Booster Engine Research Articles

Математическая модель продольного движения космического аппарата на различных участках его полета

The article studies the spacecraft stability at small and large angles of attack under the influence of disturbances arising from aerodynamic drag, wind speed and linear thrust eccentricity caused by deviations (misalignment) of the installation angle of the booster engine of the spacecraft. Possible use of spacecraft with opening braking surfaces when moving in the atmosphere is described. A mathematical model of disturbed motion of the spacecraft at various stages of its flight to the destination planet has been developed. The resulting mathematical model was used in the studies of the launch of a spacecraft from an inclined, vertical launch facilities and descent for landing on the surface without taking into account the operation of braking engines. The parameters of the trajectories of a spacecraft with a booster in the pitch plane are calculated depending on the flight altitude and the inclination of the launch pad.

Reasons influencing the formation of low-speed pre-ignition

Low-speed pre-ignition (LSPI) is a problem for many highly boosted engines and constitutes a major industry challenge. This paper provides an overview of the reasons that might lead to low-speed pre-ignition. These reasons have been systematized and divided into four groups related to the engine, fuel, lubricating engine oil, and engine operating conditions. In the case of the engine, particular attention was drawn, among others, to the type of fuel injection, the method of mixture formation, the compression ratio, and piston design as important factors affecting the occurrence of pre-ignition in the case of stochastic self-ignition. The paper analyzes the influence of the engine operation and the adjustment of its operating parameters on the frequency of occurrence of low-speed pre-ignition. The paper extensively discusses the relationship between the engine lubricating oil including the oil base groups and its additives and the occurrence of abnormal combustion. The impact of different types of detergents was considered in more detail. The paper also describes the effects of the fuel properties on low-speed pre-ignition. The most important fuel properties from the point of view of its confirmed influence on the formation of low-speed pre-ignition are the its chemical composition, deposit control additives and volatility. The conclusion emphasizes that the operating conditions in a modern downsized, turbocharged gasoline engine can induce a low-speed pre-ignition problem, which can lead to destructive super-knock events. It was indicated that low-speed pre-ignition tends to become more prominent in the operating regime that is most beneficial to attaining improved fuel economy. Therefore, the solution to this problem is considered to be a key factor in further development of downsizing and improving the engine efficiency. An innovative element of the article, which distinguishes it from other similar articles, is the proposed logical division and systematization of the hitherto identified factors influencing the LSPI phenomenon. This has been done by separating, comprehensively listing and ordering these factors

The Overall Optimization and Design of the Long March 5 Launch Vehicle

The overall key technical research of the Long March 5 launch vehicle is introduced, such as the optimization design of large low temperature launch vehicle aerodynamic shape, attitude control design of swing booster engine, and large strap-on launch vehicle force and thermal environment analysis method, etc. The overall optimization technology scheme is advanced. New design and simulation technology are adopted and verified through the large ground test. Long March 5 achieves the 14-ton carrying capacity of GTO, and the overall technology reaches the international advanced level of similar launch vehicles. To meet the needs of deep space exploration missions, the overall technical research level of Long March 5 has been optimized and improved.

The concept of a booster engine with the function of an auxiliary power unit for a prospective passenger aircraft

The concept of a booster engine with the function of an auxiliary power unit for a fifth-generation passenger aircraft is considered on the basis of scientific groundwork for gas-fuel engines. The design solutions are aimed at improving the weight and dimensions of the aircraft. Keywords: booster engine, auxiliary power unit, lifting motor, output device. bogdanov-vasiliy@yandex.ru

МЕТОДИКА РАСЧЕТА НАГРУЗОК НА ТРУБОПРОВОД ОТ ДИНАМИЧЕСКИХ ВОЗДЕЙСТВИЙ ВО ВРЕМЯ ПОЛЕТА РАКЕТЫ-НОСИТЕЛЯ

This article considers the solution of the problem of dynamic loading of the pipeline [1], which is necessary to supply fuel to the booster engine. The method of calculating the dynamic loading [2] of the pipeline is described. Its equation of motion is decomposed into components and loads are calculated for harmonic vibrations of the launch vehicle. The accelerations of the propulsion system and pipeline attachment points obtained from solving a general dynamic problem for estimating the hydrodynamic force for a launch vehicle were set as initial data for dynamic load calculation. At this stage, the load on the pipeline was calculated taking into account the hydraulic shock of the liquid mass in the event of the launch vehicle flight, as one of the most loaded for this system. Nonlinear dynamic analysis was used to calculate pipeline loads [3]. As a result of the calculation, the forces in the attachment points of the structure under consideration, as well as the forces distributed along the length of the pipeline, were obtained. The method of calculating the dynamic loading of the pipeline is described. Pipeline loads consist of quasi-static components, which usually include trajectory overloads and low-frequency dynamic components [4] from transient processes such as start-up, as well as additional loads from vibration and acoustic influences. Quasi-static and low-frequency dynamic components in loads [5] usually have a fairly high degree of certainty and, as a rule, are estimated by calculation using appropriate RCN models and attachments. The loads obtained in this way cover the low-frequency part of the spectrum up to 20-30 Hz. Spatial beam models[6] with elastic supports and kinematic connections with tank bottoms and propulsion system are usually used for pipelines. When calculating the force factors in the sections of pipelines (longitudinal and shearing forces, bending and torques, forces in the support nodes), the fuel is allowed to be considered frozen (without taking into account the speed of movement). The fluid velocity should be taken into account when assessing the pressure of hydraulic shocks in pipelines to calculate the stress-strain state of pipelines from internal pressure.

Influence of Mass Parameters Modification on Manoeuvrability of 9K33 „OSA” Set 9M33M3 Missile

This paper discusses analytical method for realization of preliminary missile stability design calculations. Action has been taken to estimate influence of replacing massive blocks of analogue electronics with compact solutions of digital electronics in missiles remaining in operation. On an example of a short-range 9M33M3 missile from 9K33 „OSA” set and its previously analysed aerodynamic characteristics, the analysis of the centre of gravity location impact was carried out to determine maximum loads occurring in the two most interesting phases of flight: after booster engine burnout and directly after cruise engine burnout. The suggestion for modification suggestion of flight parameters’ optimization is presented which defines stability and its critical impact of these parameters on aeronautical engineering. For the tested missile, the methodology suggestions for the modification is discussed with the comparison of serially produced copies to define the ability of improving the flight parameters. The paper includes visualizations and quantity analysis of: maximal loads on the fuselage, minimal turn radius, and control wing inclination angle as missile’s angle of attack function.

Analysis of the effect of a closed crankcase ventilation system on the fuel efficiency of a compression ignition engine

This article provides relevant information regarding the analysis of the effect of crankcase gas bypass from the crankcase ventilation system into the intake manifold of a highly boosted compression-ignition engine with turbocharging. The information on the breakthrough of crankcase gases into the crankcase through a cylinder-piston group is provided. The data on the types of execution of crankcase ventilation systems, their features and environmental impact are presented. State standards and international standards for the development and requirements for closed and open crankcase ventilation systems are shown. The article reveals the need to evaluate the engine workflow when developing a closed crankcase ventilation system. The development and verification of a mathematical model of the engine workflow with a closed ventilation system was carried out. The reliability of the mathematical model is confirmed by a maximum deviation of up to 1 % from the results of full-scale engine tests, in terms of specific fuel consumption, maximum combustion pressure and crankcase gas consumption. A description of the methodology of the design study and the elements of the design of thermodynamic model of the engine with a closed and open crankcase ventilation system is described. An analysis of the design study and comparison of two versions of the engine ventilation system is made. The influence of an open and closed ventilation system on the effective engine performance in terms of specific fuel consumption and maximum combustion pressure is presented. There is evidence that confirms that the supply of crankcase gases to the intake manifold impairs the fuel economy of the engine, especially at low operating modes, and the difference can go up to 1 g/kWh.

The effect of fuel composition on particulate emissions from a highly boosted GDI engine – An evaluation of three particulate indices

Gasoline Direct Injection (GDI) engines equipped with a turbocharger or supercharger (known as boosted engines) have achieved significant market penetration due to their advantages in reducing CO2 emissions compared to Port Fuel Injection (PFI) engines. These engines are known to emit particulate matter and recent studies have characterized these emissions. Fuel composition is known to have an impact on Particle Number (PN) emissions from GDI engines, however its effect on emissions from highly boosted engines is not known.In this work, 10 different fuels have been tested on an extremely highly boosted engine (at up to 35 bar BMEP) at several different operating conditions both unboosted and boosted and the PN emissions and size distributions have been measured using a Cambustion DMS500. The applicability of three previously developed indices linking fuel composition to PN emissions is tested with the results from these fuels.The results show that the PM index is a good predictor of PN emissions from this engine for all fuels at all operating points (unboosted and boosted). The Moriya and PN indices predict the PN emissions using fuels that are market representative, but are poor predictors of PN emissions over all of the fuels tested. Very small accumulation mode particle sizes of around 30 nm have been noted from all fuels at boosted conditions, which has relevance to future legislation and after treatment.

Rotating Detonation Engine Performance Model for Rocket Applications

A simplified theoretical treatment of rotating detonation engine (RDE) performance is developed for rocket applications with traceability to current combustion technology. In particular, the influence of unsteady chamber conditions on average chamber pressure, thrust, and specific impulse is assessed for hydrogen, methane, and kerosene fuels with oxygen as an oxidizer. Results are presented for space engine and booster engine conditions, and the influence of nozzle design (bell vs aerospike) is assessed. Results indicate that aerospike nozzles are preferred for RDE applications due to the inherent ability to adjust to a range of operating pressures within the cycle. The RDE system tends to optimize at higher equivalence ratios than conventional engines. Transient nozzle performance diminishes cycle benefits from fundamental thermodynamic analyses, but specific impulse benefits as much as 6–8% might be realized for space engine and booster engine applications, respectively.

The effect of oxygenate fuels on PN emissions from a highly boosted GDI engine

Gasoline Direct Injection (GDI) engines are increasingly available in the market. Such engines are known to emit more Particulate Matter (PM) than their port-fuel injected predecessors. There is also a widespread use of oxygenate fuels in the market, up to blends of E85, and their impact on PN emissions is widely studied. However the impact of oxygenate fuels on PN emissions from downsized, and hence highly-boosted engines is not known.In this work, PN emissions from a highly boosted engine capable of running at up to 35 bar Brake Mean Effective Pressure (BMEP) have been measured from a baseline gasoline and three different oxygenate fuels (E20, E85, and GEM – a blend of gasoline, ethanol, and methanol) using a DMS500. The engine has been run at four different operating points, and a number of engine parameters relevant to highly-boosted engines (such as EGR, exhaust back pressure, and lambda) have been tested – the PN emissions and size distributions have been measured from all of these.The results show that the oxygenate content of the fuel has a very large impact on its PN emissions, with E85 giving low levels of PN emissions across the operating range, and GEM giving very low and extremely high levels of PN emissions depending on operating point. These results have been analysed and related back to key fuel properties.

An Interview with William A. Barnett

An Interview with William A. Barnett

The benefits of a mid-route exhaust gas recirculation system for two-stage boosted engines

Exhaust gas recirculation is a widely known technique applied in internal combustion engines for controlling the combustion process and harmful emissions. The recirculation of gases can be achieved either by delivering burnt gases from upstream of the turbine to downstream of the compressor (short-route) or by taking the exhaust gas from downstream of the turbine and deliver to upstream of the compressor (long-route). Although long-route system is preferred for highly boosted engines due to the higher exhaust gas recirculation availability at low engine speeds, it lacks a fast response time during transient performance compared to the short-route system. This article examines the potentials of introducing an alternative exhaust gas recirculation route which can be applied in two-stage boosted engines. The proposed mid-route exhaust gas recirculation system, applied in a gasoline engine, combines the benefits of the long routes and short routes. The system provides high exhaust gas recirculation rates at all engine speeds while the transport delay in the case of transient operation is relatively short. The potential of a hybrid exhaust gas recirculation system combining mid-route and long-route exhaust gas recirculation is examined and various components’ (i.e. compressor, turbine and coolers) sizing and transient performance studies are performed to understand the trade-offs of the system. It was demonstrated that mid-route could provide high exhaust gas recirculation particularly at high- and low engine speeds. A combination of mid-route and long-route exhaust gas recirculation can provide maximum exhaust gas recirculation rates at all speeds with a maximum fuel consumption penalty of 1.4% at engine speeds below 2500 r/min. The reduction in exhaust gas recirculation response time was of the magnitude of 50%, while the faster exhaust gas recirculation purging time combined with the smaller turbine implemented dropped the load tip-in response time by 25%. The coolers’ sizing study revealed that a long-route exhaust gas recirculation cooler is unnecessary, whereas the mid-route exhaust gas recirculation cooler can also be omitted when the flow is delivered prior an intercooler with a 25% larger cooling capacity than of the baseline engine.

Particulate emissions from a highly boosted gasoline direct injection engine

Downsized, highly boosted, gasoline direct injection engines are becoming the preferred gasoline engine technology to ensure that increasingly stringent fuel economy and emissions legislation are met. The Ultraboost project engine is a 2.0-L in-line four-cylinder prototype engine, designed to have the same performance as a 5.0-L V8 naturally aspirated engine but with reduced fuel consumption. It is important to examine particle number emissions from such extremely highly boosted engines to ensure that they are capable of meeting current and future emissions legislation. The effect of such high boosting on particle number emissions is reported in this article for a variety of operating points and engine operating parameters. The effect of engine load, air–fuel ratio, fuel injection pressure, fuel injection timing, ignition timing, inlet air temperature, exhaust gas recirculation level, and exhaust back pressure has been investigated. It is shown that particle number emissions increase with increase in cooled, external exhaust gas recirculation and engine load, and decrease with increase in fuel injection pressure and inlet air temperature. Particle number emissions are shown to fall with increased exhaust back pressure, a key parameter for highly boosted engines. The effects of these parameters on the particle size distributions from the engine have also been evaluated. Significant changes to the particle size spectrum emitted from the engine are seen depending on the engine operating point. Operating points with a bias towards very small particle sizes were noted.

PRESSURE DISTRIBUTION ON THE BLADE SURFACE OF AN AUTOMOTIVE MIXED FLOW TURBOCHARGER TURBINE UNDER PULSATING FLOW CONDITIONS

The increment of the contribution to CO2 release by transportation industry as other sectors are decarbonizing is evident. As number of world population continue to increase, the task of developing highly downsized high power-to-weight ratio engines are critical. Over more than a hundred years of invention, turbocharger remains a key technology that enable highly boosted efficient engine. Despite its actual operating environment which is pulsating flow, the turbocharger turbine that is available to date is still designed and assessed under the assumption of steady flow conditions. This is attributable to the lack of understanding on the insight of the flow field effect towards the torque generation of the turbine blade under pulsating flow conditions. This paper presents an effort towards investigating the influence of pulsating flow on the blade loading and its differences from steady state conditions through the use of Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD). For this purpose, a lean-vaned mixed-flow turbine with rotational speed of 30000 rpm at 20 Hz flow frequency, which represent turbine operation for 3-cylinder 4-stroke engine operating at 800 rpm has been used. Results presented in terms of spanwise location of the blade indicated different behavior at each location. Close to the hub, there are strong flow separation that hinders torque generation is seen while at mid-span more torque is generated under unsteady flow as compared to its steady counterpart. Moreover, close to the shroud, the pressure difference between steady and pulsating flow is almost identical

An experimental investigation of super knock combustion mode using a one-dimensional constant volume bomb

Super knock induced by pre-ignition in highly boosted spark ignition engines can cause very high peak pressure, which may lead to severe engine damage. Although it is difficult to investigate the mechanism of super-knock due to its inherent randomness, the very high peak pressure implies that super knock may relate to detonation. In this study, a tube-like one-dimensional constant volume bomb, which simplifies the geometry of a real engine's combustion chamber near top dead center, was used to better understand the fundamental phenomenon underlying super knock. H2/O2 mixture was used to maintain reaction intensity even at lower pressure than that in real highly boosted engines. Simultaneous high speed shadowgraphy and pressure measurement were conducted to study the effects of initial pressure and temperature on combustion mode and flame propagation. By comparing the frequencies of super knock pressure oscillation in the boosted engine and after-detonation pressure wave in the constant volume bomb, a relation can be found between the super knock and detonation. The experimental results also show that the detonation tendency of H2/O2 mixture in the constant volume bomb increases with increasing initial pressure but decreases with increasing initial temperature, indicating that the mixture density i.e. energy density plays an important role in detonation onset.

Experimental studies for semi-cryo engine development

Development of Cryogenic engine is essential requirement in order to improve the pay load capability of rocket launching systems. Cryogenic stage is more suitable for the upper stage of the launch vehicle mainly due to the high specific impulse and relatively low structural weight. As the pay load increases a high thrust booster engine is also required for the launch vehicle. Semi cryogenic propulsion is ideally suitable for booster engine, in terms of higher density impulse and low cost and easy handling. LPSC has undertaken the development of Semi Cryo Engine to power the booster stages of India's future launch vehicles. The Engine works on Oxidizer rich staged combustion cycle, using LOX and Isrosene propellant combination. Preburner (PB) and Thrust Chamber (TC) are the major subsystems of the engine. PB produces the hot gases at lower temperature for driving the turbo pump which raises the propellant pressure and TC produces hot gas in the chamber at high temperature which expands through the nozzle for generating thrust. Design of injector and arrangement of injector are critical in the design of pre burner and Thrust chamber so as to admit and meter the propellants into the chamber with proper mixture to ensure complete and stable combustion. The propellants require ignition source for initiating ignition. A mixture of Tri-ethyl Aluminium and Tri-ethyl Boron (TEA/TEB) is used as a source of ignition which is hypergolic with oxygen. In order to understand the behavior of the different systems and technology involved, it is planned to design and realize injector and evaluate the characteristics of its performance during cold flow as well as hot test. The development programme is planned in two phases. Initially Single element pre burner and thrust chamber hardware are realized, cold flow test are carried out and hot test are being done. It is also planned to realize subscale thrust chamber and pre burner as a phase-2 activity to study the behavior of multi element interaction and its performance. A lot of critical technologies are to be developed and demonstrated prior to the development of full scale engine. The characterization of injector elements, performance validation at near operating conditions, Ignition characteristics of hypergolic liquid, validation of material, evaluation of different coating are set for the objectives of the initial phase of tests. This paper discuss the different experimental studies carried out, experimental results and features of hardware, design aspects, cold flow characteristics, hot test result for the initial phase of development and also future plan of action.

Advanced space transportation systems, BARGOUZIN booster

In the framework of Advanced Space Transportation Systems Studies sponsored by CNES in 2006, a study called “BARGOUZIN” was performed by a joint team led by ASTRIUM ST and TSNIIMASH. Beyond these leaders, the team comprised MOLNIYA, DASSAULT AVIATION and SNECMA as subcontractors.The “BARGOUZIN” concept is a liquid fuelled fly-back booster (LFBB), mounted on the ARIANE 5 central core stage in place of the current solid rocket booster. The main originality of the concept lies in the fact that the “BARGOUZIN” features a cluster of VULCAIN II engines, similar to the one mounted on the central core stage of ARIANE 5. An astute permutation strategy, between the booster engines and central core engine is expected to lead to significant cost reductions. The following aspects were addressed during the preliminary system study:•engine number per booster trade-off/abort scenario analysis,•aerodynamic consolidation,•engine reliability,•ascent controllability,•ground interfaces•separation sequence analysis,•programmatics.These topics will be briefly presented and synthesized in this paper, giving an overview of the credibility of the concept.

Overview of United States Rocket Propulsion Technology and Associated Space Transportation Systems

U.S. share of the world launch market fell to 20% by 2002. During that period, only two new booster engines have been developed and flight certified in this country. Only limited progress has been made in reducing engine costs or increasing performance although these factors are not necessarily directly related. Upper-stage and in-space propulsion in the United States have not fared much better in the world market. On the other hand, space-faring nations in Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and the former Soviet Union are believed to have developed 40–50 new, high-performance engines over the same period. This trend will have to be reversed to enable future exploration missions. The intent of this paper is to summarize past propulsion-system development, assess the current status of U.S. space propulsion, survey future options, evaluate potential impact of ultra low-cost, small launch-vehicle programs, and discuss some future propulsion needs for space exploration.

Thrust augmentation nozzle (TAN) concept for rocket engine booster applications

Aerojet used the patented thrust augmented nozzle (TAN) concept to validate a unique means of increasing sea-level thrust in a liquid rocket booster engine. We have used knowledge gained from hypersonic Scramjet research to inject propellants into the supersonic region of the rocket engine nozzle to significantly increase sea-level thrust without significantly impacting specific impulse. The TAN concept overcomes conventional engine limitations by injecting propellants and combusting in an annular region in the divergent section of the nozzle. This injection of propellants at moderate pressures allows for obtaining high thrust at takeoff without overexpansion thrust losses. The main chamber is operated at a constant pressure while maintaining a constant head rise and flow rate of the main propellant pumps. Recent hot-fire tests have validated the design approach and thrust augmentation ratios. Calculations of nozzle performance and wall pressures were made using computational fluid dynamics analyses with and without thrust augmentation flow, resulting in good agreement between calculated and measured quantities including augmentation thrust. This paper describes the TAN concept, the test setup, test results, and calculation results.

CONTROL AND OPTIMIZATION OF TURBOCHARGED SPARK IGNITED ENGINES

The subject of this study is the trade-off between fuel economy and transient performance in turbocharged engines. It quantifies the losses and gains of different engine control strategies. Two extreme strategies are analyzed, one for optimal fuel economy and the other for fast transient response. Models for the components that influence the fuel economy are developed and described. An optimization problem for best fuel economy is solved analytically and a fuel-optimal controller is implemented based on that result. This controller is compared to one which is optimized for fast transient response with respect to the gains in fuel economy and losses in transient response. Simulations of a highly boosted engine show that a fuel-optimal controller can improve the fuel economy of a vehicle operated at cruising speed by 1-3% and at highway speed by 4%, and that the highest achievable improvement is above 10%. The losses in transient response are around 0.4 s for cruising conditions. Furthermore, measurements on a low-boosted engine on a test bench are used to show that the fuel-optimal controller reduces fuel consumption by 1.9% at highway conditions.