タイトル | Development of Segmented Composite Toroidal Tanks |
著者(英) | DeLay, Thomas K.; Roberts, J. Keith; Munafo, Paul M. |
著者所属(英) | NASA Marshall Space Flight Center |
発行日 | 2002-01-01 |
言語 | eng |
内容記述 | The conservation of weight and space are major challenges for launch vehicles, especially upper stages. Upper-stage launch vehicles are confined by the space of the payload fairing of the first stage and it is difficult to stack fuel and oxidizer tanks end-to-end. Toroidal tanks have been studied as a way to help solve this problem. A toroidal tank concept would allow a portion of another tank, or part of an engine, to pass through its center opening. A toroidal tank assembly would be especially beneficial if it could somehow handle structural loads of the vehicle. Marshall Space Flight Center, along with ATK Thiokol Propulsion, is designing and fabricating a toroidal tank composed of individual conformal segments. Each conformal segment will be a metal-lined composite over-wrapped vessel. This paper will demonstrate unique materials and processing approaches that are overcoming hurdles for the fabrication of this vessel. |
NASA分類 | Launch Vehicles and Launch Operations |
権利 | No Copyright |
|