Old Dominion University ODU Digital Commons Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Theses & Dissertations Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Winter 2007 Propulsion Enhancement Contributions to the Performance of Space Launch Vehicles Russell H. Edwards Old Dominion University Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.odu.edu/mae_etds Part of the Space Vehicles Commons, and the Structures and Materials Commons Recommended Citation Edwards, Russell H.. "Propulsion Enhancement Contributions to the Performance of Space Launch Vehicles" (2007). Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Dissertation, Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering, Old Dominion University, DOI: 10.25777/d71k-vq88 https://digitalcommons.odu.edu/mae_etds/120 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering at ODU Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Theses & Dissertations by an authorized administrator of ODU Digital Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. PROPULSION ENHANCEMENT CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE PERFORMANCE OF SPACE LAUNCH VEHICLES by Russell H. Edwards M. S., Aerospace Engineering, 1975, University of Dayton B. S., Physics, 1961, Carson-Newman College Graduate, June 1981, National Defense University, Industrial College of the Armed Forces A Dissertation Submitted to the Faculty of Old Dominion University in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY MECHANICAL ENGINEERING OLD DOMINION UNIVERSITY December 2007 Approved by: Dr. Gregory Selby/Director) Dr. Brett Newman Dr. Billie Reed Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. ABSTRACT PROPULSION ENHANCEMENT CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE PERFORMANCE OF SPACE LAUNCH VEHICLES Russell H. Edwards Old Dominion University Director: Dr. Gregory Selby A research effort has been undertaken to investigate critical aspects of launch vehicle performance as affected by variations in specific launch vehicle parameters. The major portion of the study involves liquid propellant systems. However, since solid propellant systems also play a role in today's launch systems, a representative solid-propellant launch vehicle has also been analyzed. The research undertaken determined that the payload capability of a space launch vehicle, or, conversely, the vehicle total liftoff mass, is highly sensitive to the manner in which the space launch vehicle is staged. The research has led to the development and programming of a model for determining optimum staging relationships for given mission requirements. The research then utilized this optimum staging algorithm as a means of computing the sensitivities of the vehicle’s payload and liftoff mass to variations in the vehicle’s key propulsion and related performance parameters. It has been seen that significant gains in payload weight can be achieved through modest to substantial changes in specific impulse and structure factor. As an example, for a four-stage solid propellant space launch vehicle, and using the above tables, a 33% gain in payload weight can be achieved by increasing specific impulse by only 5%. As a second example, for a two-stage liquid-propellant launch vehicle, and using the above tables, a 41% gain in payload weight can be achieved through an increase in specific impulse of 10%. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS My deepest gratitude is extended to the faculty and staff members of the Mechanical Engineering Department at Old Dominion University for their encouragement, guidance, and support during the course of my graduate studies. I would like to express my deep and sincere gratitude to my advisor Dr. Gregory Selby, Professor of Mechanical Engineering, for his guidance, valuable suggestions, patience, support, and encouragement. I hope that our cordial relationship in both personal and professional fields will flourish further in the future. I also wish to express my sincere thanks to Dr. Jen-Kuang Huang, Professor and Chair of Mechanical Engineering, for his assistance during the course of my graduate studies. In addition to Drs. Selby and Huang, I also wish to extend my sincere thanks and appreciation to committee member, Dr. Billie Reed, of the Engineering Management Department, for his help and encouragement. Special thanks go to Dr. Brett Newman, of the Aerospace Engineering Department, for his wise counsel and assistance throughout my studies at ODU. I would also like to express my sincere gratitude to Dr. Surendra Tiwari, Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Eminent Scholar, for his encouragement and continuing support throughout the course of my graduate studies. Thanks and appreciation go to Mr. Keegan Morrison and Mr. Ian Gullett of the Computer Science Department, Old Dominion University, for their assistance in programming into C++ computer language the optimization equations which I have derived and which appear in Chapter VII. Very special thanks go to Mrs. Diane Mitchell for her excellent assistance in putting the manuscript in final form and for her continuing excellent support to the Department of Mechanical Engineering. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. I also express my deepest appreciation and regards to my former associates with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and various agencies of the Department of Defense for the knowledge and experience gained through many years of rewarding employment with these organizations. Thanks also go to the national research and development laboratories and aerospace corporations through which I have performed research and liaison work over many years of rewarding employment. Thanks also go to the faculty and administration of the Industrial College of the Armed Forces of the National Defense University for the excellent one-year fellowship accomplished with this organization. I would also like to express the deepest appreciation to my dear wife Faye for her patience and continuing support during the course of graduate studies. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. V TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ACKNOWLEDGMENTS...................................................................................................... iii LIST OF TABLES..................................................................................................................vii LIST OF FIGURES...............................................................................................................viii LIST OF SYMBOLS..............................................................................................................iix Chapter I. INTRODUCTION.....................................................................................................1 II. CHARACTERISTICS OF SEVERAL CURRENT LAUNCH VEHICLES.......7 2.1 Ariane ................................................................................................................. 7 2.2 United States Space Shuttle .............................................................................. 8 2.4 ZENIT................................................................................................................ 9 2.5 ENERGIA........................................................................................................ 10 III. LIQUID PROPELLANT CHARACTERISTICS AND PERFORMANCE.......12 3.1 Classification of Propellants ........................................................................... 13 3.2 Monopropellants...............................................................................................14 3.3 Bipropellants ....................................................................................................14 3.4 Cryogenic Propellants .....................................................................................15 3.5 Storable Liquid Propellants .............................................................................16 3.6 Additives for Liquid Rocket Propellants........................................................16 3.7 Mixture Ratio ...................................................................................................17 3.8 Desirable Features of Liquid Propellants ...................................................... 17 IV. COMBINED PROPULSION AND PROPELLANT RELATIONSHIPS.........29 V. SOLID-PROPELLANT SYSTEMS......................................................................37 VI. STRUCTURE AND VELOCITY MODELLING................................................41 VII. DEVELOPMENT OF COMPUTATIONAL ALGORITHM ........................... 46 VIII. DERIVATIONS AND ANALYSIS......................................................................52 IX. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION............................................................................ 59 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. vi X. CONCLUDING REMARKS.................................................................................65 REFERENCES........................................................................................................................67 SUPPLEMENTAL SOURCES CONSULTED...................................................................69 Appendices A. FLOWCHART FOR COMPUTER PROGRAM.................................................71