https://ntrs.nasa.gov/search.jsp?R=19790008823 2020-03-20T18:21:35+00:00Z NASA SP-4404 LIQUID HYDROGEN AS A PROPULSION FUEL, 1945-1959 NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION LIQUID HYDROGEN AS A PROPULSION FUEL, 1945-1959 JOHN L. SLOOP The NASA History Series Scrri~tr/rcund 7 rchtrrr~/Itt/r~fm.rtmn Ofit? 19's NA'I'IONAI. AERONAUTICS AND SPA( E ADhIINIS1 RATIO1 lt'..~,btji q/ot~P ( Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data Sloop. John L Liquid hydrogen as a propulsion fuel. 1945-1959. (The NASA history series) (NASA SP ; 4404) Bibliography: p. Includes index. I. Rockets (Aeronautics)-Fuel. 2. Hydrogen as fuel. 1. Title. 11. Series: United States. National Aeronautics and Space Administration. The NASA history series. 111. Series: United States. National Aeronautics and Space Administration. NASA SP ; 4404. TL785.SS8 629.47'522 77-26960 For sale by the Superintendent of Documents Stock Number 033400-00707-8 U.S. Government Printing Office Washington, D.C. 20402 Contents FOREWORD .................................................... ...xi PREFACE ....................................................... x~ii 1 . INTRODUCTION ................................................ I PART I: 1945-1950 2 . AIR FORCE RESEARCH ON HYDROGEN ........................ I I The Cryogenics Laboratory at Ohio State University ................... 13 Hydrogen for Aircraft and Rockets .................................. 18 Hydrogen-Air ..................................................... 18 Hydrogen-Oxygen Rocket .......................................... 20 Rocket-Engine Cooling ............................................. 21 Pumping Liquid Hydrogen ......................................... 25 Hydrogen and Fluorine ............................................ 26 Significance ....................................................... 28 3 . HYDROGEN-OXYGEN FOR A NAVY SATELLITE ................. 31 Origins of Navy Interest in Satellites and Hydrogen .................... 31 Aerojet Propellant Research . 1944- 1945 .............................. 33 Aerojet's First Series of Experiments, 1945-1946 ...................... 34 The Hall Committee ............................................... 35 JPL Study ........................................................ 37 Attitudes towards Missiles and Satellites .............................. 38 The Air Force's Interest in Satellites ................................. 39 World Circling Spaceships .......................................... 39 North American Aviation Study ..................................... 41 Fading of Satellite Proposals ........................................ 41 Aerojet and Martin Design Studies .................................. 42 Aerojet's Second Series of Experiments. 1946-1947 .................... 44 Switch in Emphasis from Military to Science .......................... 46 The Canright Report ............................................... 47 Aerojet's Third Series of Experiments. 1947- 1949 ...................... 48 Supply of Liquid Hydrogen .........................................48 Turbopump Development, 1947- 1949 ................................ 50 Thrust Chamber Experiments, 1947-1949 ............................. 51 JPL Experiments with Hydrogen-Oxygen. 1948- 1949 .................. 54 Fading Interest in Hydrogen-Oxygen ................................. 56 SUMMARY, PART1 ................................................ 57 PART 11: 1950-1957 4 . HYDROGEN TECHNOLOGY FROM THERMONUCLEAR RESEARCH ................................................. Johnston's New Career ............................................. National Cryogenic Engineering Laboratory .......................... Mobile Liquid Hydrogen Equipment. 1952-1954 ...................... Cryogenic Information Exchange .................................... Summary ......................................................... 5 . NACA RESEARCH ON HIGH-ENERGY PROPELLANTS ........... Conference on Propellant Selection .................................. NACA Rocket Subcommittee ....................................... Research Conference on Supersonic Missiles .......................... Boost from the Subcommittee ....................................... Plans for Rocket Facilities ........................................... Switch from Air-Breathing to Rocket Engines ......................... First Attempt to Use Liquid Hydrogen ............................... Second Attempt to Use Liquid Hydrogen ............................. NACA Reconsiders Missiles ........................................ Advanced Propulsion Concepts ..................................... High-Energy Propellant Facility ..................................... Thrust Chamber Design and Fabrication ............................. Space Becomes an Acceptable Word ................................. Emphasis on Hydrogen ............................................ First Regeneratively-Cooled Hydrogen-Fluorine Rocket ................ Significance ...................................................... 6 . NACA RESEARCH ON HYDROGEN FOR HIGH-ALTITUDE AlRCRAFT .................................................. New Interest in Hydrogen .......................................... Silverstein-Hall Report ............................................. Bee Project ....................................................... Flight Propulsion Conference ....................................... Air-Breathing Engines for High-Speed Flight .......................... Mach 4 Configurations and Missions ................................. Summary ......................................................... 7 . NEW INITIATIVES IN HIGH-ALTITUDE AIRCRAFT .............. Origins of Very-High-Altitude Aircraft at Wright Field ................. Rae's Rex I Proposal .............................................. Other Engines and Hydrogen Proposals .............................. Air Force Evaluation of Rex 1 ...................................... Other Reactions to Rae's Proposal ................................... WADC Response to ARDC Directive ................................ High-Level Air Force Interest in Rex ................................ Long Summer of Negotiations ...................................... 128 Shift from Subsonic to Supersonic Aircraft ........................... 133 Garrett Loses the Fight .......................................... 135 What Went Wrong ................................................ 137 Other Interests in Hydrogen ........................................ 138 Summary ......................................................... 139 8 . SUNTAN ....................................................... 141 Air Force Moves Fast .............................................. 142 Lockheed CL-400 ................................................. 144 Fort Robertson at the Skunk Works ................................. 147 Hydrogen Tanks and Systems ....................................... 148 Is Hydrogen a Practical Fuel? ....................................... 148 Suntan at United Aircraft ......................................... 149 Shamrock ........................................................ 151 The Model 304 Engine .............................................154 Engine Tests .................................................... 158 Baby Bear . Mama Bear . and Papa Bear ..............................160 Suntan Fades ................................................. 163 Suntan Technology and Equipment .................................. 166 SUMMARY, PART I1 .............................................. 168 PART 111: 1958-1959 9 . THE EARLY U.S. SPACE PROGRAM ...........................173 The Navy's Vanguard ..............................................173 The Army's Redstone and Jupiter Vehicles ........................... 174 The Air Force and the Ballistic Vehicle Build-Up ...................... 175 Competition for the Space Role .....................................177 Consolidation of Military Space Projects ............................. 178 NACA Takes the Initiative .......................................I80 10. EARLY HIGH-ENERGY UPPER STAGES ......................... 187 Legacy of Suntan .................................................I87 Origins of Centaur ............................................... 191 NASA Plans, ARPA Acts ........................................105 Lewis Hydrogen Rocket Exper~ments. 1958-1959 .................. 197 Transfer of Centaur ............................................... 300 Summary ......................................................... 301 I I . LARGE ENGINES AND VEHICLES. 1958 .......................... 205 Early Air Force Interest in LargeEngines and Vehicles ................. 205 Transfer of Large Engine to NASA .................................. 206 The Army's Bid to Develop Large Launch Vehicles .................... 207 NACA Working Group on Launch Vehicles .......................... 212 vi LIQlllD IIYDROGEN AS A PROPULSION FUEL. 1945-1959 ARPA Initiates First Large Launch Vehicle ...........................215 Summary .........................................................220 12. SATURN. 1959 ...................................................223 First National Space Vehicle Plan ...................................223 Saturn Runs into Trouble .......................................... 226 Transfer of Saturn and ABMA to NASA .............................229 The Gathering Storm over Saturn Configurations ...................... 230 Saturn Vehicle Team ...............................................235 Saturn Development