Developments in Liquid Rocket Engine Tech - Richard Cohn PDF

Developments in Liquid Rocket
Engine Technology
Dr. Richard Cohn
Chief, Liquid Rocket Engines Branch
Propulsion Directorate
Air Force Research Laboratory
Richard.Cohn@edwards.af.mil
661-275-5198
Distribution A Approved for Public Release. Distribution Unlimited. PA Clearance #10439
2
Air Force Materiel Command
MISSION
Deliver war-winning ...
- Technology
- Acquisition
- Test
- Sustainment
... expeditionary capabilities to the warfighter
Air Force Research Laboratory
Mission: Leading the discovery,
development and integration of
affordable warfighting
technologies for America's
aerospace forces.
3
AFRL People & Facilities
5,400 Govt Employees
3,800 On-site Contractors
10 Major R&D sites across US
40 Locations around the World
10 Technical Directorates
Air Vehicles (RB)
Directed Energy (RD)
Human Effectiveness (RH) (711 HP Wing)
Information (RI)
Space Vehicles (RV)
Munitions (RW)
Materials & Manufacturing (RX)
Sensors (RY)
Propulsion (RZ)
AF Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR)
4
Space and Missile R&D
Building Block Process
6.1 6.2
6.3
5
AFRL Propulsion Directorate
Corporate
Information
Contracts
Turbine Engine
Division
Engine
Components
Gas Generators
Engine Demos
IHPTET Mgt
Energy, Power &
Thermal Division
Aircraft & Missile Power
Special Power
Thermal Management
Plasma Research
Space & Missile
Propulsion Division
Aerophysics
Analysis
Engines
Materials
Motors
Operations
Propellants
Spacecraft
Aerospace
Propulsion Office
Initiates, Plans,
Promotes and
Conducts R&D
Programs in Adv
Engine Science &
Technology
Finance
Corporate
Development
Integration &
Operations Division
Administration
Civilian Personnel
Computer Support
Facility Support
Front Office Support
As of: 25 Jun 10
WPAFB Edwards AFB
DIRECTOR
Mr. Doug Bowers
Associate Director
Edwards Site CC
Col(S) Mike Platt
Chief Scientist
Dr. Dick River
Deputy Director
Col Bill Hack
Mr. Dave Blasius Mr. Phil Mitchell Ms. Cheryl Skipper Ms. Mary Donohue-Perry
Mr. John Fedon
Mr. Bill Koop
Mr. Tom Jackson
Dr. Rick Fingers
Mr. Mike Huggins
6
RZ-West Organization
INTEGRATION & OPS
DIVISION (WEST)
MR. K. VANDERDHYDE
RZO (Deputy)
FINANCE
BRANCH (WEST)
MS. RUTH DECOY
RZFB
BUSINESS
OPERATIONS
CAPT MATT
PASTEWAIT/TJ
TURNER
RZOF
INFORMATION
TECHNOLOGY
MR. CARL OUSLEY
RZOI
CHIEF OF SAFETY
MS. DEB FULLER
SE
QUALITY
ASSURANCE
TSGT TIMOTHY
ROWE
QA
EXECUTIVE
OFFICER
1ST LT ERIC MILLER
CCE
FIRST SERGEANT
TSGT CARLOS
LABRADOR
CCF (Addl Duty)
SPACE & MISSILE
PROPULSION DIVISION
MR. MIKE HUGGINS
AEROPHYSICS
DR. INGRID WYSONG
RZSA
MOTORS
CAPT KRISTEN CLARK
ENGINES
DR. RICHARD COHN
MATERIALS APPS
MAJ(S) A. DUGAS
RZSM
PROPELLANTS
DR. STEVEN SVEDJA
RZSP
SPACECRAFT
DR. JAMES HAAS
RZSS
EXPERIMENTAL DEMO
MS. JULIE CARLILE
RZSO
PAYOFF STUDIES
MR. ROY HILTON
RZST
CONTRACTS
MS. LUCY CASTEL
AFFTC/PK
ASSOC DIRECTOR
SITE COMMANDER
COL(S) MIKE PLATT
RZ
RZS RZ
DET 7
RZ (Edwards) Det 7 Other
RZSB
RZSE
As of: 1 Jun 09
Propulsion Directorate
Mr. DOUG BOWERS
7
RZ-West People
Civil Service
(175)
Military
(65)
On-site
Contractors
(240)
Overall
Advanced Degrees
13% PhD
11% MS
Approx. 475 on-site personnel
RZSE
Advanced Degrees
27% PhD
36% MS
5 in Student Programs
8
Edwards AFB
Edwards AFB is located about 120 miles North of LAX
Map from Google Maps
9
MOJAVE
BORON HWY 58
LANCASTER
AVENUE E
H
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W
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Y

1
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4
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t
h

S
T
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E
A
S
T
RESERVATION BOUNDARY
0 5 10
SCALE IN MILES
HWY 395
ROSAMOND BLVD.
MERCURY BLVD.
R
O
C
K
E
T

S
I
T
E

R
O
A
D
EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE
Air Force
Research
Laboratory
Site
ROGERS
DRY LAKE
ROSAMOND
DRY LAKE
AFFTC
Edwards AFB
HWY 58
D.C.
10
High Thrust Facilities
NINETEEN LIQUID ENGINE
STANDS TO 8,000,000 LBS THRUST
THIRTEEN SOLID ROCKET MOTOR
PADS TO 10,000,000 LBS THRUST
11
Facilities: Bench-Scale Labs
12
History
1939 Rocket research begins at Power Plant Lab, Wright Field OH
1947 Edwards AFB selected for rocket testing
1959 Rocket scientists move from WPAFB to Edwards
1997 AF labs consolidated into AFRL
Key Accomplishments
Saturn V F-1 engine development
Minuteman ICBM silo basing
XLR-129 engine (for Shuttle main engine)
Peacekeeper ICBM development
Missile defense interceptor HOVER tests
Titan IV solid rocket motor upgrade
RS-68 engine for Delta IV EELV
13
AIAAs 1
st
Historical Aerospace Sites
(2000)
1. Rocket Site
2. Aerojet Pasadena, CA
3. Goddard First Auburn, MA
4. Dutch Flats San Diego, CA
5. Tranquility Base
6. Huffman Prairie, OH and Kitty
Hawk, NC
Helped to Advance the Arts, sciences
and technology of aeronautics and
astronautics, and promoted the
professionalism of those engaged in
these pursuits. -AIAA
14
AFRL Edwards Rocket Site: Liquid
Rocket Technology Development
Air Force Programs
Air Force Proposed
Other Programs
X-33
XRS-2200
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
Space
Shuttle
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 Technology
AFRL HCB
15
Key Rocket Parameters
Key components of rocket engines
Main Thrust Chamber Most catastrophic failures
Preburner/Gas Generator Most tech challenges, harshest environment
Turbopump Most likely to delay development, increase costs
Booster Engines
Booster stages provide initial thrust to lift vehicles off the launch pad
Booster engines require high thrust
Flow-rates can exceed 1000 lbs/s of propellant
F-1 engine flow-rate ~650 gal/s 1.5 Swimming Pools/minute
Upper Stages
Final thrust to transfer orbit
Moderate thrust, high performance requirements
Critical parameters for rockets include
Specific Impulse
Thrust to weight
Throttle
Operability
Reusability
Reliability
16
Differences between Rocket & Jet
Engine
Rockets use pure oxygen as oxidizer
Operate at significantly hotter combustion temperatures
Pumps need to operate at cryogenic conditions
Oxygen Blanching
Oxygen ignition of materials
Rockets may use liquid hydrogen as a fuel
Extreme cryogenic conditions
Hydrogen embrittlement
Potentially very high pressures
Can exceed 6000+ psi in some components
Extremely high heat fluxes
Operate at 100% throttle during most of mission
Total operational time measured in minutes
17
Comparison of Rocket and Turbojet
500,000 lbf
50,000 lbf
Power density 10X greater in rocket compared to turbojet
18
Liquid Engine Branch Current
Objectives
Technology focused
Develop the technologies needed to develop next
generation of flight liquid rocket engines
Do not develop a solution to a particular point design but
attempt to increase design space
Do develop integrated technology demonstrator engines
Tools are a critical part of that mission
Systems engineering approach
Both in execution and selection of technology to develop
Current focus
Reusable Boost Stage
Expendable Upper Stage
Future focus
Reusable upper stage
19
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/SOV
Air-to-Air Missiles
High Energy
Upper Stages
ELVs I CBMs
SLBMs
Satellites
Micro-Satellites
Integrated High Payoff Rocket
Propulsion Technology (IHPRPT)
Ground/Surface
Launched Missiles
20
Liquid Rocket Engine Technology
Efforts
Rocket Engine Technology Demonstration Programs
1. IPD (Lox/LH2 Booster)
2. USET (Lox/LH2 Upper Stage)
3. Hydrocarbon Boost (Lox/RP-2 Booster)
4. 3GRB (Lox/LCH4 Booster)
Core Technology Efforts
Drive towards Modeling and Simulation
Most common conference to present programs JANNAF
ITAR restrictions
It is open to people from academia
Must be a US citizen
21
1. 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 MTBOH
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 10
th
, 2005
22
IPD Program
IPD program sought to improve the nations
technological capability in Liquid Hydrogen/Liquid
Oxygen (LH2/LOX) booster engines
Design began by examining the failure modes of the
SSME
Sought to eliminate these failures through the use of a
new engine cycle
Full Flow Staged Combustion
Program executed by team consisting of:
AFRL
NASA
Rocketdyne (now Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne)
Aerojet
23
Benefits Provided
Reduced Turbine temperatures
Improve turbine life and
increases reliability
Eliminates of two criticality 1 failure
modes
Turbopump interpropellent seal
Heat exchanger to pressurize
propellant tanks.
Thermally gentle start sequence
increases turbine life
Current SOA
High Pressure LOX/LH2
Booster
Space Shuttle Main Engine
Fuel Rich Staged Combustion
Benefits of IPD Full Flow Cycle
Successful Test Program with one set of
hardware
Incorporation of large amounts of
Modeling and Simulation tools
Tools drive the test process
24
2. Upper Stage Engine Technology
(USET)
RL-10 Engine initially
developed in the 1950s and
first flew in 1961
RL-10 engine is currently
used on both EELV
AFRL USET program seeks to
allow the creation and
transition of a modern upper
stage engine
Focus on developing critical
tools
Two contractor teams
Aerojet
Northrop Grumman
All
operational
DoD
satellites
lifted by
EELV
Atlas V
Upper stage
RL10-A-4-2
Delta IV
Upper
stage
RL10-B-2
Turbopump
Assembly
Identify Issues
25
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
26
USET Output
Validation Turbopump
System Tool
Thrust Chamber Tools
Turbopump Tools
Modeling & Simulation
USET
Tools
Pump and Inductor Performance
Cavitation
Integrated Vibration Tool
Bearings
Turbine Performance
Axial Thrust Critical Fits Clearances
Transient
Engine Start Margin
Linked Coolant Combustion
System Sizing Tool
27
USET Validation Turbopump
Challenges
Design and Fabrication of
Highly Instrumented Pump
Over 100 measurements
Full shaft position
measurement system
Pump has arrived at AFRL for test stand integration
28
USET Accomplishments
AFRL Test Stand - Facility Readiness Review (FRR)
Activation with GN2 and LN2 Complete
Hydrogen Vents, Drains, and Flarestack
system upgraded to comply with recent
changes in NFPA code
Successfully passed Facility Readiness
Review (FRR)
Facility permitted to load Hydrogen
First LH2 loaded on 2 Feb 10
Testing to complete in FY2011
Pump Supply Line
Test Stand 2A Activation
USET Validation TPA
inside of Test Skid
29
USET Tool Improvement
(Pump Performance Methodology)
Description
Enables 3-D Pump Component Design
& Performance Analysis Early in
Development
CFD Based Verification of Pump
Efficiency, Head Coefficient, and
Cavitation
Current Methodology
Meanline Empirical Design
Limited CFD Late in Design
Process
Impact
Better Performance Verification Earlier in
Design Process (Fidelity Forward)
Enabled USET Cavitation
Optimization
Enabled Improvement of Off-Design
USET Performance
Lower Test Risk
Reduced Design Iteration Late in
Development
USET Improvement
3-D CFD Verification of Design
Performance
CFD Based Optimization
Cavitation Performance Optimization
Assessment of Off-Design Stability and
Performance Early in Design Process
30
3. Hydrocarbon Boost
Hydrocarbon Boost establishes the required
tech base/knowledge base for domestic ORSC engine
Developing new Liquid Oxygen/Kerosene staged combustion engine
250k skid based brass board demo engine for simplified test stand operations
12 year development effort (2007-2019)
Aerojet Prime contractor
31
Hydrocarbon Boosters:
State of the Industry
Increased Life + Operability + Performance =
HC Boost Demo Will Redefine Global State-of-the-Art
270
280
290
300
310
320
330
340
350
0 200,000 400,000 600,000 800,000 1,000,00 1,200,00 1,400,00 1,600,00 1,800,00 2,000,0
Thrust (Klbf)
I
s
p

(
V
a
c
)
MA - 5
Atlas I/II
1963
RS - 27
Delta II/III
1972
H- 1
Saturn I
1961
US Technology Base
Gas Generator Cycle
RD - 170
Zenit
1987
F - 1
Saturn V
1967
NK - 33
N - 1
Never Flown
Russian Technology Base
Ox -Rich Stage Combustion Cycle
RD - 180
Atlas V
1999
200 400 600 800 1000 1200 1400 1600 1800 2000
270
280
290
300
310
320
330
340
350
0 200,000 400,000 600,000 800,000 1,000,00 1,200,00 1,400,00 1,600,00 1,800,00 2,000,0
Thrust (Klbf)
I
s
p

(
V
a
c
)
Russian Technology Base
Ox-Rich Stage Combustion Cycle
200 400 600 800 1000 1200 1400 1600 1800 2000
US Technology Base
Gas Generator Cycle
RD-170
Zenit
1987
RD-180
Atlas V
1999
RD-191
Naro-1
2009
NK-33
N-1
Never Flown
Merlin 1C (100k)
Falcon (1&9)
2008
FS-27
Delta II/III
1972
MA-5
Atlas I/II
1963
H-1
Saturn I
1961
F-1
Saturn V
1967
32
Program Objectives
Develop a 250K-lbf thrust, oxidizer-rich staged
combustion cycle LOX/Kerosene Liquid Rocket
Engine
Show scalability of technology up to very large thrust levels
Develop technology to meet operability objectives
Baseline fuel is advanced rocket grade kerosene
Demonstrate goal achievement through testing and analysis
Isp
Thrust to Weight
Failure Rate
Production Costs
Throttleability
Mean Time Between Overhauls
Mean Time Between Replacement
33
Vision
Engine
TRL 3
Subscale /
Rig Testing
TRL 4
Component
Testing
Integrated Engine
Cycle Testing (250K)
TRL 5
Systems Engineering Approach to
Operational HC Engine Development
Component TRL Green
System TRL Purple
TRL 6
Flight weight
Engine
TRL 9
Prototype Engine
Modeling, Simulation and Analysis
TRL 5
34 34
Subscale Ox-Rich Preburner Assembly
LOX Inlet
Injector
Calorimeter Chamber
Diluent Chamber
L Chamber
Instrumentation Ring
Throat
Igniter
35 35
The objectives of the test are to provide validation data for the tools
used to design the hardware and evaluate the operation of the
hardware.
For each injector design evaluate:
Combustion performance via axial energy release distribution
Combustion stability characteristics
High-frequency transverse modes
Chug & longitudinal modes
Injector face, acoustic cavity, & chamber wall thermal compatibility
Steady-state temperature uniformity of preburner exhaust gas
Ignition characteristics
Start transient characteristics/low-throttle operation
Subscale ORPB Rig Test
Test Objectives
36
Structural & Thermal Analysis:
Finite Element Analysis (Commercial)
Combustion device M&S design
roadmap
CoDR PDR CDR
CFD Approach (Commercial)
Mixing Flow,
No Chemistry
Mixing Of Two
Streams
r=r(Yi,T)
Estimate Heat
Release Profile
One Step
Chemistry
-r=r(Yi,T)
pdf, Equilibrium
-r=r(f,f)
Refine Heat Release
Profile
One Step Chemistry
Multi Steps
Chemistry
Reduced
Mechanism
Need Test Data To
Guide CFD Model
Refine Chemistry To
Account For RP
Decomposition
Multi Steps Chemistry
Droplet Combustion (?)
37
Example of CoDR Level CFD Analysis
38
4. 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 demonstration
39
Program Objectives
Develop component technology for a high
performance next generation LOX/LCH4 liquid rocket
engine
Show scalability of technology up to very large thrust levels
Develop technology to meet operability objectives
Baseline fuel is advanced rocket grade methane
Demonstrate goal achievement through testing and analysis
Isp
Thrust to Weight
Failure Rate
Production Costs
Throttleability
Mean Time Between Overhauls
Mean Time Between Replacement
40
3GRB Roadmap
FY 09 FY 10 FY 11 FY 12 FY 13 FY 14 FY 15
Task Order 1
Aerojet
Task Order 1
Pratt and Whitney
Rocketdyne
Task Order 1
WASK
Initial Risk Reduction
Component Demonstration
Vision Engine
Development
Vision Engine
Development
Vision Engine
Development
Initial Risk Reduction
Task Order 2
Contractor TBD
Task Order 2
Contractor TBD
Task Order 3
Contractor TBD
IDIQ competition
Task Order competition
Task Order competition
3 Awards Task Order 1Complete
Trade studies
Vision engine development
Technology Identification
Risk reduction
Plan 2 Awards Task Order 2 Initial
Risk Reduction -- In source selection
Mitigate critical risks identified in
TO 0001 through M&S
1 Awards Task Order 3
Further Risk Reduction and Validation
41
Staged Combustion Cycle
Low Preburner Gas Temperature Assures
Long Life
Multiple Thrust Chamber Assemblies
Small TCAs improve High Frequency
Combustion Stability
Center of Mass Pulled Close to Vehicle
Interface
Small TCAs Lower Development and Test
Costs
Compact TPA
Aerojet Vision Engine Overview
Fuel Inlet
LOX Inlet
OX Isolation
Valve
Preburner
Fuel Cooling Manifolds
42
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
43
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
Eliminates boost pumps
Single shaft
44
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)
45
Preburner Research
In-House projects within RZSE
Research needs identified to support external efforts
Exploratory
Gain a more fundamental understanding of design space
Themis
High pressure hydrocarbon propellants
LOX-RP, LOX-LCH
4
Staged combustion cycles
Focus on Ox-Rich Preburner
Highest component risk to Hydrocarbon Boost effort
Gain understanding of preburner environment
Lack of basic understanding
Not an optimization or demonstration of a single design
Encompassing approach
Not a single experiment or facility
Both experiments and CFD
Water visualization, cryogenic cold flow, hot fire testing
Provides early validation data for Hydrocarbon Boost
46
Preburner Research Focus
Combustion devices are focus
Preburner is first priority
Configuration of interest is
significantly different than typical
rocket hot gas devices
Combustion device requires good
mixing
High density diluent injection
Multiple flush ports injecting the fluid
Simplification of geometry results in JICF
configuration
Jet-In-Crossflow (JICF)
Available literature is extensive
Most research has been done at academia
Understanding at relevant environment and
integrated configuration is low
Temperature uniformity
Concentration uniformity
Flow uniformity
Injector Diluent Injection
Low MR
High T
Mixing
T
u
r
b
i
n
e
Goal: T uniformity
High MR
Low T
Supercritical Fluid Flows
Multiple Jets/Jet Systems
interaction
3D configuration constrained
Extreme Pressure
High J
High R
rho
Reacting flows
Subsonic Flows
Penetration
Vortex Generation
Well Understood, Extensive Literature
Available
Themis Simulations
Supersonic Flows
(Ramjet/ Scramjet)
Atomization
Aeration of Jets
Residence Time
Weber Number
Relations
JICF Literature
Not capable of
comparison in
a cold flow
experiment
47
Preburner Mixing Processes
Multiple Confined Transverse Jets
Understand mixing of LOX with combustion gases
From transverse jet literature
Importance of entrainment in governing jet trajectory
Scaling laws, confined and unconfined
Phased research process
Water-visualization facility
Explore mixing efficiency and scaling laws for relevant geometry
Low-speed variable gas facility
Employ different gases to achieve relevant density ratio and mass flow
ratio regime
High-pressure cold-flow facility
Liquid N2 injection into He/Ar gas
Supercritical fluid mixing phenomena (dilatation, transport property
variations, etc.)
Hot-fire test facility
Sub-scale preburner configurations
Explore combustion/mixing interactions
Tools
Experimental: LDV, PLIF, flow visualization, PIV, temperature and pressure
sensors
Computational: CFD and linear stability analysis
I
n
c
r
e
a
s
i
n
g

r
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e
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a
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c
e
D
e
c
r
e
a
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g

a
c
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e
s
s
48
High Performance Hydrocarbon Fuels
Develop and transition new
fuels
Feedback to chemists to
improve fuel performance
Tailor fuel properties
Density
Energy
Vapor Pressure
Thermal Stability
Energy density of advanced
synthetic fuels offers potential
for:
Use of advanced fuels as
additives to improve
performance for specialized
missions
Improved performance for
volume constrained applications
RP-1
Fuel 1
Fuel 2
Fuel 3
C* RP-1
C* Fuel 1
C* Fuel 2
C* Fuel 3
49
Improve Current Fuels
RP-1, Standard
Grade
TS-5
RP-2, Advanced
Grade
Led development of new grade of rocket propellant
50
Thermal Management
Transpiration Cooling
AFRL in a joint program with Northrop-
Grumman and Rolls Royce Liberty
Works performed some of the first
experiments examining transpiration
cooling in a rocket engine environment
Utilized several Lamilloy samples to
determine applicability for rocket
engine applications
Lamilloy currently in use for turbine
applications
First application in rocket environment
Seven months from concept initiation to
program completion
Demonstrated feasibility of using
Lamilloy
Need to design specifically for rocket
engine applications
Within experience base
Sample Lamilloy Sheet
Test Section
51
Combustion Instabilities
Combustion Instabilities are a key risk to any rocket
engine development program
Can be extremely destructive and can destroy the
engine and the test stand
Complex interaction between many phenomena
52
Materials Research
Spearheaded development of Mondaloy, a new, high
strength, oxygen compatible metal
Spearheaded development of nano-aluminum which
has greater strength than typical aluminum alloys
Bulging
indicates
ductile
failure mode
In both std
and NP Al
53
Conclusions
AFRL/RZS is leading the development of the next
generation of rocket engine technology
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
Improving Modeling and Simulation Tools essential for
the next stage in rocket engine development

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