Pressurized Propellant Densification System

The current and future need for readily available densified cryogenic propellants warrants the investigation into alternative methods of performing the densification process. Present processes are based on heat exchange with cryogenic fluids boiling under reduced pressure achieved with the use of expensive and difficult to control compressor systems. The system proposed in this investigation avoids these problems and costs by operating at atmospheric or higher pressures. Estimates indicate that the proposed system will have significantly reduced capital investment and operating costs coupled with improved reliability and availability. The Phase I effort is intended to refine these estimates and to design a suitable pilot plant experiment to accurately define the operational characteristics of the system. The Phase II effort will complete the construction of the experimental system, conduct sufficient experiments to verify the process method and determine the values of certain constants that are not presently known. The purpose of the investigation is to provide data that will make it possible to design full scale systems.