ADVANCED THRUST CHAMBER FOR SPACE MANEUVERING PROPULSION. TASKS 2 AND 3 - THRUST CHAMBER SEGMENT EVALUATIONS
Abstract
An analytical and experimental study was conducted to evaluate the critical design aspects of a toroidal thrust chamber for an aerospike engine using LF2/LH2 propellants. Combustion chamber performance, heat transfer characteristics, regenerative cooling capability, and structural integrity were investigated and demonstrated by testing segments of the complete chamber. The experimental efforts were first conducted with water-cooled segments and resulted in the selection of a near-optimum injector/combustion chamber configuration which was found to give high C* efficiency while maintaining heat transfer rates within the capability of a two-pass regenerative cooling system design. Withdrawal of combustion chamber gases through the injector for turbine drive was also demonstrated. Tube wall segments, designed on the basis of the solid-wall segment test results, demonstrated two-pass regenerative cooling and feed system stability over the 9:1 throttling range. Chamber performance in excess of 99 percent C* efficiency over the throttle range was achieved. Structural segments, fabricated using lightweight rib and honeycomb support structures, were cycled from 0 to 650 psig using hydraulic pressure to simulate chamber pressure. Analytical and experimental data agreed closely and indicated that throat area variations over the throttling range would be less than 3 percent for chambers using either the rib or honeycomb designs.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jul 01, 1967
- Accession Number
- AD0383164
Entities
People
- H. G. Diem
- R. P. Pauckert