Invention Grant
- Patent Title: Augmentation of a monopropellant propulsion system
- Patent Title (中): 增压推进系统
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Application No.: US13340832Application Date: 2011-12-30
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Publication No.: US09242746B2Publication Date: 2016-01-26
- Inventor: Guillaume Boudier
- Applicant: Guillaume Boudier
- Applicant Address: FR
- Assignee: CENTRE NATIONAL D'ETUDES SPATIALES
- Current Assignee: CENTRE NATIONAL D'ETUDES SPATIALES
- Current Assignee Address: FR
- Agency: Lerner, David, Littenberg, Krumholz & Mentlik, LLP
- Priority: FR1150003 20110103
- Main IPC: F02K9/00
- IPC: F02K9/00 ; B64G1/40 ; F02K9/50

Abstract:
A propulsion system of a spacecraft comprises a main tank adapted to contain a volume of propellant and a pressurizing gas which applies pressure to the propellant. The main tank comprises a membrane delimiting an upper volume to contain the pressurizing gas and an inferior volume to contain the propellant, the gas applying the pressure to the propellant by means of the membrane. A pressurization circuit is connected directly to the main tank. The propulsion system further comprises an auxiliary tank adapted to contain pressurizing gas. The auxiliary tank is connected directly to the main tank by means of the pressurization circuit. When in operation, gas contained in the auxiliary tank expands continuously with the gas contained in the upper volume of the main tank, the pressures prevailing in the upper volume of the main tank, in the pressurization circuit and in the auxiliary tank being identical. The auxiliary tank is dimensioned so that the maximal volume of propellant of the main tank is greater than the volume of propellant which the main tank can contain without an auxiliary tank.
Public/Granted literature
- US20120198818A1 AUGMENTATION OF A MONOPROPELLANT PROPULSION SYSTEM Public/Granted day:2012-08-09
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