• Journal of the Korean Society for Aeronautical & Space Sciences
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• v.32 no.10
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• pp.93-101
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• 2004

A method to calculate stability limits is investigated to predict the characteristics of high-frequency combustion instability in liquid-propellant rocket engine. It is based on the theory of linear stability analysis proposed in previous works and useful to predict combustion stability at the beginning stage of engine development. The system of equations governing reactive flow in combustor has the simplified and linearized forms. The overall equation expressing stability limits is adopted. The procedures to evaluate quantitatively each term included in the equation are proposed. The thermo-chemical properties and flow variables required in the evaluation can be obtained from calculation of thermodynamic equilibrium, CFD results, and experimental test data. Based on the existent data, stability limits are calculated with actual rocket engine (KSR-III rocket engine). The present calculations show the reasonable stability limits in a quantitative manner and the stability characteristics of the engine are discussed. The prediction from linear stability analysis could be serve as the first approximation to the true prediction.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Aeronautical & Space Sciences
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• v.38 no.9
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• pp.856-861
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• 2010

In this work, experiments on hybrid sounding rocket were conducted to investigate the aerodynamic characteristics and analyze longitudinal static stability. Tests were performed on 1/10 scale models of sounding rocket through Mach number ranging from 1.75 to 2.5 and for angle of attack from $0^{\circ}$ to $6^{\circ}$. Aerodynamic forces and moments were measured by means of a 4 component internal balance. With measured forces and moments, static stability characteristics of rocket were calculated. Tests were made for three models with different length to determine the effect of body length. The visualization of shock waves was carried out by Schlieren optical system to observe variations of shock waves with Mach number and angle of attack.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Aeronautical & Space Sciences
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• v.42 no.1
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• pp.29-36
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• 2014

Hybrid rocket displays many different low frequency pressure oscillations during combustion. Thermal lag between solid and gas phase is the primary mechanism to trigger low frequency pressure oscillations of around 10Hz, and Helmholtz or $L^*$ mode also produces other types of low frequency oscillations above 10 Hz which is associated with the change in combustion volume. Since the flow characteristics in hybrid rocket is very similar to those in solid rocket combustion, it is not surprising to observe similar pressure oscillation behaviors. Experimental test shows that combustion pressure suddenly turns into to a big amplitude oscillation around 10Hz then followed by returning to an original pressure level after a short period combustion. Further investigations show that this instability is independent of the change in O/F ratio at all. One of the possible candidates is the vortex shedding dynamics over the backward step in the post combustion chamber. It is required to investigate the low frequency oscillation mechanism in the future study.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Aeronautical & Space Sciences
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• v.44 no.7
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• pp.576-584
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• 2016

In this study, AP added propellant has been proposed as a method of enhancing the low specific impulse performance found for staged hybrid rocket engine. Experimental tests were carried out to analyze and evaluate the effect of AP added propellant on specific impulse performance as well as fuel-rich combustion characteristics in a staged hybrid rocket engine. Upper limit of AP content in propellant was set to be 15 wt% to maintain the hybrid rocket engine advantages. As a result, 15 wt% AP added propellant showed 3% higher specific impulse performance compared to 0 wt% AP added propellant. Moreover, AP addition proved to offer less injected oxidizer mass flow, less O/F variation, and less combustion pressure while producing fuel-rich gas of the same combustion temperature. Future studies will carry out more combustion tests with metal additives to further enhance specific impulse.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Propulsion Engineers
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• v.17 no.6
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• pp.120-130
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• 2013

A study was conducted for the performance characteristics of methane taking recently the limelight in the world as a next-generation propellant, with the survey for state of the art in the development of methane/oxygen rocket engine being accompanied. Liquid methane as a rocket fuel has the favorable characteristics such as non-toxic, low cost, regenerative cooling capability, and potential for in-situ resource utilization (ISRU). The combination of liquid methane and liquid oxygen also provides the excellent performance including high specific impulse and low system mass. For these reasons, many researches have been actively carried out on the methane/oxygen engine, nevertheless, its technology readiness level is not that high enough just yet. Therefore, it is judged that it is the time to mitigate the technical gap with the space technology of advanced countries through a swift onset of the development of methane rocket engine.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Aeronautical & Space Sciences
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• v.44 no.2
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• pp.139-155
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• 2016

Present paper introduces the recent advances in space launch vehicle technologies. A brief survey is given for the space development programs in civil sector with their business model and key technologies. Advances in key technologies were reviewed in detail with more emphasis on the electric pump cycle engine for low cost high performance small launch vehicle, Electron, under development by Rocketlab Ltd., since their contributions would give good lessons for rocket scientists.

• International Journal of Aeronautical and Space Sciences
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.535-550
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• 2016

Securing the safety and the reliability of liquid-propellant rocket engines (LREs) for space vehicles is indispensable as engines consist of many complex components and operate under extremely high energy-dense conditions. Thus, health monitoring has become a mandatory requirement, especially for the reusable LREs that are currently being developed. In this context, a dynamic simulation program based on MATLAB/Simulink was developed in the current research on the Space Shuttle Main Engine (SSME), a partly reusable engine. Then, a series of fault simulations using this program was conducted: at a steady state operating condition (104% Rated Propulsion Level), various simulated fault conditions were artificially injected into the simulation models for the five major valves, the pumps, and the turbines of the SSME. The consequent effects due to each fault were analyzed based on the time responses of the major parameters of the engine. It is believed that this research topic is an essential pre-step for the development of fault detection and diagnosis algorithms for reusable engines in the future.

• Aerospace Engineering and Technology
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.134-140
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• 2007

Since the successful launch of Sputnik 1, a rocket engine was evolved rapidly. The first artificial satellite Sputnik has only 182 lb mass with a size of a basket ball, a modern artificial satellite is over 10 tons. As the size and the mass of an artificial satellite increases, the stronger launch vehicles are required. However, the story is different in the field of the rocket engine development. In the early to mid age of the space race, rocket engine study was focused on the stronger and bigger engine development, but from the 80's the tide has changed. A rocket engine must be strong and also economic. This trend was accelerated from when a rocket launch was used commercially. In this study, a capability of the launch vehicle and engine was investigated to provide a reference for a liquid rocket engine development plan.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Propulsion Engineers Conference
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• 2009.11a
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• pp.1-1
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• 2009

• Journal of the Korean Society for Aeronautical & Space Sciences
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.76-81
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• 2003

To investigate the convective heat transfer phenomena inside the Lox/Kerosene liquid rocket combustion chamber, hot fire tests were performed by using a water-cooled calorimetric chamber. The calorimetric chamber consists of one cylindrical section and nozzle section with independent cooling passage. To measure the heat flux, thermocouples were installed inlet and outlet of cooling passage of each section. The investigated range of combustion chamber pressure is from 100 psi to 300psi at fixed O/F ratio of 2.0 and radiation heat transfer from the hot gas to the surface is not considered. The measured heat flux was almost linearly depended on the chamber pressure.