A Novel Pulse Rocket Engine for Space Propulsion

Abstract

Different from the conventional liquid propellant rocket engines, the novel pulse rocket engine, represented in this paper, utilizes a movable injector, which is the most critical component resulting in distinct performance and can be regarded as a differential piston with some spray holes. In order to understand the operating characteristics of the novel pulse rocket engine, lumped parameter models of the extruding room and the combustion chamber and one dimensional unsteady flow model of the nozzle were set up and applied to the LP1846 monopropellant and MMH/NTO bipropellant pulse engines respectively. In the condition of 1.4MPa feed pressure, the monopropellant pulse engine could get 52.53MPa peak pressure and 12.4MPa average pressure in combusting chamber. To the bipropellant pulse engine, 27.7MPa peak pressure and 6.54MPa average pressure in the combusting chamber were gained under the feed pressure of 1.4MPa. The performance comparison in the same conditions indicated that the novel pulse rocket engines generated higher specific impulse. What’s more, its throat area was only tenth of the compared conventional engine. The tests were carried out with a bipropellant model engine validated the design method of the novel rocket engine and demonstrated the self-pressurized capability. The continuous self-actuated pulsating mode was realized both in the cold flow test and in the hot firing test. The pulse frequency in the cold flow test was 4.46Hz and in the hot firing test was 22.3Hz. But when the injector displacement was augmented, the hot test was unsuccessful because of the sliding seal failure. The novel pulse rocket engine has higher performance and smaller volume due to the much higher combustion chamber pressure. It’s a promising next generation space propulsion device for the orbit control and maneuver and retro rocket.