What is it about?
The paper develops preliminary performance requirements for cryocoolers (temperature, lift, and operational life) for use with a space propellant depot, then assesses which cryocooler technologies appear to be best suited (scalable) for such an application.
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Why is it important?
Presently, the use of cryocoolers in space is limited to relatively small applications where limited amounts of cooling power are needed, such as the cooling of detector arrays for Earth-observing satellites. As NASA and commercial companies seek to go back to the Moon and develop cis-lunar space, fuel depots ("orbiting gas stations") will naturally follow. Cryocoolers will be essential in reducing or eliminating the boiloff of cryogenic propellants (liquid hydrogen, liquid oxygen) stored at fuel depots.
Perspectives
This paper is a "first look" at assessing cryocoolers for this application. Written at a fairly high level, readers with little or no knowledge of the topic will find the paper provides them with a working knowledge of the different cyrocooler technologies and their pros & cons, as well as links to many cryocooler manufacturers.
Mr. Thomas M Perrin
NASA Marshall Space Flight Center
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Cryocooler Selection and Implementation for a Propellant Depot at Earth-Moon L1, September 2018, American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA),
DOI: 10.2514/6.2018-5132.
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