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Fabrication and Testing of Ceramic Matrix Composite Rocket Propulsion ComponentsThe National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is pursuing using ceramic matrix composites (CMC) as primary structural components for advanced rocket engines. This endeavor is due to the requirement of increasing safety by two orders of magnitude and reducing costs from $10,000/lb to $1,000/lb both within ten years. Out year goals are even more aggressive. Safety gains, through using CMCS, will be realized by increasing temperature margins, tolerance for extreme thermal transients, and damping capability of components and systems, by using components with lower weight and thermal conductivity, etc. Gains in cost reduction, through using CMCS, are anticipated by enabling higher performance systems, using lighter weight components and systems, enabling 100 mission reusability without system refurbishment, greatly reducing cooling requirements and erosion rates, selecting safe fabrication processes that are ideally cost competitive with metal processes at low volume production, etc. This philosophy contrasts the previous philosophy of rocket engine development focused largely on achieving the highest performance with metals and ablatives -- cost and safety were not the focal point of the initial design. Rocket engine components currently being pursued, largely C/SiC and SiC/SiC, include blisks or rotors, 10 foot by 8 foot nozzle ramps, gas generators, thrust chambers, and upperstage nozzles. The Simplex Turbopump CMC blisk effort has just successfully completed a 4.5 year development and test program. The other components mentioned are in the design or fabrication stage. Although the temperature limits of the CMC materials are not quantified in a realistic environment yet, CMC materials are projected to be the only way to achieve significant safety risks mitigation and cost reductions simultaneously. We, the end-users, material fabricators, technology facilitators, and government organizations are charged with developing and demonstrating a much safer and a lot less costly Earth-to-Orbit full-scale propulsion system by 2005.
Document ID
20000027528
Acquisition Source
Marshall Space Flight Center
Document Type
Preprint (Draft being sent to journal)
Authors
Effinger, Michael
(NASA Marshall Space Flight Center Huntsville, AL United States)
Clinton, R. G., Jr.
(NASA Marshall Space Flight Center Huntsville, AL United States)
Dennis, Jay
(NASA Marshall Space Flight Center Huntsville, AL United States)
Elam, Sandy
(NASA Marshall Space Flight Center Huntsville, AL United States)
Genge, Gary
(NASA Marshall Space Flight Center Huntsville, AL United States)
Eckel, Andy
(NASA Glenn Research Center Cleveland, OH United States)
Jaskowiak, Matha
(NASA Glenn Research Center Cleveland, OH United States)
Kiser, J. Doug
(NASA Glenn Research Center Cleveland, OH United States)
Lang, Jerry
(NASA Glenn Research Center Cleveland, OH United States)
Date Acquired
August 19, 2013
Publication Date
January 1, 1999
Subject Category
Spacecraft Propulsion And Power
Meeting Information
Meeting: AeroMat
Location: Seattle, WA
Country: United States
Start Date: June 26, 2000
End Date: June 29, 2000
Sponsors: American Society for Metals
Funding Number(s)
PROJECT: RTOP 713-23-51
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Work of the US Gov. Public Use Permitted.

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