Choice of the Optimum Design of Lateral PMD Using the CFD Method

Abstract

Residues of propellant components in the power system of the propulsion system, at the end of the operation of the launch vehicle, to a large extent affect its energy characteristics. Propellant management devices (PMD), which are equipped with tanks of modern launch vehicles, provide a continuous supply of liquid propellant components from the tank to the propulsion system without disturbing the continuity of the flow and minimize of the residues of the propellant components. In the tank of a launch vehicle, the presence of a tunnel pipeline complicates, and in certain cases excludes the possibility of taking from the pole of the tank. In this case, the use of a lateral PMD allows solving the problem of propellant intake. The authors carried out a search and justification for the optimal design of the PMD using the example of the fuel tank of the first stage of the "Cyclone-4" launch vehicle, which is equipped with an PMD in the form of a profiled plate. The designs of the siphon and annular PMD are considered. An analytical calculation using empirical dependences, a physical experiment and numerical simulation of their main parameters was carried out. The result of the experimental and computational-analytical work was the determination of the most optimal variant of the PMD, which, according to several parameters, turned out to be a siphon PMD. The introduction of a more advanced siphon PMD into the design of the fuel tank of the "Cyclone-4" launch vehicle will improve the energy characteristics of the launch vehicle by increasing the weight of the output payload by 5.4 kg.