilization of a density difference between the gas and the raw fluid, and supply the raw fluid with increased pressure to the heat exchanger.

9.-36. (canceled)

37. A system comprising: a device for pressurization and supply configured to increase pressure of raw fluid and supply the raw fluid with increased pressure; a heat exchanger with a heat source configured to increase, by heat exchange, temperature of the raw fluid with increased pressure supplied from the device for pressurization and supply; and an evaporator configured to manufacture a gas by reducing pressure of fluid whose pressure and temperature are increased after heat exchange by the heat exchanger; wherein the device for pressurization and supply is configured to; increase pressure of the raw fluid as a material of the gas, by the gas itself manufactured by reducing, by use of the evaporator, pressure while securing a mass flow rate by utilization of a density difference between the gas and the raw fluid, and supply the raw fluid with increased pressure to the heat exchanger.

38. The system according to claim 37, wherein the system is configured as a gas injection type attitude or orbit control system further comprising an injector for injecting the gas.

39. The system according to claim 37, wherein the fluid is water or a gas that can be liquefied.

40. A method comprising: increasing pressure of raw fluid and supplying the raw fluid with increased pressure by a device for pressurization and supply; increasing, by a heat exchanger with a heat source, by heat exchange, temperature of the raw fluid with increased pressure supplied from the device for pressurization and supply; and manufacturing, by an evaporator, a gas by reducing pressure of fluid whose pressure and temperature are increased after heat exchange by the heat exchanger; wherein the increasing pressure of raw fluid and supplying the raw fluid with increased pressure by a device for pressurization and supply comprising: increasing pressure of the raw fluid as a material of the gas, by the gas itself manufactured by reducing, by use of the evaporator, pressure while securing a mass flow rate by utilization of a density difference between the gas and the raw fluid, and supplying the raw fluid with increased pressure to the heat exchanger.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0182] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating manufacture of operative gas, and pressure-temperature change.

[0183] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a static self-pressurization type supplying device and a pressurizing and supplying system.

[0184] FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a reciprocating self-pressurization type supplying device and a pressurizing and supplying system.

[0185] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a thrust generator for heated steam or gas-liquid equilibrium gas injection, using the static self-pressurization type supplying device.

[0186] FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a rocket engine using a static/reciprocating self-pressurization type supplying device.

[0187] FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a rocket engine with a thrust vectoring controller, using the static/reciprocating self-pressurization type supplying device.

[0188] FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a rocket engine with a supplying device for preventing cavitation of an operative gas raw fluid supplying system, using the static self-pressurization type supplying device.

[0189] FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating a multistage reciprocating self-pressurization type supplying device using operative gas exhaust in a supplying device again.

[0190] FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating an example of a reciprocating supplying device, namely, a multistage supplying device for changing the phase of reciprocating motion, and suppressing the pulsation of the pressure of operative gas to be supplied, specifically, an example of a supplying device configured by changing the phase by 180 degrees in the horizontal direction.

[0191] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an embodiment of a rocket engine system configured by a reciprocating supplying device, using ethyl alcohol/nitrous oxide as a fuel/oxidizing agent, using carbon dioxide gas as operative gas, including a thrust vectoring function, and having a prevention function of cavitation at the time of supply of liquefied carbon dioxide gas.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

Embodiment 1

[0192] In the most direct embodiment, a device that is installed in a rocket, and is configured to be combined with a heat exchanger and a evaporator and to increase the pressure of raw fluid obtained by liquefying installed operative gas to supply the raw fluid by obtained operative gas itself, to a heat exchanger that manufactures operative gas for pressurizing tank housing propellant (both or one of fuel and an oxidizing agent) and supplying the propellant is configured. That is, this device not only performs self-pressurization but also has a function of supplying fluid while maintaining the mass flow rate at the same time. Hereinafter, this device is referred to as the self-pressurizing and supplying device, including a function of not only increasing pressure but also supplying fluid.

[0193] That is, this device is preferably implemented as a liquid rocket engine employing a system for pressurizing and supplying propellant (both or one of fuel and an oxidizing agent) by this operative gas to guide the propellant to a combustor. (FIG. 4)

[0194] This figure illustrates an application example to a rocket engine for pressurizing propellant (both or one of fuel and an oxidizing agent) tank by use of operative gas to guide the propellant to a combustor. A heat source of a heat exchanger is collected and obtained from a combustor wall, so that this causes increase of the temperature of raw fluid. Operative gas manufactured through a evaporator is guided to the self-pressurizing and supplying device, and is used to increase the pressure of the raw fluid. In this device, in a pressure increase process, a supplying system that can be utilized without changing the form of thermal energy, and has high efficiency with a simple configuration is configured.

[0195] Rocket engines employing a system for decomposing single liquid propellant with a catalyst (monopropellant system) also exist. Also in this type of engines, configuring a device for pressurizing and supplying propellant in a tank through operative gas is also one of potent embodiments.

Embodiment 2

[0196] Configuring a propulsion engine that is combined with a heat exchanger and a evaporator, injects operative gas itself obtained through the evaporator outside an airframe after the operative gas passes through the heat exchanger, and obtains reaction force by momentum conservation is also a potent embodiment.

[0197] An embodiment in which a system that is capable of avoiding boiling in a heat exchange process and maintaining a high heat exchange rate by this self-pressurizing and supplying device and injects obtained operative gas is potent.

[0198] Particularly, the configuration is simple as a small-thrust attitude or orbit control device for a flying object (a rocket, an artificial satellite), and therefore is a potent embodiment. (FIG. 4)

[0199] This figure illustrates application to a thrust generator with relatively small thrust, which injects obtained operative gas itself outside an airframe to obtain thrust force. In a heat exchange where heating is performed across a vapor pressure line, lowering of efficiency cannot be avoided. However, by the device and the method of the present invention, regardless of a simple configuration, a manufacturing process of supercritical fluid by this operative gas itself can be implemented, boiling or air bubble generation is avoided, and high heat exchange rate can be maintained.

[0200] While pressure sufficiently exceeding vapor pressure is applied to raw fluid by the self-pressurizing and supplying device, the operative gas obtained through the evaporator can be controlled to vapor pressure or less under the temperature, so that it is possible to prevent generation of mist at the time of injection which is a problem in a gas-liquid equilibrium injector.

Embodiment 3

[0201] Configuring a device for pressurizing and supplying propellant on a moving body such as a rocket and an artificial satellite, particularly, in an aerospace field is a potent embodiment, and an embodiment in which the self-pressurizing and supplying device of the present invention is incorporated as described below is practical.

[0202] As operative gas, inert and nontoxic gas capable of being installed in a gas that can be liquefied state is preferable, and a configuration of installing liquefied carbon dioxide gas, nitrous oxide, liquid nitrogen, or liquid helium is potent.

[0203] As propellant, combination of kerosene, ethanol, liquefied natural gas, liquefied propane gas, liquid hydrogen, hydrazine, monomethylhydrazine, or the like as fuel, and liquid oxygen, nitrous oxide, dinitrogen tetraoxide or nitric monoxide liquid mixture, or hydrogen peroxide as an oxidizing agent is a potent embodiment.

[0204] In a rocket engine configured of liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen, a system that employs liquid helium as the operative gas is possible. Additionally, in a rocket engine configured of ethanol or hydrocarbon, and liquid oxygen, a system that employs liquid nitrogen as the operative gas is possible.

[0205] As operative gas to a thrust generator that injects heated steam or gas-liquid equilibrium gas outside an airframe by direct use of manufactured operative gas, utilization of alternative for chlorofluorocarbon having relatively high vapor pressure in addition to propane, butane, liquefied natural gas, nitrous oxide, carbon dioxide gas is a potent embodiment.

[0206] Particularly, in combination of ethanol and nitrous oxide, a system for storing both fuel and an oxidizing agent or storing only fuel in a case of hydrazine in bag-like bladder is potent, and compressing a bag (bladder) having material compatibility by operative gas is excellent in practicability because exhaust efficiency can be enhanced. (FIG. 5)

[0207] In a form in which operative gas itself, or liquid phase fuel or oxidizing agent to be pressurized and supplied is injected into a nozzle by the operative gas, and thrust direction is controlled in accordance with combustion, a mechanism for inclining a combustor including the nozzle is unnecessary, and therefore a large effect in the weight reduction of the mechanism can be exerted. (FIG. 6)

[0208] In this figure, in a rocket engine using operative gas to pressurize and supply propellant, the pressure of propellant, particularly, an oxidizing agent fluid can be increased to high pressure, and therefore the device can be applied to a configuration of a thrust direction controller that injects the propellant into the nozzle to obtain lateral thrust. It is not necessary to transport the fluid to a deflection device in the thrust direction separately, and it is possible to eliminate a swiveling device of a rocket engine combustor, and therefore simplification of a rocket system is facilitated, and a rocket system having high efficiency is configured.

[0209] In a form in which raw fluid is installed as gas that can be liquefied, a device for keeping a vessel for gas that can be liquefied at critical pressure or less and maintaining the pressure at pressure exceeding vapor pressure to suppress air bubble generation (cavitation) at the time of supplying the gas that can be liquefied is preferably configured, and a form of combination with a device for pressurizing and supplying gas that can be liquefied as a source of operative gas to a heat exchanger at pressure exceeding critical pressure by the manufactured operative gas itself is one of desired embodiments. (FIG. 7)

[0210] In order to guide raw fluid of operative gas to the self-pressurizing and supplying device, there is a method for using vapor pressure of raw fluid itself or another gas for pressurization. However, at the time of supplying the raw fluid to the self-pressurizing and supplying device, cavitation may be caused, and therefore effective supply capability may be lowered. The system illustrated in this figure is a system that preliminarily increases the pressure of raw fluid up to pressure exceeding vapor pressure once while being less than critical pressure, by obtained operative gas itself.

[0211] In a self-pressurizing and supplying device that repeatedly performs operation, a form in which a multistage self-pressurizing and supplying device that further contributes to pressurization by use of low pressure gas to be discharged is configured, which contributes to improvement of efficiency. (FIG. 8)

[0212] This figure illustrates a system for guiding operative gas to be exhausted to a second self-pressurizing and supplying device having pressure increase ratio obtained by further increasing an area ratio, in a lower pressure state, and supplying the operative gas in multi-stages, in a reciprocating self-pressurizing and supplying device.

[0213] In a reciprocating self-pressurizing and supplying device, a parallel supplying device that changes the phase of reciprocating motion, and suppresses pulsation of supplied pressure is configured, so that it is possible to suppress pulsation with the pressurization and the supply. (FIG. 9)

[0214] This figure similarly illustrates an example of a self-pressurizing and supplying device that changes the phase by 180 degrees in the horizontal direction, as an example of changing the phase of reciprocating motion of a self-pressurizing and supplying device having the same area ratio to suppress the pulsation of output pressure, in a reciprocating self-pressurizing and supplying device. This device increases the frequency of supply per unit time, and therefore contributes to reduction in size of the device.

[0215] By use of the reciprocating self-pressurizing and supplying device, an embodiment of a rocket system in which a mechanism for suppressing cavitation at the time of supply by preliminary pressurization to liquefied carbon dioxide gas and a thrust direction controller are combined with a rocket engine for pressurizing and supplying propellant by using ethyl alcohol as fuel, using nitrous oxide as an oxidizing agent, and using carbon dioxide gas as operative gas is illustrated. (FIG. 10)

[0216] As the most typical embodiment, an application example of a system for installing liquefied carbon dioxide gas in a rocket engine using ethanol and nitrous oxide as propellant and manufacturing operative gas on a rocket is illustrated. This figure illustrates an example of a reciprocating horizontal (pulsation free) self-pressurizing and supplying device.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

[0217] In a power plant, a boiler or the like, a device for pressurizing and supplying water or gas that can be liquefied by manufactured gas itself can be configured. Particularly, in a moving body such as a ship and a vehicle, a power source for pressurization and supply needs to be reduced in size and weight, and therefore configuring a pressurizing and supplying system without changing an energy form is a potent embodiment.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST

[0218] 1 or 11, 12 self-pressurizing and supplying device [0219] 2 or 21, 22 heat exchanger [0220] 3 evaporator [0221] 4 or 41 operative gas storage vessel [0222] 42, 43 initial pressurization port, safety valve [0223] 5 operative gas output port, or propellant pressurizing system using operative gas [0224] 61, 62, 63 auxiliary accessory element. 61 denotes a filling device, 62 denotes a scrapping device, 63 denotes a heat insulating/heating function of an operative gas storage vessel. [0225] 7 or 71 operative gas raw fluid storage vessel. [0226] 72 exhaust port of operative gas raw fluid steam. [0227] 8 or, 81, 82 filling/exhaust valve in order to direct operative gas to a self-pressurizing and supplying device or exhaust from the self-pressurizing and supplying device [0228] 91, 92, 93 fuel tank, bladder for fuel, fuel fluid [0229] 101, 102, 103 fuel tank, bladder for fuel, fuel fluid [0230] 111 combustor [0231] 121 operative gas injector, thrust generator [0232] 131 fluid injection thrust direction controller.