RD-0146

Last updated • 3 min readFrom Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia
RD-0146
RD-0146engine.jpg
Model of RD-0146
Country of origin Russia
Date2001
Designer KBKhA Design Bureau
Manufacturer TsSKB Progress
Applicationupper stage
Associated LV KVTK
Liquid-fuel engine
Propellant LOX / LH2
Cycle Expander cycle
Configuration
Chamber1
Performance
Thrust, vacuum68.6 kN (15,400 lbf)
Chamber pressure 5.9 megapascals (860 psi)
Specific impulse, vacuum470 seconds (4.6 km/s)
Dimensions
Length3.558 metres (11.67 ft)
Diameter1.95 metres (6 ft 5 in)

The RD-0146 (Russian : Ракетный Двигатель-0146, romanized: Raketnyy Dvigatel-0146, lit.  'Rocket Engine 0146') is a liquid-fuel cryogenic rocket engine developed by KBKhA Kosberg in Voronezh, Russia.

Contents

The RD-0146 is the first Russian rocket engine to burn liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen in the expander cycle, in which turbopumps are driven by waste heat absorbed in the nozzle and combustion chamber. The RD-0146 featured the fastest-spinning turbopump of any serially produced rocket engine: the fuel turbopump spun at over 120,000 rpm. The RD-0146M variant uses liquified natural gas as a fuel instead of hydrogen, while the RD-0146D variant is projected to produce specific impulse (Isp) as high as 470 seconds (4.6 km/s) in a vacuum.

The engine has been proposed for use on multiple carrier rockets throughout its history. RD-0146 variants were, at various times, selected to power new upper stages for Proton, Angara, Onega (a development of Soyuz-2), and Rus-M. As of 2022, the RD-0146D is in development for use on the KVTK upper stage.

Development

In 1988, RSC Energia directed KBKhA to begin work on a new preburner-less LOx/LH2 rocket engine for use on upper stages, the RO-95. Though this 10 tf (98 kN) engine never left the design phase, its development confirmed the reliability and performance of the expander cycle to KBKhA. [1]

In 1999, a new expander-cycle engine project began. In that year, GKNPTs Khrunichev awarded a contract to KBKhA to develop a new engine, the RD-0146U, for use on its Proton and Angara launch vehicles. The engine was to be of around 10 tf (98 kN) thrust class. Soon after, on 7 April 2000, the American company Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne entered an agreement with KBKhA, financing the development of the RD-0146. Pratt & Whitney would gain exclusive international marketing rights to this variant. [2] In 2002, RSC Energia awarded KBKhA with a contract to develop the RD-0146E variant for use on its Onega launch vehicle, a Soyuz-2 variant with a fully cryogenic upper stage. [1] In 2008, KBKhA began development of the RD-0146D variant for use on the KVTK upper stage for Angara A5. [3] In 2009, TsSKB Progress selected the RD-0146 for use on the new Rus-M launch vehicle's second stage. [4]

The first RD-0146 engine was planned to be delivered to Pratt & Whitney in May 2001. Delays attributed to subcontractor production troubles postponed this, and the first live firing of a production engine took place on 9 October, 2001. A second engine was built and fired in December 2002, and was subsequently delivered to Pratt & Whitney in March 2003.

The RD-0146 used a different testing methodology than previous Soviet and Russian engine trial programs. Individual components and subsystems would be tested separately, while earlier testing would use an all-up method, in which an entire engine was assembled and tested. This meant that a single component failure would make it necessary to disassemble the system to detect flaws. [5]

In order to facilitate test firings of the RD-0146, a new liquid hydrogen production plant was constructed, with a capacity of 100 kg (220 lb) per day. [6] This became the second such facility in Russia.

Description

The RD-0146 is the first Russian rocket engine not to feature a preburner. It is also the first to have a nozzle extension without an active cooling system, as well as the first engine by KBKhA to feature separate fuel and oxidiser turbopumps. [7] The engine is capable of five firings and thrust control in two planes. According to the developer, the lack of a gas generator system ensures higher reliability of the engine for multiple firings, by removing the potential of an ignition failure in the engine power cycle.[ citation needed ]

LM10-MIRA is a liquid oxygen-liquid methane demonstrator engine developed by Avio and KBKhA on the basis of the RD-0146. Development began under the terms of an agreement signed between the Italian and Russian governments in Moscow on November 28, 2000. The 7.5 tonnes-force engine was successfully tested in June 2014 in Voronezh, Russia. [8] After the end of the collaboration with KHBhA, Avio continued the development of the M10 engine for the Vega-E program with a target thrust of 10 tonnes-force. [9] As of March 2021, the engine ground qualification is foreseen for 2024. [9]

See also

Comparable engines

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Expander cycle</span> Rocket engine operation method

The expander cycle is a power cycle of a bipropellant rocket engine. In this cycle, the fuel is used to cool the engine's combustion chamber, picking up heat and changing phase. The now heated and gaseous fuel then powers the turbine that drives the engine's fuel and oxidizer pumps before being injected into the combustion chamber and burned.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vega (rocket)</span> European Space Agency launch system

Vega was an expendable small-lift launch vehicle operated by Arianespace, produced by Avio, and jointly developed by the Italian Space Agency (ASI) and the European Space Agency (ESA). Development began in 1998 and the first launch took place from the Guiana Space Centre on 13 February 2012. It was the 8th most launched small lift launch vehicle in history. The final flight of the rocket took place on 5 September 2024, after being replaced by the improved Vega C, already in use since 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rocketdyne J-2</span> Rocket engine

The J-2, commonly known as Rocketdyne J-2, was a liquid-fuel cryogenic rocket engine used on NASA's Saturn IB and Saturn V launch vehicles. Built in the United States by Rocketdyne, the J-2 burned cryogenic liquid hydrogen (LH2) and liquid oxygen (LOX) propellants, with each engine producing 1,033.1 kN (232,250 lbf) of thrust in vacuum. The engine's preliminary design dates back to recommendations of the 1959 Silverstein Committee. Rocketdyne won approval to develop the J-2 in June 1960 and the first flight, AS-201, occurred on 26 February 1966. The J-2 underwent several minor upgrades over its operational history to improve the engine's performance, with two major upgrade programs, the de Laval nozzle-type J-2S and aerospike-type J-2T, which were cancelled after the conclusion of the Apollo program.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">RL10</span> Liquid fuel cryogenic rocket engine, typically used on rocket upper stages

The RL10 is a liquid-fuel cryogenic rocket engine built in the United States by Aerojet Rocketdyne that burns cryogenic liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen propellants. Modern versions produce up to 110 kN (24,729 lbf) of thrust per engine in vacuum. RL10 versions were produced for the Centaur upper stage of the Atlas V and the DCSS of the Delta IV. More versions are in development or in use for the Exploration Upper Stage of the Space Launch System and the Centaur V of the Vulcan rocket.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Angara (rocket family)</span> Russian family of space launch vehicles

The Angara rocket family is a family of launch vehicles being developed by the Moscow-based Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Center. The launch vehicles are to put between 3,800 kg (8,400 lb) and 24,500 kg (54,000 lb) into low Earth orbit and are intended, along with Soyuz-2 variants, to replace several existing launch vehicles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Staged combustion cycle</span> Rocket engine operation method

The staged combustion cycle is a power cycle of a bipropellant rocket engine. In the staged combustion cycle, propellant flows through multiple combustion chambers, and is thus combusted in stages. The main advantage relative to other rocket engine power cycles is high fuel efficiency, measured through specific impulse, while its main disadvantage is engineering complexity.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">RD-180</span> Russian rocket engine

The RD-180 is a rocket engine that was designed and built in Russia. It features a dual combustion chamber, dual-nozzle design and is fueled by a RP-1/LOX mixture. The RD-180 is derived from the RD-170 line of rocket engines, which were used in the Soviet Energia launch vehicle. The engine was developed for use on the US Atlas III and Atlas V launch vehicles and first flew in 2000. It was never used on any other rocket. The engine has flown successfully on all six Atlas III flights and on 99 Atlas V flights, with just a single non-critical failure in March 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NK-33</span> Soviet rocket engine

The NK-33 and its vacuum-optimized variant, the NK-43, are rocket engines developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s by the Kuznetsov Design Bureau for the Soviet space program's ill-fated N1 Moon rocket. The NK-33 is among the most powerful LOX/RP-1 powered rocket engines ever built, noted for its high specific impulse and low structural mass.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vinci (rocket engine)</span> European rocket engine for upper stages

Vinci is a restartable, cryogenic, liquid-propellant rocket engine that powers the upper stage of Ariane 6. While development began in 1998 for the planned Ariane 5ME upgrade, funding for that programme shifted in 2014 to prioritize the development of Ariane 6, making Vinci the engine for the new launcher.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NPO Energomash</span> Russian rocket engine manufacturer

NPO Energomash "V. P. Glushko" is a major Russian rocket engine manufacturer. The company primarily develops and produces liquid propellant rocket engines. Energomash originates from the Soviet design bureau OKB-456, which was founded in 1946. NPO Energomash acquired its current name on May 15, 1991, in honor of its former chief designer Valentin Glushko.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chemical Automatics Design Bureau</span> Russian rocket engine manufacturer

Chemical Automatics Design Bureau (CADB), also KB Khimavtomatika, is a Russian design bureau founded by the NKAP in 1941 and led by Semyon Kosberg until his death in 1965. Its origin dates back to a 1940 Moscow carburetor factory, evacuated to Berdsk in 1941, and then relocated to Voronezh city in 1945, where it now operates. Originally designated OKB-296 and tasked to develop fuel equipment for aviation engines, it was redesignated OKB-154 in 1946.

The RL60 was a planned liquid-fuel cryogenic rocket engine designed in the United States by Pratt & Whitney, burning cryogenic liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen propellants. The engine runs on an expander cycle, running the turbopumps with waste heat absorbed from the main combustion process. This high-efficiency, waste heat based combustion cycle combined with the high-performance liquid hydrogen fuel enables the engine to reach a very high specific impulse of up to 465 seconds in a vacuum. The engine was planned to be a more capable successor to the Aerojet Rocketdyne RL10, providing improved performance and efficiency while maintaining the installation envelope of the RL10.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">RD-0124</span> Russian rocket engine

The RD-0124 is a rocket engine burning liquid oxygen and kerosene in an oxygen-rich staged combustion cycle, developed by the Chemical Automatics Design Bureau in Voronezh. RD-0124 engines are used on the Block I stage used on Soyuz-2.1b and Soyuz-2.1v. A variant of the engine, the RD-0124A, is used on the Angara rocket family's URM-2 upper stage.

The RD-120 is a liquid upper stage rocket engine burning RG-1 and LOX in an oxidizer rich staged combustion cycle with an O/F ratio of 2.6. It is used in the second stage of the Zenit family of launch vehicles. It has a single, fixed combustion chamber and thus on the Zenit it is paired with the RD-8 vernier engine. The engine was developed from 1976 to 1985 by NPO Energomash with V.P. Radovsky leading the development. It is manufactured by, among others, Yuzhmash in Ukraine.

This page is an incomplete list of orbital rocket engine data and specifications.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KVTK (rocket stage)</span> Russian rocket stage

The KVTK (Russian: Кислородно-Водородный Тяжёлого Класса, romanized: Kislorodno-Vodorodnyy Tyazhologo Klassa, lit. 'Oxygen-Hydrogen Heavy Class') is a liquid oxygen/hydrogen upper stage for high energy orbits that is currently under development. The KVTK contains an RD-0146D engine and is designed for use on Angara rockets. KVTK would be the first hydrogen-powered upper stage for use on a Russian launch vehicle, although Khrunichev has previously produced a hydrogen-powered upper stage (KVD-1) for the Indian Space Research Organisation's GSLV. KVTK is designed to provide up to five ignitions, allowing for complex orbital maneuvering, and have an on-orbit lifespan of up to nine hours. KVTK would allow an increase in payload to GTO of 20-50% compared to the Angara A5's standard Briz-M upper stage, powered by UDMH and N2O4.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aestus</span> Rocket engine

Aestus is a hypergolic liquid rocket engine used on an upper stage of Ariane 5 family rockets for the orbital insertion. It features unique design of 132 coaxial injection elements causing swirl mixing of the MMH propellants with nitrogen tetroxide oxidizer. The pressure-fed engine allows for multiple re-ignitions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Soyuz-7</span> Proposed reusable Russian rocket design

The Soyuz-7 or Amur is a partially-reusable, methane–fueled, orbital launch vehicle currently in the design concept stage of development by the Roscosmos State Corporation in Russia. The preliminary design process began in October 2020, with operational flights planned for no earlier than 2028. Amur is intended to substitute for the existing Soyuz-2, at a much lower per launch cost.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">M10 (rocket engine)</span>

M10 is a liquid-fuel upper-stage rocket engine in development by Avio on behalf of European Space Agency for use on Vega E. The engine, initially known as LM10-MIRA, was a derivation of the existing Russian RD-0146 engine and result of a past collaboration between Avio and Chemical Automatics Design Bureau (KBKhA) ended in 2014 after the escalation of the Russo-Ukrainian conflict and consequent economic sanctions. On May 6, 2022 engine testing campaign started at Salto di Quirra, Sardinia, with consequent maiden flight on a Vega-E launcher expected by 2026 from Guiana Space Centre.

The RD-0126 "Yastreb" was a liquid-fuel cryogenic rocket engine burning liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen, developed by KBKhA Kosberg in Voronezh, Russia. The RD-0126 variant had a conventional de Laval nozzle, while the RD-0126E (РД-0126Э) was designed and constructed with an expansion-deflection nozzle. Both variants were designed to produce 39.2 kN (8,812.5 lbf) of thrust.

References

  1. 1 2 Rachuk, Vladimir; Titkov, N (2006-07-09), "The First Russian LOX-LH2 Expander Cycle LRE: RD0146", 42nd AIAA/ASME/SAE/ASEE Joint Propulsion Conference & Exhibit, Joint Propulsion Conferences, American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, doi:10.2514/6.2006-4904, ISBN   978-1-62410-038-3 , retrieved 2022-06-06
  2. ↑ "RD-0146 rocket engine".
  3. ↑ "РД0146, РД0146Д, РД0146Д-1 АО «Конструкторское Бюро Химавтоматики»". kbkha.ru (in Russian). Retrieved 2022-06-06.
  4. ↑ ИноСМИ (2009-08-12). "Большая и Малая Медведицы засияли ярче". ИноСМИ (in Russian). Retrieved 2022-06-11.
  5. ↑ Афанасьев, И. (2001). "Огневые испытания воронежского ЖРД" [Fire tests of the Voronezh rocket engine]. Новости космонавтики (in Russian). Издательский центр. Archived from the original on 2011-11-09.
  6. ↑ "Полёт нормальный". Газета «Известия» (in Russian). 2002-12-20. Archived from the original on 2009-11-01. Retrieved 2009-11-01.
  7. ↑ Demiyanenko, Yuri; Dmitrenko, Anatoly; Rachuk, Vladimir; Shostak, Alexander; Minick, Alan; Bracken, Rod; Buser, Mark (2006), "Single-Shaft Turbopumps in Liquid Propellant Rocket Engines", 42nd AIAA/ASME/SAE/ASEE Joint Propulsion Conference & Exhibit, American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, doi:10.2514/6.2006-4377, ISBN   978-1-62410-038-3 , retrieved 2022-06-07
  8. ↑ P. Bellomi; M. Rudnykh; S. Carapellese; D. Liuzzi; G. Caggiano; L. Arione; A.A. Gurtovoy; S.D. Lobov; V. S. Rachuk (2019-02-08). "Development of LM10-MIRA liquid oxygen – liquid natural gas expander cycle demonstrator engine". Progress in Propulsion Physics – Volume 11. pp. 447–466. doi:10.1051/eucass/201911447. ISBN   978-5-94588-228-7. S2CID   139531422 . Retrieved 2021-03-23.
  9. 1 2 D. Kajon; D.Liuzzi; C. Boffa; M. Rudnykh; D. Drigo; L. Arione; N. Ierardo; A. Sirbi (2019-08-01). Development of the liquid oxygen and methane M10 rocket engine for the Vega-E upper stage (PDF) (Report). doi:10.13009/EUCASS2019-315 . Retrieved 2021-03-24.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.