Activation and initial test operations of large rocket engine - Thrust chamber test facilities.
M-1 Engine Thrust Chamber Assembly test facilities and analog computor simulation during checkout
TEST FACILITY↗
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Aerospike thrust chamber program
An existing, but damaged, 25,000-pound thrust, flightweight, oxygen/hydrogen aerospike rocket thrust chamber was disassembled and partially repaired. A description is presented of the aerospike chamber configuration and of the damage it had suffered. Techniques for aerospike thrust chamber repair were developed, and are described, covering repair procedures for lightweight tubular nozzles, titanium thrust structures, and copper channel combustors. Effort was terminated prior to completion of the repairs and conduct of a planned hot fire test program when it was found that the copper alloy walls of many of the thrust chamber's 24 combustors had been degraded in strength and ductility during the initial fabrication of the thrust chamber. The degradation is discussed and traced to a reaction between oxygen and/or oxides diffused into the copper alloy during fabrication processes and the hydrogen utilized as a brazing furnace atmosphere during the initial assembly operation on many of the combustors. The effects of the H2/O2 reaction within the copper alloy are described.
Campbell, J., Jr.↗
Development of a simplified procedure for rocket engine thrust chamber life prediction with creep
An analytical method for predicting engine thrust chamber life is developed. The method accounts for high pressure differentials and time-dependent creep effects both of which are significant in limiting the useful life of the shuttle main engine thrust chamber. The hot-gas-wall ligaments connecting adjacent cooling channels ribs and separating the coolant flow from the combustion gas are subjected to a high pressure induced primary stress superimposed on an alternating cyclic thermal strain field. The pressure load combined with strain-controlled cycling produces creep ratcheting and consequent bulging and thinning of these ligaments. This mechanism of creep-enhanced ratcheting is analyzed for determining the hot-gas-wall deformation and accumulated strain. Results are confirmed by inelastic finite element analysis. Fatigue and creep rupture damage as well as plastic tensile instability are evaluated as potential failure modes. It is demonstrated for the NARloy Z cases analyzed that when pressure differentials across the ligament are high, creep rupture damage is often the primary failure mode for the cycle times considered.
Badlani, M. L.↗
Prediction of engine and near-field plume reacting flows in low-thrust chemical rockets
A computational model is employed to study the reacting flow within the engine and near-field plumes of several small gaseous hydrogen-oxygen thrusters. The model solves the full Navier-Stokes equations coupled with species diffusion equations for a hydrogen-oxygen reaction kinetics system and includes a two-equation q-omega model for turbulence. Predictions of global performance parameters and localized flowfield variables are compared with experimental data in order to assess the accuracy with which these flowfields are modeled and to identify aspects of the model which require improvement. Predicted axial and radial velocities 3 mm downstream of the exit plane show reasonable agreement with the measurements. The predicted peak in axial velocity in the hydrogen film coolant along the nozzle wall shows the best agreement; however, predictions within the core region are roughly 15 percent below measured values, indicating an underprediction of the extent to which the hydrogen diffuses and mixes with the core flow. There is evidence that this is due to three-dimensional mixing processes which are not included in the axisymmetric model.
Weiss, Jonathan M.↗
Thermal Hydraulics Design and Analysis Methodology for a Solid-Core Nuclear Thermal Rocket Engine Thrust Chamber
Nuclear thermal propulsion is a leading candidate for in-space propulsion for human Mars missions. This chapter describes a thermal hydraulics design and analysis methodology developed at the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center, in support of the nuclear thermal propulsion development effort. The objective of this campaign is to bridge the design methods in the Rover/NERVA era, with a modern computational fluid dynamics and heat transfer methodology, to predict thermal, fluid, and hydrogen environments of a hypothetical solid-core, nuclear thermal engine the Small Engine, designed in the 1960s. The computational methodology is based on an unstructured-grid, pressure-based, all speeds, chemically reacting, computational fluid dynamics and heat transfer platform, while formulations of flow and heat transfer through porous and solid media were implemented to describe those of hydrogen flow channels inside the solid24 core. Design analyses of a single flow element and the entire solid-core thrust chamber of the Small Engine were performed and the results are presented herein
Wang, Ten-See↗
Conjugate points on extremal rocket paths.
Conjugate points on extremal finite thrust rocket trajectories in central gravitational field
Kelley, H. J.↗
Calculations of low Reynolds number rocket nozzles
The performance of low-thrust rocket nozzles was studied with a full Navier-Stokes code. The effect of the reduction of the nozzle length on the viscous loss and on the two-dimensional loss due to the increase in the nozzle exit angle was examined by calculating the flowfield and performance values of hydrogen resistojet nozzle with various lengths and shapes (such as 20-deg or 30-deg conical nozzles and a nozzle whose wall contour is given by the Rao nozzle optimization code). It was found that the vacuum specific impulse value of the 30-deg conical nozzle was the highest and that of the contoured nozzle was the lowest among the three nozzles, whose throat Reynolds number and area ratio were 1150 and 82, respectively.
Kim, Suk C.↗
Thermophysics Characterization of Kerosene Combustion
A one-formula surrogate fuel formulation and its quasi-global combustion kinetics model are developed to support the design of injectors and thrust chambers of kerosene-fueled rocket engines. This surrogate fuel model depicts a fuel blend that properly represents the general physical and chemical properties of kerosene. The accompanying gaseous-phase thermodynamics of the surrogate fuel is anchored with the heat of formation of kerosene and verified by comparing a series of one-dimensional rocket thrust chamber calculations. The quasi-global combustion kinetics model consists of several global steps for parent fuel decomposition, soot formation, and soot oxidation, and a detailed wet-CO mechanism. The final thermophysics formulations are incorporated with a computational fluid dynamics model for prediction of the combustor efficiency of an uni-element, tri-propellant combustor and the radiation of a kerosene-fueled thruster plume. The model predictions agreed reasonably well with those of the tests.
Wang, Ten-See↗
Thermophysics Characterization of Kerosene Combustion
A one-formula surrogate fuel formulation and its quasi-global combustion kinetics model are developed to support the design of injectors and thrust chambers of kerosene-fueled rocket engines. This surrogate fuel model depicts a fuel blend that properly represents the general physical and chemical properties of kerosene. The accompanying gaseous-phase thermodynamics of the surrogate fuel is anchored with the heat of formation of kerosene and verified by comparing a series of one-dimensional rocket thrust chamber calculations. The quasi-global combustion kinetics model consists of several global steps for parent fuel decomposition, soot formation, and soot oxidation and a detailed wet-CO mechanism to complete the combustion process. The final thermophysics formulations are incorporated with a computational fluid dynamics model for prediction of the combustion efficiency of an unielement, tripropellant combustor and the radiation of a kerosene-fueled thruster plume. The model predictions agreed reasonably well with those of the tests.
Wang, Ten-See↗
Structural analysis of cylindrical thrust chambers, volume 1
Life predictions of regeneratively cooled rocket thrust chambers are normally derived from classical material fatigue principles. The failures observed in experimental thrust chambers do not appear to be due entirely to material fatigue. The chamber coolant walls in the failed areas exhibit progressive bulging and thinning during cyclic firings until the wall stress finally exceeds the material rupture stress and failure occurs. A preliminary analysis of an oxygen free high conductivity (OFHC) copper cylindrical thrust chamber demonstrated that the inclusion of cumulative cyclic plastic effects enables the observed coolant wall thinout to be predicted. The thinout curve constructed from the referent analysis of 10 firing cycles was extrapolated from the tenth cycle to the 200th cycle. The preliminary OFHC copper chamber 10-cycle analysis was extended so that the extrapolated thinout curve could be established by performing cyclic analysis of deformed configurations at 100 and 200 cycles. Thus the original range of extrapolation was reduced and the thinout curve was adjusted by using calculated thinout rates at 100 and 100 cycles. An analysis of the same underformed chamber model constructed of half-hard Amzirc to study the effect of material properties on the thinout curve is included.
Armstrong, W. H.↗
Internal-Film Cooling of Rocket Nozzles
Experiments were conducted with 1000-pound-thrust rocket engine to determine feasibility of cooling convergent-divergent nozzle by internal film of water introduced at nozzle entrance. Water flow of 3 percent of propellant flow reduced heat flow into nozzle to 55 percent of uncooled heat flow. Introduction of water by porous ring before nozzle resulted in more uniform coverage of nozzle than water introduced by single arrangement of 36 jets directed along nozzle wall. Water flow through porous ring of 3.5 percent of propellant flow stabilized wall temperature in convergent section but did not adequately cool throat or divergent sections.
HEAT TRANSFER↗
The flight and impact dispersion of the Comet Nucleus Penetrator - A six-degree-of-freedom simulation
The flight dynamics of a Penetrator probe which, as part of a Comet Rendezvous and Asteroid Flyby mission will impact a known periodic comet, possibly Hempel 2, and penetrate beneath the surface to obtain measurements, is discussed. The mission is described, including the penetrator-separation dynamics, the dynamics during initial coast and rocket thrust phase, and the final coast to impact. The effects on the results that may be caused by the comet nucleus gravity field variations, uncertainty in the spacecraft state vector, the spacecraft pointing accuracy, initial separation errors, and rocket motor thrust errors are examined.
Mascy, A. C.↗
Analog Simulation of a Pilot-Controlled Rendezvous
The rendezvous of a pilot-controlled space ferry vehicle with an orbiting space station was simulated in six degrees of freedom. A fixed-base simulator and an analog computer were used. The ferry vehicle was assumed to have a single main thrusting rocket and to be provided with attitude control. Control of the thrust was provided by a rocket throttle quadrant which could provide either proportional or on-off control. The attitude of the vehicle was controlled during the rendezvous with a two-axis, pencil-type side-arm controller and rudder pedals. For the most part rendezvous maneuvers were made with the target satellite in a circular orbit. In addition, an elliptical station orbit was investigated. Tolerable initial conditions, as well as adequate data presentations, were determined. Results of the investigation indicate that a human pilot can rendezvous successfully with the vehicle and instrumentation considered over a wide band of initial conditions. Coplanar conditions are not necessary. Retro-rocket fuel used is not greatly increased by imposing perturbing influences such as rocket-misalignment torques on the rendezvous vehicle. When excessive attitude-control torques are required to maintain the necessary trim attitudes under misalignment influences, the reaction fuel used for this control increases. The time required for a specific rendezvous varies somewhat between pilots. If control of the time for completing the rendezvous is desired, requirements for retrorocket fuel are affected, and an energy-management schedule is required. Continuous variation of the thrust is not necessary. The pilot positions the throttle to obtain a desired level of thrust, and applies bursts of thrust as required. All data were presented on dialed instruments. The quantities required are range and range rate and line-of-sight rates between the vehicle and the station, vehicle attitudes and angular rates, and the angles subtended by the line of sight. For the equipment assumed herein, satellite rendezvous presented no great problem to the pilot.
Brissenden, Roy F.↗
Structural damage claims resulting from acoustic environments developed during static test firing of rocket engines
During static testing of multi-million pound thrust rocket engines areas adjacent to the test site have been subjected to the noise generated by rocket engines. Structural damage claims and subjective complaints were filed by those who alleged that the noise levels were excessive. The statistical analysis of these claims and complaints which were filed during these rocket engine development programs led to the determination of a relationship between claims and overall sound pressure level. Community exposure criteria are then assessed based on what can be considered allowable acoustic environments from large rocket engines.
Guest, S. H.↗
An experimental investigation of high-aspect-ratio cooling passages
An experimental investigation was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of using high-aspect-ratio cooling passenges to improve the life and reduce the colant pressure drop in high-pressure rocket thrust chambers. A plug-nozzle rocket-engine test apparatus was used to test two cylindrical chambers with low-aspect-ratio cooling passages and one with high-aspect-ratio cooling passages. The chambers were cyclically tested and data were taken over a wide range of coolant mass flows. The results showed that for the same coolant pressure drop, the hot-gas-side wall temperature of the high-aspect-ratio chamber was 30 percent lower than the baseline low-aspect-ratio chamber, resulting in no fatigue damage to the wall. The coolant pressure drop for the high-aspect-ratio chamber was reduced in increments to one-half that of the baseline chamber, by reducing the coolant mass flow, and still resulted in a reduction in the hot-gas-side wall temperature when compared to the low-aspect-ratio chambers.
Carlile, Julie A.↗
An experimental investigation of high-aspect-ratio cooling passages
An experimental investigation was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of using high-aspect-ratio cooling passages to improve the life and reduce the coolant pressure drop in high-pressure rocket thrust chambers. A plug-nozzle rocket-engine test apparatus was used to test two cylindrical chambers with low-aspect-ratio cooling passages and one with high-aspect-ratio cooling passages. The chambers were cyclically tested and data were taken over a wide range of coolant mass flows. The results showed that for the same coolant pressure drop, the hot-gas-side wall temperature of the high-aspect-ratio chamber was 30 percent lower than the baseline low-aspect-ratio chamber, resulting in no fatigue damage to the wall. The coolant pressure drop for the high-aspect-ratio chamber was reduced in increments to one-half that of the baseline chamber, by reducing the coolant mass flow, and still resulted in a reduction in the hot-gas-side wall temperature when compared to the low-aspect-ratio chambers.
Carlile, Julie A.↗
Transient pressure measuring methods research Summary technical report, 1 Jan. - 30 Jun. 1965
Transient pressure transducers for measuring dynamic pressures in rocket thrust chambers
ROCKET CHAMBER↗
Investigation of advanced thrust chamber designs
Design criteria and fabrication techniques for regeneratively cooled rocket thrust chambers
Brown, C. H.↗