Tank structure for holding liquid especially in a spacecraft

US5520270A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• Daimler-Benz Aerospace AG · DE

Inventors

• Ernst Hornung · Stuhr, DE
• Huba Oery · Aachen, DE
• Herbert Wenz · Kaiserslautern, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Apr 3, 1995
• Grant date: May 28, 1996
• Expiry date: Apr 3, 2015

Classification

• Technology area (CPC B): Performing Operations; Transporting
• CPC primary: B64G1/228
• WIPO field: Transport
• WIPO sector: Mechanical engineering

Abstract

Vibrations of pipes or other components installed in a container such as a tank intended for holding liquids, are damped by surface area damping bodies, e.g. plates with through-holes that are immersed in the liquid in the container. These plates are rigidly connected to the pipes or components to be damped. The vibration damping plates are constructed of metal, for example, and the through-holes reduce the mass and advantageously affect the damping effect. The materials for making the perforated damping plates are selected to be compatible with the content of the containers, such as a fuel in a tank in a spacecraft. The surface area ratio of all cross-sectional areas of the through-holes to the total plate surface area is optimized to achieve a maximum damping effect. These perforated plates are secured to pipes, braces, filters, ducts, or other internal components of fuel tanks of land vehicles, aircraft, and spacecraft.