JPH04231701A - accumulator - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] This bulletin contains application data before electronic filing, so abstract data is not recorded.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

0001

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an accumulator.

0002

[Prior Art] Plans are currently underway to construct a space station in orbit around the Earth through international cooperation among various countries. A heat control fluid loop that circulates fluid such as water, freon, etc. as a heat medium is provided to absorb the heat generated by equipment through a heat exchanger, etc., and the heat is transferred to space by a radiator etc. installed in the fluid loop. It is thought that heat can be dissipated to

[0003] In the above-mentioned fluid loop, it is necessary to include an accumulator to maintain a constant pressure level of the fluid being circulated.

Accumulators that have conventionally been used on the ground include an accumulator c that mechanically pressurizes a fluid b using the elastic force of a compression spring a, as shown in FIG. 2, and a compressor as shown in FIG. With the gas e pressurized by the pressurizing device d consisting of a gas tank, etc.,
Accumulators f and the like that pressurize fluid b are known.

[0005]

However, in the accumulator c using the compression spring a shown in FIG. 2, it is generally difficult to obtain a large pressurizing force from the compression spring a. In order to obtain a relatively large pressing force as required, it becomes necessary to increase the size of the compression spring (a), resulting in the problem that the entire accumulator (c) becomes larger and its weight increases.

Furthermore, in the case of the accumulator f using the gas e shown in FIG. 3, a pressurizing device d for pressurizing the gas e is required, making it difficult to reduce the size and weight.

Therefore, in order to be applied as an accumulator for a thermal control fluid loop of a space station in outer space where transportation and assembly work from the ground is not easy, either of the accumulators c and f shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 can be used. However, there were problems in achieving miniaturization and weight reduction, and it was not suitable.

[0008] The present invention was made in view of the above-mentioned circumstances, and it is possible to significantly reduce the size and weight compared to the conventional one.
Moreover, it is an object of the present invention to provide a novel accumulator that can easily obtain a relatively large pressing force.

[0009]

[Means for Solving the Problems] The present invention provides for the inside of a pressure vessel to be
A displacement diaphragm that is displaced by a pressure difference divides the pressurized chamber into a pressurized chamber that communicates with a fluid system and a pressurized chamber that pressurizes the pressurized chamber via the displacement diaphragm, and seals a liquid in the pressurized chamber. death,
The accumulator is further characterized in that a heater for vaporizing the sealed liquid is disposed in the pressurizing chamber, and a temperature measuring terminal of a thermostat for cutting off power supply to the heater at a predetermined temperature is inserted into the pressurizing chamber. Such is the case.

0010

[Operation] Therefore, in the present invention, when a portion of the liquid sealed in the pressurized chamber is vaporized by the heater, the pressurized chamber is filled with the liquid and its saturated vapor. Since the temperature in the pressurizing chamber is maintained at a predetermined temperature by the heater and thermostat, the vapor pressure of the saturated steam in the pressurizing chamber is determined, and the pressure level of the fluid in the heated chamber, that is, the pressure level of the fluid in the fluid system. is maintained constant by the steam pressure in the pressurized chamber.

[0011]

Embodiments Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of the present invention, in which an accumulator 1 is applied to a thermal control fluid loop 2 of a space station, which is an example of a fluid system.

The accumulator 1 has a pressurized chamber 5 communicating with the fluid loop 2 and a pressurized chamber 5 that is displaced by a bellows-shaped displacement diaphragm 4 that expands and contracts within the pressure vessel 3 due to a pressure difference. It is divided into a pressurizing chamber 6 which is pressurized via a diaphragm 4, and a liquid 7 such as freon or propane is contained in the pressurizing chamber 6.
A heater 9 is disposed in the pressurizing chamber 6 to vaporize the liquid 7 into saturated steam 8, and a temperature measuring terminal of a thermostat 10 is provided to cut off power supply to the heater 9 at a predetermined temperature. 11 is inserted into the pressurizing chamber 6.

In the figure, 12 is a fluid that is circulated using the fluid loop 2 as a heat medium, 13 is a pump that circulates the fluid 12, 14 is a radiator that radiates the heat of the fluid 12 to outer space, and 15 is equipment, etc. Fluid loop 1 separates the heat generation from
6 is a heat exchanger that is absorbed by the fluid 12, 17 is a pressure gauge for monitoring, and 18 is a power source for the heater 9.

When a portion of the liquid 7 sealed in the pressurizing chamber 5 is vaporized by the heater 9, the pressurizing chamber 5 is filled with the liquid 7 and its saturated vapor 8.

Since the temperature inside the pressurizing chamber 5 is maintained at a predetermined temperature by the heater 9 and thermostat 10,
The vapor pressure of the saturated steam 8 in the pressurizing chamber 6 is determined, and the pressure level of the fluid 12 in the pressurized chamber 5, that is, the pressure level of the fluid 12 in the fluid loop 2 is constant due to the vapor pressure in the pressurizing chamber 6. is maintained.

Therefore, according to the above embodiment, the pressure level of the fluid 12 in the fluid loop 2 can be reliably maintained at a constant level with an extremely simple structure, so that the size and weight can be significantly reduced compared to the conventional one. Moreover, a relatively large pressurizing force can be easily obtained using the vapor pressure of the saturated steam 8.

The accumulator of the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiments, and can be applied to various fluid systems on the ground in addition to being applied to fluid loops for thermal control of spacecraft such as space stations. It goes without saying that the present invention may also be applied, and that various other changes may be made without departing from the gist of the present invention.

[0019]

[Effects of the Invention] As explained above, according to the accumulator of the present invention, the pressure level of the fluid in the fluid system can be reliably maintained at a constant level with an extremely simple structure, so that the accumulator is significantly smaller than the conventional one. It is possible to achieve the excellent effects of being able to achieve weight reduction, and also being able to easily obtain a relatively large pressing force.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view showing a conventional example.

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing another conventional example.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 Accumulator 2 Fluid loop (fluid system) 3 Pressure vessel 4 Displacement diaphragm 5 Pressurized chamber 6 Pressurized chamber 7. Liquid 9 Heater 10 Thermostat 11 Temperature measurement terminal

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. The interior of the pressure vessel is divided by a displacement diaphragm that is displaced by a pressure difference into a pressurized chamber that communicates with a fluid system and a pressurized chamber that pressurizes the pressurized chamber via the displacement diaphragm. A liquid is sealed in the pressurizing chamber, and a heater for vaporizing the sealed liquid is disposed in the pressurizing chamber, and a temperature measuring terminal of a thermostat that cuts off power supply to the heater at a predetermined temperature is connected to the heating terminal. An accumulator characterized by being inserted into a pressure chamber.