Flight Validation of the Thermal Propellant Gauging Method used at EADS Astrium

Details Flight Validation of the Thermal Propellant Gauging Method used at EADS Astrium Flight Validation of the Thermal Propellant Gauging Method used at EADS Astrium

Oct 2004

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2004esasp.555e...9d&link_type=abstract

Proceedings of the 4th International Spacecraft Propulsion Conference (ESA SP-555). 2-9 June, 2004, Chia Laguna (Cagliari), Sard

Computer Science

Scientific paper

EADS Astrium recently met a major milestone in the field of propellant gauging with the first reorbitation of an Eurostar tanks equipped satellite. It proved successful determining the remaining available propellant mass for spacecraft displacement beyond the customer specified graveyard orbit; thus demonstrating its expertness in Propellant Gauging in correlation with tank residual mass minimization. A critical parameter in satellite operational planning is indeed the accurate knowledge of the on-board remaining propellant mass; basically for the commercial telecommunication missions, where it is the major criterion for lifetime maximization. To provide an accurate and reliable process for measurement of this propellant mass throughout lifetime, EADS Astrium uses a Combination of two independent techniques: The Dead Reckoning Method (maximum accuracy at BOL), based on thrusters flow rate prediction &the Thermal Propellant Gauging Technique, deriving the propellant mass from the tank thermal capacity (Absolute gauging method, with increasing accuracy along lifetime). Then, the present article shows the recent flight validation of the Gauging method obtained for Eurostar E2000 propellant tanks including the validation of the different thermodynamic models. ABBREVIATIONS &ACRONYMS BOL, MOL, EOL: Beginning, Middle &End of Life Cempty: Empty tank thermal inertia [J/K] Chelium: Helium thermal inertia [J/K] Cpropellant: Propellant thermal inertia [J/K] Ct = C1+C2: Total tank thermal inertia (Subscript for upper node and for lower node) [J/K] CPS: Combined Propulsion System DR: Dead Reckoning FM: Flight Model LAE: Liquid Apogee Engine lsb: Least significant byte M0: TPGS Uncertainty component linked to Cempty mox, mfuel: Propellant mass of oxidiser &fuel [kg] Pox, Pfuel: Pressure of oxidiser &fuel [bar] PTA: Propellant Tank Assembly Q: Heater power [W] Qox, Qfuel: Mass flow rate of oxidiser &fuel [kg/s] RCT: Reaction Control Thrusters T0: Spacecraft platform equilibrium temperature TPGS: Thermal Propellant Gauging Software TPGT: Thermal Propellant Gauging Technique T1i: Internal thermal gradients [K] T2i: External thermal gradients [K] Ï 1: Internal thermal characteristic time [s] 2: External thermal characteristic time [s]

Affiliated with

Also associated with

No associations

Rating

Flight Validation of the Thermal Propellant Gauging Method used at EADS Astrium does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this scientific paper.

If you have personal experience with Flight Validation of the Thermal Propellant Gauging Method used at EADS Astrium, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Flight Validation of the Thermal Propellant Gauging Method used at EADS Astrium will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

Comments { 0 }

Profile ID: LFWR-SCP-O-840411