Historical problem areas in space transportation propulsion technology are identified in viewgraph form. Problem areas discussed include materials compatibility, contamination, pneumatic/feed system flow instabilities, instabilities in rocket engine combustion and fuel sloshing, exhaust plume interference, composite rocket nozzle failure, and freeze/thaw damage

Fester, Dale A.

Sackheim, Bob

English

NASA Technical Reports Server

PRESENTATION 4.2.5
Historical Problem Areas
Lessons Learned
N91-28242
Coordinator: John W. Griffin - NASA/JSC
Presenter: Bob Sackheim- TRW
• Long Life Spacecraft Propulsion Systems
Presenter: Dale Fester- Martin Marietta
• Launch Vehicles & Reusable Systems
Historical Problem Areas
Introductory Comments
• RELIABILITY Not Efficiency Is More Critical for Future
Long Life/Reusable Propulsion Systems
• Can Plan for Low Efficiency But Not
UNPREDICTABLE Performance
• Orbital Maintenance Is A Total Unknown -
Tremendous Design/Logistics Implications
• Space Shuttle Is BEST Reusable/Long Life System
Available - Maintenance Level Unacceptable
for Orbital Use
937
https://ntrs.nasa.gov/search.jsp?R=19910018928 2020-03-19T17:27:52+00:00Z
Historical Problem Areas
Introductory Comments
• Primary RELIABILITY Deficiencies
• MATERIALS- Propellant, Thermal, Wear,
I
Contamination, Space Environment Compatibility
• SIMPLE Designs
• Commonality, Integrated Systems, Orbital
Maintenance - Often Impact Design Simplicity
• ,MATURE Hardware - Properly Tested and Analyzed
Prior to Operational Commitment
• Firm Definition of Design REQUIREMENTS and
Technology Assessment Before Design Commitment
• Environments - Internal & External- Especially
Critical
938
PRESENTATION 4.2.6
STPSS Panel on Development, Manufacturing,
and Certification
Historical ProblemAreas-Lessons
Learnedfor SpacecraftPropulsion
Systems
R.L Sackheim
TRWSpace& TechnologyGroup
June25-29,1990
Historical Problem Areas and Lessons Learned
for Space Propulsion Systems
Applications
• Upper stages
• Orbit maneuvering and/or space transfervehicles
• Low-earth-orbit spacecraft
• High-altitude satellites
• Planetary exploration spacecraft
Typical mission level propulsionrequirements
• Attitude control/momentum management
• Orbit adjust/drag make up
• Stationkeeping
• Perigee/ai.._gee orbit injection
939
Typical Space Propulsion Systems Currently in Use
TRW
Earth storable bipropellant
Monopropellant hydrazine
Cold gas
Solid kick motors
What Are the Issues?
Many problemskeep recurring on operational systems
Lacking disciplineand organized methodologyto get full benefits from past
lessonslearned
Too much money spent on paper studies and associated processes
No enoughmoney spent on propulsionsystem/device certification through
realistic testing
Experiencekeeps telling us to validate design over full range of operating
conditions
Need to demonstrate adequate margins
Need to conductadequate test programsthat validate:
• Selection of materials and processes
• Fullrange of realistic operating conditions(temperatures, pressures
flow rates, mixture ratio, pressurant gas saturation, etc.)
• Designmargins and robustness over range of potential operating
conditions
940
What Are the Issues? (Continued)
Must address issue of the cost of adequate testing during early
development versus cost of solving problems later in certification cycle
Assessment of analysis and simulation versus testing: what is proper mix
and how to make these efforts more complementary
Concentrate on fewer but higher quality technology and development
programs
How can NASA and their supporting contractors make better use of test
beds to address common recurring problems?
Examples abound of many unresolved recurring issues (e.g., adiabatic
compression detonation, leakage, thermal control, inadequate materials,
fracture mechanics, earth storable propellants residue buildup, etc.)
Historical Problems-Lessons That
Should Have Been Learned
General problem areas
Materials compatibility
• Propellant chemical compatibility with storage and feed system materials
• Hot gas materials compatibility with thrust chambers, injectors, valves, etc.
Contamination problems
• Residue accumulation in earth storable (N204 , MMH, and N2H4)
• Particulate and NVR buildup
• Wear debris contamination (valves, regulators, etc.)
Pneumatic/feed system flow instabilities leading to fatigue and premature
component wear out
Other system instabilities
• Combustion (rocket engine)
•.Thermal
• Fuel slosh (impact on vehicle dynamics)
941
Some Examples of Lessons Learned From Past
Spacecraft Propulsion System Problems
 '2W
Problem
N2H4 and earth storable
residue accumulation
!and associated flow
decay
Shell 405 catalyst
breakup
Hot restart sensitivity
(potentially destructive
worst-case thermal
duty cycles )
Freeze-thaw damage
System Type
MonopropellantN2H4
N2H4/MMH
N2H4
N2H4, N204/MMH
N2H4 andN204
Examples From
Post Programs
INTELSAT IV, P-95,
ATS-V1, Gemini,
Symphonie,Space
Shuttle
P-95, Classified
spacecraft
INTELSAT-IV, Galileo,
TDRS
ATS-VI, Classified flight
spacecraft failure
Solution
Minimum propellant
exposureduring
ground/test operations,
cleanlinesscontrol.
thermal conditioningand
careful selection of
materials
Catalyst bed/reactor
design, heated catalyst
beds
Improvedengine thermal
design,higher operating
marginsand proper
thermal installation
Redundant
heaters/controls
Some Examples of Lessons Learned From Past
Spacecraft Propulsion System Problems (Continued)
Problem
Catalyst bed self-
poisoning
Thruster nitriding
and/or high
temperature corrosion
Pluggingof injector feed
tubes/valves with
catalyst fines
Fuel slosh
destabilizetion
System Type
N2H4
N2H4, N2H4/MMH
N2H4
All liquids
Examples From
Past Programs
P-95,Voyager,
FLTSATCOM, DSP
DSCS-III, Space
Shuttle APU, Gemini
INTELSAT-III, Voyager
TACSATCOM,
INTELSAT-IV, INSAT
Solution
Catalyst bed heaters
and purified (analine-
free) N2H4
Use more compatible
materials and protective
coatings
Injector orientation
during dynamic
excitation
Better total dynamic
characterization of
spacecraft under all
irealistic conditions
942
Some Examples of Lessons Learned From Past
Spacecraft Propulsion System Problems (Continued)
Problem
Combustion instabilities
Exhaust plume
interference
Compositerocket nozzle
failure
Thruster instabilities
andthermal runaway
SystemType
All rockets
All rockets
Examples From
Past Programs
F-I, Titan, Atlas, Galileo,
Apollo,Minuteman,
Space Shuttle, etc.
SATCOM,Voyager
Solid rocket motor
nozzles
N204/MMH
PAM-D motors on
Westar andPalapa
Galileo, INTELSAT-VI,
MILSTAR, INSAT, Mars
Observer
Solution
Analyses and extensive
characterization/valida-
tion test programs.
Design modifications
(feed system, baffles,
acoustic cavities,
resonators, etc.) as
required
More accurate analyses
and test to locate
thrusters in
safe/acceptable
orientation
Better testing (more
comprehensive) and
better materials
More realistic test
characterization and
better design
Some Examples of Lessons Learned From Past
Spacecraft Propulsion System Problems (Continued)
Problem
Improperoperationon-
orbit by ground
controllersleads to
failure
Componentfailures
on-orbit
SystemType
N204/MMH
N204]MMH, N2H4, cold
gas, vaporizingNH3
Examples From
Past Programs
INSAT-1A, INTELSAT-
VI, manyother flight
spacecraft
Mariner,Viking,Ariane,
Centaur,Gemini,Apollo,
FLTSATCOM, etc.
Solution
More rigorousflight
operations procedures
and controls
Redundant components
with switching logic.
Simpler system design
with less components
(e.g., blowdown
pressurization)
943
IVlr
Near-Term and Future Spacecraft Propulsion
System Concerns
Future missionrequirements
• Single missionversus reusable designs(space basing)
• More complex environmental requirements for reusable
systems-multiple launch and landings and space basing
requirements
• Longer life times-mission reliability
• Use of compositepropellant and pressurant storage
vessels-fracture mechanics and determination of incipient failure
thresholds for space based and reusable systems
• Micrometeroid and orbital debris protection of pressure vessels
(space based reusable systems)
• Reliable nondestructive testing (NDE) on orbit for space based
long life systems
Near-Termand FutureSpacecraft Propulsion
SystemConcerns(Continued)
Future missionrequirements (continued)
• On-orbit repair and replacement including safe operations, logistics,
spares provisioning,etc. on orbit
• On-orbit refueling
• Health monitoringand automatic fault detection/isolation and
corrective action on orbit
• Developmentof new and better materials, coatings, processes, etc.
Future environmentalimpact concerns
• Need to assessrealistic hazard levels and environmental impacts of
earth storable propellants
• Relookat environmental impacts, lifecycle costs, and mission
performancetradeoffs between solids, earth storable, space
storable, and cryogenic propulsionsystems for future spacecraft
propulsionsystems
944
Some Candidate Programs
TRW
Developstandardsto resolvelingeringand costlyissues
identifiedin pastlessonslearned
Characterize and develop higherenergyspace storable
propulsionsystems
Extensivelife and marginmappingtests for new
developmentitems
Developspace basingtechnologies
• On orbitrefueling
• Repairand refurbishmentlogistics
• Establishsomereusabilitylimits
Some Candidate Programs (Continued)
Develophighstrength, lightweight compositetanks
Developadvancedhightemperaturethrust chamber and
rotatingmachinerymaterialsand coatings
Developreliable simple on orbitpropellantgauging
Establishreliable repeatable on orbit NDEtechniques for
pressurevessels
945
Concluding Remarks
Concentratefunding where it doesthe mostgoodfor solving
technologyissuesandthe real hardware design problems
There really are plentyof lessonsthat have been learned
from past problems
Need to generate and providebetter data base of past
lessonslearned
More NASA-industryteam work will help identifyand
resolvethe recurring problems
Earlierand more comprehensivetest programsto resolve
recurring problemsand addressthe newer requirements
946


Historical problem areas lessons learned

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