Experimental Study Of An In-Flight Air Separation Device

Intending to provide in-flight Oxygen Collection capability to new launchers, a subscale model of a centrifugally enhanced air distillation unit is under development. The vehicle we foresee for this application is described elsewhere, the present paper concentrating only on the technological and
experimental aspects. While the test setup has already been shown to be able to provide the
adequate cooling power, the rig is still under construction. The experimental and technical aspects include choices and main trade-offs that had to be made during the design process.
Of particular interest are the stainless steel all welded heat exchangers allowing for deep
cooling and liquefaction of air from the main compressor and dryers. Specifically, developed
hardware is described in details. On the test rig side, design of the rotating cryogenic separator
is explained, including mechanical aspects, heat management and sealing. The whole system has modes of operation allowing, among other parameters, to explore various air compositions and mass flows rates on the gaseous and liquid sides. Perspectives are given for the testing of the separator.