Related Projects: LOX Feed, LOX Tank, GOX Vent Valve, LOX Run Valve
Role: Mentor, Scope Owner
Duration: September 2024 – May 2025
Requirements: Develop a fill and drain valve for liquid oxygen loading. It is normally open and pneumatically held closed, with a requirement to open under cryogenic conditions when unpressurized.
Summary: The LOX fill/drain valve is a poppet-style normally open cryogenic pneumatically-actuated valve. It uses a standard AS930B 37 degree flared fitting to interface with the LOX fill line, and dumps through the same fitting when it’s disconnected.
This valve did not suffer from the same seal contraction issues as the LOX Run Valve because of the poppet-style design.
Results: The valve was fully operational and required no iteration, supporting cold flows, static fire, and launch. It was not capable of re-sealing after a fill cycle due to frost buildup on the poppet surface interfering with the spring loaded seals. Thus, a fill-drain cycle required allowing the system to warm up and defrost before it could be filled again.
