NASA Experience with Large Scale Liquid
Hydrogen
Hydrogen Liquefaction and Storage SymposiumUniversity of Western Australia
September 26, 2019
Presented by William NotardonatoNASA KSC
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Contents
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LH2 Background in AmericaEarly yearsWet BombUSAF
NASA LH2 experienceCentaur Apollo Shuttle
NASA FacilitiesKSC SSC
Current Plans and R&DSLSIRAS and bubbles ZBO
Lessons Learned
Background – Early Years
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First US Liquefier St Louis Worlds Fair 1904 Produced by Dewar for BOC 1 l/hr
Kammerling Onnes - Leiden 1908 He Liquefier used LH2 as upper stage 13 l/hr
Giauque - UC Berkley 1936 Use for helium liqufier 25 l/hr
James Dewar – First to liquefy Hydrogen 1898 May 10 1898 5 cc/hr
Brickwedde - NBS GaithersbergLow temperature thermometryLater used to discover Deuterium
Urey, Brickwedde, Murphy
Background – Hydrogen Bomb
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NBS - Cryogenics moved to Boulder 1951Emphasis on hydrogen Bomb 320 l/hrBuilt 4 Liquefiers (2 Boulder, 1 Eiwentok, 1 spare) 240 l/hr paraUsed for Ivy Mike test (10.4 MT)Numerous other advancements before programshut down in 1954 after successful Romeo (dry bomb) test
Herrick Johnston - Ohio State University 1943War Research Building 25 l/hr
Johnston/Long - Los Alamos 1944Weapons research (deuterium) 35/l hr
Johnston - Aerojet 45-49 1945Aircraft and rocket fuel 25 l/hrLater upgraded for weapons research 1950 Used in Eiwentok for George (225 kT) 80 l/hr
Background - Aerospace
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USAF Project Suntan (successor to U-2 spy plane)Lockheed’s Skunk Works (Kelly Johnson) AirframePratt and Whitney LH2 Turbojet engines
Numerous advances in hydrogen safety and testingTesting demonstrated feasibility of hydrogen turbojets
3 LH2 plants built Baby Bear Painesville OH 1957 400 l/hrMama Bear West Palm Beach FL 1957 2650 l/hrPapa Bear West Palm Beach FL 1958 16000 l/hr
P&W then transitioned to RL-10 (Centaur)
Then NASA was created. The Apollo program needed large scale storage at the new launch complex.
https://history.nasa.gov/SP-4404/contents.htm
Apollo Program
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Saturn V
Total Weight 2.9M kgMax thrust 35,100 kN
S-1C1204 m3 LOX770 m3 RP-15 F-1 Engines
S-II984 m3 LH2303 m3 LOX5 J-2 engines
S-IVB250 m3 LH272 m3 LOX1 J-2 Engine
Total On-Board Cryogenic Prop.
LO2 = 454Kgal, LH2 = 335kgal
LC-39 Vessel Specifications
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• Constructed 1963-1965 by Chicago Bridge & Iron Co.
• 2 ea LH2 and LOX
• Identical except vacuum jacket
• 3,407 m3 (850,000 gal) useable volume
• Inner tank ~18.7 m. (61.5 ft) OD
t=2.95 cm (1.16 in) SS
• VJ tank – 21.6 m (70 ft) OD, 1.75 cm (0.68
in) carbon steel.
• MAWP = 90 psig (6.2 bar)
• Vacuum-jacketed w/perlite bulk-fill
insulation
• Normal Evaporation Rate = 0.075% (640
gal/day)
Shuttle Program
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Space ShuttleWeight = 4.5 Mlbs
Thrust =7.1 Mlbs
Total On-Board Cryo Prop.
LO2 = 146Kgal, LH2 = 395kgal
NASA LC-39
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1500’ 10” x 12”VJ Transfer Line
Flare Stacks
850,000 Gallon VJ tank, 90 psig
Vaporizers
Vent StackTanker Offload
Space Shuttle Usage
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Liquid Hydrogen Consumption over Entire Space Shuttle Program
Liquid Hydrogen Purchased 100.0% 54,200,000 lbReplenish Loss 12.6% 6,800,000 lbNormal Evaporation Loss 12.2% 6,600,000 lbLoad Loss 20.6% 11,200,000 lbOn-board Quantity 54.6% 29,600,000 lb
Stennis Space Center
A-1
E-1
B-1 B-2
A-3
A-2
E-2
E-3
E-4
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Stennis Space Center
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Cryogenic Propellant StorageThree 240,000 gal LH barges
70 psig with onboard vaporizers
B Stand Refurb for SLS Testing
RS-25 Engine TestA-1 Test Stand
Integrated Refrigeration and Storage
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Five IRAS capabilities
1. Zero-loss cooldown of a large cryogenic tank from ambient temperature
2. Zero-loss tanker off-loading of liquid product
3. Zero Boil-off (ZBO)
4. In-Situ Liquefaction
5. Densification
Using cryogenic refrigeration to remove heat leak directly from the liquid region of a LH2 tank
GODU LH2 Zero Boil Off
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Pressure Control Method
Allows for control of the liquid state anywhere along the saturation line
Duty Cycle Method
Cycles refrigerator on/off as needed to keep pressure below MAWP
Hydrogen Densification
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Cooling LH2 below the NBP: Not = subcooling
Increases liquid density up to 8.8%, slush up to 22%
Increases total impulse
Allows for longer storage before boil off
Increases cooling capacity
GODU LH2 Densification
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• Densification was conducted at three different fill levels: 46%, 67% and 100%
• At the lower fill levels LH2 state hit the triple point, and slush was generated
• Temps were trending toward the TP at 100% also, but ran out of time in the schedule
Perlite Void
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• LC-39B Liquid Hydrogen tank experienced severe degredation in performance between Apollo and Shuttle programs
• By the end of the Shuttle program the tank was venting over 1200 gallons per day
• Had to wait until conclusion of Shuttleprogram before issue could be addressed.
• Warmed up tank and opened annulus to find perlite void
Glass Bubbles vs Perlite
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• Developed in the 1970’s by Cunningham (Lockheed) and Tsien (UC Berkeley)
• Sold commercially by 3M (K1)• Multiple tests occurred at KSC CTL
(Fesmire) in 2000’s• Thermal performance• Mechanical performance• Vibration and settling
Glass Bubble Field Demonstration
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• In 2008, KSC, SSC, and 3M conducted field performance data and cost-effective retrofit analysis of 50,000 gal LH2 tank at SSC
✓ Proven 46% reduced LH2 boil-off over perlite in the field (based on 9 years of SSC sphere data)
✓ Bubbles do not break for application within annular space
✓ Bubbles do not compact due to vibration or thermal cycling
o Settled bubbles out performed settled perlite by 51% in lab tests
✓ Better real-world vacuum level observed
Space Launch System Modifications
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Space Launch SystemWeight = 5.75 Mlbs (EM-1)
Thrust = 8.8-11.9 Mlbs
Total On-Board Cryo Prop.
LO2 = 263Kgal, LH2 = 467kgal
• NASA studies showed LH2
capacity at Pad B was insufficient for SLS Block 2 and beyond
• Numerous solutions were explored; ultimately, it was decided to construct a new, larger, supplemental vessel
New LC-39B tank
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• 1,250,000 gal (4,732 m3) usable volume - 47% larger than Apollo-era tank
• ~79 ft. (24 m) outer diameter; MAWP = 90 psig (6.2 bar)
• Spec NER = 0.048% (600 gal/day, 2,271 L/day)
• Currently being built by CB&I adjacent to the existing tank; construction to end July 2021
Design includes 2 new technologies: Glass Bubble bulk fill insulation in lieu of perlite, and an Integrated Refrigeration and Storage (IRAS) heat exchanger
We are actively working with CB&I to incorporate these changes
Past Issues – Vacuum Leaks
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• Stennis Space Center• A vertical cylindrical LH2 tank had a
vacuum leak.• Evidenced by increased boil off• Vaccuum increase 20 mtorr in 2
years• RGA showed increases in helium
and neon• Solid air formed in annulus• When tank was drained of LH2 the
soild air liquefied and cooled the vacuum jacket
• The cold fluid decreased the VJ wall temperature below the ductility limits and the VJ tank cracked
• There is a similar situation in another LH2 tank in Florida
• Work with them on solution to slowly drain tank while heating outer vessel with water
Other thoughts
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• Vent Line explosions• One in flare stack line• One in vent line
• Liquid air• Hydrogen leaks and leak detection• Purging and associated hazards• Imploding tank
• There are a lot of similarities in how NASA usesLH2 and how Australia plans to produce andexport it• Increased scale an order of magnitude
above previous systems• Need “ground” storage and then load a
“flight tank”• Need to service as liquid, not gas• Batch processes, not continuous use.
Questions?
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