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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