Measuring Air Leaks Into the Vacuum Space of Large Liquid Hydrogen Tanks

摘要

Large cryogenic liquid hydrogen tanks are composed of inner and outer shells. The outer shell is exposed to the ambient environment while the inner shell holds the liquid hydrogen. The region between these two shells is evacuated and typically filled with a powder-like insulation to minimize radiative coupling between the two shells. A technique was developed for detecting the presence of an air leak from the outside environment into this evacuated region.