Design and Implementation of a Thrust Vector Control (TVC) Test System

Year 2018, Volume: 21 Issue: 2, 497 - 505, 01.06.2018

Ahmet Ünal Kemal Yaman , Emre Okur Mehmet Arif Adlı

https://doi.org/10.2339/politeknik.404009

Cited By: 1

Abstract

The rocket engines are tested statically to evaluate
the performance of engine based upon thrust produced. One of the most important
parameters of the rocket engine static testing evaluation is to measure the
thrust produced by the engine. The thrust produced is measured using a Thrust Vector
Control (TVC) test system which is a structural element equipped with load
cells. In this study, a load sensor system was designed to measure the
propulsion performance of a solid propellant rocket motor. The forces and
moments of the rocket motor with respect to the six degrees of freedom of the
test system were measured during firing. It is seen that the obtained
experimental results and the analysis results are compatible with each other.
The designed stand is capable of measuring axial thrust and lateral
(misaligned) thrust components, and the rolling moment for rocket motors
producing axial thrust up to 50 [kN]. 

Keywords

Thrust vector control, thrust measurement, rocket motor, test stand, finite elements

References

• [1] Runyan R.B., Rynd J.P., Seely J.F., “Thrust stand design principles”, AIAA 17th Aerospace Ground Testing Conference, July 6-8, Nashville, TN, USA, (1992).
• [2] Turner M.J.L., Rocket and spacecraft propulsion. Principles, Practice and new development (Third edition), Springer-Praxis Publishing Co., U.K, (2009).
• [3] Mattingly J.D., Elements of propulsion: Gas turbines and rockets, AIAA Publishing Inc., Virginia, USA, (2006).
• [4] Brimhall Z.N., Atkinson J.P., Kirk D.R., Peebles H.G., “Design of a novel six degree of freedom solid rocket motor test stand”, AIAA 2007-5331 43rd AIAA/ASME/SAE/ASEE Joint Propulsion Conference & Exhibit, July 8-11, Cincinnati, OHI, USA, (2007).
• [5] Brimhall Z.N., Divitotawela N., Atkinson J.P., Kirk D.R., Peebles H.G., “Design of a novel six degree of freedom solid rocket motor test stand”, AIAA 2007-5331 44th IAA/ASME/SAE/ASEE Joint Propulsion Conference & Exhibit, July 21-23, Hartford, CT, USA, (2008).
• [6] Gligorijevic N., Zivkovic S., Subotic S., Kozomara S., Nikolic M., Citakovic S., “Side force determination in the rocket motor thrust vector control system”, Scientific Technical Review, 63(1): 27-38, (2013).
• [7] Wekerle T., Barbosa E.G., Batagini C.M., Costa L.E.V.L., Trabasso L.G., “Closed-loop actuator identification for Brazilian Thrust Vector Control development”, IFAC-PapersOnLine, 49(17): 468–473, (2016).
• [8] Milos P., Davidovic N., Jojic B., Milos M., Todic I., “A novel 6 DOF thrust vector control test stand”, Tehnicki Vjesnik-Technical Gazette, 22(5): 1247-1254, (2015).
• [9] Prince E.R., Krishnamoorthy S., Ravlich I., Kotine A., Fickes A.C., Fidalgo A.I., Freeman K., Anderson K., Gerson D., “Design, analysis, fabrication, ground-test, and flight of a two-stage hybrid and solid rocket”, AIAA 49th Joint Propulsion Conference, July 14-17, San Jose, CA, USA, (2013).
• [10] Wright A.M., Wright A.B., Born T., Strickland R., “A six degree-of-freedom thrust sensor for a labscale hybrid rocket”, Meas. Sci. Technol, 24: 125104 (10 pp), (2013). DOI:10.1088/0957-0233/24/12/125104.
• [11] Wang A., Wu H., Tang H., Liu Y., Liang X., “Development and testing of a new thrust stand for micro-thrust measurement in vacuum conditions”, Vacuum, 91: 35-40, (2013).
• [12] Lugini C., Romano M., “A ballistic-pendulum test stand to characterize small cold-gas thruster nozzles”, Acta Astronautica, 64: 615-625, (2009).
• [13] Smiley M., Veno M., Bell R., “Commercial crew development—round one, milestone 3: Overview of Sierra Nevada Corporation’s hybrid motor ground test”, AIAA 47th AIAA/ASME/SAE/ASEE Joint Propulsion Conference & Exhibit, 31 July-03 August, San Diego, CA, USA, (2011).
• [14] Sunakawa H., Kobayashi T., Okita K., “Development status of electrical valve control system for LE-9 engine”, AIAA Propulsion and Energy Forum, 10-12 July, Atlanta, GA, USA, (2017).
• [15] Alwayse Engineering Ball Transfer Unit Catalogue, https://www.alwayse.co.uk/brochures/CAT14August2015Revisions.pdf., website visit date: 15.08.2015.
• [16] Granta-mi, Material Library, https://www.grantadesign.com/products/mi/index.htm, website visit date: 03.07.2016.