The present invention relates to couplers for transferring fluid between space assets, particularly in a vacuum microgravity environment with radiation exposure. In particular, the couplers provide for transfer of fluids, such as propellants, coolants, pressurant gases, or life-support fluids, preferably between assets in the space environment or in terrestrial environments such as Earth, the Moon, or Mars. The couplers provide self-alignment features which enable their use in blind-mate, telerobotic, fully autonomous robotic systems. The invention provides a common design architecture for different fluids accommodating a variety of flow rates and pressure drops depending upon the particular fluid. The basic wetted component design of the invention involves a rigid, centrally-disposed nozzle on the Passive Side which contacts and opens a poppet valve on the Active Side as the two sides are coupled; and a rigid annular nozzle on the Active Side, coaxially located with but occupying a different radius than the Passive Side nozzle, which contacts and opens a corresponding contamination cover on the Passive Side.


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    Title :

    Fluid transfer couplings and methods therefor


    Contributors:
    HAWK DOUGLAS (author) / RAVEN HANS (author) / ASHMORE MATTHEW (author) / SMITH HSIAO (author) / HORNER TIM (author)

    Publication date :

    2022-06-07


    Type of media :

    Patent


    Type of material :

    Electronic Resource


    Language :

    English


    Classification :

    IPC:    B64G Raumfahrt , COSMONAUTICS / F16L PIPES , Rohre



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