The method for filling of thermal control systems of the spacecraft with two-phase heat carrier and the device for realization thereof.

RU patent № 2214350

The invention refers to space technology and refrigeration engineering, namely, to the problems of filling of thermal control systems circuits with heat carriers.
The engineering outcome of the declared method and device is a weighed filling of the circuits of thermal control systems (TCS) with heat carriers of especial purity at a low content of microcontaminants, providing a long-term service life of TCS, owing to a low probability of the formation of permanent gases in the medium of corrosive heat carrier which decreases essentially the SC TCS efficiency.
As per the method proposed the filling is realized in the following order. At first the TCS is vacuumized, then for the purpose of flushing, it is filled completely with heat carrier out of the reservoir and circulation of the heat carrier is ensured within TCS during a definite time. After some holding, the heat carrier used for flushing, is drained into the drainage tank with concurrent sampling for chemical analysis. Flushing operation is repeated multiply to achieve a required degree of TCS clearing. Thereafter the heat carrier is altogether removed out of the TCS, and the final weighed filling with the heat carrier may be realized.
The TCS filling is implemented from the heat carrier reservoir by means of expulsion of the liquid heat carrier with the help of its saturated vapour with heating of the reservoir by electric heater. The heat carried drainage is implemented at the expense of a pressure differential produced between the TCS and the heat carrier reservoir when the latter is cooled by refrigerator. To achieve the above engineering result the device is proposed for TCS filling with two-phase heat carrier, including at least one tank for heat carrier storage, the reservoir with heat carrier and facilities for measurement of heat carrier temperature and pressure in vapour cushion. The reservoir with heat carrier is communicated with the vacuumization line fitted with vacuum pump, with the line for heat carrier filling from the storage tank and with the feed line for heat carrier supply to the SC TCS, which incorporate cut-off valves and electric heater.