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| SUPERSONIC COMBUSTION FACILITY |
RBCC FACILITY |
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A new facility based on a 100 liters volume free-piston
compressor is being assembled and will be used for basic reseach on combined
rocket-airbreathing propulsion systems (Rocked Based Combined Cycles,
or RBCC). In this page, the general characteristics of the old and new
plants and several photos are given. Updates will be added as new components
are acquired and assembled.
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SC
Facility
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RBCC Facility
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Free piston
compressor:
D = 70 mm; L = 4 m (15
liters) |
Free piston
compressor:
D = 152 mm; L = 6 m (108
liters) |
| Stagnation
vessel: 2 - 6 liters |
Stagnation
vessel: 10
- 30 liters |
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Enthapy enhancement techniques:
-o-
H2-O2 precombustion
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Enthapy enhancement
techniques:
-o- MCC
method (3 stages)
-o- H2-O2
precombustion |
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Stagnation conditions:
P
= 20 - 80 bar
T .....up to 2400 K (20% water content)
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Stagnation conditions (estimated):
P = 20 - 60
bar
T = 2400 K (clean air)
T > 2400 K with MCC + precom.
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Experimental
tests:
Supersonic combustion
(M=3, direct connection with combustor) |
Experimental
tests:
-o- Supersonic
combustion
-o- Simulation of hypersonic flight
......(tests on RBCC up to M 7) |
| Test
time: 20 - 50 ms |
Test
time (estimated):
20 - 200 ms |
| #
of tests per day: up
to 20 |
#
of tests per day: ???? |
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The old tunnel used for supersonic combustion tests in direct-connect
mode (left) and the new tunnel (right) during an early stage of its assembly. |
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Details of the 50 liters volume high pressure reservoir (first stage of
the free-piston compressor) before its assembly. During the tunnel operation
it will be fed with the air used to push the piston along the pump tube
(second stage of the free-piston compressor). |
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The first stage (high pressure reservoir) of the free piston compressor,
with the system for damping the piston oscillations after the first compression
stroke. This system is based on the fast depressurization of the reservoir
at selected time during the piston back stroke. |
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Detailed view of the high pressure reservoir. Compression in the pump
tube starts by opening the solenoid valve on the right. |
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Head of the free piston compressor, with the valve system to feed the
initial gas charge into the pump tube, the vessel for MCC (Multi-Cascade-Compression),
and the downstream dump tank (1000 liters volume) that will be used to keep
the test chamber under vacuum conditions. |
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Detailed view of the solenoid valve system used to feed the pump tube
with a gas mixture of assigned composition (e.g., air, H2, O2,...). |
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MCC vessel (left) and head of the free-piston compressor, with the check
valve between pump tube and MCC system (or stagnation vessel). |
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Detailed view of the check valve, whose total area equals a 65 mm diameter
hole. |
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Schematic drawing of the check valve that shows the working principle.
The test gas (vitiated air in case of pre-combustion) flows from the compressor
to the downstream vessel (stagnation vessel or MCC system). |
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The 24 Kg weight brass piston used for preliminary compression tests.
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November 8th, 2000
The new test chamber (50 x 50 x
180 cm) on its support table, between the stagnation vessel (right) and
the dump tank (left, 1000 liters volume) The minimum diameter of the connection
with the dump tank is 150 mm. The test chamber inlet (240 mm diameter)
will accomodate the supersonic nozzle.
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November 8th, 2000
"Downstream" view of the new test chamber.
The connection with the dump tank (150 mm diameter) is on the left. Both
side walls have wide rectangular openings (160 x 30 cm), that will be
sealed with 20 mm thick plexiglas plates.
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November 8th, 2000
Overall view
(from downstream) of the new plant in its present configuration.Side wall
plexiglas covers, test chamber sliding supports, supersonic nozzle,
and components for the stagnation vessel - test chamber connections have
been designed and are under construction.
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January 15th, 2001
The new high-pressure check valve (right), internal components of the
MCC vessel, and connection of the MCC vessel with the nozzle (under construction).
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January 15th, 2001
The same components seen from a different viewpoint.
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January 15th, 2001
Closer view of the new check valve and components of the first compression
stage.
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March 13th, 2001
H2-O2 variable geometry rocket-injector:
preliminary tests to explore the rocket-injector behavior for different
chamber geometries (l/d) and ER.
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March 13th, 2001
H2-O2 variable geometry rocket-injector:
setup featuring the maximum l/d (5) for the combustion chamber geometry
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August 3rd, 2001
Components of the conical nozzle (20 deg total divergence angle, 200
mm exhaust diameter). Five configurations are possible, covering the Mach
number range 3 - 7.
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August 3rd, 2001
Mach 7 nozzle assembled. The unused throat sections (for M = 3, 4, 5,
6) are also shown
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August 3rd, 2001
Upstream view of the Mach 7 nozzle
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November 12, 2002
The 22000 liters dump tank has been installed into the lab. All main
components of the facility for studies on RBCC have now been acquired.
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November 12, 2002
Closer view of the dump tank, that includes the test chamber. The main
body of the tank is 2 m internal diameter, 6 m length. The test chamber
is 1 m diameter, 1.8 m length.
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November 12, 2002
The test chamber with the side windows open.
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