Space qualification of the ISO cryogenic rupture discs

✍ Scribed by E. Ettlinger; H. Rüdiger; M. Wanner

• Publisher: Elsevier Science
• Year: 1990
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 402 KB
• Volume: 30
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0011-2275
• DOI: 10.1016/0011-2275(90)90094-s

✦ Synopsis

Space cryostats, like the model to be used in the Infrared Space Observatory (ISO), require safety components to protect the satellite, the launcher and the personnel against overpressure in the helium system. The ISO cryostat, which carries 2250 dm 3 of liquid helium, will be equipped with a rupture disc as the ultimate safety component in case of loss of the insulation vacuum. Because it will have to operate under conditions of zero gravity and low pressure drop, the rupture disc has to be located directly on the helium tank and may thus release up to 5 kg s -1 of helium at a differential pressure of 2.6 bar* directly into the insulation vacuum space. The selection and design of the rupture disc, as well as the test and qualification philosophy, are described in this paper. Qualification has been based on a batch of 20 discs to give a high level of reliability for this critical safety component.