The (in)famous liquid-oxygen barbecue.
Posted on 11/06/2004 2:58:50 PM PST by BenLurkin
MOJAVE - XCOR Aerospace successfully demonstrated a new liquid oxygen pump, technology that may be used to power future rocket propulsion systems. This piston pump technology is a step beyond conventional turbo pump fuel systems that are effective for very large engines, but too big, heavy and complicated for midsized rocket engines.
Development of the pump proceeded in stages. Engineers first tested the system using water, then rocket fuel. Using these liquids made testing easier because they are at room temperature, said Dan DeLong, XCOR chief engineer.
After success in those initial tests, engineers moved on to low-temperature liquid nitrogen as a stand-in for the cold liquid oxygen before moving on to the real thing.
"It's a big deal to pump this," DeLong said.
Using liquid oxygen is no more difficult than liquid nitrogen, DeLong said, but its high flammability makes it a little more hazardous. Using liquid nitrogen simplifies the testing procedures.
"You have to be a little more careful with liquid oxygen," he said. "It would like to combine with a lot of things."
The small pump - about 10 inches long and 4½ inches in diameter - is sized to fit XCOR's 1,830-pound-thrust engine that runs on liquid oxygen and kerosene.
A second part will be used to pump the kerosene for engine combustion.
Development of the pump completes a Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency contract intended to develop a low-cost, highly operational alternative to turbo pumps for high performance propulsion systems.
XCOR was awarded the first phase of this contract two years ago, developing a crude predecessor to the second-phase prototype that recently proved successful.
In between the two DARPA contract phases, XCOR received bridge funding to continue development. Overall, the contract work totaled about $1 million, DeLong said.
XCOR is continuing to develop the pump technology, using funding from private investors.
They are also pursuing a NASA contract to develop the technology for use in a lunar lander engine under the space agency's new plans for lunar and Mars exploration, DeLong said.
"This contract has helped us develop the rocket engines for our Xerus vehicle as well as for several potential Department of Defense programs," said Rick Pournelle, XCOR's director of investor relations.
Xerus is the company's next-generation rocket vehicle under development. The suborbital spacecraft will carry a pilot and one passenger to an altitude of 62 miles during a one-hour flight, where the passenger will experience a few minutes of weightlessness and see the Earth from space.
Based at the Mojave Airport, XCOR Aerospace develops and produces safe, reliable and reusable rocket engines and rocket-powered vehicles.
The company is perhaps best known for its EZ-Rocket, a modified Long-EZ airplane powered by twin 400-pound thrust rocket engines and flown by test pilot Dick Rutan.
Ping.
ping for later
I certainly hope our government has corrected any problems within a company the nation uses for defense or for developing new tech. Unlike what went on during the Clinton years -
just my thoughts - The enemy seems to get our new tech. way too fast sometimes -
From XCOR?
Kinda doubt it myself . . .
-- 62 miles during a one-hour flight, where the passenger will experience a few minutes of weightlessness and see the Earth from space. --
Don't meet me there...beat me there!! Wahoo!
They call them LPOTP and HPOTPs [low/high pressure oxidizer turbopumps].
I read that the shuttle HPOTP is powerful enough to drain an entire residential swimming pool in 25 seconds, and pump the water nine miles into the sky. 100 HP per pound.
Interesting.
Okay - but what would it hurt to find out for sure -
We are failing to keep security tight when our national security comes into play - Look at all the trouble at the Labs - Need a good - complete - never ending - total - investigation done on all companies -
Our officials are way too soft when it comes to standing up for this nation - and when one does (like Ash.) he's considered a trouble for the party he's in - Bull! We need more like him -
just my opinion - Companies were on their list I believe - Socialist/Comm.
re: "You have to be a little more careful with liquid oxygen," he said. "It would like to combine with a lot of things."
This guy is a master at understatements.
I'd love to see their test setup. I'm involved in a program to develop a high pressure gasoline pump at work. We have a test cell with 36 pumps running gasoline at up to 100°C. In full operation the system handles a significant number of gallons of gasoline. Needless to say, safety is the primary concern.
Thanks for the ping, SC.
Yes, those turbo pumps on the orbiter are indeed magnificent.
However, they pale beside the water pumps, which pump the cooling water on the storage tanks on pads on launch, through the 'rain-birds' on the Mobile Launcher. IIRC They pump 500,000 gallons in that same 25 seconds. So that the giant white clound you see on liftoof is not (for the most part) rockets burning, but cooling water steam.
Oxygen is not flammable. It regards the metal of your machine as fuel.
Positive-displacement pumps are to be avoided in strongly-oxidizing environments. That is because they involve rubbing, friction, squeezing, and other dangerous activities (no dirty jokes please!) when dealing with strong oxidizers. That is why these jokers find it "more convenient" to test with good old non-oxidizing NITROGEN.
It'll blow up real good on LO2.
--Boris
The (in)famous liquid-oxygen barbecue.
"Using liquid oxygen is no more difficult than liquid nitrogen, DeLong said, but its high flammability makes it a little more hazardous. Using liquid nitrogen simplifies the testing procedures."
Note the phrase ...but its high flammability...". This is evidence of the scientific illiteracy of journalists. Why? Liquid oxygen is not flammable, but it is very reactive. Oxygen will not burn, but it makes things burn.
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