Air Force, Aerojet Rocketdyne Give Boost to Hydrocarbon and AR1 Engines

Hydrocarbon Boost Sub-Scale Oxygen Rich Preburner Test at AFRL. Photo: Aerojet Rocketdyne

[Via Satellite 09-08-2016] Aerojet Rocketdyne has successfully completed its final test series on its sub-scale oxygen rich preburner as part of the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) Hydrocarbon Boost Technology Demonstrator (HBTD) program. Aerojet Rocketdyne tested the preburner at full power and full duration to provide key insights for future engines that use this engine cycle.

The HBTD program is developing technologies for rocket engines that employ an Oxygen-Rich Staged Combustion (ORSC) engine cycle — the same cycle that is used for the Aerojet Rocketdyne AR1 engine, a potential replacement engine for the Russian RD-180. The reusable HBTD demonstrator engine is a 250,000 lbf thrust class engine that is capable of up to 100 flights, and features high-performance, long-life technologies and modern materials, according to the company.

“The large quantity of data gathered during this test series is invaluable in anchoring the analytical models that were developed for use with this and future engine programs. We incorporated a novel fuel and oxidizer mixing technology in the preburner design, which yielded an extremely uniform gas temperature throughout the engine,” said Joe Burnett, Aerojet Rocketdyne program manager of the Hydrocarbon Boost Technology Demonstrator program. “Consistent gas temperatures in an engine are critical for turbomachinery performance.”

The series of successful tests also marked the first use of the Mondaloy 200 super alloy, which was developed jointly by Aerojet Rocketdyne and the AFRL Materials Directorate. Mondaloy 200 is an enabling technology for rocket engines that employ the ORSC engine cycle because of its high-strength and burn resistance properties.