公开(公告)号：US11307077B2

公开(公告)日：2022-04-19

申请号：US16468200

申请日：2017-12-08

Applicant: AIRBUS DEFENCE AND SPACE SAS

Inventor： Sophie Jallade ,  Mathieu Monge-Cadet ,  Sylvain Arnaud ,  Barbara Busset

IPC: G01F23/24 ,  B64G1/40 ,  F17C13/00 ,  F17C13/02

Abstract: 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.