Hydraulic disconnect coupling on ground serving half of spacecraft refrigeration cooling system employs movable center stem for venting and closing nipple poppet. Self sealing poppet quickly connects cooling system to spacecraft without manual work. Recessed sealing surface insures open poppet when stem retracts

Boerner, R. Y.

Hedrick, R. W.

English

NASA Technical Reports Server

December 1972
	 B72-10645 
NASA TECH BRIEF 
Marshall Space Flight Center 
NASA Tech Briefs announce new technology derived from the U.S. space program. They are issued to encourage 
commercial application. Tech Briefs are available on a subscription basis from the National Technical Information 
Service, Springfield, Virginia 22151. Requests for individual copies or questions relating to the Tech Brief program may 
be directed to the Technology Utilization Office, NASA, Code KT, Washington, D.C. 20546. 
Fill And Vent Quick Disconnect 
.
A modification to standard quick disconnect couplings, 
which are used in hydraulic and pneumatic hardware, 
provides a method of checking whether or not the nipple 
poppet has closed on disconnection. It is possible to use 
standard off-the-shelf, self-sealing quick disconnects with 
pressurized systems; however, past performances have 
shown that they can fail to open upon disconnection. Such 
a failure, for example, can cause the coolant in the 
refrigeration systems of space vehicles to spill on a surface 
after which it is difficult to remove. As a result, a quick 
disconnect is needed that could be connected without 
opening the self-sealing poppet on the vehicle half. Once 
the connection is made and verified, the poppet would 
then be manually opened by some device on the quick 
disconnect. Another requirement is that the self-sealing 
poppet on the ground servicing half be always opened 
Nipple Half 
(Vehicle Half)
upon connection, if only very slightly, regardless of the 
setting of the device that positions the vehicle half 
poppet. The reason for this is that it is necessary to verify 
the integrity of the vehicle half poppet seal prior to 
disconnection. This would be done by manually closing 
the poppet on the vehicle half and depressurizing the 
ground servicing half. Whether or not the vehicle system 
holds pressure would then be noted. Furthermore, it is 
required that the poppets in both halves of the quick 
disconnect seal in the event of an inadvertent discon-
nection regardless of the setting of the device that 
positions the vehicle half poppet. 
To fulfill these requirements, only the coupler half of 
the quick disconnect was modified, as shown in the 
illustration. The center stem of the coupler was made 
movable, thus allowing the nipple poppet to move. The 
Connecting Port 
Coupler Half 
(Ground Service Half) 
O.Ring 
Coupler Poppet 
Center Stem
Stem Positioning 
Mechanism
(continued overleaf) 
This document was prepared under the sponsorship of the National
	 Government assumes any liability resulting from the use of the 
Aeronautics and Space Administration. Neither the United States
	 information contained in this document, dr warrants that such use 
Government nor any person acting on behalf of the United States
	 will be free from privately owned rights. 
I
Nipple
https://ntrs.nasa.gov/search.jsp?R=19720000644 2020-03-17T03:41:28+00:00Z
coupler poppet was modified, the sealing surface being 
recessed to insure that the poppet would not seal on the 
stem when the stem was fully retracted. This stem is 
retracted to allow the nipple poppet to close and seal. An 
0-ring was added to seal the poppet when the stem is in 
the retracted position and the coupler is disconnected. 
The poppet will close and seal against the stem upon 
disconnection just as it does in the unmodified coupler. 
The connecting port was brought out the side to allow the 
stem positioning mechanism to be on the end of the 
coupler. 
Notes: 
1. Information concerning this innovation may be of 
interest to manufacturers of refrigeration systems and 
those working with systems utilizing hazardous fluids.
2. Requests for further information may be directed to: 
Technology Utilization Officer 
Marshall Space Flight Center 
Code A&PS-TU 
Marshall Space Flight Center, Alabama 35812 
Reference: B72-10645 
Patent status: 
NASA has decided not to apply for a patent. 
Source: R. Y. Boerner and R. W. Hedrick of

McDonnell Douglas Corporation
under contract to

Marshall Space Flight Center 
(MFS-2 1822)
. 
B72-10645
	
Category 07


Fill and vent quick disconnect

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