2000 kN Semi-Cryogenic Engine SCE-200 replacing L-110 Core Stage in LVM3 to be ready in 6-8 months

[Chanakya's_Chant]

Russian tie-up to boost ISRO’s semicryogenic launcher plan

ISRO working on semi-cryogenic launch vehicle, its new-generation third rocket programme, to beef up its current portfolio of PSLV and GSLV. The ISRO will be the third space agancy to have semi-cryogenic technology.​

The national space programme looks set to ride on a new thaw in the 40-year-old Indo Russian Space ties, as indicated by the just unveiled memorandum of understanding between the Indian Space Research Organisation and Russian Federal Space Agency (ROSCOSMOS).

The MoU covering wide-ranging areas and which was firmed up in June is “just the beginning”. The development of the new, higher-power semi-cryogenic engine could be an immediate beneficiary, according to A.S. Kiran Kumar, Chairman of the Indian Space Research Programme.

Mr. Kiran Kumar told The Hindu, “[The MoU] is the initial process, a lot of discussions must be held before it takes a concrete shape. We would work on future systems of common interest. We have identified several areas and established working groups to go through them. We have to see how it develops.”

The ISRO is working on its new-generation, Rs. 1,800-crore third rocket programme, called the semi-cryogenic launch vehicle, to beef up its current portfolio of the PSLV and the GSLV. It will use space-grade kerosene and liquid oxygen as fuel and is meant to pitch spacecraft totally weighing six to ten tonnes to heights of 36,000 km. This would be double the lifting power of the GSLV and triple that of the PSLV. Only the U.S. and Russia have this technology.

Mr. Kiran Kumar said: “We are looking at using Russian testing facilities for the semi-cryogenic engine. We will be ready with the engine [SCE-200] in six to eight months. Although we will have our own test facility at Mahendragiri, ours will take some time to come up.”

Mutual advantages

About the spin-offs to the Russians, he said today, all space agencies looked at working with each other for many mutual advantages.

ISRO and ROSCOSMOS signed the MoU separately in May and June, Union Minister of State for Space, Atomic Energy & PMO Jitendra Singh said in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday.

Unlike in the 1990s, when the GSLV cryogenic technology transfer pact was stymied by U.S. geopolitics, the two sides do not envisage any transfer of technology in the cooperation.

The MoU includes new areas such as navigation. India is building its regional fleet of navigation satellites; Russia is completing its GLONASS global navigation constellation on the lines of the U.S. GPS. The two expect to augment each other’s reference signals for sharpness through ground receivers.

The other areas to be pursued are the ambitious Indian human space programme; outer space exploration, development of space systems and components; training and scientific exchanges.

The ‘new thaw’ is said to have been triggered in April this year when the two countries celebrated the 40th anniversary of the then Soviet Union putting into space the first Indian experimental satellite, the 358-kg ‘Aryabhata’, in 1975.

Then followed Bhaskara-1, IRS-1A and first Indian astronaut flying in space in the Soviet Soyuz T-11 in 1984.

Source:- Russian tie-up to boost ISRO’s semicryogenic launcher plan - The Hindu

 

[Chanakya's_Chant]

>> A cryogenic engine is a rocket engine that uses cryogenic liquids (fuels such as liquid oxygen or liquid hydrogen that require storage at extremely low temperatures in order to maintain them in a liquid state) as a fuel or oxidizer.

>> ISRO has already developed and successfully tested two indigenous Cryogenic Rocket Engines - CE-7.5 for GSLV Mark II & CE-20 for LVM3 - making India the sixth nation after US, Russia, France, Japan & China to develop an indigenous cryogenic engine.

>> Semi-Cryogenic Engines replace liquid hydrogen with kerosene and using liquid oxygen and kerosene they are considered relatively environment friendly, non-toxic and non corrosive. In addition, the propellants for semi-cryogenic engine are safer to handle and store. It will also reduce the cost of launch operations.

>> This advanced propulsion technology is now available only with Russia and USA. The world’s most powerful liquid engine, the Russian RD 170, is powered by a LOX - kerosene combination. India will the third country in the world to develop a semi-cryogenic engine. LOX - Kerosene engines have powered several American launchers as well, including Saturn V, which carried American astronauts to the moon.

​

>> ISRO plans to develop a 2000 kN Semi Cryogenic Engine (SCE) using liquid oxygen (LOX) and ISROSENE (propellant-grade kerosene), under a Rs. 1,798 crore six year project cleared by the Union Cabinet on December 19, 2008.​

Significant breakthroughs achieved so far in the development of SCE-2000 (From ISRO's Annual Reports from 2011-15) -

>> The major development during the year 2015 includes single element Preburner test to characterize preburner injector elements and single element thrust chamber hot test to characterise thrust chamber injector elements. The tests demonstrated the ignition with hypergolic igniter and flame holding at very high mixture ratios and the stage combustion cycle respectively.

>> Fabrication of semi-cryogenic engine sub-assemblies, namely, the Thrust Chamber, Mixing Head, Main Turbo pump, Booster turbo pumps, Preburner and Heat Exchanger have been initiated through industries. The first hardware, namely, the Low Pressure Oxidiser Turbo pump has been realised.

>>Assembly and testing of 14 types of control components out of 21 types have been completed. Assembly and testing of 7 types of control components are in progress.

>>Realisation of Semi Cryo Cold Flow Test facility (SCFT) consisting of Fluid system, Power absorption system, drive system, vacuum drying system and instrumentation system is in progress. Augmentation of Thrust Chamber Test Facility is being carried out for Semi Cryo subscale engine test. A Request for proposal has been prepared for realisation of Integrated Engine Test facility.

>> Establishment of test facilities like Cold Flow Test Facility and Integrated Engine Test Facility are under various stages of realization. Fabrication drawings are realised for all sub-systems and fabrication of booster turbo-pump and pre-burner subsystem commenced.

>> Realization of semi-cryogenic engine involves the development of performance-critical metallic and non-metallic materials and related processing technologies. 23 metallic materials and 6 non-metallic materials have been developed. Characterisation of injector elements and hypergolic slug igniters with different proportion of Tri-ethyl Aluminium and Tri-ethyl Boron has been completed. Sub-scale models of thrust chamber have been realized and ignition trials have been carried out successfully. Single element thrust chamber hot test in stage combustion cycle mode was also conducted successfully.

>> The Preliminary Design Review (PDR) for Semi-cryogenic engine development has been completed. Preparation of fabrication drawings of subsystems have been completed. A MOU has been signed with NFTDC for the realization of copper alloy for Thrust chamber. Single element Pre-Burner (PB) injector realized and injector spray characterization using PIV was carried out. Test facility for single element pre-burner commissioned at PRG facility, VSSC. Semi Cryo Test facility design by M/s Rolta has been completed. Design of Semi Cryo Engine including heat exchanger and ejector is competed. Fabrication drawings and documents are generated based on the PDR and joint reviews. Configuration design of subscale engine is completed. Preliminary Design Review (PDR) of Hydraulic Actuation System (HAS) and Hydraulic Power System (HPS) for Engine Gimbal control is completed and Technical specifications are finalized.

>> Single Element Pre-Burner injector element has been hot tested successfully. Ignition of LOX/ Isrosene propellant with hypergolic slug igniter and flame holding, demonstration of safe handling of pyrophoric fluid TEA, validation of start sequence, characterization of injector elements and qualification of Hayness-214 material are the major achievements of the tests.

>> Design of single element thrust chamber is completed and fabrication drawings are generated. Single element thrust chamber injector elements are realized and cold flow tests were carried out. Special pre burner which will provide hot gases for testing the single element thrust chamber has been realized.

>> A rubber composition resistant to Kerosene had been developed and tested. Other components developed include rectangular rings, gaskets and O-rings for control components and turbo pump of semi cryogenic engine as well as Tri-ethyl aluminum (TEA) based hypergolic igniter. ISRO has done hot test with LOX step injection mode on semi cryogenic pre-burner injector at high pressure after completing cold flow trials and sequence validation tests. Further tests with step injection for Kerosene and LOX are planned.

>> Engine design, generation of fabrication drawing of sub systems and integration drawings have been completed. Preliminary Design Review of Engine Gimbal Control system have been completed and technical specification document of both Hydraulic Actuation System and Hydraulic Power System generated.
Hypergolic igniter trials have been successfully demonstrated. Single element of pre burner and thrust chamber are realized. 3 tests have been completed for single element Semicryo pre-burner injector.

Rotary Vacuum Brazing Furnace

Single element Thrust chamber (experimental design) hot test

 

[Chanakya's_Chant]

Injector design experimental study for Oxidizer Rich Staged Combustion cycle

Here is how this version of LVM3 would look like. All specifications are based on available valid data.

 

[gslv mk3]

Great news....This would boost our GTO launch capability to six tonnes.IsRO is already developing I-6 K satellite bus structure.

Rotary Vacuum Brazing Furnace

This rotary vacuum brazing furnace was made by Hind Heavy Vacuum,Bangalore.Its installed at Godrej Aerospace facility.

 

[kurup]

Good news is that semi-cryogenic engine will be ready in 6 to 8 months .

This will be the most important development as this engine will form the base for heavier rockets ISRO is developing .

Although many details in the above articles are wrong , incorrect and creates confusion .

 

[The Huskar]

What will be the load capacity of PSLV after SCE-2000 replaces L-110??

 

[Chanakya's_Chant]

What will be the load capacity of PSLV after SCE-2000 replaces L-110??

PSLV doesn't feature L-110 - SCE-200 will be replacing L-110 in LVM3 more popularly known as the GSLV Mark III.

SCE-2000 will enhance LVM3's LEO capacity from 8 tonne class to 12 tonne class and GTO capacity from 4 tonne class to 6 tonne class.

 

[shaheenmissile]

well done India

 

[Chanakya's_Chant]

This rotary vacuum brazing furnace was made by Hind Heavy Vacuum,Bangalore.Its installed at Godrej Aerospace facility.

Godrej Aerospace will be the production agency for SCE-2000 as well.

Godrej Aerospace to make semi-cryogenic engines | Business Line

Great news....This would boost our GTO launch capability to six tonnes.IsRO is already developing I-6 K satellite bus structure.

Aren't I-4K and I-5K enough? GSAT-11 scheduled to be launched in 2016-17 will be ISRO's first satellite based on I-4K bus - I-5K should follow. I-6K seems to be a long shot. GSAT-11 should be launched by LVM3?

 

[Hyperion]

MTCR got gang-raped once again by India and Russia! Where is the moral police the good ol' US of A?

 

[Gandhi follower]

MTCR got gang-raped once again by India and Russia! Where is the moral police the good ol' US of A?

Better to be keep quiet than getting exposed. As they say "angoor khatte hai"

 

[Mohd. Kamran]

MTCR got gang-raped once again by India and Russia! Where is the moral police the good ol' US of A?

It's for peaceful space exploration and betterment in the space & technology field.

 

[SRP]

MTCR got gang-raped once again by India and Russia! Where is the moral police the good ol' US of A?

We are launching US satellites soon. Why would be they worry about us now?

 

[ni8mare]

MTCR got gang-raped once again by India and Russia! Where is the moral police the good ol' US of A?

Mr. Kiran Kumar said: “We are looking at using Russian testing facilities for the semi-cryogenic engine. We will be ready with the engine [SCE-200] in six to eight months. Although we will have our own test facility at Mahendragiri, ours will take some time to come up.”

 

[DrasticMeasure]

GSLV mk3 rocket will many many configurations over the years. With Cryogenic engine its capacity will go upto 6.2 tons to GTO. Adding 2 more S200 should raise it even more. This rocket can potentially carry 20 tons to GTO.