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At least 127 records · Page 7

Orbit transfer vehicle engine study. Volume 3: Program costs

Budgetary and planning cost estimates are presented that were prepared for the development, production and operation and flight support phases for each of the engines proposed for OTV propulsion. The major features of each category engine are described. The development program estimates were structured to the preliminary program Work Breakdown Structures (WBS). Program costs are provided within the applicable WBS elements to Level 4 for each category engine. The production program cost estimates assume a first production lot of 50 units produced at a rate of two units per month. Cumulative average unit costs assume a 90% learning capability. The operations and flight support cost estimates are based on 15, 30 and 45 missions per year for the period 1988 through 1999. Estimated funding requirements were developed for each category and program phase. All cost estimates and funding data are presented in 1979 dollars. The assumptions and ground rules for these estimates are summarized.

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Propulsion over a wide Mach number range

Criteria is presented to assess the relative merits of different propulsion systems. Previous references focus mainly on subsonic or low supersonic flight speeds. The main focus here is on a higher range, from low supersonic to orbital velocities. Air breathing propulsion systems for hypersonic flight persent the engine designer with circumstances that differ in important fundamental ways from those encountered in engines designed for operation at subsonic or low supersonic speeds. This analysis highlights the importance of various features of hypersonic engine design. Since the performance of hypersonic engines are energy limited, unlike low speed engines which are stagnation pressure limited, the efficient use of the energy of the fuel used is critical to minimize the take-off fuel mass fraction of the vehicle. Furthermore, since the required energy increase of a vehicle per incremental speed change increases with speed, the engine must be designed to operate efficiently at high speed. An analysis of engine performance in terms of entropy changes of the flow passing through the engine allows comparison of various engine designs as well as a convenient method to determine the effect of individual engine component efficiencies on overall engine performance.

Resler, Edwin L., Jr.

Progress in the development of energy efficient engine components

Component test results are presented for the NASA Energy Efficient Engine program, whose design goals relative to the CF6-50C reference engine include a 12% reduction in specific fuel consumption, 5% reduction in direct operating costs, and 50% reduction in specific fuel consumption deterioration rate over the course of commercial service. Emphasis is placed on the engine's high pressure compressor, which has a design pressure ratio of 23:1, and has completed a series of component tests whose resulting configuration is expected to meet all major objectives of the program. Descriptions are given of the core engine and integrated core/low spool tests, and system test benefits are discussed. Attention is given to the design features of the engine's double annular combustor, high and low pressure air turbines, and scale model exhaust mixer.

Bucy, R. W.

Engineering knowledge requirements for sand and dust on Mars

The successful landing of human beings on Mars and the establishment of a permanent outpost there will require an understanding of the Martian environment by the engineers. A key feature of the Martian environment is the nearly ubiquitous presence of sand and dust. The process which the engineering community will undertake to determine the sensitivities of their designs to the current level of knowledge about Mars sand and dust is emphasized. The interaction of the engineering community with the space exploration initiative (SEI) mission planners and management is described.

Kaplan, D. I.

Quiet, Clean, Short-Haul Experimental Engines /QCSEE/ - A technology development program

NASA's QCSEE Program (Quiet, Clean, Short-Haul Experimental Engine) performed by the General Electric Company covers a wide range of advanced propulsion technology features applicable to future subsonic engine concepts. These technology features are combined into two engine and nacelle configurations for demonstration of program goals. This paper presents descriptions of two engine/nacelle configurations and shows the flow of technology developed in component programs into the configurations. The under-the-wing (UTW) configuration, featuring major innovative and advanced components, such as a large variable pitch fan and a composite material integrated engine and nacelle structure, has been tested at General Electric's Peebles, Ohio test facility. The key characteristics of the engine as observed from the initial test series are presented.

Willis, W. S.

Design concept for LOX/hydrocarbon tripropellant booster engine

The design concept for a LOX/hydrocarbon tripropellant booster engines is discussed. The engine design is for the gas generator cycle with liquid methane, liquid oxygen, and liquid hydrogen as propellants, the latter greatly reducing risks associated with the high-pressure reusable hydrocarbon booster engines. The design features high combustion stability and high efficiency. The excellent cooling capability of liquid hydrogen was established in several operational engine designs. Multiple design diagrams are included.

Visek, W. A., Jr.

Nitrous Oxide/Paraffin Hybrid Rocket Engines

Nitrous oxide/paraffin (N2OP) hybrid rocket engines have been invented as alternatives to other rocket engines especially those that burn granular, rubbery solid fuels consisting largely of hydroxyl- terminated polybutadiene (HTPB). Originally intended for use in launching spacecraft, these engines would also be suitable for terrestrial use in rocket-assisted takeoff of small airplanes. The main novel features of these engines are (1) the use of reinforced paraffin as the fuel and (2) the use of nitrous oxide as the oxidizer. Hybrid (solid-fuel/fluid-oxidizer) rocket engines offer advantages of safety and simplicity over fluid-bipropellant (fluid-fuel/fluid-oxidizer) rocket en - gines, but the thrusts of HTPB-based hybrid rocket engines are limited by the low regression rates of the fuel grains. Paraffin used as a solid fuel has a regression rate about 4 times that of HTPB, but pure paraffin fuel grains soften when heated; hence, paraffin fuel grains can, potentially, slump during firing. In a hybrid engine of the present type, the paraffin is molded into a 3-volume-percent graphite sponge or similar carbon matrix, which supports the paraffin against slumping during firing. In addition, because the carbon matrix material burns along with the paraffin, engine performance is not appreciably degraded by use of the matrix.

Zubrin, Robert

Engine Lubricant

PS 212, a plasma-sprayed coating developed by NASA, is used to coat valves in a new rotorcam engine. The coating eliminates the need for a liquid lubricant in the rotorcam, which has no crankshaft, flywheel, distributor or water pump. Developed by Murray United Development Corporation, it is a rotary engine only 10 inches long with four cylinders radiating outward from a central axle. Company officials say the engine will be lighter, more compact and cheaper to manufacture than current engines and will feature cleaner exhaust emissions. A licensing arrangement with a manufacturer is under negotiation. Primary applications are for automobiles, but the engine may also be used in light aircraft.

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Atomic hydrogen rocket engine

A rocket using atomic hydrogen propellant is discussed. An essential feature of the proposed engine is that the atomic hydrogen fuel is used as it is produced, thus eliminating the necessity of storage. The atomic hydrogen flows into a combustion chamber and recombines, producing high velocity molecular hydrogen which flows out an exhaust port. Standard thermodynamics, kinetic theory and wall recombination cross-sections are used to predict a thrust of approximately 1.4 N for a RF hydrogen flow rate of 4 x 10 to the 22nd/sec. Specific impulses are nominally from 1000 to 2000 sec. It is predicted that thrusts on the order of one Newton and specific impulses of up to 2200 sec are attainable with nominal RF discharge fluxes on the order of 10 to the 22nd atoms/sec; further refinements will probably not alter these predictions by more than a factor of two.

Etters, R. D.

Interactive Computer Graphics

Aerospace data analysis tools that significantly reduce the time and effort needed to analyze large-scale computational fluid dynamics simulations have emerged this year. The current approach for most postprocessing and visualization work is to explore the 3D flow simulations with one of a dozen or so interactive tools. While effective for analyzing small data sets, this approach becomes extremely time consuming when working with data sets larger than one gigabyte. An active area of research this year has been the development of data mining tools that automatically search through gigabyte data sets and extract the salient features with little or no human intervention. With these so-called feature extraction tools, engineers are spared the tedious task of manually exploring huge amounts of data to find the important flow phenomena. The software tools identify features such as vortex cores, shocks, separation and attachment lines, recirculation bubbles, and boundary layers. Some of these features can be extracted in a few seconds; others take minutes to hours on extremely large data sets. The analysis can be performed off-line in a batch process, either during or following the supercomputer simulations. These computations have to be performed only once, because the feature extraction programs search the entire data set and find every occurrence of the phenomena being sought. Because the important questions about the data are being answered automatically, interactivity is less critical than it is with traditional approaches.

Kenwright, David

The gate studies: Assessing the potential of future small general aviation turbine engines

Four studies were completed that explore the opportunities for future General Aviation turbine engines (GATE) in the 150-1000 SHP class. These studies forecasted the potential impact of advanced technology turbine engines in the post-1988 market, identified important aircraft and missions, desirable engine sizes, engine performance, and cost goals. Parametric evaluations of various engine cycles, configurations, design features, and advanced technology elements defined baseline conceptual engines for each of the important missions identified by the market analysis. Both fixed-wing and helicopter aircraft, and turboshaft, turboprop, and turbofan engines were considered. Sizable performance gains (e.g., 20% SFC decrease), and large engine cost reductions of sufficient magnitude to challenge the reciprocating engine in the 300-500 SHP class were predicted.

Strack, W. C.

New opportunities for future small civil turbine engines: Overviewing the GATE studies

An overview of four independent studies forecasts the potential impact of advanced technology turbine engines in the post 1988 market, identifies important aircraft and missions, desirable engine sizes, engine performance, and cost goals. Parametric evaluations of various engine cycles, configurations, design features, and advanced technology elements defined baseline conceptual engines for each of the important missions identified by the market analysis. Both fixed-wing and helicopter aircraft, and turboshaft, turboprop, and turbofan engines were considered. Sizable performance gains (e.g., 20% SFC decrease), and large engine cost reductions of sufficient magnitude are predicted to challenge the reciprocating engine in the 300-500 SHP class.

Strack, W. C.

The GATE studies - Assessing the potential of future small general aviation turbine engines

Four studies have been completed that explore the opportunities for future General Aviation Turbine Engines (GATE) in the 150-1000 SHP class. These studies forecasted the potential impact of advanced technology turbine engines in the post-1988 market, identified important aircraft and missions, desirable engine sizes, engine performance and cost goals. Parametric evaluations of various engine cycles, configurations, design features, and advanced technology elements defined baseline conceptual engines for each of the important missions identified by the market analysis. Both fixed-wing and helicopter aircraft, and turboshaft, turboprop, and turbofan engines were considered. Key technology areas were recommended for NASA support in order to realize proposed improvements.

Strack, W. C.

New opportunities for future small civil turbine engines - Overviewing the GATE studies

This paper presents an overview of four independent studies that explore the opportunities for future General Aviation Turbine Engines (GATE) in the 150-1000 SHP class. Detroit Diesel Allison, Garrett/AiResearch, Teledyne CAE, and Williams Research participated along with several airframers. These studies forecasted the potential impact of advanced technology turbine engines in the post-1988 market, identified important aircraft and missions, desirable engine sizes, engine performance and cost goals. Parametric evaluations of various engine cycles, configurations, design features, and advanced technology elements defined baseline conceptual engines for each of the important missions identified by the market analysis. Both fixed-wing and helicopter aircraft, and turboshaft, turboprop, and turbofan engines were considered. All four companies predicted sizable performance gains (e.g., 20% SFC decrease), and three predicted large engine cost reductions of sufficient magnitude to challenge the reciprocating engine in the 300-500 SHP class. Key technology areas were recommended for NASA support in order to realize these improvements.

Strack, W. C.

Advanced automotive diesel assessment program

Cummins Engine Company completed an analytical study to identify an advanced automotive (light duty) diesel (AAD) power plant for a 3,000-pound passenger car. The study resulted in the definition of a revolutionary diesel engine with several novel features. A 3,000-pound car with this engine is predicted to give 96.3, 72.2, and 78.8 MPG in highway, city, and combined highway-city driving, respectively. This compares with current diesel powered cars yielding 41.7, 35.0, and 37.7 MPG. The time for 0-60 MPH acceleration is 13.9 sec. compared to the baseline of 15.2 sec. Four technology areas were identified as crucial in bringing this concept to fruition. They are: (1) part-load preheating, (2) positive displacement compounding, (3) spark assisted diesel combustion system, and (4) piston development for adiabatic, oilless diesel engine. Marketing and planning studies indicate that an aggressive program with significant commitment could result in a production car in 10 years from the date of commencement.

Sekar, R.

Space Shuttle Main Engine (SSME) Operational Capability

Through the years of the Space Shuttle Main Engine (SSME) program the engine has evolved and operational capabilities have been demonstrated beyond the original Shuttle requirements. In an effort to enhance flight safety and demonstrate safety features and margins, engines have been analyzed and tested at many different operating points. Various studies through the years evaluating the SSME for different applications both as a boost stage and upper stage have also added insight into the overall operational characteristics of the engine and have further defined safety margins for the Shuttle application. This paper will summarize the operational characteristics of the SSME from the original design requirements to the expanded capabilities demonstrated through analysis, lab testing and especially "off-nominal" engine testing leading to an increased understanding of the engine operational characteristics and safety margins. Basic engine characteristics such as thrust, mixture ratio, propellant inlet conditions, system redundancy, etc. will be examined.

Benefield, Philip

Preliminary Results From a Heavily Instrumented Engine Ice Crystal Icing Test in a Ground Based Altitude Test Facility

Preliminary results from the heavily instrumented ALF502R-5 engine test conducted in the NASA Glenn Research Center Propulsion Systems Laboratory are discussed. The effects of ice crystal icing on a full scale engine is examined and documented. This same model engine, serial number LF01, was used during the inaugural icing test in the Propulsion Systems Laboratory facility. The uncommanded reduction of thrust (rollback) events experienced by this engine in flight were simulated in the facility. Limited instrumentation was used to detect icing on the LF01 engine. Metal temperatures on the exit guide vanes and outer shroud and the load measurement were the only indicators of ice formation. The current study features a similar engine, serial number LF11, which is instrumented to characterize the cloud entering the engine, detect/characterize ice accretion, and visualize the ice accretion in the region of interest. Data were acquired at key LF01 test points and additional points that explored: icing threshold regions, low altitude, high altitude, spinner heat effects, and the influence of varying the facility and engine parameters. For each condition of interest, data were obtained from some selected variations of ice particle median volumetric diameter, total water content, fan speed, and ambient temperature. For several cases the NASA in-house engine icing risk assessment code was used to find conditions that would lead to a rollback event. This study further helped NASA develop necessary icing diagnostic instrumentation, expand the capabilities of the Propulsion Systems Laboratory, and generate a dataset that will be used to develop and validate in-house icing prediction and risk mitigation computational tools. The ice accretion on the outer shroud region was acquired by internal video cameras. The heavily instrumented engine showed good repeatability of icing responses when compared to the key LF01 test points and during day-to-day operation. Other noticeable observations are presented.

Enigine Icing

Preliminary Results From a Heavily Instrumented Engine Ice Crystal Icing Test in a Ground Based Altitude Test Facility

Preliminary results from the heavily instrumented ALF502R-5 engine test conducted in the NASA Glenn Research Center Propulsion Systems Laboratory are discussed. The effects of ice crystal icing on a full scale engine is examined and documented. This same model engine, serial number LF01, was used during the inaugural icing test in the Propulsion Systems Laboratory facility. The uncommanded reduction of thrust (rollback) events experienced by this engine in flight were simulated in the facility. Limited instrumentation was used to detect icing on the LF01 engine. Metal temperatures on the exit guide vanes and outer shroud and the load measurement were the only indicators of ice formation. The current study features a similar engine, serial number LF11, which is instrumented to characterize the cloud entering the engine, detect/ characterize ice accretion, and visualize the ice accretion in the region of interest. Data were acquired at key LF01 test points and additional points that explored: icing threshold regions, low altitude, high altitude, spinner heat effects, and the influence of varying the facility and engine parameters. For each condition of interest, data were obtained from some selected variations of ice particle median volumetric diameter, total water content, fan speed, and ambient temperature. For several cases the NASA in-house engine icing risk assessment code was used to find conditions that would lead to a rollback event. This study further helped NASA develop necessary icing diagnostic instrumentation, expand the capabilities of the Propulsion Systems Laboratory, and generate a dataset that will be used to develop and validate in-house icing prediction and risk mitigation computational tools. The ice accretion on the outer shroud region was acquired by internal video cameras. The heavily instrumented engine showed good repeatability of icing responses when compared to the key LF01 test points and during day-to-day operation. Other noticeable observations are presented.

turbomachinery