Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Compression Frequency Choice for Compression Mass Gauge Method and Effect on Measurement Accuracy

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Microgravity Science and Technology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

It is a difficult job to gauge the liquid fuel mass in a tank on spacecrafts under microgravity condition. Without the presence of strong buoyancy, the configuration of the liquid and gas in the tank is uncertain and more than one bubble may exist in the liquid part. All these will affect the measure accuracy of liquid mass gauge, especially for a method called Compression Mass Gauge (CMG). Four resonance resources affect the choice of compression frequency for CMG method. There are the structure resonance, liquid sloshing, transducer resonance and bubble resonance. Ground experimental apparatus are designed and built to validate the gauging method and the influence of different compression frequencies at different fill levels on the measurement accuracy. Harmonic phenomenon should be considered during filter design when processing test data. Results demonstrate the ground experiment system performances well with high accuracy and the measurement accuracy increases as the compression frequency climbs in low fill levels. But low compression frequencies should be the better choice for high fill levels. Liquid sloshing induces the measurement accuracy to degrade when the surface is excited to wave by external disturbance at the liquid natural frequency. The measurement accuracy is still acceptable at small amplitude vibration.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Subscribe and save

Springer+ Basic
$34.99 /Month
  • Get 10 units per month
  • Download Article/Chapter or eBook
  • 1 Unit = 1 Article or 1 Chapter
  • Cancel anytime
Subscribe now

Buy Now

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Chobotov, M.V., Purohit, G.P.: Low-gravity propellant gauging system for accurate predictions of spacecraft end-of-life. J. Spacecraft Rockets 30(1), 92–101 (1993)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dennehy, W.J., Lawton, B., Stufflbeam, J.: A radiation hardened spacecraft mass memory system. 4th Computers in Aerospace Conference, 24–26 October 1983, Hartford, CT, U.S.A, AIAA 83–2418 (1983)

  • Evans, R.L., Olivier, J.R.: PProposal for determining the mass of liquid propellant within a space vehicle propellant tank subjected to a zero gravity environment. Washington, D.C., National Aeronautics and Space Administration, NASA technical note, D-1571 (1963)

  • Green, S.T., Walter, D.B., Dodge, F.T.: Ground testing of a compression mass gauge. 40th AIAA/ASME/SAE/ASEE Joint Propulsion Conference and Exhibit, 11–14 July 2004, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, USA, AIAA 2004–4151 (2004)

  • Jurns, J.M., Rogers, A.C.: Compression Mass Gauge Testing in a Liquid Hydrogen Dewar. 1995 Cryogenic Engineering Conference, 17–21 July 1995, Columbus, Ohio, USA, NASA Contractor Report 198366 (1995)

  • Matthijssen, R., Put, P.V.: Ultrasonic flow meter for satellite propellant gauging and ground test facilities. 44th AIAA/ASME/SAE/ASEE Joint Propulsion Conference & Exhibit, 21–23 July 2008, Hartford, CT, USA, AIAA 2008–4854 (2008)

  • Mord, A.J., Snyder, H.A., Kilpatrick, K.A., Hermanson, L.A., Hopking, R.A., Vangundy, D.A.: Fluid Quantity Gauging Ball Aerospace Systems Final Report DRD MA-183 T. NASA Contract NAS9-17616 (1988)

  • Nakano, A., Torikata, Y., Yamashita, T., et al.: Helmholtz resonance technique for measuring liquid volumes under micro-gravity conditions. Microgravity Sci. Technol. XVII-3, 64–70 (2005)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nishizu, T., Torikata, Y., Yamashita, T., et al.: Liquid volume measurement for cryogen under microgravity condition. Microgravity Sci. Technol. XVIII-3/4, 190–195 (2006)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pengli, Z., Shuyu, L.: Two-bubble interaction under the sound field. Acta Physical Sinica 58(11), 7797–7801 (2009)

    Google Scholar 

  • Rogers, A.C., Dodge, F.T., Behering, K.A.: Feasibility demonstration of a cryogenic fluid gauging for space vehicle applications AIAA. J. Propul. Power 11, 980–985 (1994)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sciver, S.W.V., Adams, T., Caimi, F., et al.: Optical mass gauging of solid hydrogen. Cryogenics 44, 501–506 (2004)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Trinks, H.: Assessment study of liquid content measurement methods applicable to space mission. Report TUHH-TRI-ESAA-84-2, 1984.

Download references

Acknowledgments

The work was supported in part by the National Natural Science Foundation of China under Grant No.91216201 and 51205403.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Aerospace Science and Engineering, National University of Defense Technology, Changsha, Hunan, 410073, China

    Juan Fu, Xiaoqian Chen & Yiyong Huang

Authors
  1. Juan Fu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Xiaoqian Chen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Yiyong Huang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Xiaoqian Chen.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Fu, J., Chen, X. & Huang, Y. Compression Frequency Choice for Compression Mass Gauge Method and Effect on Measurement Accuracy. Microgravity Sci. Technol. 25, 213–223 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12217-013-9342-0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12217-013-9342-0

Keywords

Search

Navigation