CONTAINER FOR LIQUID AND PRESSURANT

摘要

A storage system for two phase fluids using capillary structures to provide a simple passive propellant orientation device for use typically on a three-axis stabilized spacecraft. The propellant feed from the storage tank is enabled by internal capillary structures forming a continuous flow path for one of the two phase fluids (e.g. propellant) to the outlet region of the tank. For spacecraft application one fluid is a liquid propellant and the other fluid is a gaseous pressurant. The surface tension of the propellant is used as a capillary gas barrier thereby preventing any gas contamination of the liquid propellant being expelled or drawn from the tank. For use with both fluids as liquids, one liquid is selected as the propellant so that its property of wettability is greater than the wettability of the other liquid serving as a pressurant.