Liquid

1
Liquid Solid Propulsion Overview

• Dr. Richard Cohn
• Chief, Liquid Engines Branch
• Propulsion Directorate
• Air Force Research Laboratory
• Richard.Cohn_at_edwards.af.mil
• 661-275-5198

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2
Space and Missile RD Building Block Process
6.3
6.1
6.2
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3
Integrated High Payoff Rocket Propulsion
Technology (IHPRPT)
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
ELVs
ICBMs
Micro-Satellites
SLBMs
Satellites
High Energy Upper Stages
SMV/SOV
Ground/Surface Launched Missiles
Air-to-Air Missiles
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4
IHPRPT Goals

• 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/Electromagn
  etic) 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

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5
Solid Motor

• 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

Technology development is critical to sustaining
strategic system capability and affordability
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6
Solid Performance Technology

• 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

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7
MS Technology

• 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

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8
Aging and Surveillance Technology

• 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

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9
AFRL Edwards Rocket Site LiquidRocket
Technology Development
RS 68- A/B
Military Space Plane SOV
ARES
On-Demand Launch (RBS)
Air Force Programs Air Force Proposed Other
Programs
Centaur Upper Stage
Space Vector 1
J2X
Concept Engine
AFRL HC Boost
Space Shuttle
XRS-2200
RL-10
CL-400 Suntan
AFRL XLR-99
AFRL Aerospike Tech
Four Decades of Leadership in Rocket Engine
Technology
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10
Responsive Space AccessTime Phased Plans
Increasing Reusability

• Rapid turn 4 hrs
• 100X lower ops cost
• Vehicle reliability
• All Wx availability
• 4X Sortie Airframe
• 5X Sortie Propulsion 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

BASELINE EELV, Shuttle, Aircraft Ops
Far Term
Mid Term
Near Term
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11
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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12
Drive Towards Model Driven Development

• There is a need to improve 30-40 year old
  modeling, simulation, analysis (MSA) 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

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13
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 Demonstrator Engine installed in E1
Complex Cell 1
IPD Ground Engine E1 Test Stand NASA SSC, Test
014TA Standard Start to 85PL, (Actual 89PL) w/
Steady State Test Profile SA, December 15th,
2005
IPD Ground Engine E1 Test Stand NASA SSC, Test
013TA Standard Start to 80PL, 87PL w/ Short
Hold Test Profile RA, November 10th, 2005
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14
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
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15
Hydrocarbon Boost Developing LOx/RP staged
combustion Technology
Component Testing
Subscale / Rig Testing
TRL 5
TRL 4
Vision Engine
TRL 3
Component TRL Red System TRL - Purple
Mondalloy High Strength Ox-Compatible Material
Integrated Demo Testing
TRL 5
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16
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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17
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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19
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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20
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

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