Pressure Fed Launch Element for the Space Transportation System (STS)

Abstract

The turbo-pump machinery used to feed propellant from the external tank of the Space Transportation System into the Space Shuttle Main Engines is a costly and complex system. One method by which to reduce this cost and complexity is to develop a pressure fed propellant system. This paper investigates the feasibility of utilizing a pressurant system as a means to feed propellant to the Space Shuttle Main Engines. This investigation addresses a situation as simple as replacing the turbo pumps with a pressurant tank to more complex situations of staging the Shuttle launch system to reduce needed propellant. The results of this investigation are not as optimistic as first anticipated. Prom the top-level analysis, a pressure fed system is highly unfeasible as well as impossible. This is a result of the current tank technology as well as the physics of the situation.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Oct 26, 1998
Accession Number
ADA358255

Entities

People

  • Jason R. Ginn

Organizations

  • Air Force Institute of Technology

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Combustion
  • Combustion Chambers
  • Composite Materials
  • Cryogenic Propellants
  • Flow Rate
  • High Pressure
  • Liquid Hydrogen
  • Liquid Oxygen
  • Liquid Propellants
  • Payload
  • Propellant Tanks
  • Propellants
  • Rocket Engines
  • Rocket Propellants
  • Space Shuttles
  • Space Transportation
  • Transportation

Fields of Study

  • Physics

Readers

  • Rocket Propulsion.
  • Systems Analysis and Design

Technology Areas

  • Space
  • Space - Hall-Effect Thruster