• Journal of Aerospace System Engineering
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.8-13
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• 2017

This study was performed to evaluate the turbine performance of a turbopump in the third stage engine of the Korea Space Launch Vehicle-II. The turbine is a supersonic impulse type with a single rotor. One nozzle is for starting and four remaining nozzles are for steady operation. A similarity test was carried out in the high air test facilities at the Korea Aerospace Research Institute. Test results showed that turbine efficiency changed much more from rotational speed variations than by pressure ratio variations. These results showed characteristics similar to other supersonic impulse turbines.

• Journal of Aerospace System Engineering
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• v.7 no.4
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• pp.49-54
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• 2013

A turbopump for a 75 ton class liquid rocket engine was tested at full speed for 20 seconds using model fluid. Liquid nitrogen is used for the oxidizer pump, water for the fuel pump, and hot gas for the turbine. The non-cavitating head of pump from the turbopump assembly test showed a good agreement with that from the pump component test. The relative difference of turbine efficiency between the turbopump assembly test and the turbine component test was 0.3% only. Suction performance from the turbopump assembly test was higher than that of pump component test, which resulted from the thermodynamic effect of cavitation.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Propulsion Engineers
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.109-118
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• 2018

Korea Aerospace Research Institute has developed a staged combustion cycle rocket (SCCR) engine with high specific impulse to send a 3-ton class satellite into geostationary orbit while conducting a Korean Space Launch Vehicle (KSLV) II project. The SCCR engine is different from the KSLV-II engine, which is an open cycle engine using a gas-generator. The SCCR engine with a closed cycle engine is composed of a pre-burner, a turbo pump, and a main combustor. The technology demonstration model (TDM0) was assembled and tested in the 7ton-class engine combustion test facility of Naro Space Center, and the combustion test was successfully conducted.

• Aerospace Engineering and Technology
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.129-135
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• 2008

The 30 tonf-class liquid rocket combustor currently being developed is designed to connect the fuel feeding line at a middle position of the supersonic nozzle in order to reduce both pressure loss in the regenerative cooling passage and overall envelope of the thrust chamber in spite of increase in design complexity. To verify the design of cooling passages including fuel ring, connecting holes, two-directional cooling channels and collectors, numerical analysis has been performed.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Propulsion Engineers
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.35-41
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• 2014

A rotordynamic analysis is performed for a turbopump of 7 ton class liquid rocket engine considering bearing housing structural flexibility. Stiffness and damping characteristics of ball bearings and pump noncontact seals are reflected in a rotordynamic model. A dynamic model of bearing housing with lumped mass and stiffness is also applied to the rotordynamic analysis. Rotor critical speed and onset speed of instability are predicted from synchronous rotor mass unbalance response and complex eigenvalue analyses. The bearing housing structural flexibility effect on rotordynamic characteristics is investigated for both of bearing loaded and unloaded conditions respectively. From the numerical analysis, it is found that the effect of the housing structural flexibility significantly reduces the rotor critical speed and onset speed of instability.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Propulsion Engineers
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.32-42
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• 2022

The strategy to develop a launch vehicle family by bundling multiple rocket engines of a single type has been proven by SpaceX and their reusable fleet comprised of Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy. In this study, we revisit a potential launch vehicle family out of a 35 tonf-class methalox staged combustion cycle engine and evaluate their utility and performance in various space missions. For example, a Korean version of Falcon 9 can deliver 4.7 tons of payload into 500 km SSO in an expendable mode while the payload is reduced to 2.16 tons in a sea-landing reusable mode. A Korean version of Falcon Heavy can deliver 4.4 tons into GTO when launched from the Naro Space Center, indicating that this common booster core configuration can handle Cheollian 2 albeit the high inclination. Once developed, the same methaloax engine can power the first-stage of smallsat launch vehicles and air launch vehicles.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Aeronautical & Space Sciences
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• v.42 no.7
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• pp.544-551
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• 2014

A program of launch vehicle performance analysis is composed for the education of the conceptual design of launch vehicles and the requirement analysis for the propulsion system design. The program is applied for the mission analysis of space launch vehicles based on KSLV-II with liquid rocket boosters. The 75-ton class liquid rocket engine is assumed for the boosters by referring the mass ratio of KSLV-II second stage. The launch performance analysis is carried out for KSLV-II with 2, 3 and 4 boosters by targeting the circular orbit of 700 km altitude. The trajectory is assumed as two-dimension considering the variation of the flight environment. Payload of advanced KSLV-II could be increased to maximum 3 tons, though it is limited by the thrust performance of the upper stage.