Recently, a certain type of liquid oxygen kerosene engine, which was independently researched and designed by the Xi'an Aerospace Power Research Institute of the Sixth Academy of China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation, achieved repeated flight test verification, and the reuse of liquid rocket power has been realized for the first time in China. This type of engine participated in the first flight test as the main power plant of a certain aircraft in 2021, and participated in this repeated flight test mission after testing and maintenance.
free entry and exit space is the main direction of the subsequent development of aerospace transportation system ; the development of reusable aerospace carriers is a key link in realizing free entry and exit space, and substantive research is urgently needed to achieve technological breakthroughs. In recent years, with the mature application of the reuse of the Falcon 9 rocket in the United States, countries have set off a new round of development of reusable technology.
Liquid rocket engine is the main power device of aerospace carrier. It has the characteristics of full functions, high performance, strong mission adaptability, high technical difficulty, and long development cycle. It is also one of the most complex products of aerospace carriers. Therefore, its reusability has become one of the key technologies that must be broken through to achieve the reusing of aerospace carriers.
liquid oxygen kerosene engine is the main power device of the new generation of launch vehicle in my country, with the advantages of high performance, high thrust, non-toxic and pollution-free. From the beginning of design, the component plan and overall layout of the engine were demonstrated according to the requirements of multiple work, and the ground development and test achieved 8 repeated trial runs for a single engine without leaving the stage.
However, repeatable ground interview does not mean that the engine can be adapted to reusable. The reusable liquid rocket engine also requires breakthroughs in key technologies such as multiple starts, fast starts at low inlet pressure, large-scale thrust adjustment, status assessment and detection and health management, rapid simplified processing, high-temperature component structure anti-fatigue life assessment and life extension, and the prediction and control of complex force-heat environments in the entire task profile. During the 13th Five-Year Plan period, my country carried out research on key technologies for reusing liquid oxygen kerosene engines, and achieved a large number of theoretical and experimental research results, laying the foundation for reusing liquid oxygen kerosene engines.
This type of liquid oxygen kerosene engine has functions such as multiple starts, low inlet pressure starts, and large-scale thrust adjustment. Through this test, the adaptability of the complex thermal environment of the entire mission profile of the engine and the feasibility of post-flight recycling and reuse are further verified. The rapid simplified treatment plan, inspection and maintenance and health management plan of the liquid oxygen kerosene engine were explored. The design evaluation criteria for the reuse of liquid rocket engines was initially established, and the development and engineering application of reused aerospace transportation technology were promoted. The small step of the use of liquid oxygen kerosene engine from one flight to two flights is of great significance. It has accumulated valuable experience and explored the road for the subsequent development of a larger thrust reusable liquid oxygen kerosene engine, marking that the reusable liquid oxygen kerosene engine in China Aerospace has achieved a breakthrough from "zero" to "have", and has taken a solid step.
Director of Xi'an Aerospace Power Research Institute said: "The first repeated flight of my country's liquid oxygen kerosene engines marks the entry of the engineering application stage of engine reuse technology. We will further pay attention to the high reliability, low cost and high performance of the engine, and continue to explore reusable technologies to provide strong power guarantees for my country to enter and exit space quickly and large-scale."
Economic Daily reporter Jiang Tianjiao
Source: China Economic Network
