Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Identifier

6730

Date

2021

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science

Major

Mechanical Engineering

Committee Chair

Jeffrey Marchetta

Committee Member

Gladius Lewis

Committee Member

Daniel Foti

Abstract

Developing an effective solution for long duration storage of cryogenic liquids is crucial for future, manned space exploration missions. Current storage tanks are made of metals or composites. Although these materials have a relatively high mechanical strength, their high thermal conductivity is a disadvantage with regards to heat infiltration. The influx of heat causes vaporization, increasing the pressure in the tank. To reduce tank pressurization rates, novel materials with densities and thermal conductivities which are lower than metals, such as RTV-655 and aerogels, have been developed which may be feasible for space applications. Due to the complexity and costs of performing experiments, a thermomechanical computational model is desired to further study the feasibility of using these novel materials. A thermomechanical finite element simulation is used to simulate the Cooldown and Pressurization phases of RTV-655 and RTV-655/Aerogel tank experiments and a comparison of the simulation and experimental results are presented.

Comments

Data is provided by the student.

Library Comment

Dissertation or thesis originally submitted to the local University of Memphis Electronic Theses & dissertation (ETD) Repository.

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