Вы находитесь на странице: 1из 7

38th A|AA|A8HE|8AE|A8EE

Jo|nt Propu|s|on 6onference and Exh|b|t


Z-10 Ju|y 2002
lrd|arapo||s, lrd|ara
For permi ssi on t o copy or republ i sh, cont act t he copyri ght owner named on t he fi rst page.
For AIAA- hel d copyri ght , wri t e t o AIAA Permi ssi ons Depart ment,
1801 Al exander Bel l Dri ve, Sui t e 500, Rest on, VA 20191- 4344
AAA 2002-3758
Space Shuttle Main Engine (SSME) Options for
the Future Shuttle
F. Jue and F. Kuck
The Boeing Company
Canoga Park, CA


Copyright_ 2002 by The Boeing Company. Published by the American
Institute oI Aeronautics and Astronautics, Inc., with permission.
1
American Institute oI Aeronautics and Astronautics

SPACE SHUTTLE MAIN ENGINE (SSME) OPTIONS FOR THE FUTURE SHUTTLE
red Jue and ritz Kuck
The Boeing Company
Canoga Park, CaliIornia
Abstract
The main engines Ior the uture Shuttle will Iocus on
improved saIety and operability. PerIormance
enhancements may also be required Ior vehicle saIety
purposes to achieve more desirable abort scenarios.
This paper discusses the potential improvements that
will be considered Ior implementation into the uture
Shuttle. Integrated engine and vehicle health
management systems will achieve additional system-
level reliability improvements over those currently in
development. Advanced instrumentation Ior detecting
leaks, analyzing component wear and degradation, and
providing sophisticated operational data will be used
Ior reliable engine control and scheduling maintenance
operations. A new nozzle and main combustion
chamber (MCC) will reduce component Iailure
probability by 50 and allow Ior higher thrust
capability without requiring the entire engine to be
redesigned. Turbopump improvements may range Irom
minor component improvements to using 3rd-
generation pumps built on the advanced concepts
demonstrated by the Integrated Powerhead
Development (IPD) program and the Space Launch
Initiative (SLI) prototype engines.
Introduction
The Space Shuttle is expected to be operational Ior two
to three decades into the 21st century. So the question is
not whether there will be a space shuttle, but rather
what will it be like. rom a propulsion perspective, it
will likely continue as a two-stage-to-orbit vehicle. The
boosters could be liquid or solid propulsion, but the
main engines will remain liquid oxygen (LOX)/liquid
hydrogen engines. This paper examines some potential
requirements Ior the uture Shuttle main engines, and
presents some options Ior achieving those goals.
uture Shuttle Engine Requirements
The primary goals oI the Space Shuttle Program have
been to:
O ly saIely
O Meet the maniIest
O Improve mission supportability
O Improve the system
These worthy goals are expected to be the cornerstones
Ior uture Shuttle vehicle and propulsion requirements.
SSME saIety goals Ior a Iuture shuttle are likely to
include a Iactor oI 3 or more Ior risk reduction Ior
catastrophic Iailure and possibly abort-to-orbit (ATO)
or abort-to-TAL (Trans-Atlantic Landing) oII the
launch pad with a single engine out. Meeting-the-
maniIest requirements translate into having a Iull
complement oI engines installed and ready on each
vehicle. Improve-mission-supportability requirements
translate into reduced maintenance and repair work and
capability to keep the engines on the vehicle between
Ilights with engine overhaul occurring simultaneously
with vehicle overhaul. Improve-the-system require-
ments can be Iar reaching and include methods oI
improving the inIrastructure and systems that NASA
and the contractors use to execute the Space Shuttle
Program. Skill and knowledge retention and
inIrastructure capability play an important role in this
area as the program continues to mature and
obsolescence becomes a greater threat. Privatization oI
certain parts or aspects oI the program is one
consideration, and the engine Ior the uture Shuttle
must be developed to be compatible with a wide range
oI potential systems and inIrastructures.
History oI SSME Upgrades
To envision where the SSME can go, it is beneIicial to
examine the current SSME requirements, the
conIiguration oI the engine, and its history oI upgrades.
igure 1 shows an SSME and its principal requirements;
igure 2 is a summary oI the major upgrades since the
initial Shuttle Ilight in 1981 through the Iirst Ilight oI the
Block II SSME in 2001. The most signiIicant
improvements in the Phase II engine Ior return to Ilight
aIter the Challenger incident were saIety/reliability/liIe
improvements in turbopump components and new and

2
American Institute oI Aeronautics and Astronautics
improved sensors. Major changes in the Block I/IA
conIigurations were the two-duct powerhead with an
integral single tube heat exchanger, and a new high-
pressure oxidizer turbopump (HPOTP) made by Pratt &
Whitney. Block IIA/II upgrades included the large
throat MCC, which signiIicantly improved reliability by
reducing engine operating pressures and temperature
and a new high-pressure Iuel turbopump (HPTP), also
made by Pratt & Whitney. More detail descriptions oI
various SSME upgrades are presented in reIerence 1.
The improvement in saIety resulting Irom these
upgrades is shown in igure 3 in terms oI SSME
3-engine cluster risk reduction and Space Shuttle ascent
saIety improvement.
Advanced health management system (AHMS) Phase 1
(igure 4) is the only major upgrade currently Iunded
and in development. This upgrade includes a new real-
time vibration monitoring redline Ior the high-pressure
turbopumps using digital signal processors to analyze
and discriminate true rotor unbalance Irom erroneous
sensor readings.
To continue to make sizable saIety improvements with
component upgrades, attention must be Iocused on the
components with the largest Iailure Iraction, namely the
high-pressure turbopumps, MCC, and nozzle. Proposed
upgrades in the past sought to accomplish this by
designing a more reliable and robust nozzle and MCC
to double their reliability. Because the Block II SSME
First Manned
OrbitaI FIight FuII Power LeveI
Phase II
Return-to-FIight BIock I BIock II BIock IIA |ock |A
Phase ||+ Powerhead
(Two-0uct}
8|ng|e Tube hEX
hP0TP|AT
F|rst F||ght 8T8-70
Themocoup|es
F|rst F||ght 8T8-75
hPFTP
- 3rol peered l|r lrees
- Large coo|arl d|scrarge
or|l|ces
hP0TP
- 8ear|rg crarges
- 0arp|rg sea|s
- TWo-p|ece darpers
H66
- E0N| re|rlorced oul|el rec|
- 8ursl d|aprragr dra|r||re
LPF 0uct he arr|er
Av|on|cs|Va|ves
- lrcreased slrerglr VFv rous|rg
- Arl|-oac||asr coup||rgs
- Polled W|reWays
- T|grl slac| 0Cv
- Vod|l|ed pressure sersor cav|ly
- lrproved rol-gas lerperalure
sersor
- 3par| |gr|ler case slruclura|
|rprovererls
- 1-|lz ror|lor
- 3||r lerp sersor added lo arl|-
l|ood va|ve
F|rst F||ght 8T8-2R
Powerhead| 0ucts
- l0V lue| ooW| ||rer rods
- L0X posl supporl p|rs |r FP8
- NeW l|oWreler slra|grlerer
- L0X posl sr|e|ds
hPFTP
- Ke|-F sea|s
- Rep|aces slepped |rlerslage
sea|s W|lr sroolr
- lrcreased c|eararce luro|re
o|ade c|eararce lo l|p sea|
hP0TP
- lous|rg raler|a| crarged
(lrco 903)
LPFTP
- Rev|sed o|oc||rg area
LP0TP
- Turo|re d|scrarge lurr|rg
vare rod
Av|on|cs
Nozz|e
- lrcreased luoe Wa|| lr|c|ress
- Added slear |oop
F|rst F||ght 8T8-
Ha|n |njector
Hod|f|cat|ons
- Prograrred
secordary
- Facep|ale
coo|arl ro|es
F|rst F||ght
8T8-73
Large Throat H66
- Casl |r|el/oul|el e|ooWs
20-ho|e Fue| 8|eeves
|ock || LP0TP
|ock || LPFTP
A-6a| 8oftware
Actuator 8poo|
Hater|a| |mprovement
F||tered 6heck Va|ves
Pressure 8ensor
|mprovements
F|rst F||ght 8T8-89
0pened L6 ho|es to
m|n|m|ze facep|ate
eros|on
F|rst F||ght 8T8-9
hPFTP|AT
Ha|n Fue| Va|ve
F|rst F||ght 8T8-104
ase L|ne
Eng|ne
F|rst F||ght
CP02-9066-02

Figure 2. History of Major SSME Upgrades
14 ft
7.5 ft
W Propellants
W #ated power level (#PL) 100%
W ominal power level (PL) 104.5%
W Full power level (FPL) 109%
W Chamber pressure (109%)
W Specific impulse at altitude
W Throttle range (%)
W eight
W Total program hot-fire
time (March 2002)
Oxygen/Hydrogen
469,448 lb
490,847 lb
512,271 lb
2,994 psia
452 sec
67 to 109
7,748 lb
> 2,929 starts
> 972,132 sec
CP02-9066-01

Figure 1. Block II SSME Performance
Requirements

3
American Institute oI Aeronautics and Astronautics
high-pressure turbopumps were just recently certiIied
Ior Ilight, improvement in turbopump reliability
Iocused on running the engine at a Iurther reduced
operating environment (lower temperatures, pressures
and speeds) by increasing the MCC throat diameter
rather than signiIicant design changes in these new
turbopumps.
SSME Options Ior the uture Shuttle
Changes to the SSME Ior the uture Shuttle will Iocus
on saIety improvements, improved supportability and
operability, and eliminating obsolescence issues.
PerIormance enhancements may be required to achieve
other top-level shuttle saIety goals such as increased
thrust to provide saIer abort scenarios. SaIety
CP02-9066-05
Engine HeaIth & FaiIure Mitigation
W Throttling, Shutdown
W Performance Correction
W Controller Sensor Disqualification
SSME BIock II ControIIer Upgrade
W 'ibration #edline
W Enhanced Memory
W Added Communication bus
AHMS Phase 1
23% Reduction in FaiIure ProbabiIity
HeaIth Monitoring Computer
W Expanded vibration monitoring
W Engine model
W Health Assessment Function
AHMS Phase 2
AdditionaI 21% Reduction in FaiIure ProbabiIity

Figure 4. Advanced Health Management Upgrade
CP02-9066-03

1/500
1/333
1/250
Phase 2 BIk I BIk IIA BIk II BIk II +
AHMS
FSME
Other ShuttIe
SSME
1/1000
0
P
r
o
b
a
b
i
I
i
t
y

o
f

L
o
s
s

o
f
V
e
h
i
c
I
e

D
u
r
i
n
g

A
s
c
e
n
t
1/262
1/335
1/438
1/483
1/568
TBD
1/44
1/68
1/999
1/1283
1/2123
1/3
In DeveIopment)
Envisioned)

Figure 3. Reliability Improvement of SSME Upgrades

4
American Institute oI Aeronautics and Astronautics
improvements will Iocus on system enhancements and
upgrades to components. igure 5 shows the reliability
oI the components and suggests that the greatest system
impact can be achieved with improvements to the high-
pressure turbopumps, nozzle, and MCC. The Iollowing
are potential upgrades that would achieve the
propulsion goals oI the uture Shuttle.
Advanced Health Management System. AHMS is a
system-level approach (igure 4) Ior improving saIety
with goals to improve SSME catastrophic Iailure
reliability and to increase Shuttle mission success
probability. The AHMS approach is to:
O Detect and isolate Iailures with high conIidence
O Enhance controller sensor management capability
O Provide mitigation options previously unavailable
O Throttling
O PerIormance correction
O Use new methodology to mitigate credible,
potentially catastrophic Iailure eIIects that we cannot
respond to today
AHMS began development in 2000 with a target Iirst
Ilight Ior Phase 1 oI 2004. Phase 2 requirements
deIinition is currently underway with Iirst Ilight
planned Ior 2006. Throttle-down capability extends the
time when the engine is providing thrust while reducing
stresses on engine, thereby reducing likelihood oI
catastrophic Iailure. PerIormance correction enables a
successIul mission or more preIerred abort by
correcting perIormance impacts oI anomalies.
Correction oI mixture ratio to account Ior hydrogen
leaks in the MCC or nozzle is one example oI
perIormance correction. These enhancements are
achieved by having a new Health Management
Computer (HMC) running a real-time Linear Engine
Model assessing a large set oI control and maintenance
parameters to determine the engine problem and
necessary corrective action Irom a prespeciIied list. An
Advanced Real Time Vibration Monitoring System
(ARTVMS) will Iurther diIIerentiate accelerometer
signals into signatures indicative oI instabilities,
internal wear, and rubbing. These Ieatures will all be
incorporated into the HMC`s open architecture design
that will have expansion capabilities to incorporate
Iuture emergent technologies.
Channel Wall Nozzle. The SSME nozzle is the only
engine component that has not been through a major
upgrade. A channel wall nozzle with milled channels
and a brazed jacket is expected to be 50 more reliable
than the current nozzle due to substantially reduced
Iailure causes. SigniIicant beneIit is achieved by going
Irom a one-pass cooling circuit to a two-pass scheme
allowing the elimination oI the coolant Ieed lines and
aIt maniIold located at the highly stressed aIt end oI the
nozzle. It is interesting that a two-pass conIiguration
was the baseline design in 1972 |reI. 2|. Additionally,
production cycle time is reduced by one-third (36 to 24
months) with associated cost reductions. Channel wall
nozzles have a smooth inside surIace as compared to
CP02-9066-04
0
0.00005
0.0001
0.00015
0.0002
H
P
F
T
P
/
A
T
H
P
O
T
P
/
A
T
L
T
M
C
C

o
z
z
l
e
F
u
e
l
/
H
o
t
G
a
s

S
y
s
t
e
m
M
a
i
n

n
j
e
c
t
o
r
P
n
e
u
m
a
t
i
c
S
y
s
t
e
m
O
x
i
d
i
z
e
r
S
y
s
t
e
m
L
P
O
T
P
O
x
i
d
i
z
e
r
P
r
e
b
u
r
n
e
r
H
e
a
t

E
x
c
h
a
n
g
e
r
A
c
t
u
a
t
o
r
s
P
o
w
e
r
h
e
a
d
L
P
F
T
P
F
u
e
l
P
r
e
b
u
r
n
e
r
'
a
l
v
e
s

g
n
i
t
e
r
s
H
y
d
r
a
u
l
i
c
S
y
s
t
e
m
3
-
E
n
g
i
n
e

C
a
t
a
s
t
r
o
p
h
i
c

F
a
i
I
u
r
e

P
r
o
b
a
b
i
I
i
t
y

Figure 5. Reliability of SSME Components

5
American Institute oI Aeronautics and Astronautics
the conventional tube nozzles, and the reduced drag is
expected to improve speciIic impulse by ~0.5 second
Ior the SSME. A new nozzle provides an opportunity to
create an improved, redundant seal at the nozzle/MCC
interIace joint as well as making the thermal protection
system on the nozzle more robust, thereby reducing
maintenance operations.
Main Combustion Chamber (MCC). A new MCC
design would also have a 50 reduction in Iailure
probability using a hot-isostatic-pressure (HIP) braze
Iabrication process. This process has been successIully
used on the X-33 aerospike engine combustors and the
RS-68 (Delta IV Vehicle engine) combustion chamber.
The current SSME MCC is Iabricated using an
electrodeposition process that has longer cycle time,
more potential Iailure causes, and requires substantial
process maintenance. One important aspect oI a new
MCC design would be potentially to increase the throat
diameter, which can have signiIicant impact on
reducing the engine operating environments and
increasing the reliability and liIe oI the other engine
components, particularly the high-pressure turbopumps.
Turbopumps. Without question, the turbopumps are
the most complex and challenging components on a
liquid rocket engine. The SSME Program was recently
successIul in certiIying new, more robust high-pressure
turbopumps. The liIe oI the HPOTP has proven to be
exceptional, and continued testing oI the HPTP is
expected to increase its usable liIe beIore overhaul to
10 or more Ilights. Opportunities Ior increased liIe and
reliability may be achieved by reducing the harsh
thermal environment by several methods. One method
is modiIying engine operations, primarily the start and
shutdown conditions to reduce the thermal strains.
Another method Ior achieving increased liIe and
reliability is to eIIectively lower the overall operating
environment by running the engine in a derated or
lower power level mode, or by enlarging the MCC
throat.
Candidate design changes to the existing turbopumps
include improved turbine nozzles and discharge
housing, and incorporating a nonintrusive speed sensor.
Supportability/Operability Improvements. Keeping
the engines on the vehicle between Ilights is a major
goal oI the uture Shuttle. Eliminating the need to open
ports and inspect components reduces the risk oI
introducing Ioreign object debris, creating leaks, or
other collateral damage resulting Irom technicians
perIorming inspections on the hardware in the conIined
aIt compartment oI the orbiter. Integrated health
management systems with new sensors Ior leak
detection, speed sensors that provide turbopump torque
data on spin down, and spectrometric measurement oI
engine exhaust plume species to conIirm no adverse wear
or erosion oI materials are technologies that can be
calibrated to eliminate between-Ilight inspections.
Technologies providing spatial temperature measure-
ments oI the hot gas in turbines could eliminate intrusive
inspections oI turbine Ior erosion caused by hot streaks.
Required Changes Ior High Thrust Operation. The
SSME is certiIied Ior a 109 power-level operation
that includes demonstration at 111 operation as part
oI the certiIication process. Studies are underway to
address the higher thrust needs oI a uture Shuttle to
achieve ATO or TAL oII the launch pad with a single
engine out. The Iirst study addresses the maximum
thrust capability oI the current Block II conIiguration
SSME culminating in a hot-Iire demonstration. An
additional study Iocuses on what changes are needed
beyond the options mentioned to be incorporated into a
'Block X conIiguration. Although the engine changes
would be highly dependent on the required thrust, the
Iollowing areas would be likely candidates:
O High margin main injectors with robust LOX posts.
O Enlarged MCC throat Ior reduced temperatures,
pressures, and speeds Ior increased margins, liIe,
and saIety.
O 2nd-generation high-perIormance low-pressure
turbopumps with integrated one-piece rotors/stators,
more robust seals and bearings, and higher head
capability.
O 3rd-generation advanced high-pressure turbopumps
with hydrogen-compatible-base materials; advanced
instrumentation Ior spacial temperature measure-
ments, nonintrusive speed measurements, and
hydrostatic bearings.
New Engines. The uture Shuttle may have
requirements extending beyond what an SSME could
realistically achieve without becoming a completely
new engine. The Space Launch Initiative (igure 6) is
developing new technologies and engine concepts that
have very challenging goals Ior increased reliability,
reduced cost, and longer operating cycle liIe. II NASA
Marshall Space light Center (MSC) and the engine
contractors (Boeing Rocketdyne, Aerojet/Pratt &
Whitney Team, and TRW) are successIul in


6
American Institute oI Aeronautics and Astronautics
demonstrating signiIicant progress in achieving these
goals, then a new engine design may be a viable option
Ior the uture Shuttle.
Summary
Now that NASA has targeted the Space Shuttle to
operate to at least 2020, new upgrade options become
viable Ior implementation. SaIety and operability/


supportability will continue to be the major Iocus, and
improvements to the SSME can provide signiIicant
value to the Space Shuttle Program. Each SSME
upgrade, Irom the Iirst Iight conIiguration engine to the
robust Block II, has substantially increased the saIety oI
the astronauts and the vehicle. Implementing new
component designs, engine controls, and robust
processes as described above will ensure continued saIe
operation oI the Space Shuttle to 2020 and beyond.
Acknowledgments
1. Lorin Blewett, Marty Willis, and Matt Davidson oI
Boeing Canoga Park Ior their contributions to the
Advanced Health Management descriptions.
2. Bill Rothschild, Charley Hoyt, and JeII Craddock oI
Boeing Human Space light & Exploration Ior their
Iunding and support Ior uture Shuttle propulsion
studies.
ReIerences
1. Worlund, A. L. and Hastings, J. H., 'Space Shuttle
Main Engine Evolutions, AIAA 2001-3417
2. Wilhelm, W. R., 'Space Shuttle Orbiter Main
Engine Design, SAE Report SAE-P-720807,
October 1972, pp 2382-2391


CP02-9066-06

Figure 6. Space Launch Initiative RS-83
Engine Concept

Вам также может понравиться