• Journal of the Korean Society for Aeronautical & Space Sciences
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• v.42 no.10
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• pp.870-877
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• 2014

Geostationary satellites undergo various orbital perturbations and this results in location change. Therefore, all the geostationary satellites use the thruster in order to control the location change. For this purpose, the suitable amount of liquid propellant is mounted and the amount of propellant is reduced as time goes by. This means that the lifetime of the satellite depends on the residual propellant amount. Therefore precise residual propellant gauging is very important for the mitigation of economic losses arised from premature removal of satellite from its orbit, satellites replacement planning, slot management and so on. In this paper, we introduce the propellant gauging methods used in the geostationary satellites and the propellant gauging method studied in the laboratory level.

• Progress in Superconductivity and Cryogenics
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.64-69
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• 2014

Measuring an exact amount of remaining cryogenic liquid propellant under microgravity condition is one of the important issues of rocket vehicle. A Pressure-Volume-Temperature (PVT) gauging method is attractive due to its minimal additional hardware and simple gauging process. In this paper, PVT gauging method using liquid nitrogen is investigated under microgravity condition with parabolic flight. A 9.2 litre metal cryogenic liquid storage tank containing approximately 30% of liquid nitrogen is pressurized by ambient temperature helium gas. During microgravity condition, the inside of the liquid tank becomes near-isothermal condition within 1 K difference indicated by 6 silicon diode sensors vertically distributed in the middle of the liquid tank. Helium injection with higher mass flow rate after 10 seconds of the waiting time results in successful measurements of helium partial pressure in the tank. Average liquid volume measurement error is within 11% of the whole liquid tank volume and standard deviation of errors is 11.9. As a result, the applicability of PVT gauging method to liquid propellant stored in space is proven with good measurement accuracy.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Aeronautical & Space Sciences
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• v.43 no.1
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• pp.62-71
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• 2015

Geostationary satellites use the thruster in order to control the location change and mount the suitable amount of liquid propellant depending on the operating lifetime. Therefore the lifetime of the geostationary satellite depends on the residual propellant amount and the precise residual propellant gauging is very important for the mitigation of economic losses arised from premature removal of satellite from its orbit, satellites replacement planning, slot management and so on. The propellant gauging methods of geostationary satellite are mostly used PVT method, thermal mass method and bookkeeping method. In this paper, we analysis the modeling of COMS(Communication, Ocean & Meteorological Satellite) bipropellant system for bookkeeping method and COMS GTO(Geostationary Transfer Orbit) injection propellant estimation using Monte-Carlo method.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Propulsion Engineers Conference
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• 2004.10a
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• pp.141-145
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• 2004

The residual propellant of satellite is the primary factor of satellite life. This propellant used in the satellite is stored as liquid in tanks. But it is very difficult to accurately measure propellant to be used for maintaining of satellite by an irregular influence of environment. In this paper, a new method of gauging propellant residual of satellite employing multi-tank system by measuring mass flow of thermal pumping liquid propellant is presented. In cases of being connected between tanks, propellant in tanks move by temperature difference of tanks. If propellant mass flow is measured at line between tanks, residual propellant in tanks is able to be estimated.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Aeronautical & Space Sciences
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.113-119
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• 2003

During the mission operation time, it is very important to estimate the spacecraft propellant remaining as accurately as possible. This is because the quantity of propellant is related directly to how long the satellite can be operated ín orbit. There are two different methods for spacecraft propellant gauging; the PVT method and the book-keeping method. This paper describes the characteristics and applications of these methods using the flight operation data of KOMPSAT-1. Additionally, propellant consumption rates in delta-V maneuvering and each attitude control submode are analyzed according to spacecraft operation modes. The earth search submode shows the highest propellant consumption rate.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Propulsion Engineers
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.60-68
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• 2001

Thermal Mass Method(TMM) and its accuracy, utilized in the propellant gauging system of KOREA SAT-3, are described in the paper The residual in the fuel tank system of KOREASAT-3 is simulated using TMM based on the KOREASAT-3 data package An accuracy of TMM is calculated using analytical method and compared with the error analysis Monte Carlo methods.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Aeronautical & Space Sciences
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• v.43 no.12
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• pp.1116-1123
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• 2015

The lifetime of a geostationary satellite depends on the residual propellant amount and therefore the precise residual propellant gauging is very important for the mitigation of economic loss arised from premature removal of satellite from its orbit, satellites replacement planning, slot management and so on. In this paper, the thermal mass method and its uncertainty are described. The residual propellant analysis of a geostationary satellite is simulated based on the KOREASAT data and the uncertainty of thermal mass method is calculated by using the Monte Carlo method. The results of this study show the importance parameter of estimation residual propellant using the thermal mass method.