The Design, Fabrication and Testing of a Prototype Spacecraft Helium Dewar

Abstract

The objective of the Prototype Spacecraft Helium Dewar (PSHD) was to demonstrate a conversion of supercritical liquid helium (LHe) to superfluid LHe during a sounding rocket launch of 15 minute duration, by using the vacuum of space as a pump. The design was completed and the flight unit fabricated. Structural qualification tests were conducted on fiberglass/aluminum epoxy joints. Component tests of the Joule Thomson Expander and the counterflow heat exchanger were started, but terminated because of inconsistent results. The design and analysis of the Superfluid liquid helium conversion tank with its associated heat exchanger was completed.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Oct 06, 1987
Accession Number
ADA213267

Entities

People

  • Roy F. Walters

Organizations

  • Air Force Research Laboratory

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Sensors
  • Space
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Acceptance Tests
  • Aluminum
  • Assembly
  • Conversion
  • Engineering
  • Engineers
  • Fabrication
  • Failure Mode And Effect Analysis
  • Fiberglass
  • Flow
  • Heat Energy
  • Heat Exchangers
  • Materials
  • Prototypes
  • Qualifications
  • Spacecraft
  • Vehicles

Fields of Study

  • Physics

Readers

  • Combustion and Flow Dynamics.
  • Electrical Engineering
  • Software Engineering

Technology Areas

  • Space
  • Space - Hall-Effect Thruster