A liquid transfer device for use in a zero gravity environment, for transferring liquid from one container to another is described. The device includes a spiral shaped screen type member which is carried in the container for collecting the randomly dispersed liquid and transferring such to an exit port

Howard, F. S.

English

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Copy of patent cited above
https://ntrs.nasa.gov/search.jsp?R=19730018651 2020-03-17T08:54:40+00:00Z
United States Patent
Howard
mi 3,744,738
1451 July 10, 1973
[54] ZERO GRAVITY LIQUID TRANSFER
SCREEN
[75] Inventor: Frank S. Howard, Indian Harbor
Beach, Fla.
[73] Assignee: The United States of America as
represented by the National
Aeronautics and Space
Administration, Washington, D.C.
[22] Filed: Sept. 16, 1971
[21] Appl. No.: 180,963
[52] U.S. Cl 244/1 SS, 244/135, 222/414
[51] Int. Cl B64c 39/00
[58] Field of Search 244/1 SS, 135 A;
222/333, 367, 370, 410, 412, 413, 414;
198/213; 141/392
[56] References Cited
UNITED STATES PATENTS
3,093,271 6/1963 Douglas 222/413
2,617,273 11/1952 Findlay 198/213 X
Primary Examiner—Robert B. Reeves
Assistant Examiner—Larry Martin
Attorney-James O. Harrell,John R. Manningetal.
[57] ABSTRACT
A liquid transfer device for use in a zero gravity envi-
ronment, such as outer space, for transferring liquid
from one container to another. The device includes a
spiral shaped, screen type member which is carried in
the container for collecting the randomly dispersed liq-
uid in the container and transferring such to an exit
port.
2 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures
PATENTED Jut 101973 3,744.738
SHEET 1 8F 2
BY
INVENTOR.
FRANK S. HOWARD
ATTORNEY.
PATENTED Jin 101873 3,744,738
SHEET 2 OF 2
INVENTOR.
FRANK S. HOWARD
ATTORNEY.
3,744,738
1 2
ZERO GRAVITY LIQUID TRANSFER SCREEN Another important object of the present invention is
This invention described herein was made-by an em- to provide a liquid transfer device which utilizes a light-
ployee of the United States Government, and may be weight perforated spiral shaped member for transfer-
manufactured and used by or for The Government for ring the liquid from one container to another.
Governmental purposes without the payment of any 5 Another important object of the present invention is
royalties thereon or therefor. to provide a liquid transfer device which minimizes the
This invention relates to a liquid transfer device for pressure build-up in the container into which liquid is
containers and the like, and in particular to a device being transferred.
which utilizes a spiral shaped screen for collecting and Another important object of the present invention is
dispersing liquid from the container. 10 to provide a simple and lightweight liquid transfer de-
Heretofore, the transfer of liquid from one container vice which collects randomly dispersed liquid carried in
to another has not been accomplished in a zero gravity a tank and transfers such out an outlet port of the tank,
environment except by use of a bladder. Bladders are Still another important object of the present inven-
not considered suitable for cryogenic liquids because of tion is to provide a liquid transfer device which adds
insufficient flexibility at cryogenic temperatures. 15 very little heat to &e lio.uid bein8 transferred, mini-
Transfer can also be accomplished in a zero gravity en- mlzes *« amount of venting required during transfer,
vironment where the container is being accelerated by and rapidly evacuates the tank,
rocket engines and the tank is being pressurized with Other obJects *nd advantages of this invention will
gas to force the liquid out. However, this known pres- become more apparent from a reading of the following
surization technique will not work satisfactorily when 20 detailed description and appended claims taken in con-
the container is not experiencing acceleration because, Ju"c^on with the accompanying drawings wherein:
without any gravitational or acceleration force, glob- FIG' 1IS a Perspective view illustrating a space vehi-
ules of the liquid would merely collect in various areas clejn outer sPace fouP'ed to a transfer tank Prided
of the container and not be forced out by the inert gas. ,. WIth ajzero 8"™** ll£luld transfer screen constructed in
Another disadvantage of utilizing inert gas to force 25 accordance with the present invention,
the liquid from the container is that such added to the FIG 2 IS a Perspective view w.th parts broken away
weight of the container due to the requirement of the to show the intenor of the tank, illustrating a tank
storing of the inert gas. There also has to be some ec*ulPPed wf » zero ^^ "»"ld transfer screen
means of regulating the pressurized gas in order to pre-
 30 *™£e™& l^uld into ano!her ,tank' . , ..
vent over pressurization of the containers. 3° , F1G 3JLa l™™™ ^7 ^f T,
_ ." . ,... . .u j . i 3—3 m FIG. 2 illustrating a support for the liquid trans-Conventional pumps utilized on earth do not work ^^ J[
satisfactory ,n outer space for the reason that generally
 FKJ 4 . , itudinal ^j^ view illustrating a
they rely on gravity feed to the input of the pump. If
 modifled {om ^ ,; jd transfer ^^
such pumps were utilized in a zero gravity environ- 35
 Referring in more detail to the drawings, FIG. 1 illus-
ment, globules of liquid would collect throughout the ^^
 a *ce vehide al, designaTed by the ref-
contamer preventing complete evacuation thereof.
 erence character 10 located in outer docked
The mam problem in transferring a liquid in outer
 with a refueling container 12 provided with a spiral
space is that the liquid will separate into globules and
 sh d member 14 which co,,ects the fue, .„ the con.
float throughout the tank. While it is possible to accel- 40
 tainer ,2 ^ transfers such through a transfer pipe 16
erate and decelerate the container in order to collect
 into a tank shown by the reference character 18 associ-
and transfer the liquid, such is not practical in that it
 ated ^ the space vehide. The space vehicle and the
requires the use of the engines of the space vehicle and refueling container are provided with conventional
consumption of fuel for operating such. coupling mechanisms (not shown) for maintaining such
In accordance with the present invention, it has been 45
 in f,xed relation relative to each other during ^ fuel
found that difficulties encountered in transferring hq- transfer operation. The refueling container 12, illus-
uid from one container to another in outer space may
 trated in F1G it is shown partially empty with the fuel
be overcome by providing a novel zero gravity liquid
 20 taking the form of globules, such as occurs when the
transfer screen. This transfer screen, includes the fol- tank is partially evacuated of fuel and is located in a
lowing basic parts: (1) A spiral shaped member carried 50 zero gravity environment, such as outer space. By ro-
in a container having a longitudinal axis in alignment
 tating the spiral shaped member such collects the ran-
with the exit port of the container from which the liquid domly dispersed globules in the tank 12 and forces
is being carried, (2) constructing a spiral shaped mem- them out of the transfer pipe 16.
ber of a screen having a diameter corresponding to the The spiral shaped member 14 is constructed of a ma-
internal diameter of the container, and (3) means for 5S terial having small perforations, and in one particular
rotating the spiral shaped member so that the surface embodiment consist of woven stainless steel wire. The
tension created between the liquid in the container and size of the perforations in the screen and the speed of
the spiral shaped member directs the liquid out an exit rotation of the screen may vary according to the type
port. The perforated screen is utilized so that when a liquid being transferred. One suitable screen is con-
back pressure is created greater than the pressure ere- structed of 0.025 inch diameter woven stainless steel
ated by the spiral shaped member engaging the liquid, wire using ten strands of wire per linear inch. Such pro-
such allows the liquid to pass through the spiral shaped vides a percentage of open area of 56.3 percent. A
member, minimizing the back-pressure. tighter woven screen could be utilized, such as pro-
Accordingly, it is an important object of the present
 65 vided by a weave of 325 X 325 strands per inch,
invention to provide a liquid transfer device for trans- One edge of the woven steel wire is attached to a rod
ferring liquid in a zero gravity environment, and in par- 22 by any suitable means, such as welding. The rod 22
ticular, outer space. is journalled in bearings 24 supported at opposite ends
3,744,738
of the tank in alignment with the longitudinal axis
thereof. The bearing 24 which supports the end of the
rod 22 adjacent an exit port 26 of the tank is supported
in a spoke circular collar 28. The collar 28 is suitably
mounted in the throat of the tank 12. In FIG. 1 the
throat takes the form of a transfer pipe 16, while in
FIG. 2 the throat is tubular in shape. The modified form
of the invention illustrated in FIG. 4 utilizes a frusto-
conical shaped throat 30. The other end of the rod 22
collecting in the spout 30 the rod 22 is extended to the
end of the spout. The spiral shaped member 14 has a
tapering portion 40 which extends from adjacent the
spoke collar 28 to the end of the spout 30, and has a
diameter corresponding to the inner diameter of the
spout. It is desirable both in the main sending tank and
in the spout 30 to minimize the space between the spi-
ral shaped screens 14 and 40, and the inner wall of the
sending tank 12 so as to insure complete collection of
is attached to a rotating shaft of an electric motor 32 10 the liquid being transferred from the sending tank,
carried adjacent the end of the tank. The motor 32 may since it is not necessary to utilize a receiving tank 38
be powered by self-contained batteries, or in some ap-
 tnat is to be used in outer space structurally as strong
plications plugged into a source of energy carried by ^
 a tenk ^at would be used on earth, it is important
the space vehicle which is being refueled.
 to be aware of Ac problem of possibly rupturing the re-
A metal band 34 runs along the outer edge of the 15 ceiving tank by over pressurization. In applicant's de-
screen 14 for adding rigidity thereto. Other suitable re-
 vice such is minimized since when there is a pressure
inforcmg members could be utilized if desired. The di-
 build.up such is relieved by ^ ]iquid passing through
ameter of the spiral shaped screen is substantially equal
 the screen 14 ^ it is rotated
to the internal diameter of the tank 12 so that when
 whj,e a referred embodiment of the invention has
such is rotated substantially all of the liquid globules in 20
 been described using specific terms, such description is
the tank are collected and moved to and out of the
throat 30 of the tank. Since the perforations in the spi-
ral shaped screen 14 are small, the overall surface area
of the screen u large When this large surface area con-
tacts the liquid as the screen rotates, the surface ten- 25 i_ . .1. j-
sion and frictional forces therebetween cause the liquid *etween, *e senKdln«
to be set in motion and move out through the throat or ave n° show"
exit port 30. In a zero gravity environment, these sur-
face tension and frictional forces are substantial
enough to impart the motion of the liquid needed to 30
dispense it from the tank. If, however, a back-pressure
is created by the liquid being transferred will overcome
the surface tension and frictional forces, the screen ro-
tating too fast or a restriction in the flow through the
throat 30, the and pass through the perforations in 35
screen, minimizing a pressure build-up. Another advan-
tage of utilizing a spiral shaped screen is that the liquid
transfer is accomplished with a minimum addition of
hardware weight to the liquid transfer system and tank
12. 40
Referring again to FIG. 1, in some instances it may
be desirable to vent the receiving tank, and such is ac-
complished by running a vent tube 36 from the receiv-
ing tank 18 back to the far end of the sending tank 12.
Normally, however, the venting tube can be eliminated 45
since the liquid is being moved by a perforated screen
which in itself allows a back-flow of pressure there-
through if the back pressure created during transfer ex-
ceeds the surface tension forces produced by the rotat-
ing spiral shaped member moving the liquid into the re- 50
ceiving tank.
In FIG. 4 as previously mentioned, a frusto-conical
shaped spout 30 is provided on the end of the sending
tank 12 which extends into the receiving tank 38. In
order to prevent the liquid from being transferred from 55
for illustrative purposes only, and it is to be understood
that changes and variations may be made without de-
parting from the spirit or scope of the following claims,
is also to be understood that the coupling mechanism
12 and the receiving tank 38
urposes of clarity, since such
does not form a part of this invention.
I claim:
1. In combination with a liquid container in a zero
gravity environment such as outer space, a device for
transferring liquid from said container through an exit
port provided therein, comprising:
A. a spiral shaped member rotatably mounted in said
container along a longitudinal axis in alignment
with said exit port;
B. said spiral shaped member being constructed of a
material having small perforations therein normally
capable of imparting a motion to said liquid by sur-
face tension and frictional forces created therebe-
tween when said material contacts said liquid;
C. means for rotating said spiral shaped member to
impart said motion of said liquid to direct said liq-
uid out through said exit port;
D. said material being constructed so as to permit the
passage of said liquid through said small perfora-
tions if the pressure buildup created by said spiral
shaped member engaging said liquid becomes
greater than said surface tension and frictional
forces, thereby minimizing undesirable back pres-
sures in said container.
2. The device as set forth in claim 1 wherein:
A. said material consists of a woven metallic wire de-
fining a perforated screen.
60
65


Zero gravity liquid transfer screen

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