Patent ID: 6283412
Filing Date: 2001-09-04
Classification: B64G,F02K

Abstract:
A liquid propellant tank for a launch vehicle, said launch vehicle being adapted for flight through atmosphere where said launch vehicle is subjected to lateral forces having a component lateral to a flight path of said launch vehicle, wherein said lateral forces induce sloshing of a liquid propellant in said liquid propellant tank, said sloshing having a potentially significant impact on launch vehicle loading and control; said liquid propellant tank comprising:a containment area for containing said liquid propellant, said containment area having a longitudinal axis and a width, extending transverse to said longitudinal axis, wherein in operation, said propellant tank is generally oriented such that said longitudinal axis is aligned with said flight path and said lateral forces tend to induce a slosh defined by a non-uniform distribution of said liquid propellant relative to said width of said containment area, said distribution varying over time, said containment area further including a longitudinal slosh zone defined relative to the range of locations of a surface of said liquid propellant as said liquid propellant is expended during a launch operation; anda low profile slosh attenuation system for attenuating said slosh, said low profile slosh attenuation system having a low lateral profile such that, for a given wall portion of said tank extending across a longitudinal distance of a least one foot within said slosh zone, said low profile slosh attenuation system is substantially wholly contained within a space extending laterally no more than about three inches from a laterally outwardmost section of said given wall portion, said low profile slosh attenuation system including a plurality of slosh barriers extending from said given wall portion, said low profile slosh attenuation system being structurally integrated with said wall portion of said tank, wherein said low profile slosh attenuation system allows for slosh attenuation to a defined level, avoids undue ring baffle mass and allows for simplified and reduced cost liquid propellant tank construction.