An innovative combustion-chamber setup that was flight-tested last month could cut the cost of rocket engines by eliminating the need for regenerative cooling.
Orbital Technologies Corp. (Orbitec), a Madison, Wis.-based space-technology company, flight-tested a version of the 30,000-lb.-thrust liquid-propellant rocket engine it is developing for the U.S. Air Force's Advanced Upper Stage Engine Program (Ausep) and other in-space applications.
Results of the Oct. 20 sounding rocket test at Mojave, Calif., validated the company's “vortex” engine technology, which injects fuel and liquid oxygen so that the burning mixture does not touch the walls of the combustion chamber, allowing them to be thinner, lighter and lower cost, says Paul Zamprelli, business development director.
By carefully tweaking the propellant-injection parameters, the company hopes to eliminate the need for costly cooling tubes or channels that circulate unburned fuel through the combustion chamber walls to prevent them from overheating. The flight test also demonstrated Orbitec's acoustic igniter and a lightweight carbon-carbon nozzle extension developed for the flight by ATK.
This will be a significant improvement over current liquid fueled rocket motors. To read more, click here.