Friction Stir Welded Thin Wall Cryogenic Tank Skins

Other

Scientific paper

Rate now

  [ 0.00 ] – not rated yet Voters 0   Comments 0

Details

Cryogenics, Refrigerators, Low-Temperature Detectors, And Other Low-Temperature Equipment, Spaceborne And Space Research Instruments, Apparatus, And Components

Scientific paper

A cryogenic propellant tank is the common element of trans-planetary transportation systems, in-space storage depots, lunar landers, in-space habitats/laboratories, ascent/descent, and launch vehicles. Lockheed Martin's (LM) cryogenic tank approach integrates Friction Stir Welding (FSW) with thin-gage aluminum monocoque structural design, common spin formed FSW domes and variable tank lengths to tailor the cryogenic tank from smaller stages, such as landers or ascent/descent stages, to very large on-orbit or In Space Resource Utilization (ISRU) storage systems. Thin gage corrosion resistant steel (CRES) construction combined with normal fusion welding as used on LM's Centaur has already been demonstrated to provide the highest cryogenic tank mass fraction (~.90) for large scale, cryogenic propellant storage. However, current fusion welding technology is limited by the alloys that are considered weldable and typically achieves only 50% of the parent material ultimate strength at the weld joint. Preliminary LM technology development indicates that in certain aluminum alloys, the FSW joint retains up to 100% of the parent material ultimate strength at LH2 temperatures. Combining FSW and aluminum monocoque tank design would create a large scale cryogenic tank with a mass fraction in excess of the current industry standard and therefore is ideal for affordable, reliable, high capacity propellant storage required for all facets of space exploration.

No associations

LandOfFree

Say what you really think

Search LandOfFree.com for scientists and scientific papers. Rate them and share your experience with other people.

Rating

Friction Stir Welded Thin Wall Cryogenic Tank Skins 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 Friction Stir Welded Thin Wall Cryogenic Tank Skins, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Friction Stir Welded Thin Wall Cryogenic Tank Skins will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

     

Profile ID: LFWR-SCP-O-1363608

  Search
All data on this website is collected from public sources. Our data reflects the most accurate information available at the time of publication.