JP3084993B2 - Air bubble removal device for microgravity environment - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a bubble removing device for removing bubbles mixed in a thermal control loop used in a microgravity environment such as a space station.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a spacecraft, a space base, or the like, a heat control system loop including a heat exchanger and the like is installed to keep the temperature of mounted equipment and living space at a predetermined level, and radiates heat to the outside. Like that.

In this heat control system loop, for example, as shown in FIG. 2, a liquid such as chlorofluorocarbon or water is used as a heat exchange medium, and a heat exchanger b for heat recovery for cooling equipment a and the like. In many cases, a pipe is used to communicate with a heat exchanger c for radiating heat to outer space or the like and circulated by a pump e.

[0004]

By the way, in such a thermal control system loop , when repairing or replacing the pipe d or the like, etc.
Pump e produces cavitation
Generated and violently vibrated, thereby extending the life of the pump e.
It may be shortened or heat exchange performance may be significantly deteriorated.
It is. Therefore, air bubbles mixed in this thermal control system loop
It is necessary to remove it as appropriate, but this thermal control loop
Is applied to spacecraft and space bases where gravity acts almost completely.
Because there is no microgravity environment, gas and liquid as on the ground
It is impossible to separate gas and liquid using the specific gravity difference with the body.
You. For this reason, the present inventor has proposed a bubble eliminator for use under low gravity using centrifugal force as shown in Japanese Patent Application No. 2-159431 . However, this device is relatively large. However, it was very inconvenient to install it in a limited living space.

Accordingly, the present invention has been devised in order to effectively solve this problem. It is an object of the present invention to effectively separate and remove only air bubbles mixed in a liquid under a microgravity environment. An object of the present invention is to provide a novel bubble elimination device for a microgravity environment, which can be reduced in size.

[0006]

A first aspect of the present invention for solving the above-mentioned problems is connected to a heat control system loop used in a microgravity environment such as outer space, and the heat control system loop is connected to the heat control system loop .
In bubble removing device for removing air bubbles mixed in the liquid circulating upper introduction end side of the cylindrical body casing
A guide for introducing the gas-liquid mixture in the thermal control loop
Connect the irrigation tube in its tangential direction and
The liquid in the cylindrical casing to the discharge end
Equipped with an outlet for returning to the thermal control loop, and
Penetrate the shaft end of the cylindrical casing through its introduction end
A gas suction pipe extending to the
An obstruction for stopping the swirling flow of liquid
Are those having a magic plate, the second invention, the gas suction
The tube comprises a hydrophobic hollow fiber membrane tube .

[0007]

According to the present invention, as described above , the liquid
When liquid is introduced into the cylindrical casing from the body introduction pipe, it flows as a swirling flow along the inner wall surface.
After the gas mixed in the liquid is centrifuged out of the liquid and collected at the axial center thereof, it is sucked from the gas suction pipe.
To be pulled out of the cylindrical casing,
Even in a microgravity environment such as the outer space, only the gas mixed into the liquid can be effectively separated and discharged. Meanwhile, the gas is separated liquid directly cylindrical body casing
After flowing along the wall surface of the, it is returned to the normal heat control loop from the outlet at the end , and is reused as a heat control refrigerant. Also, the discharge in the cylindrical casing
Equipped with a baffle at the end to stop the swirling flow of liquid
As a result, the swirl flow is stopped, so that vibrations of the cylindrical casing and the refrigerant pipe due to the swirl flow can be suppressed beforehand.
Can be. In addition, this gas suction pipe is connected to a hydrophobic hollow fiber membrane.
By using a tube, only gas can be effectively sucked and extracted.
It becomes possible to start.

[0008]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 shows a thermal control system loop provided with the microgravity environment bubble removing device 1 of the present invention. As shown in the figure, this heat control system loop communicates with a heat exchanger 3 for heat recovery for cooling the equipment 2 and the like and a heat exchanger 4 for heat radiation to outer space by a refrigerant pipe 5. A liquid such as chlorofluorocarbon and water is circulated by a pump 6 as a heat exchange medium, and the air bubble removing device 1 for microgravity environment of the present invention is connected to the refrigerant pipe 5. .

[0010] The bubble removing device 1 for microgravity environment is shown in FIG.
As shown in (a), the end portion (introduction end portion) of the barrel-shaped cylindrical casing 7 in which the diameter of the intermediate portion gradually widens (bulges).
A liquid introduction pipe 8 is connected in a tangential direction to introduce a gas-liquid mixed liquid (refrigerant) flowing in the heat control system loop into the cylindrical casing 7 to give a swirling flow. . Further, the swirling flow is weakened by increasing the diameter of the cylindrical casing 7 toward the downstream side.
A liquid discharge port 9 is formed at the other end (discharge end) of the cylindrical casing so that the liquid in the cylindrical casing 7 flows through the refrigerant pipe 5 of the heat control system loop. . A gas suction pipe 11 is provided inside the cylindrical casing 7 and at its axial center so as to be inserted from the introduction end side , and the gas inside the cylindrical casing 7 is sucked. Then
It is coming out . The other end of the gas suction pipe 11 extends to the outside through the introduction end of the cylindrical casing 7 , and a suction pump, for example, as a suction means (not shown) is connected to the extension thereof. A flat cross-shaped baffle plate 10 is provided in the cylindrical casing 7 and in the vicinity of the liquid discharge port 9 to convert a swirling flow of the liquid into a direct current, and to convert this to the liquid discharge port 9 side. It is designed to shed.

The gas suction pipe 11 is made of hydrophobic tetrafluoride.
Membrane pore size of ethylene resin etc. Hollow fiber of several μm
It is composed of a membrane, and only gas is passed without passing liquid.
It is designed to pass well. And its shape
Can be a single pipe whose upper end is closed as shown in FIG.
However, as shown in FIG.
As shown in FIG.
Thus, the hollow fiber membrane 13 is spirally wound around the mandrel 11a.
It is also possible to use one having a structure that can be applied.

Next, the operation of the present invention will be described.

[0013] As shown in FIG. 3, the gas-liquid mixed liquid from the liquid inlet pipe 8 is supplied to the tangential direction of the cylindrical body casing 7,
The swirling flow flows along the wall surface of the cylindrical casing 7 toward the liquid discharge port 9. At this time, centrifugal force acts on this liquid
By, it bubbles mixed in the liquid gathered in the axial portion of the cylindrical body casing 7, to form a gas layer 12 so as to surround the gas suction pipe 11. And this gas layer 12
Grows gradually over time. Next, in this state, when a suction pump (not shown) connected to the gas suction pipe 11 is driven to suck the inside of the gas suction pipe 11 , the gas forming the gas layer 12 is removed from the gas suction pipe 1.
The gas layer 12 is gradually reduced by being drawn out of the cylindrical casing 7 through the surface 1 .
The driving of the suction pump and the control of the suction amount may be performed manually, or may be automatically controlled in conjunction with a sensor that detects the size of the gas layer 12 and the pressure of the liquid.

On the other hand, when the liquid from which the bubbles are separated flows toward the liquid discharge port 9, the swirling flow is weakened by increasing the diameter of the cylindrical casing toward the downstream, and thereafter, the swirling flow hits the baffle plate 10 and turns. After the flow changes to a direct current, the liquid flows from the liquid discharge port 9 to the outside of the cylindrical casing 7, and then flows to the refrigerant pipe 5 of the heat control loop to function as a heat control refrigerant. Therefore, there is no possibility that vibration or the like of the refrigerant pipe 5 due to the swirling flow is generated.

As described above, the air bubble removing device 1 for a microgravity environment of the present invention is provided with the gas suction pipe 1 at the axial center of the cylindrical casing 7.
By providing 1, it is possible to effectively remove only the separated air bubbles, and since the entire apparatus is simple and compact, it is easy to secure an installation space.

[0016]

In summary, according to the present invention, air bubbles mixed in a liquid can be effectively separated in a microgravity environment such as outer space, and the whole apparatus can be made simple and compact. It has excellent effects such as easy installation space securing.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a thermal control system loop including a bubble removing device for a microgravity environment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a conventional thermal control system loop.

FIG. 3A is a cutaway perspective view showing an embodiment of the bubble removing device for a microgravity environment of the present invention. (B) is FIG.
(A) It is an arrow AA view. (C) is B in FIG.
FIG.

FIG. 4 is a partially cut perspective view showing a hollow fiber membrane tube.

FIG. 5 is an external view showing another embodiment of the hollow fiber membrane tube.

[Explanation of symbols]

 7 cylindrical casing 8 gas-liquid mixed liquid introduction pipe 10 baffle plate 11 hollow fiber membrane tube

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuation of front page (58) Field surveyed (Int. Cl. ⁷ , DB name) B01D 19/00 102 B01D 19/00 F25B 43/00

Claims (2)

(57) [Claims] 1. A thermal control system loop, which is used in a microgravity environment such as outer space, is connected to the thermal control system loop .
In an air bubble removing device for removing air bubbles mixed in a circulating liquid , the above-described side surface of the introduction end of the cylindrical casing is
Introduction to introduce the gas-liquid mixture in the thermal control loop
Connect the pipe in its tangential direction and
The liquid in the cylindrical casing to the heat
Equipped with a discharge port for returning to the control system loop, and its cylinder
Penetrates through the leading end of the body casing
A gas suction pipe extending to the
To stop the swirling flow of liquid on the discharge end side
A bubble removing device for a microgravity environment, comprising a plate . 2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the gas suction pipe is a hydrophobic hollow fiber membrane pipe.
The air bubble removing device for a microgravity environment according to claim 1, wherein the air bubble removing device comprises: