制冷学报2026，Vol.47Issue(3)：1-8,8.DOI:10.12465/issn.0253-4339.20251119003
基于落塔实验的液氧气液界面形状演化特性研究
Evolution of Liquid-Oxygen Interface Shape Based on Drop-Tower Experiments
摘要
Abstract
Objective:To support complex aerospace missions including manned spaceflight,Mars exploration and space station construction,it is critical to conduct deep-space exploration research for solar-system planets and even extrasolar space.High-specific-impulse cryogenic fluids such as liquid hydrogen-liquid oxygen(LH2-LOX)and liquid oxygen-liquid methane(LOX-LCH4)are primary propellant for deep-space missions.During flight,cryogenic fluids in propellant tanks undergo gravity changes,leading to interface relocation.Owing to low surface tension and viscosity,their interfaces easily deform and break up,resulting in complicated flow behaviors.Meanwhile,increased interfacial and contact areas enhance heat transfer,triggering intense phase change due to low boiling points and latent heats,making thermal states unpredictable.This study aims to reveal the evolution of interface dynamics and thermal behavior during relocation,which is essential for the design of on-orbit propellant management devices. Methods:In this study,a drop-tower experimental platform for LOX reorientation was constructed.The setup,housed in a stainless-steel vacuum chamber with sapphire windows for optical access,uses multilayer insulation and combined LED lighting to enable high-speed visualization.A liquid nitrogen cooling circuit connected via copper braids provides stable precooling and suppresses boiling.The test cell,made of sapphire with high pressure resistance,is instrumented with multiple temperature sensors.LOX is condensed and stabilized at a height of 18.5 mm until thermal drift is below 0.000 1 K/s.The system is then installed in the drop tower tube,adjusted for center-of-mass,and released from 83 m to generate nearly 3.5 s of microgravity at approximately 0.004 4 g₀.High-speed images are recorded and processed using a MATLAB edge-detection algorithm to analyze interface evolution during the relocation process.Meanwhile,the vapor-phase temperature and pressure were measured.During the drop-tower process,the overload environment transitioned from normal gravity to microgravity. Results and Discussions:The LOX propagated along the inner wall and formed a liquid layer.The motion of this liquid layer was decoupled from that of the bulk liquid,and the interface center oscillated continuously.Owing to the ascend of the contact line,the gas-liquid interface area increased,and LOX evaporated continuously at the contact line.The emergence of the liquid layer resulted in a pressurization rate of 3 227 Pa/s at the first oscillation of the contact line,which is approximately 1.8 times higher than the final stabilized pressurization rate.During the entire 2.5 s reorientation process,the pressure in the gas-phase region increased by 4 217 Pa.The temperature variation at 15.2 mm from the interface was affected by not only heat transfer from the solid wall but also disturbances from the low-temperature gas flow induced by interface oscillations.Additionally,the temperature at this measurement point increased by only 0.351 K during the entire reorientation process. Conclusions:This study concludes that the evolution of the LOX interface,temperature and pressure in the ullage in the interface reorientation process.This experiment provides the cryogenic fluid data for simulation validation and guidance for the configuration and design of cryogenic-propellant management devices.关键词
液氧/落塔实验/微重力/界面Key words
liquid oxygen/drop tower/micro-gravity/interface分类
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郭松源,肖明堃,岳莉,罗威,杜王芳,赵建福,杨光,吴静怡..基于落塔实验的液氧气液界面形状演化特性研究[J].制冷学报,2026,47(3):1-8,8.基金项目
国家自然科学基金(52276013)资助项目.(The project was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.52276013).) （52276013）
