On October 1, the WeChat Video Account of the Sixth Academy of China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation released a video called "The Place of the Birth of the Academy Soul", revealing the development plan of the "Eight Years Nine-Engine" liquid rocket engine.
Nine liquid rocket engines being developed by my country
8 years refers to: 2021 to 2028.
9 engine refers to:
1, 200-ton liquid oxygen methane engine; 2. 500-ton liquid oxygen kerosene engine ; 3. 220-ton liquid hydrogen liquid oxygen engine; 4. High-thrust liquid oxygen kerosene engine; 5. High-thrust conventional engine; 6. 85-ton liquid oxygen kerosene engine; 7. 80-ton liquid oxygen methane engine; 8. 8-ton conventional engine; 9. 25-ton liquid hydrogen liquid oxygen engine
Many netizens are still confused after reading the introduction, and they don’t understand which nine models of these nine engines are rocket engine , and what type of rocket engine they are.
To address this issue, this article will tell you what kind of rocket engine this type of rocket engine is most likely to be through a series of analysis. The core-stage engines of the
1 and the Long March 9 carrier rocket are currently close to successful development.
The 2nd, 3rd and 9th engines mentioned above are highly similar to the three engines of the official Long March 9 launch vehicle core stage, and the thrust index is the same. It is expected that these three engines are the YF130 high-pressure refueling liquid oxygen kerosene rocket engine, the YF90 high-pressure refueling liquid oxygen liquid hydrogen rocket engine, and the YF79 closed expansion cycle rocket engine.
A few years ago, an official agency announced the future planned model of my country's rocket engine
Among them, the YF130 high-pressure refueling liquid oxygen kerosene rocket engine and the YF90 high-pressure refueling liquid oxygen liquid hydrogen rocket engine have completed the full-operated semi-system test run, while the most difficult YF79 has made the fastest progress and has successfully conducted the first hot test run for the whole machine.
According to China News Service, on March 5, 2021, the high-pressure refueled liquid oxygen kerosene rocket engine installed on the first stage of the Long March 9 core and booster successfully conducted the first full-operated semi-system test run, with a single thrust of 500 tons. On September 23, 2021, the 220-ton refueling cycle hydrogen and oxygen engine successfully conducted the first full-operated semi-system test run. On September 6, 2022, the first complete thermal test of the 25-ton closed-expanded circulation hydrogen and oxygen engine was a complete success, marking the successful development of the world's largest closed-expanded circulation liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen rocket engine.
completed the full-operated semi-system test drive, which means that my country has overcome the most difficult power turbine technology of these two types of liquid rocket engines. In the future, once the engine test bench is in place and the nozzle is installed, the whole machine will be immediately carried out.
In April 2022, the domestic professional journal "Rocket Propulsion" published three major research papers, introducing the latest development progress of these three rocket engines.
YF79 rocket engine single-mold installation diagram
It is mentioned that the sea level thrust of YF130 reaches about 5,000 kN, equivalent to 510.2 tons, which is far higher than the 480 tons index set at the beginning, with a thrust-weight ratio of more than 73. The single-chamber thrust is higher than the magical artifact RD180 developed by the former Soviet Union, which is the best in the world. The Long March 9 launch vehicle booster has a total of 12 YF130s calculated by the core stage, and its take-off thrust will be as high as 6122.45 tons; the YF90 vacuum thrust reaches 2200 kN, and the main indicators are basically consistent with the indicators set at the beginning; the YF79 vacuum thrust reaches 250 kN, which is basically consistent with the indicators set at the beginning, but the ratio is slightly worse, only 455.2 seconds, which is lower than the 460-second indicator set at the beginning. According to the paper data, the main reason is that its expansion ratio selection value is the low.
2. 200 tons full flow staged combustion liquid oxygen methane rocket engine.
Official magazine " Scientific Chinese " published an article titled "Wang Chunmin, the Sixth Academy of Space Academy: Forging the Source of Space Power with Continuous Innovation". The article mentioned: In order to meet the development needs of major scientific and technological projects such as space station construction, manned moon landing, and deep space exploration in my country, the 11th Institute is carrying out a comprehensive layout in the fields of room temperature propellant engines, liquid oxygen kerosene engines, weapon attitude and railing engines, ramming and combined power engines, and has carried out the development of models such as 100-ton room temperature engines, 500-ton liquid oxygen kerosene engines, and 200-ton full-flow refueling circulation liquid oxygen methane engines, to fully promote the construction of a strong aerospace power.
The Raptor Type 1 and Raptor Type 2 rocket engines developed by Space X, USA,
According to the pictures in the video of the Sixth Academy of Aerospace, the 200-ton liquid oxygen methane engine looks very much like it adopts a closed cycle design. The biggest possibility is the 200-ton full-flow refueling cycle liquid oxygen methane engine mentioned in "Scientific Chinese".
Full flow full flow refueling cycle rocket engine is also called full flow staged combustion rocket engine. The main advantage over some staged combustion rocket engines is that at the same output power, its power turbine has a lower working temperature, better durability, and can be reused multiple times. In the future, once a 200-ton full-flow refueling cycle liquid oxygen methane engine is developed, it may be used in reusable space vehicles such as the reusable version of the Long March 9 heavy launch vehicle, large two-stage combined aerospace planes, etc. This engine is targeted at the Raptor full-flow staged combustion rocket engine that is being developed by the US Space X.
3. A high-pressure refueling liquid oxygen kerosene rocket engine with a single-chamber thrust of 360 tons and a high-pressure refueling rocket engine with a single-chamber thrust of more than 240 tons.
Judging from the video released by the WeChat Video Account of the Sixth Academy of China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation, the fourth high-thrust liquid oxygen kerosene engine looks like a closed-circulation engine. From the size, its nozzle is obviously larger than each nozzle of the 500-ton high-pressure re-ignition rocket engine. Combined with the 2021 version of the Long March 9 launch vehicle exposed by Academician Long Lehao in his lecture on June 24, 2021, it is expected that the engine is the 360-ton high-pressure re-ignition liquid oxygen kerosene engine.
Academician Long Lehao introduced in the lecture that the 2021 version of the Long March 9 launch vehicle will use 16 YF135
According to the information disclosed by a certain official, the YF135 engine is not an engine developed from scratch, but is based on the initial version of YF130, halving the combustion chamber pressure from 18 megapas to 25 megapas, and appropriately improving the designed single-chamber high-pressure refueling liquid oxygen kerosene rocket engine, which can also be confirmed through simple calculations. It is understood that the initial version of the YF130 with a dual-chamber vacuum thrust of 500 tons had a combustion chamber pressure of only 18 megapas, and the indicators were very conservative. If it was increased to 25 megapas, its vacuum thrust would be increased to 694.44 tons, and the pressure of a single combustion chamber would be increased to 347.22 tons. If the combustion chamber expansion ratio was appropriately improved, the thrust would be increased to 360 tons!
What is the fifth high-thrust conventional engine? From the appearance, it is obviously very similar to the fourth high-thrust liquid oxygen kerosene engine, but it is smaller in size. It is expected to be a single-chamber high-thrust high-pressure re-ignition rocket engine derived from the YF130 halving. But what is currently impossible to determine is whether its fuel will use kerosene, methane , liquid hydrogen , or it will use a mixture of two fuels.
At present, this engine is most likely to use kerosene as fuel.
In the second issue of "Aerospace Overall Technology" 2020, the introduction of the progress of 500-ton rocket engines mentioned that "the 200t-stage engine can directly borrow 480t-stage engine thrust chamber, gas swing device, fuel swing device and some automatics, and the general component borrowing rate is nearly 50%. Through the development of this type of engine, a basic stage engine model spectrum with 100t-200t-400t-stage thrust in my country has been formed to meet the demand for basic stage power of small, medium, large and heavy carrier rockets.”
《Overall Technology》2020 Issue 2 of 2020 Introduction to the progress of 500-ton rocket engines
Currently, we have the YF100 series high-pressure refueling liquid oxygen kerosene rocket engine, and 400-ton we also have the YF130 high-pressure refueling liquid oxygen kerosene rocket engine, which has actually been upgraded to 500-ton. What is currently missing is the 200-ton grade. Based on the YF130 half reduction, it can greatly save R&D costs and development difficulties. Therefore, the 5th high-thrust conventional engine is most likely to be the single-chamber high-pressure refueling liquid oxygen kerosene engine with a thrust of more than 240 tons developed by my country.
4. Based on the reusable and low-cost launch of 85-ton open-circulating liquid oxygen kerosene engine and 80-ton liquid oxygen methane engine.
On September 15, 2021, the 16th China Xi'an International Science and Technology Industry Expo and Hard Technology Industry Expo officially opened. A relevant person in charge of the Sixth Academy of China Aerospace Science and Technology Group introduced to the visitors: "This engine is an 85-ton open-circulating liquid oxygen kerosene engine, positioned as the main power of a small and medium-sized commercial launch vehicle , which can achieve a non-toxic replacement for my country's active conventional propellant rocket. As an effective supplement to the main power of the new generation of launch vehicle, it provides the ability to enter space at low cost. ”
85-ton open-circulating liquid oxygen kerosene rocket engine provided by the Sixth Academy of Aerospace
On September 16, 2022, " China Aerospace News " released a news report titled "my country's first realization of reuse of liquid rocket engines", which mentioned that "Recently, a certain type of liquid oxygen kerosene engine independently developed by 11 Institutes of the Sixth Academy of Aerospace Science and Technology Group has achieved repeated flight test verification for the first time. After participating in the first flight test as the main power unit of a certain aircraft, this type of engine successfully completed the repeated flight test after inspection and maintenance, and realized the reused use of a liquid rocket engine for the first time in China. "
At that time, the reused flight test of my country's lift suborbital carrier was not long ago. It is expected that this engine will be the main engine of the aircraft.
According to the official website of the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council, in 2011, the first test of 11 60-ton liquid oxygen methane engines in Beijing, the Sixth Academy of China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation was successful. In 2016, the liquid oxygen methane engine completed a 200-second hot test drive at the 101st Academy of China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation. Based on this engine, the Sixth Academy of China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation is easy to improve in a few years. , 80-ton open-circulating liquid oxygen methane rocket engine was derived.
This liquid oxygen methane rocket engine is also reusable and launched at low cost. Otherwise, the open-circulation ratio is too low, which seriously affects the increase in the capacity coefficient of the launch vehicle.
5. The 8-ton new generation closed-expanded circulation liquid hydrogen liquid oxygen rocket engine used to replace the YF75 open-circulating rocket engine.
my country has long developed the YF75 open-circulating liquid oxygen liquid hydrogen rocket engine with a thrust of 8 tons, as the upper stage liquid oxygen liquid hydrogen rocket engine , it has long fallen behind. The 438-second specific impulse is more than 20 seconds behind the advanced liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen rocket engines in foreign advanced upper stage. When generating the same thrust, it requires more than 10% of the fuel to consume. For launch vehicles with a fuel proportion of more than 90%, the higher the fuel efficiency, the higher the fuel utilization efficiency, which can greatly affect the capacity coefficient of the launch vehicle.
YF75 open circulation liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen rocket engine
At present, the upper stage of my country's Long March 8 carrier rocket still uses this open circulation liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen that was successfully developed in 1986 The development of the rocket engine affects its capacity to further increase. Therefore, it is very necessary for my country to redevelop an advanced 8-ton upper-stage liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen rocket engine to replace it.
According to the picture, this engine is more like a closed expansion cycle hydrogen and oxygen rocket engine, which is also the best choice for advanced upper-stage rocket engine. Therefore, the 8th engine is most likely to be the newly developed 8-ton closed expansion cycle hydrogen and oxygen rocket engine in my country. Once developed successfully, the YF75 can be obtained, which greatly improves the capacity and capacity coefficient of the Long March 8 launch vehicle .
To sum up, my country quickly makes up for the debts of previous rocket engines by implementing the "Eight-Year Nine-Electric" liquid rocket engine plan, and can fully catch up with the US rocket engines in a very short time. By then, my country will reverse the passive situation of previous models and other engines in one fell swoop! According to previous performance, my country's space program, , has always been very punctual and rarely delayed. In addition, my country's scientific and technological strength has far exceeded 20 years ago. Not only is the number of aerospace science and technology talents large and high-level, they are also very young, and they have the strength to benchmark against the United States, which has severely hollowed out its industry. If nothing unexpected happens, my country is likely to complete these 9 types of rocket engines of different levels/types around 2030, becoming a rocket engine power that is fully benchmarked against the United States!
