Novel load responsive multilayer insulation with high in-atmosphere and on-orbit thermal performance

Aerospace cryogenic systems require lightweight, high performance thermal insulation to preserve cryopropellants both pre-launch and on-orbit. Current technologies have difficulty meeting all requirements, and advances in insulation would benefit cryogenic upper stage launch vehicles, LH₂ fueled aircraft and ground vehicles, and provide capabilities for sub-cooled cryogens for space-borne instruments and orbital fuel depots. This paper reports the further development of load responsive multilayer insulation (LRMLI) that has a lightweight integrated vacuum shell and provides high thermal performance both in-air and on-orbit.LRMLI is being developed by Quest Product Development and Ball Aerospace under NASA contract, with prototypes designed, built, installed and successfully tested. A 3-layer LRMLI blanket (0.63 cm thick, 77 K cold, 295 K hot) had a measured heat leak of 6.6 W/m² in vacuum and 40.6 W/m² in air at one atmosphere. In-air LRMLI has an 18× advantage over Spray On Foam Insulation (SOFI) in heat leak per thickness and a 16× advantage over aerogel. On-orbit LRMLI has a 78× lower heat leak than SOFI per thickness and 6× lower heat leak than aerogel.The Phase II development of LRMLI is reported with a modular, flexible, thin vacuum shell and improved on-orbit performance. Structural and thermal analysis and testing results are presented. LRMLI mass and thermal performance is compared to SOFI, aerogel and MLI over SOFI.     

A calorimeter for multilayer insulation (MLI) performance measurements at variable temperature

Here we describe a concentric cylindrical calorimeter with radiation guards developed to measure the thermal performance of multilayer insulation (MLI) for low temperature applications. One unique feature of this calorimeter is its ability to independently control the boundary temperatures between room temperature and about 15 K using two single-stage Gifford–McMahon cryocoolers. Also, unlike the existing calorimeters that use the evaporation rate of a liquid cryogen to measure the heat load, in the present system the total heat transfer through the MLI is measured by recording the temperature difference across a calibrated heat load support rod that connects the cold inner cylinder to the lower temperature cryocooler. This design allows the continuous mapping of MLI performance over a much wider temperature range with independently controlled boundary conditions. The calorimeter is also suitable for performing a variety of radiation heat transfer experiments including the determination of the temperature dependence of the total emissivity.     

Experimental investigation of the influence of different leaking gases on the heat transfer in a HVMLI cryogenic tank after SCLIV

This paper presented an experimental investigation of the influence of different leaking gases on the heat transfer process in a high-vacuum-multilayer-insulation (HVMLI) cryogenic tank after sudden catastrophic loss of insulation vacuum (SCLIV). The experiments were conducted with the breakdown of the insulation vacuum with nitrogen, air, helium, oxygen, argon, carbon dioxide and the gas mixture of argon and carbon dioxide. The maximum value of the venting rate and heat flux could be ordered as following: CO₂ > O₂ > Ar > the gas mixture > He > Air > N₂, while the average value of the venting rate and heat flux could be ordered as following: O₂ > Ar > He > the gas mixture > CO₂ > Air > N₂. The temperature distribution indicated that phase change heat transfer happened in the insulation jacket after the five different gases including air, argon, the gas mixture of argon and carbon dioxide, oxygen and carbon dioxide were introduced into the insulation jacket.     

低温推进剂贮箱大面积冷屏热分析及成本优化

运载火箭低温贮箱采用大面积冷屏与多层隔热材料组成的复合结构可以有效减少低温推进剂蒸发损耗,延长低温推进剂在轨贮存时间。通过建立多层隔热材料耦合90 K大面积冷屏的传热模型,获得了引入大面积冷屏后对多层隔热材料层间温度分布及热流密度影响的变化规律,对比了采用冷屏技术和直接对液氢采用主动制冷两种方式,同等条件下采用冷屏在主动制冷系统重量和功耗方面可分别节省60%和64%。研究了低温推进剂不同在轨贮存时间和冷屏安装在多层隔热材料中不同位置时热管理系统重量和功耗成本,以成本最小为目标获得了90 K冷屏布局最优化设计方法。     

Impact of cooling condition and filling ratio on heat transfer limit of cryogenic thermosyphon

In this study, the heat transfer limits of two cryogenic thermosyphons with different cooling conditions and filling ratios are experimentally studied and discussed. The cryogenic thermosyphons are fabricated with the same inner structures and their heat transfer performances are tested. The heat transfer limit of the cryogenic thermosyphon can reach 180.0 W through improving the cooling condition at moderate filling ratios. Meanwhile, it is found that the dry-out limit occurs not only at low filling ratios, but also at high filling ratios in the case of poor cooling condition. The mechanism behind the dry-out limit at high filling ratios is analyzed and the critical heat flux is predicted by a model that describes the heat and mass balance of the working fluid. A fluctuating period is observed in the vicinity of the boiling limit, and the critical heat flux corresponding to the boiling limit is predicted by an empirical correlation.     

Cryogenic flat-panel gas-gap heat switch

A compact additive manufactured flat-panel gas-gap heat switch operating at cryogenic temperature is reported in this paper. A guarded-hot-plate apparatus has been developed to measure the thermal conductance of the heat switch with the heat sink temperature in the range of 100–180 K. The apparatus is cooled by a two-stage GM cooler and the temperature is controlled with a heater and a braided copper wire connection. A thermal guard is mounted on the hot side of the device to confine the heat flow axially through the sample. A gas handling system allows testing the device with different gas pressures in the heat switch. Experiments are performed at various heat sink temperatures, by varying gas pressure in the gas-gap and with helium, hydrogen and nitrogen gas. The measured off-conductance with a heat sink temperature of 115 K and the hot plate at 120 K is 0.134 W/K, the on-conductance with helium and hydrogen gases at the same temperatures is 4.80 W/K and 4.71 W/K, respectively. This results in an on/off conductance ratio of 37 ± 7 and 35 ± 6 for helium and hydrogen respectively. The experimental results matches fairly well with the predicted heat conductance at cryogenic temperatures.     

Pressure drop and heat transfer during two-phase flow vaporization of propane in horizontal smooth minichannels

This study examined the two-phase flow boiling pressure drop and heat transfer for propane, as a long term alternative refrigerant, in horizontal minichannels. The pressure drop and local heat transfer coefficients were obtained for heat fluxes ranging from 5–20 kW m^?2, mass fluxes ranging from 50–400 kg m^?2 s^?1, saturation temperatures of 10, 5 and 0 °C, and quality up to 1.0. The test section was made of stainless steel tubes with inner diameters of 1.5 mm and 3.0 mm, and lengths of 1000 mm and 2000 mm, respectively. The present study showed the effect of mass flux, heat flux, inner tube diameter and saturation temperature on pressure drop and heat transfer coefficient. The experimental results were compared against several existing pressure drop and heat transfer coefficient prediction methods. Because the study on evaporation with propane in minichannels was limited, new correlations of pressure drop and boiling heat transfer coefficient were developed in this present study.     

EDU liquid acquisition device outflow tests in liquid hydrogen: Experiments and analytical modeling

This paper presents experiments and modeling of the most recent set of liquid acquisition device (LAD) vertical outflow tests conducted in liquid hydrogen. The Engineering Development Unit (EDU) was a relatively large tank (4.25 m³) used to mimic a storage tank for a cryogenic storage and transfer flight demonstration test. Six 1-g propellant tank outflow tests were conducted with a standard 325 × 2300 rectangular cross-section curved LAD channel conformal to the tank walls over a range of tank pressure (158–221 kPa), ullage temperature (22–39 K), and mass flow rate (0.0103–0.0187 kg/s) per arm. An analytical LAD channel solver, an exact solution to the Navier-Stokes equations, is used to model propellant outflow for the LAD channel. Results shows that the breakdown height of the LAD is dominated by liquid and ullage gas temperatures, with a secondary effect of flow rate. The best performance is always obtained by exposing the channel to cold pressurant gas and low flow rates, consistent with the cryogenic bubble point model. The model tracks the trends in the data and shows that the contribution of flow-through-screen pressure drop is minimized for bottom outflow in 1-g, versus the standard inverted outflow.     

Design,fabrication and test of Load Bearing multilayer insulation to support a broad area cooled shield

Improvements in cryogenic propellant storage are needed to achieve reduced or Zero Boil Off of cryopropellants, critical for long duration missions. Techniques for reducing heat leak into cryotanks include using passive multi-layer insulation (MLI) and vapor cooled or actively cooled thermal shields. Large scale shields cannot be supported by tank structural supports without heat leak through the supports. Traditional MLI also cannot support shield structural loads, and separate shield support mechanisms add significant heat leak. Quest Thermal Group and Ball Aerospace, with NASA SBIR support, have developed a novel Load Bearing multi-layer insulation (LBMLI) capable of self-supporting thermal shields and providing high thermal performance.We report on the development of LBMLI, including design, modeling and analysis, structural testing via vibe and acoustic loading, calorimeter thermal testing, and Reduced Boil-Off (RBO) testing on NASA large scale cryotanks.LBMLI uses the strength of discrete polymer spacers to control interlayer spacing and support the external load of an actively cooled shield and external MLI. Structural testing at NASA Marshall was performed to beyond maximum launch profiles without failure. LBMLI coupons were thermally tested on calorimeters, with superior performance to traditional MLI on a per layer basis. Thermal and structural tests were performed with LBMLI supporting an actively cooled shield, and comparisons are made to the performance of traditional MLI and thermal shield supports. LBMLI provided a 51% reduction in heat leak per layer over a previously tested traditional MLI with tank standoffs, a 38% reduction in mass, and was advanced to TRL5. Active thermal control using LBMLI and a broad area cooled shield offers significant advantages in total system heat flux, mass and structural robustness for future Reduced Boil-Off and Zero Boil-Off cryogenic missions with durations over a few weeks.     

Transmissivity testing of multilayer insulation at cryogenic temperatures

The problem of degraded emissivity of thin films at low temperatures has been a long observed phenomena. Previous efforts at measuring properties have suggested that transmission of energy through the films may play a key role in the thermal performance of multilayer insulation systems at low temperatures. Similarly, recent testing on tank applied systems has suggested a radiative degradation at low temperatures. Two different approaches were used to attempt to measure the transmission of energy through MLI at low temperatures. A laser based measurement system was set up to directly measure transmittance and a calorimetric based measurement system was used to measure relative emittance of a single layer between aluminum foil and double aluminized Mylar. Minimal transmission at long wavelengths were observed through standard MLI blanket materials at deposition thicknesses of even 35 nm. Where transmission was measured, it was too low to effect the performance of a multilayers system. Similarly, the calorimeter showed similar increases of emissivity for both standard blanket materials and aluminum foils. Multiple different methodologies of measurement have all yielded the same result: that there is no transmission through standard MLI blanket materials at wavelengths associated with temperatures as low as 2 K.     

Experimental investigation of evaporation heat transfer coefficient and pressure drop of R-410A in a multiport mini-channel

The evaporation heat transfer coefficient and pressure drop of R-410A flowing through a horizontal aluminium rectangular multiport mini-channel having 3.48 mm hydraulic diameter are experimentally investigated. The test runs are performed at mass flux ranging between 200 and 400 kg/m² s. The heat fluxes are between 5 and 14.25 kW/m² and the saturation temperatures range between 10 and 30 °C. The pressure drop across the test section is directly measured by a differential pressure transducer. The effects of the imposed wall heat flux, mass flux, vapour quality, and saturation temperature on the evaporation heat transfer and pressure drop are also discussed. The results from the present experiment are compared with those obtained from the existing correlation. New correlations for the evaporation heat transfer coefficient and pressure drop of R-410A flowing through a multiport mini-channel are proposed for practical applications.     

Cryogenic capillary screen heat entrapment

Cryogenic liquid acquisition devices (LADs) for space-based propulsion interface directly with the feed system, which can be a significant heat leak source. Further, the accumulation of thermal energy within LAD channels can lead to the loss of subcooled propellant conditions and result in feed system cavitation during propellant outflow. Therefore, the fundamental question addressed by this program was: “To what degree is natural convection in a cryogenic liquid constrained by the capillary screen meshes envisioned for LADs?” Testing was first conducted with water as the test fluid, followed by liquid nitrogen (LN₂) tests. In either case, the basic experimental approach was to heat the bottom of a cylindrical column of test fluid to establish stratification patterns measured by temperature sensors located above and below a horizontal screen barrier position. Experimentation was performed without barriers, with screens, and with a solid barrier. The two screen meshes tested were those typically used by LAD designers, 200 × 1400 and 325 × 2300, both with Twill Dutch Weave. Upon consideration of both the water and LN₂ data, it was concluded that heat transfer across the screen meshes was dependent upon barrier thermal conductivity and that the capillary screen meshes were impervious to natural convection currents.     

Modeling of a horizontal circulation open loop in two-phase helium

In the process of the cryogenic cooling system design of the superconducting magnet of the R³B spectrometer, heat and mass transfer in a two-phase He I natural circulation loop with a horizontal heated section has been investigated experimentally. The experiments were conducted on a 2 m high experimental loop with a copper tube of 10 mm inner diameter uniformly heated over a length of 4 m. All data were obtained near atmospheric pressure. Evolution of the mass flow rates as a function of heat flux in steady state condition are presented and compared to a numerical model that have been developed to assist the design of such a cooling scheme. The model is based on a one-dimensional equations system, which includes mass, momentum and energy balances. It is based on the homogeneous model with a specific friction coefficient for the horizontal heated section. The model reproduces with an acceptable accuracy the experimental results and now serves as a tool for the design.     

Heat flux from 277 to 77 K through a few layers of multilayer insulation

The insulating ability of a multilayer insulation (MLI) system, consisting of a few layers on an aluminium taped 77 K surface, was experimentally studied to understand quantitatively how thermal performance changes with the number of multilayers and vacuum level. This information can help to make design decisions trading-off the cost of material and installation manpower against liquid nitrogen consumption in many cryogenic applications. The ratios of the measured heat flux for different systems are: Q(_painted) : Q(_taped) : Q(_{5 layers}) : Q(_{10 layers}) : Q(_{20 layers}) Q(_{30 layers}) = 1 : 0.19 : 0.06 : 0.037 : 0.027 : 0.022. The effective thermal conductivity also increases with the number of layers so only a marginal benefit can be gained in excess of 30 layers; for large liquid vessels 30–40 layers are recommended. The heat flux and temperature distribution in the MLI were also measured as functions of vacuum pressure. The temperature of the last layer is closer to the temperature of the warm box than that of the first layer is to the cold surface, even if the last layer is separated from the warm box and the first layer is in contact with the cold surface. The results and heat transfer mechanisms through MLI are analysed and discussed.     

Cryogenic ultra-low power dissipation operational amplifiers with GaAs JFETs

To realize a multipixel camera for astronomical observation, we developed cryogenic multi-channel readout systems using gallium arsenide junction field-effect transistor (GaAs JFET) integrated circuits (ICs). Based on our experience with these cryogenic ICs, we designed, manufactured, and demonstrated operational amplifiers requiring four power supplies and two voltage sources. The amplifiers operate at 4.2 K with an open-loop gain of 2000. The gain–bandwidth product can expect 400 kHz at a power dissipation of 6 μW. In performance evaluations, the input-referred voltage noise was 4 μV_rms/Hz^0.5 at 1 Hz and 30 nV_rms/Hz^0.5 at 10 kHz, respectively. The noise power spectrum density was of type 1/f and extended to 10 kHz.     

Boiling heat transfer from a horizontal flat plate in a pool of liquid hydrogen

Heat transfer from a flat plate facing upward immersed in a liquid hydrogen pool was measured for the pressures from atmospheric to 1.1 MPa. The flat plate heater used was 10 mm in width, 100 mm in length and 0.1 mm in thickness. Critical heat fluxes (CHFs) in saturated boiling increased with the increase in pressure up to around 0.3 MPa and then decreased with further pressure increase. The CHFs under subcooled condition at each pressure increased with the increase in sub-cooling. Discussions were made on the experimental results by comparing with those of the other cryogenic liquids and also the Kutateladze’s equations under saturated and subcooled conditions. The experimental CHFs were much smaller than the Kutateladze’s equation for higher pressure up to critical. The heater surface temperature was found to reach the critical temperature before the occurrence of hydrodynamic instability and jump to the film boiling regime at the lower heat flux in the higher pressure range. It was suggested that the CHFs are determined not by the heat flux but by the temperature in the higher pressure range.     

Preparation and thermal performance analysis of novel multilayer cladding structure composites

With regard to the adiabatic principle of insulation, a novel multilayer cladding structure composites (MCSC) with vacuum inside was put forward, which could be used in high temperature insulation field. In the composites, SiO₂ was used to fill the microcracks and protect the carbon matrix from oxidizing. This novel material was composed of two parts, one was the core material consisted of SiC foam ceramic, the other was the flawless outer shell consisted of carbon fiber reinforced composites with vacuum inside that produced by Chemical Vapor Infiltration (CVI) Pyrolytic Carbon (PyC) and silicasol-infiltration–sintering methods. Material density was 0.81 g/cm³. The effective thermal conductivity of MCSC ranged from 0.193 W/m · K to 0.721 W/m · K within the temperature from 303 K to 703 K, which was 13.5–23.3% lower than the value of SiC ceramic foam core materials. However, at 1473 K, the measured data of MCSC and SiC foam were 1.815 W/m · K and 1.911 W/m · K, respectively. It was only 5.02% lower than that of SiC foam.     

Design and prototyping of a large capacity high frequency pulse tube

This document describes the design and the prototyping performed at CEA/SBT in partnership with AIR LIQUIDE of a high frequency large cooling power pulse tube. Driven at 58 Hz by a 7.5 kW flexure bearing pressure wave generator, this system provides a net heat lift of 210 W at 65 K. The phase shift is obtained by an inertance and a buffer volume. This type of cryogenic cooler can be used for on site gas liquefaction or drilling site and for high temperature superconductivity power device cooling (transmission lines, large generators, fault current limiters).In this paper, we focus on two essential points, the regenerator and the flow straightener. The regenerator is a key component for good performance of the pulse tube cooler. It must have a large thermal inertia, a low dead volume, a good heat transfer gas/matrix and at the same time, small pressure drop. In the present case and unlike typical moderate cooling power pulse tubes, the regenerator is very compact. However, the resulting conductive losses remain negligible compared to the cooling power targeted. The goal of the flow straightener is to avoid as much as possible any jet stream effect and to guarantee the uniformity of the velocity field at both ends of the pulse tube. Indeed multi-dimensional flow effects can significantly impact the performances of the machine.     

Two-phase heat transfer and pressure drop of LNG during saturated flow boiling in a horizontal tube

Two-phase heat transfer and pressure drop of LNG (liquefied natural gas) have been measured in a horizontal smooth tube with an inner diameter of 8 mm. The experiments were conducted at inlet pressures from 0.3 to 0.7 MPa with a heat flux of 8–36 kW m⁻², and mass flux of 49.2–201.8 kg m⁻² s⁻¹. The effect of vapor quality, inlet pressure, heat flux and mass flux on the heat transfer characteristic are discussed. The comparisons of the experimental data with the predicted value by existing correlations are analyzed. Zou et al. (2010) correlation shows the best accuracy with 24.1% RMS deviation among them. Moreover four frictional pressure drop methods are also chosen to compare with the experimental database.