EADS LAUNCH VEHICLES DELIVERS ITS 5OOTH HIGH-PRESSURE TANK

The high-pressure tanks manufactured by EADS LAUNCH VEHICLES have equipped numerous international satellites as well as Ariane 4 and 5. The milestone of 500 tanks supplied has recently been reached with the delivery of a 35-litre tank for the Italian Sicral 2 satellite.

EADS LAUNCH VEHICLES applies its filament-winding technology, initially developed for the production of ballistic missile motor bodies, to the manufacture of high-pressure gas storage tanks. These usually contain helium or xenon and are used in space vehicle propulsion systems, often employed for satellite orbital injection or for pressurising launch vehicle propellant circuits.

To reduce mass by between 30 and 50% compared with all-metal tanks, EADS LAUNCH VEHICLES uses high performance materials: a very thin metallic liner provides a gas-tight seal and serves as a mandrel for a composite envelope, wound in Kevlar or carbon fibres, which ensures pressure retention. As at the end of 2000, all tanks that have flown have performed faultlessly.

Spherical tanks for satellites have capacities of between 18 and 90 litres with operating pressures of up to 300 bar. These are fitted to 84 international satellites such as Arabsat II and III, Eutelsat II and III (W24), Telecom 2 and 3, Insat, Thaicom, Sirius, Sinosat, Hispasat, Turksat, Orion, Astra 1K, GE12 and 14, Stentor, Rosetta, Cluster, Mars Express, Nilesat, Inmarsat and Nahuel.

Launch vehicles tanks (capacity 123 litres – operating pressure 326 bars) have been fitted to Ariane 4 since flight 49 and save 80 kg in the second stage all up mass, which translates into an increase in payload of 18 kg. Carbon fibre was selected for tanks used in the Main Cryogenic Stage (EPC) and the Storable Propellant Stage (EPS) for Ariane 5 (capacity 300 litres – operating pressure: 400 bar).

EADS LAUNCH VEHICLES is currently engaged in an on-going product improvement programme aimed at responding to customer requirements and is developing a new range of high-pressure cylindrical tanks, manufactured using carbon fibre windings over a metal liner. These new generation tanks have the advantage of being rapidly adaptable to various requirements and applications at a significantly lower cost, as their volume can be changed at will. They are compatible with helium for chemical propulsion and with xenon for electric propulsion. In parallel, EADS LV is undertaking studies into new liner technologies, which will be lighter and less costly.

The 500th tank delivered by EADS LAUNCH VEHICLES is a 35 Kevlar-wound tank (operating pressure: 276 bar). It is destined for the Sicral 2 satellite, manufactured by the Italian company Fiat Avio.