Apparatus for propellant flow control at low mass flow rates in

Details Apparatus for propellant flow control at low mass flow rates in Apparatus for propellant flow control at low mass flow rates in

1990-10-16

1993-01-05

Bertsch, Richard A.

Power plants

Reaction motor

Electric, nuclear, or radiated energy fluid heating means

60 39462, 392396, H05B 100

Patent

active

051759969

ABSTRACT:
An apparatus for use in space environments to control the flow of a propellant to a thruster at a low mass flow rate comprises an insulated body having a cavity therein defining a vaporizing chamber, a porous medium having a low liquid permeability disposed in the chamber, a conduit means for feeding a propellant liquid into the chamber and exhausting a propellant vapor from the vaporizing chamber, and a heating means communicating with the medium within the chamber for controllable heating of the liquid propellant in the chamber creating a variable liquid/vapor transition zone within the medium. The transition zone is responsive to the heating means to control the mass flow rate of propellant through the vaporizing chamber. As the liquid/vapor transition zone is moved upstream by increasing the heater output, and thus increasing the volume of vapor within the porous medium, mass flow through the porous medium is decreased. Conversely, movement of the liquid/vapor transition zone downstream through the medium by decreasing the heater output, and thus exposing more of the porous medium volume to liquid, increases the mass flow rate.

REFERENCES:
patent: 3688083 (1972-08-01), Rice et al.
patent: 3781518 (1973-12-01), Power et al.
patent: 3943330 (1976-03-01), Pollock et al.
Paul A. Longwell, Mechanics of Fluid, pp. 67-75.

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