Liquid Helium tanks [ Return towards Flight equipment for storage ]

Liquid Helium tanks for use in the space industry

Helium is widely used in space applications, such as pressurizing cryogenic tanks for example or as a vector fluid for cooling different optical components on satellites. Because of this, Air Liquide has developed supercritical and superfluid Helium cryostats that fulfill these different functions while guaranteeing a maximum available Helium mass for a minimum storage mass and compactness.

Air Liquide has developed liquid Helium cryostats tailored to the requirements of space launchers and combining efficiency and compactness but also structural resistance to the different stresses at launch. These cryostats are mainly used for storing supercritical Helium used, after re-heating, to pressurize the liquid oxygen tanks on the launchers.
Air Liquide has also developed liquid Helium cryostats tailored to the requirements of satellites combining efficiency and operating lifetime. These cryostats are used to store superfluid Helium used to cool different optical components and equipment.

These cryostats comprise an internal casing for storing liquid helium between 1.6 K and 4 K, multi-layer vacuum insulation (MLI) and an external casing subject to the external environment. Heat screens can be added to increase cryostat performance thereby ensuring that the Helium is kept at low temperature for several years in orbit. The materials used are chiefly aluminum alloys that ensure weight is kept to a minimum while offering significant thermal and structural properties. The different welding and assembly processes are so well mastered that less than one milligram of Helium is allowed to escape in a century.
The main advantage of these complex storage facilities lies in the larger payload capacity compared with gaseous storage.

Range

Supercritical Helium Tank:
- Volume: 1332 liters
- Mass: 224 kg
- Operating lifetime: 5 years
- Leak rate: 10-9 mb.l/s

Superluid Helium Tank:
- Volume: 1332 liters
- Mass: 224 kg
- Operating lifetime: 5 years
- Leak rate: 10-9 mb.l/s

Key benefits

Maturity: The supercritical Helium tanks are fitted to Ariane 5 and are subject to continuous improvement to increase their performance. These tanks have demonstrated their efficiency and their strength.
Quality and cleanness: These tanks are manufactured in accordance with the specifications on quality set out in the European space standards in a controlled environment. Air Liquide has different class 100 to 100000 clean rooms at its disposal to ensure cleanness that is compatible with the end requirement.
Support: Air Liquide is also able to offer follow-up and service for activities related to storage provision, from supplying the Helium to monitoring implementation operations prior to launch.
Adaptability: Air Liquide is able to design, proportion and manufacture different cryostats tailored to customer needs.
On the spot testing area: A testing area is used to test these cryostats in a cryogenic environment.