Analytical Mechanics Associates (AMA), in cooperation with NASA Marshall Space Flight Center's (MSFC's) Spacecraft Propulsion Systems Branch, developed and tested a novel propellant tank design that employs an internal piston pressurized with an inert gas to expel propellant to thrusters. During the course of this activity, AMA designed, oversaw fabrication, and delivered to MSFC for testing, a piston propellant tank sized for 3U or larger CubeSats. MSFC conducted liquid expulsion testing using ethylene glycol as a referee fluid to map the tank's performance at different pressures and piston positions. Following the expulsion test campaign, the tank is planned to be integrated into a propulsion system test bed for hot fire tests with a 100mN monopropellant thruster to evaluate the tank's influence on thruster performance when operated in a flight like manner. Described in this paper is a comprehensive summary of how the tanks were designed, built, and tested. The fundamental knowledge gained through the fabrication and testing of these tanks gives evidence that the piston tank design may be scalable to meet the requirements and constraints of other small satellites.


    Access

    Access via TIB

    Check availability in my library


    Export, share and cite



    Title :

    Development and Testing of a Novel Green Propellant Piston Tank


    Contributors:
    Diaz, C. E. (author) / Cavender, D. P. (author) / Higdon, K. (author) / Abrams, J. (author) / Duchek, M. E. (author) / Mader, H. (author)

    Conference:

    JANNAF Propulsion Meeting (JPM) ; 2017 ; Kansas City, MO, United States


    Publication date :

    2017-05-22


    Type of media :

    Conference paper


    Type of material :

    No indication


    Language :

    English





    Composite cryogenic propellant tank development

    Robinson, M.J. | Tema Archive | 1994



    Development of a Titanium Propellant Tank

    Debreceni, Michael / Jaekle, Donald / Kuo, T | AIAA | 2003


    Advanced cryogenic propellant tank development status

    SCHOLZ, E. / LOECHEL, L. / ROBERTS, M. | AIAA | 1992