Rocketdyne (Rockwell) - 250-500k Aerospike Engine

[Graham1973]

Just uploaded to the NTRS, a rather interesting study from the late 1960's

The Aerospike Engine. Concept, Performance, Design & Operational Data. Liquid Hydrogen Propellants 250-500 KBLF Thrust Class

http://ntrs.nasa.gov/archive/nasa/casi.ntrs.nasa.gov/19900066185_1990066185.pdf

 

[sferrin]

Surprised this hasn't been uploaded before:



"During the 1960s, Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne tested numerous aerospike engines, ranging in size from subscale, cold-flow models to this 250,000- pound-thrust oxygen/ hydrogen engine shown at a test stand in Nevada." (Rocketdyne's J-2T-250k annular aerospike test firing.)

 

[Graham1973]

Here are some later documents from the 1970's dealing with aerospike engines (not related to the one in the OP), though the first of the two might be related to the Rocketdyne engine in the previous post.

1. Aerospike Thrust Chamber Program (1976)

https://web.archive.org/web/2010051...casi.ntrs.nasa.gov/19770014245_1977014245.pdf

2. Linear Aerospike Engine Study (1977)

https://web.archive.org/web/2010051...casi.ntrs.nasa.gov/19780003139_1978003139.pdf

 

[Nik]

So why, if that worked, did the NASA SSTO aero-spike notion go for a *rectangular* design ??


( D'uh, we're talking about NASA here, of course, of course... )

 

[DSE]

So why, if that worked, did the NASA SSTO aero-spike notion go for a *rectangular* design ??

( D'uh, we're talking about NASA here, of course, of course... )

Just what do you think the reference to "Linear Aerospike " in the preceding message refers to?

 

[Kevin Renner]

As to why Lockheed Martin and NASA opted for the linear design is IMO most likely related to the vihcle shape.

 

[Spark]

Hi


There are drawings of a proposal for a Blue Streak with a plug type rocket engine.

As to why Lockheed Martin and NASA opted for the linear design is IMO most likely related to the vihcle shape.

 

[Grey Havoc]

ADVANCED CRYOGENIC ROCKET ENGINE PROGRAM
AEROSPIKE NOZZLE CONCEPT -- MATERIALS AND PROCESSES

RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT REPORT

Technical Report AFRPL-TR-67-278

November 1967

(Rocketdyne report number- R-7251)

 

[RyanC]

Just uploaded to the NTRS, a rather interesting study from the late 1960's

The Aerospike Engine. Concept, Performance, Design & Operational Data. Liquid Hydrogen Propellants 250-500 KBLF Thrust Class

http://ntrs.nasa.gov/archive/nasa/casi.ntrs.nasa.gov/19900066185_1990066185.pdf

Did anyone save this? it was lost in the great Frank Wolf PRON debacle. :-(

 

[Graham1973]

Just uploaded to the NTRS, a rather interesting study from the late 1960's

The Aerospike Engine. Concept, Performance, Design & Operational Data. Liquid Hydrogen Propellants 250-500 KBLF Thrust Class

http://ntrs.nasa.gov/archive/nasa/casi.ntrs.nasa.gov/19900066185_1990066185.pdf

Did anyone save this? it was lost in the great Frank Wolf PRON debacle. :-(

Apologies for the very late reply, I had saved the document and it can be accessed at the link below:

https://app.box.com/s/hv4mvt5waivzihxenr6vjwebdesg8cey

 

[Archibald]

I've done some search on DTIC

www.dtic.mil/docs/citations/AD0387190

www.dtic.mil/docs/citations/AD0387189

AD0387189 has a (poor quality) black and white reproduction of this picture

(page 8 of 432)

caption says
"250 k tube wall test and firing at Nevada Field Laboratory"

So it might not be a complete engine test firing (then this would mean that both Wikipedia and Astronautix are wrong - how surprising !!)

 

[Graham1973]

I've checked the links to the reports I linked to in post #3 of this thread and found both were broken. Thankfully both files had been preserved by the Internet Archive and updated links have been provided.

 

[Dew]

I think I got these flyer pics from an eBay listing a while back:

 

[Nik]

With regard to DSE's accurate criticism of my earlier query, I must agree that making a circular or oval 'aerospike' nozzle seems to require near-monolithic construction compared to a 'linear' type, which may be much more modular.

Perhaps this is less of a constraint given modern, reliable 3D 'printing' / deposition, but still a significant factor.

FWIW, analogy I've seen was bell-making: Finding flaw in a big church-bell usually requires a re-cast...

 

[jsport]

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-0Y0FS8Z1Qk&list=PL59xituis2c1Ah58XxGmakd71ALg539ja

 

[Dew]

AF&SD Dec. 1969:

 

[quellish]

I think I got these flyer pics from an eBay listing a while back:
View attachment 735505View attachment 735506

I have a physical copy of that flyer somewhere. If it turns up again I’ll scan it. There was another ALS flyer that IIIRC was for a J-2-like methane engine

 

[Graham1973]

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-0Y0FS8Z1Qk&list=PL59xituis2c1Ah58XxGmakd71ALg539ja

I'd posted that video in the other thread on Rockwell Aerospike engines covering the linear aerospike test beds that were tested in 1970 - 1973 in what was essentially a 'make work' project conceived as a way to keep skills fresh as the Apollo project wound down.

 

[jsport]

I'd posted that video in the other thread on Rockwell Aerospike engines covering the linear aerospike test beds that were tested in 1970 - 1973 in what was essentially a 'make work' project conceived as a way to keep skills fresh as the Apollo project wound down.

It seem to have been removed so reposted