Application potential of combined fibre reinforced structure technologies in rocket thrust chambers
- Paper number
IAC-11,C4,3,17,x10794
- Author
Mr. Markus Ortelt, Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt e.V. (DLR), Germany
- Coauthor
Dr. Armin Herbertz, Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt e.V. (DLR), Germany
- Coauthor
Dr. Hermann Hald, Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt e.V. (DLR), Germany
- Coauthor
Mr. Ilja Mueller, Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt e.V. (DLR), Germany
- Year
2011
- Abstract
Today’s rocket thrust chambers for high performance applications show typically metal designs. For multiple engine operation cycles metallic structures are established and highly optimized. After more than 10 years of good progress in the development of effusion cooled ceramic combustion chambers latest results of research at DLR promise concrete improvement potentials concerning reliability, lifetime and low manufacturing costs in the field of chemical space propulsion by the use of fibre reinforced materials. Therefore the Institute of Structures and Design had developed a structural demonstrator for answering multiple principle questions of many years. Recent success of technology demonstrations hearkens in general back to a specific combination approach of structural design and material properties. The active hardware system consists on the one hand of the combination of stacked ring segments in a particular design at the inner chamber liner. All segments are made of two principally different CMC (Ceramic Matrix Composites) classes. On the other hand the load shell is manufactured from CFRP (Carbon Fibre Reinforced Plastics) including suitable mechanical interfaces between metal flanges and the plastic shell. Inner liner materials base on porous C/C as well as porous oxidic CMC. The latter is integrated in the near-injector-region to resist thermo-chemically (LOX-) aggression while being actively effusion cooled. C/C is implemented more downstream-side in the cylindrical and convergent part, which are effusion cooled too. About both materials a lot of experience exists concerning the coolant flow through the wall. In the middle of 2010 the integrated fibre reinforced subscale thrust chamber could be demonstrated successfully in cryogenic LOX/LH2 operation at the European Research and Technology Test Facility P8 at DLR Lampoldshausen. The chamber pressure amounted to approx. 60 bars and test durations of up to 120 s per run showed for the very first time an absolute damage free operation of a predominantly fibre reinforced structure. Due to primary structure validation objectives, the coolant mass flow ratio at the inner wall was kept at 13 % of the total mass flow, resulting in wall surface temperatures of less than 200 K. Further material and process optimization should now enable demonstrations of high efficient chamber operation in the near future. Furthermore a first functional demonstrator of a new ceramic injector technology is arranged in an ongoing development.
- Abstract document
- Manuscript document
(absent)