Explosion of hydrazine tanks due to space debris impacts

Abstract

The impact of space debris on a spacecraft can result in a catastrophic event that not only destroys the structure but can also create more space debris. The design of any spacecraft requires understanding the potential damage that can be inflicted by such an event. We consider the case of a satellite hydrazine fuel tank and the consequences of a hypervelocity impact from space debris. The purpose of this study is to better understand the mechanisms of detonation of hydrazine vapor during a hypervelocity impact on a low-pressure reservoir. The IMPETUS Afea Solver® and Explo5 software were used to perform numerical simulations of operational impact configurations (v = 14 km / s). The multi-scale calculations are performed using the Next Generation IMPETUS ɣSPH solver. A numerical assessment of the impact performance at the scale of the reactive fluid reservoir representative of a real configuration (global and local scale) was carried out. The model includes the detonation in the fluid and the transfer of the momentum to the structure which includes capturing the perforation of the structure that results from the explosive loading. A first diagram (impact velocity, diameter / perforation-explosion) was constructed on a reference tank of diameter 50cm and thickness 1mm in titanium.