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Solid-liquid staged combustion space boostersNASA has begun to evaluate solid-liquid hybrid propulsion for launch vehicle booster. A three-phase program was outlined to identify, acquire, and demonstrate technology needed to approximate solid and liquid propulsion state of the art. Aerojet has completed a Phase 1 study and recommends a solid-liquid staged combustion concept in which turbopump fed LO2 is burned with fuel-rich solid propellant effluent in aft-mounted thrust chambers.These reasonably sized thrust chambers are LO2 regeneratively cooled, supplemented with fuel-rich barrier cooling. Turbopumps are driven by the resulting GO2 coolant in an expander-bleed-burnoff cycle. Turbine exhaust pressurizes the LO2 tankage directly, and the excess is bled into supersonic nozzle splitlines, where it combusts with the fuel rich boundary layer. Thrust vector control is enhanced by supersonic nozzle movement on flexseal mounts. Every hybrid solid-liquid concept examined improves booster energy management and launch propellant safety compared to current solid boosters. Solid-liquid staged combustion improves hybrid performance by improving both combustion efficiency and combustion stability, especially important for large boosters. These improvements result from careful fluid management and use of smaller combustors. The study shows NASA safety, reliability, cost, and performance criteria are best met with this concept, wherein simple hardware relies on several separate emerging technologies, all of which have been demonstrated successfully.
Document ID
19910014938
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Conference Paper
Authors
Culver, D. W.
(Aerojet Solid Propulsion Co. Sacramento, CA, United States)
Date Acquired
September 6, 2013
Publication Date
October 1, 1990
Publication Information
Publication: Johns Hopkins Univ., The 1990 JANNAF Propulsion Meeting, Volume 2
Subject Category
Spacecraft Propulsion And Power
Accession Number
91N24251
Funding Number(s)
CONTRACT_GRANT: NAS8-37775
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Work of the US Gov. Public Use Permitted.

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