Design of Thermally Efficient Cryogenic Tanks for Spacecraft

Masse, Nicholas; Dougherty, John; Lagle, Alexander; Mitchell, Jacob; Charbonneau, Jack; Patel, Deep; Borowsky, Jacob; Veguilla, Rory

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Design of Thermally Efficient Cryogenic Tanks for Spacecraft

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Cryogenic propellants are efficient for aerospace applications, but they experience significant boil-off. This project addressed the challenge of boil-off by analyzing the benefits of different tank materials and geometry, and venting systems of a theoretical spacecraft and mission. Experiments for permeability, heat transfer, and venting were conducted to validate these analyses. A computational model was developed to optimize the tank and quantify the mass lost due to boil-off. Using LCH4 instead of LH2, MLI, and adopting a CVS improved thermal efficiency while minimizing mass. Composite material testing indicated that more complex stacking sequences might outperform aluminum in relevant categories, however, this project conveys that AA 2024 was the ideal material selection.

This report represents the work of one or more WPI undergraduate students submitted to the faculty as evidence of completion of a degree requirement. WPI routinely publishes these reports on its website without editorial or peer review.

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