Академический Документы
Профессиональный Документы
Культура Документы
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