Analytical Investigation of a Low Cost Expendable Tankage System for an Advanced Staging Vehicle Concept
Abstract
This report presents the results of a program to analytically investigate the ability to produce a low-cost expendable tankage system for an advanced staging vehicle concept using state-of-the art materials, design concepts, and fabrication techniques. Concurrent vehicle studies showed that increases in the expendable tankage system inert weight was extremely penalizing on the overall vehicle performance and resulted in the AFFDL specifying a lower limit of 0.94 on the mass fraction. This limited the study to the use of aerospace design criteria, high strength materials, and efficient structural concepts. The design criteria is that specified by NASA for the man-rated Saturn V vehicles. Point designs studies were performed on each component of the tankage system for a wide range of structural material/construction combinations using a multi-station structural synthesis computer program. The associated cost was determined by an empirical costing method. An overall tankage system tradeoff study was performed interrelating structure and pressurization system weight with tank pressure, insulation weight and effectiveness as a product of its thickness, and three propellant feed approaches in conjunction with these parameters and propellant stratification models to determine unusable propellant quantities. This study provided optimum tank pressure scheduling and insulation requirements for each of the propellant feed system approaches, and the associated pressurization system requirements. Preliminary designs were established and costed for all items of the tankage system by use of a detailed estimating method. Parametric weight and cost data was also developed.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Apr 01, 1970
- Accession Number
- AD0872689
Entities
People
- A. Fujimoto
- F. Bennett
- J. F. Fischer
- Jacob Pate
- John H. Heathman
Organizations
- General Dynamics