Development Status of a 50k LOX/Hydrogen Upper Stage Demonstrator

Abstract

This paper discusses design and systems integration status of a 50,000 pound (222.4 kN) thrust Oxygen/Hydrogen Upper Stage Engine Demonstrator (USD) being created by Pratt & Whitney Liquid Space Propulsion under contract for the United States Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) to support the Integrated High Payoff Rocket Propulsion Technology (IHPRPT) program. The objective of this program is to integrate advanced technology components into an expander cycle engine configuration and demonstrate a 1% increase in specific impulse, a 30% increase in engine thrust-to-weight, a 25% reduction in failures per 1000 uses, a 15% reduction in required support costs, and a 15% reduction in hardware costs relative to current state-of-the-art levels. Scheduled to be the first of the IHPRPT program engine demonstrators, it is scheduled to be test fired in late 2000 and demonstrate a chamber pressure (Pc) capability of 1375 psia (9.48 MPa). This integrated 50k LOX/LH2 engine demonstrator will be used to evaluate individual component technologies as well as the system level mechanical, structural and thermodynamic interactions.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Jun 24, 1999
Accession Number
ADA409845

Entities

People

  • A. Minick
  • R. Branam
  • R. Grabowski
  • R. Long
  • S. Peery

Organizations

  • Pratt & Whitney

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Actuators
  • Air Force
  • Air Force Research Laboratories
  • Contracts
  • Control Systems
  • Heat Transfer
  • Ignition
  • Liquid Hydrogen
  • Liquid Oxygen
  • Manufacturing
  • Power Levels
  • Propulsion Systems
  • Reliability
  • Rocket Engines
  • Rocket Propulsion
  • Simulations
  • Test Facilities

Readers

  • Aerospace Engineering
  • Rocket Propulsion.
  • Software Engineering

Technology Areas

  • Space
  • Space - Hall-Effect Thruster