Transient thermal stress of CFRP propellant tank depending on charging speed of cryogenic fluid

In order to increase thrust of the space launch vehicle, liquid oxygen as an oxidizer and kerosene or liquid hydrogen as a fuel are generally used. The oxidizer tank and fuel tanks are manufactured by composite materials such as CFRP (Carbon Fiber Reinforced Plastic) to increase pay load. The thermal stress of the cryogenic propellant tank should be considered because it has large temperature gradient. In this study, to confirm the design integrity of the oxidizer tank of liquid oxygen, a numerical analysis was conducted on the thermal stress and temperature distribution of the tank for various charging speed of the cryogenic fluid from 100 ~ 900 LPM taking into account the evaporation rate of the liquid nitrogen by convective heat transfer outside the tank and boiling heat transfer inside the tank. The thermal stress was also calculated coupled with the temperature distribution of the CFRP tank. Based on the analysis results, the charging speed of the LN2 can majorly affects the charging time and the resultant thermal stress.