Roskosmos plan to create a rocket engine on natural gas – RSUTE

Roskosmos plan to create a rocket engine on natural gas. Financing such a project budgeted space program of the Russian Federation for the years 2016-2025.

According to the representative of the Russian company, as part of development work “Propulsion launch vehicles” is planned to develop the basic elements of the propulsion motor installations for the oxygen-hydrocarbon fuel. To implement such a plan Roskosmos requested to allocate more than 25 billion rubles for the entire period of research.

Federal Space Agency plans to develop a rocket engine on natural gas in the near future. Funding for the development of appropriate incorporated in the draft of the Federal Space Program for 2016-2025 years (PCF) sent for approval to the Ministry (a copy is in “Izvestia”). Work on the creation of the engine are provided on methane development work “CB control” (“Propulsion launch vehicles”). As part of the “CB control” it is planned to develop the basic elements sustainer propulsion to the oxygen-carbon fuel. In OCD “CB control” Roskosmos requested to allocate 25.223 billion rubles (with the beginning of funding this year – in the amount of 470.8 million rubles), but not all funds are intended to create a methane engine. In the “control CB” includes work on the creation of prototypes of liquid rocket engines of the new generation equipped with diagnostics and emergency protection, and basic elements of the engine based on composite materials, namely nozzles, nozzle tips radiative cooling and bottom screens.

– We plan to make the demonstrator engine on methane, even taking into account the fact that the vehicle with the engine is not planned to build, – said one of the drafters of the PCF. – Thus, we think provide a reserve to be outdone in terms of technologies from foreign competitors. While we are talking about the creation of the average thrust engine for the second stage rocket perspective. Originally conceived that methane engines will be equipped with the missile “Phoenix” (its development is also planned for the project FCP), but later taking into account the situation with the budget decided entirely new rocket to do, and go back to the idea of ​​recreating the Russian “Zenith” with upgraded engine RD-171 .

The ability to use methane as a propellant was studied in the USSR. The Russian theme methane engines were worked Khimki NPO “Energomash”, Voronezh Chemical Automatics Design Bureau and Samara Samara Space “Progress”. In 2012, the NGO “Energomash” was scientific and technical advice on the establishment of a rocket engine running on natural gas, where it was proposed to start development of a twin-engine thrust of 200 tons on fuel “liquid oxygen – liquefied methane».

In 2014, the Central Design Bureau “Progress” has presented its vision of the future of the missile – a promising super-heavy carrier-class, all motors that run on compressed natural gas (CNG). This Samarians justify their choice of methane as fuel the following arguments: “The proposed fuel is a promising, actively developed by other industries, has a wide source of raw materials in comparison with kerosene, and low cost – this is an important point, given the period of creation and the planned period of operation complex, as well as possible (predicted) problems of production of kerosene in 30-50 years ».

In TsSKB already feeling the problem of missile production of kerosene. Rocket “Soyuz”, which make Samara, is now flying on an artificial fuel, because it was originally to create kerosene for these missiles were used only certain grades of oil from specific wells. This is mainly oil Anastasievsko Trinity deposits in the Krasnodar region. But oil wells are being depleted, and kerosene currently used is a mixture of songs that are extracted from several wells. According to experts, the problem is the deficit will only get worse.

In the Central Design Bureau “Progress” considered that the use of CNG engines would “provide a relatively low cost start – 1.5-2 times lower than kerosene engines, high ecological, higher specific characteristics, a single type of engine and fuel “LNG + liquid oxygen”, which greatly simplifies ground infrastructure ».

Chief Designer of NPO” Energomash “Vladimir Chvanov previously stated” Izvestiya ” that a structural point of view, methane is attractive when you create a reusable carrier.

– To release the motor cavity, you need only go through a cycle of evaporation – that is, the engine is easier to be exempt from food residue, – explained Chvanov. – Due to this, the methane fuel is more acceptable in terms of creating a reusable engine and aircraft reusable. At the same time, the specific impulse of the engine on CNG is high, but this advantage is offset by the fact that the methane fuel is less dense, so the amount obtained by slight energy advantage.

The methane engine mentioned in relation to the flight to Mars: is that Martian rocket it makes sense to complete the methane engine as methane can be synthesized from water and carbon dioxide from the Martian atmosphere.

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