liquid & solid propulsion overview dr. richard cohn chief, liquid engines branch propulsion...

Liquid & Solid Propulsion Overview

Dr. Richard CohnChief, Liquid Engines Branch

Propulsion DirectorateAir Force Research Laboratory

[email protected]

Not STINFO Approved. Distribution A – Public release, unlimited distribution. Release Number

mailto:[email protected]

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Space and Missile R&D Building Block Process

6.1 6.2 6.3


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Joint government and industry effort focused on developing affordable technologies for revolutionary, reusable and/or rapid response military global reach capability, sustainable strategic

missiles, long life or increased maneuverability spacecraft capability and high performance tactical missile capability

SMV/SOVSMV/SOV

Air-to-Air MissilesAir-to-Air Missiles

High Energy High Energy Upper StagesUpper Stages

ELVsELVs ICBMsICBMs

SLBMsSLBMs SatellitesSatellites

Micro-SatellitesMicro-Satellites

Integrated High Payoff Rocket Propulsion Technology (IHPRPT)

Ground/SurfaceGround/SurfaceLaunched MissilesLaunched Missiles


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Boost and Orbit Transfer Propulsion Near Mid Far• Improve ISP (sec) 14 21 26• Improve Thrust to Weight (Liquids) 30% 60% 100%• Improve Mass Fraction (Solids) 15% 25% 35% • Mean Time Between Removal (Missions) 20 40 100• Reduce Stage Failure Rate 25% 50% 75%• Reduce Hardware Costs 15% 25% 35%• Reduce Support Costs 15% 25% 35%

Spacecraft Propulsion• Improve Itot/Mass (wet) (Electrostatic/Electromagnetic) 20%/200% 35%/500%

75%/1250%• Improve Isp (Bipropellant/Solar Thermal) 5%/10% 10%/15% 20%/20%• Improve Density-Isp (Monopropellant) 30% 50% 70%• Improve Mass Fraction (Solar Thermal) 15% 25% 35%

Tactical Propulsion• Improve Delivered Energy 3% 7% 15%• Improve Mass Fraction (Without TVC/Throttling) 2% 5% 10% • Improve Mass Fraction (With TVC/Throttling) 10% 20% 30%

IHPRPT Goals


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Technology development for the warfighter

• Increase performance at reduced cost

• Improve tools to reduce life cycle cost and enable increased capability

• Aging and Surveillance

• Sustain industry technology development

Solid Motor

Technology development is critical to sustaining strategic system capability and

affordability


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• Inert Components• High strength composite case

• Low erosion / non-eroding nozzle

• Low erosion insulation

• Energetic components • Increased energy/low sensitivity ingredients

• High performance 1.3HC propellant

• Technology demonstration• Delivered performance of integrated components

• Demonstration of IHPRPT goal compliance

Solid Performance Technology


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• Performance • Multi-phase computational fluid dynamics

• Combustion of metallized propellants

• Ignition transient including erosive burning

• Thermostructual• Multi-phase heat transfer

• Material ablation, erosion, and burnback geometry

• Fluid Thermal Structural Interaction• Coupled solutions

• Model verification and validation

M&S Technology


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• Service life prediction technology

• Assessment of critical defects

• Propellant damage model development

• Environmental effects on material life

• Integrated motor life management

• Integrated sensor/data/analysis system

• Smart sensor technology

• Long term data warehousing

• Automated non-destructive evaluation

Aging and Surveillance Technology


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AFRL Edwards Rocket Site: LiquidRocket Technology Development

Air Force Programs

Air Force Proposed

Other Programs

X-33

XRS-2200

AFRL HC

Boost

On-Demand Launch(RBS)

Space Vector 1

AFRL Aerospike Tech

AFRL Thrust Cell Program

Military Space Plane & SOV

AFRL IPD

Concept Engine

AFRL XLR-129

SpaceShuttle

SSME

X-15

AFRL XLR-99

RL-10

Centaur Upper Stage

CL-400 Suntan

DC-X

J2X

RS 68- A/B ARES

Four Decades of Leadership in Rocket Engine TechnologyNot STINFO Approved. Distribution A – Public release, unlimited distribution. Release Number

Increasing Reusability

Rapid turn 4 hrs

100X lower ops cost

Vehicle reliability

All Wx availability

• 4X Sortie Airframe4X Sortie Airframe

• 5X Sortie Propulsion 5X Sortie Propulsion & Systems& Systems

Rapid turn 24 hrs

10X lower ops cost

Vehicle reliability

All Wx availability

• 2X Sortie Airframe

• 2.5X Sortie Propulsion & Systems

Rapid turn 48 hrs

3X lower ops cost

Vehicle reliability

All Wx availability

• High Sortie Airframe

• High Sortie Propulsion & Systems

Far TermMid TermNear Term

BASELINEEELV, Shuttle,Aircraft Ops

Responsive Space AccessTime Phased Plans


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Liquid Rocket

• Drive towards Modeling and Simulation

• Rocket Engine Development Programs– IPD (LOx/LH2 Booster)

– USET (LOx/LH2 Upper Stage)

– Hydrocarbon Boost (LOx/RP-2 Booster)

– 3GRB (LOx/LCH4 Booster)


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Drive Towards Model Driven Development

• There is a need to improve 30-40 year old modeling, simulation, & analysis (MS&A) tools

– Existing tools old and empirically based and require hundreds of tests

– Industry losing grey beards and thus design and analysis capability

– Could not handle new technologies like hydrostatic bearings

– Current and future computational capabilities allow use of physics-based tools to supplement testing

– Testing drives the cost of rocket programs

• Necessary

• Need to be smart

Test Driven Development

(TDD)

Model Driven Development

(MDD)


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Integrated Powerhead Demo (IPD)

• Joint program between AF, NASA, and Industry

• Supports sortie-like launch for Operationally Responsive Space (ORS)

• Payoffs: – 200 Mission Life (20X improvement)

– 100 MTBR

• First known full scale demonstration of Full Flow Staged Combustion Cycle in the World!

IPD Ground Engine: E1 Test Stand NASA SSC, Test 014TA: Standard Start to 85%PL, (Actual 89%PL) w/ Steady State; Test Profile SA, December 15th, 2005

IPD Ground Demonstrator Engine installed in E1 Complex Cell 1

IPD Ground Engine: E1 Test Stand NASA SSC, Test 013TA: Standard Start to 80%PL, 87%PL w/ Short Hold;

Test Profile RA, November 10th, 2005


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USET Objective

• Objective: Develop and demonstrate the next generation Model Driven Design (MDD) tools on an upper stage engine component

– Selected Turbopump

• Approach:

– Link commercial design tools with rocket specific empirical data, rocket specific material & propellant libraries, and user defined functions

– Replace targeted legacy design tools with physics based tools

• Enable Multi-Disciplinary Models, Time Accurate Solutions & Interconnected Models

– Reduced design time, more design iterations

– Higher fidelity analysis earlier in process

– Multi-disciplinary optimization

– Use Tools to design validation turbopump assembly

• Validation: provide sealed envelope predictions to compare with test data

Models & design tools applicable to other Liquid Boost & OTV Applications

- Range of Thrust - Range of Propellants - Range of Engine Cycles

Models & design tools applicable to other Liquid Boost & OTV Applications

- Range of Thrust - Range of Propellants - Range of Engine CyclesNot STINFO Approved. Distribution A – Public release, unlimited distribution. Release Number

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Vision Engine

TRL 3

Subscale / Rig TestingTRL 4

Component Testing

Integrated Demo Testing

TRL 5

TRL 5

Component TRL – Red

System TRL - Purple

Hydrocarbon Boost Developing LOx/RP staged combustion Technology

Mondalloy – High Strength

Ox-Compatible MaterialNot STINFO Approved. Distribution A – Public release, unlimited distribution. Release Number

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3GRB

• Advancement of the state of the art

– Innovative cycles/ component technologies

• Pursue IHPRPT Hydrocarbon Boost Phase III and Operability Goals

• Fuel Choice

– Rocket Grade Methane MIL-PRF-32207 is the baseline fuel

– Methane has high potential as fuel for booster stage rocket engines

– Database and experience on pump fed methane engines is lacking in US

• AFRL to leverage existing pressure fed activities (NASA)

• Develop rocket engine components

– Component and/or breadboard validation in laboratory environment

– No integrated demonstartion


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Conclusions

• AFRL/RZS is developing new technology in liquid and solid propulsion

• Mix of Tech Push and Mission Pull– Primary customer is SMC

• Focused efforts examining Cryo-Boost, HC Boost, and Upper Stage Rocket Propulsion– Aggressive goals lead to unique vision engines

– Tool development is crucial

• Developing the critical demonstration programs as well as the key underlying technologies– Mondalloy

• Other parts of AFRL working air-breathing concepts


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Comments on Roadmap

• Reads like a technology review of propulsion concepts– All work seems to be nearly in parallel

• Many technologies have been worked in the past– Fundamental changes that make them more effective?

• Combination of new technology and “engineering” development

• Some are being worked

• For more details on current activities, recommend a non-public release environment


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PWR Vision Engine

•Expander-Heat Exchanger Cycle (Ex-Hex)

•HEX reduces system pressures

–Enables higher Pressure Ratio turbine

–Reduces heat required to run cycle

–Significantly reduces Turbopump power

•Ex-Hex Eliminates Preburner–No moisture / contaminates–Eliminates drying / flushing –Significantly reduces Ground-Ops

•Low CH4 Hot Gas Temp

–Reduced hot gas system complexity

–Benign fluid environment

–Improved turbine drive system life

•Lower Engine pressures

–Existing test facility infrastructure


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WASK Vision Engine

• Staged Combustion Cycle

– Low Preburner Gas Temperature Assures Long Life

• Modular engine design

– Small TCAs Lower Development and Test Costs

– Altitude compensating nozzle

• Innovative TPA

– Eliminated boost pumps

– Single shaft


liquid & solid propulsion overview dr. richard cohn chief, liquid engines branch propulsion...

Documents

unlimited distribution

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tactical propulsion

spacecraft propulsion

validation ms technology

mass fraction solids15

mass fraction solar