Vulcain (rocket engine)

Vulcain is a family of European cryogenic first stage rocket engines for the Ariane 5.

History

The development of Vulcain, assured by a European collaboration, began in 1988 with the Ariane 5 rocket program. [cite web
url = http://www.spaceandtech.com/spacedata/engines/vulcain_sum.shtml
title = Vulcain - Summary
accessdate = 2006-12-16
publisher = SPACEandTECH] It first flew in 1996 powering the ill-fated flight 501 without being the cause of the disaster, and had its first successful flight in 1997 (flight 502). In 2002 the upgraded Vulcain 2 with 20% more thrustcite web
url = http://www.esa.int/esaCP/SEMF9DLY17E_Benefits_0.html
title = ESA Portal - Benefits for Europe - Vulcain 2 engine now in full production
accessdate = 2006-12-16
date = 2005-04-05
publisher = European Space Agency] first flew on flight 517, although a problem with the engine turned the flight into a failure. [cite web
url = http://www.geocities.com/launchreport/ariane5.html
title = Ariane 5 Data Sheet
accessdate = 2006-12-15
date = 2005-11-29
publisher = Space Launch Report] The cause was due to flight loads being much higher than expected, as the inquiry board concluded. cite web
url=http://www.volvo.com/NR/rdonlyres/E39646EE-698D-47DD-A8C3-2642649225C5/0/Vulcain2redesign.pdf
title=Redesign of the Vulcain 2 Extension
accessdate=2007-06-26
author=L. Winterfeldt, B. Laumert, and R. Tano, Volvo Aero Corporation, Trollhättan, Sweden; P. James and F. Geneau, Snecma, Vernon, France; R. Blasi and G. Hagemann, EADS Space Transportation, Ottobrunn, Germany
date=2005-07-10
format=PDF
publisher=American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics] Subsequently, the nozzle has been redesigned, reinforcing the structure and improving the thermal situation of the tube wall, enhancing hydrogen coolant flow as well as applying thermal barrier coating to the flame-facing side of the coolant tubes, reducing heat load. The first successful flight of the (partially redesigned) Vulcain 2 occurred in 2005 on flight 521.

Future development

Although different upgrades to the engine have been proposedcite web
url=http://www.astron.nl/p/news/LO/Iranzo_Ariane5_LOFARworkshop.ppt
title=Ariane 5 – A European Launcher for Space Exploration
accessdate=2007-06-27
author=David Iranzo-Greus
date=2005-03-23
format=PowerPoint presentation
publisher=EADS SPACE Transporation] , there is no current program to develop an uprated version of the engine. If there will ever be one, it is likely that the new engine would be introduced after the "PA batch" of 30 Ariane 5 ECAs ordered on 10 May 2004cite web
url=http://www.eads.com/1024/fr/investor/News_and_Events/news_ir/2004/2004/fr_20040510_cc_ariane5.html
title=EADS N.V. - EADS welcomes contract signature for 30 Ariane 5 launchers at ILA 2004 in Berlin
accessdate=2007-06-26
date=2004-05-10
publisher=EADS] cite web
url=http://www.astrium.eads.net/press-center/archives/2004/264-en
title=Three billion Euros contract for 30 Ariane 5 launchers — EADS Astrium
accessdate=2007-06-26
date=2004-05-10
publisher=EADS Astrium] will be expended.

On 2007-06-17 Volvo Aero announced that in spring of 2008 it expected to hot-fire test a Vulcain 2 nozzle manufactured with a new "sandwich" technology. [cite web |url=http://www.volvo.com/volvoaero/global/en-gb/newsmedia/press_releases/2007/NewsItem.htm?ItemID=24716&sl=en-gb |title= Volvo Aero’s sandwich space technology passes important milestone |publisher=Volvo Aero]

Overview

The Vulcain engines are gas-generator cycle cryogenic rocket engines fed with liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen. They feature regenerative cooling through a tube wall design, and the Vulcain 2 introduced a particular film cooling for the lower part of the nozzle, where exhaust gas from the turbine is re-injected in the engine They power the first stage of the Ariane 5 launcher, the EPC (Étage Principal Cryotechnique, main cryogenic stage) and provide 8% of the total lift-off thrustcite web
url = http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/Launchers_Access_to_Space/ASELVQI4HNC_0.html
title = ESA - Launch Vehicles - Vulcain Engine
accessdate = 2006-12-16
date = 2005-11-29
publisher = European Space Agency] (the rest being provided by the two solid rocket boosters). The engine operating time is 600 s in both configurations. 3 m tall and 1.76 m in diameter, the engine weights 1686 kg and provides 137 t of thrust in its latest version cite web
url = http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/Launchers_Access_to_Space/SEM0LR2PGQD_0.html
title = ESA - Launch Vehicles - Ariane 5 ECA
accessdate = 2006-12-16
publisher = European Space Agency] . The oxygen turbopump rotates at 13600 rpm with a power of 3 MW while the hydrogen turbopump rotates at 34000 rpm with 12 MW of power. The total mass flow rate is 235 kg/s, of which 41.2 kg/s are of hydrogen.

Contractors

The main contractor for the Vulcain engines is Snecma Moteurs (France), which also provides the liquid hydrogen turbopump. The liquid oxygen turbopump is responsibility of Avio (Italy), the gas turbines that power the turbopumps and the nozzle are developed by Volvo (Sweden).

ee also

* Spacecraft propulsion
* Timeline of hydrogen technologies

Comparable engines

* RS-68

References and notes

External links

* [http://www.arianespace.com/site/launcher/launcher_evolving_cryogenic2.html Arianespace - Ariane 5: Cryogenic Main Stage and Solid Boosters]
* [http://www.le-webmag.com/article.php3?id_article=120&lang=en Ariane 5 ECA and Snecma - Snecma Moteurs: Vulcain 2 engine proves its mettle]
* [http://www.volvo.com/NR/rdonlyres/185084F6-EA3F-46C4-B45E-EAD988D76467/0/LH2Turbine2005.pdf LH2 Turbine (Vulcain and Vulcain 2 engines)] - Volvo Aero
* [http://www.volvo.com/NR/rdonlyres/29F19ACA-3742-4905-A651-9837535F0676/0/LOXTurbine2005.pdf LOX Turbine (Vulcain and Vulcain 2 engines)] - Volvo Aero
* [http://www.volvo.com/NR/rdonlyres/F86D8008-7DF6-44D6-A793-FCE84A6AAB14/0/turbopumpV2paper.pdf development of the turbines for the Vulcain 2 turbopumps] - Volvo Aero
* [http://www.volvo.com/NR/rdonlyres/4143AA81-C579-49CC-AA70-423383079F6E/0/high_cycle_fatigue.pdf HCF of Vulcain 2 LOx turbine blades] - Volvo Aero
* [http://www.volvo.com/NR/rdonlyres/B3CA4D80-23E1-4B66-A76E-E3AA1CEA53E1/0/conceptdesignprocess.pdf an efficient concept design process] - Volvo Aero
* [http://www.volvo.com/NR/rdonlyres/5DF909B5-14B6-48D2-810B-593D782D7B97/0/Vulcain2_2005.pdf Vulcain 2 nozzle] - Volvo Aero

Related news

* [http://www.eads.com/1024/fr/investor/News_and_Events/news_ir/2004/2004/fr_20040510_cc_ariane5.html EADS N.V. - EADS welcomes contract signature for 30 Ariane 5 launchers at ILA 2004 in Berlin]
* [http://www.astrium.eads.net/press-center/archives/2004/264-en Three billion Euros contract for 30 Ariane 5 launchers — EADS Astrium]