Investigations into Tank Venting for Propellant Resupply

Models and simulations have been developed and applied to the evaluation of propellant tank ullage venting, which is integral to one approach for propellant resupply. The analytical effort was instrumental in identifying issues associated with resupply objectives, and it was used to help develop an operational procedure to accomplish the desired propellant transfer for a particular storable bipropellant system. Work on the project was not completed, and several topics have been identified as requiring further study; these include the potential for liquid entrainment during the low-g venting, and thermal/freezing effects in the vent line and orifice. Verification of the feasibility of this propellant venting and resupply approach still requires additional analyses as well as testing to investigate the fluid and thermodynamic phenomena involved.