• Composites Research
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.132-139
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• 2023

A linerless composite propellant tank was designed and manufactured by using the carbon fiber-reinforced composite materials which have superior strength-to-weight ratio in order to reduce weight of the tank. In this research, we designed a sub-scale composite propellant tank with a diameter of 800 mm to withstand an MEOP of 1.7 MPa. We manufactured the boss of the tank by using the same composite materials to reduce the thermal expansion difference between the boss and the secondary-bonded composite layers of the barrel in the cryogenic environment. We used the collapsible mandrel to manufacture the tank without any liner. The mandrel was made from epoxy-based composite tooling prepregs to reduce weight of the mandrel. We manufactured the test tanks by laying up the carbon fiber fabric prepregs manually on the mandrel and then applying the autoclave cure process. We performed a proof test, a helium tightness test, a repeated pressurization test, and a burst test in room temperature. The test results demonstrate that the proposed design and manufacture process satisfies all strength requirements as well as an anti-leakage requirement.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Propulsion Engineers
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• v.9 no.3
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• pp.25-37
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• 2005

For pump-fed rocket propulsion system, the temperature of LOX to be supplied to turbopump inlet should be satisfied with pump inlet temperature requirement during all operating stages, as excessive temperatures can result in cavitation due to reduction in NPSH, thus either damaging the pump or adversely affecting pump performance rise. So exact estimation of LOX temperature rise is absolutely needed for developing reliable propulsion system. This paper presents systematic analysis scheme for estimating inner process of cryogenic propellant tank which is needed for LOX temperature rise. And this paper presents LOX temperature rise and thermal stratification for all rocket operating stages including cooling, filling, waiting, pre-pressurization and firing, with the application of buoyancy driven boundary layer theory.

• Aerospace Engineering and Technology
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.79-88
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• 2011

A fill-drain valve is operated by provided control gas at the ground for liquid propellant feeding system of space launch vehicle, which fills or drains on-board propellant tanks with a cryogenic oxidizer. We have analyzed and modified the data of fill-drain valve designed by Yuzhnoye. The simulation model of fill-drain valve is designed by using the AMESim code to predict and evaluate the dynamic characteristics and pneumatic behavior of valve. In this study, we performed a dynamic characteristic simulation on design parameter. And we could predict opening/closing time and pressures, operating performances on design parameters. This study will serve as one of reference guides to enhance the developmental efficiency of fill-drain valves with the various operating requirements, which shall be used in the Koreanized Space Launch Vehicle.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Propulsion Engineers
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• v.15 no.6
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• pp.70-77
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• 2011

A ventilation-relief valve performs as a safety-valve assembly for the liquid-propellant feeding system of space launch vehicle. This valve plays a role of relieving the vaporized propellants from propellant tanks during the filling and storing stages of propellants. Also it regulates to maintain the pressure of ullage volume of on-board propellant tanks within the safety-margin during the flight. The simulation model of ventilation-relief valve is designed with AMESim to predict and evaluate the dynamic characteristics and pneumatic behaviors of valve. To validate a valve simulation model, the simulation results of the opening and closing pressures and their operating durations of valve by AMESim analysis are compared with the results of mathematical methods. In addition, the results of internal flow simulation with FLUENT are utilized to improve the accuracy of valve-modeling. This study will serve as one of reference guides to enhance the developmental efficiency of ventilation-relief valves with the various operating conditionss, which shall be used in Korea Space Launch Vehicle-II.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Propulsion Engineers Conference
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• 2010.11a
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• pp.741-747
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• 2010

Vent-relief valve performed as a safety-valve combination for liquid propellant feeding system of space launch vehicle, which can vent the vaporized oxygen vapor during both filling cryogenic oxidizer into tank and flight. We have designed vent-relief model by using the AMESim code to predict dynamic characteristics and simulate pneumatic behavior of valve. To validate valve model we have compared by opening time in vent model, and opening/closing pressure by mathematical methods and improved the accuracy through numerical flow analysis by using FLUENT code. In this study, we had verified design parameters and analyzed operating performances. We can use these analysis results to precedent development study on propellant feeding system of Korea Space Launch Vehicle.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Propulsion Engineers
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• v.23 no.5
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• pp.43-52
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• 2019

Cryogenic propellant rockets utilize a natural circulation loop of cryogenic fluid to cool the engine inlet temperature before launch. The geometric information about the circulation system, such as length and diameter of the pipes and the heat input to the system, defines the mass flow rate of the natural circulation loop. We performed experiments to verify the natural circulation mass flow rate and compared the results with the analytical results. The comparison of the mass flow rate between experiments and numerical simulations showed a 12% offset. We also included a prediction of the natural circulation flow rate in the low-gravity section and in the acceleration section in the upper stage of the launch vehicle. The oxygen tank should have 100 kPa(a) of pressure in the acceleration section to maintain a high flow rate for the natural circulation loop. In the low-gravity section, there should be an optimal tank pressure that leads to the maximum natural circulation flow rate.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Propulsion Engineers Conference
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• 2011.11a
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• pp.721-724
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• 2011

A system to pressurize propellants stored in propellant tanks is necessary to feed liquid-propellants into combustion devices at the required pressure and flowrate without having cavitation in turbo-pumps. A pressurization system can be categorized into pre-pressurization stage and main-pressurization stage. This report is regarding to a main-pressurization system. Pressurization methods for propellant tanks are divided into pressurant gas generating method and pressurant gas feeding method. One of pressurant gas generating methods uses the vaporized oxygen gas from cryogenic liquid oxygen and non-flammable gas. In this report, both advantages and disadvantages for pressurization methods and types of pressurization systems are compared. Especially the characteristics and principle of pressurization system using impulsive control strategy applied in launch vehicles are introduced. Additionally the structure, schematics, and specifications of heat exchanger, which is one of main units in pressurization system are also discussed. This paper can be utilized to generate the conceptual requirements and to design preliminary configuration of pressurization system during the development of launch vehicle.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Propulsion Engineers
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.108-116
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• 2018

A firing test of the 75 tonf-class liquid rocket engine to be used as the first and second stage engines of the KSLV-II was carried out at the rocket engine test facility(RETF). Since this engine uses liquid oxygen as the oxidizer, which is a cryogenic fluid, it is essential that the chill down of the supply pipe line and engine proceed for the firing test; thus, the given inlet requirements must be met. Moreover, it is important to understand the chill down characteristics of the facility and the engine and the amount of liquid oxygen consumed in the chill down process for efficient test operation in the future. In this paper, chill down characteristics of the supply pipe and the engine were evaluated through the investigation of the chill down process of the 75 tonf-class liquid rocket engine at each stage before and after run tank pressurization. In addition, the amount of liquid oxygen consumed was also evaluated.