Experimental Study on Cryogenic Propellant Circulation using Gas-lift

Gas-lift를 이용한 극저온 추진제의 재순환 성능에 대한 실험

Inhibition of propellant temperature rising in liquid propulsion rocket using cryogenic fluid as a propellant is very important. Especially propellant temperature rising during stand-by after filling and pre-pressurization can bring into cavitation in turbo-pump. One of the method preventing propellant temperature rising in cryogenic feeding system is recirculating propellant through the loop composed of propellant tank, feed pipe, and recirculation pipe. The circulation of propellant is promoted through gas-lift effect by gas injection to lower position of recirculation pipe. In this experiment liquid oxygen and gas helium is used as propellant and injection gas. Under atmospheric and pressurized tank ullage condition, helium injection flow-rate is varied to observe the variation of recirculating flow-rate and propellant temperature in the feed pipe. There is appropriate helium injection flow-rate for gas-lift recirculation system.