• Journal of the Korean Society of Propulsion Engineers
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.125-130
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• 2018

The technology development of a high performance upper stage engine for a GEO(GEostationary Orbit) KSLV(Korea Space Launch Vehicle) is undergoing in Korea Aerospace Research Institute. KSLV is composed of an open cycle engine with gas generator, which is for a low orbit launch vehicle. However the future GEO launch vehicle requires a high performance upper stage engine with a high specific impulse. The staged combustion cycle engine is necessary for this mission. In this paper, current progress and future plan for staged combustion cycle engine development is described.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Propulsion Engineers
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.29-37
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• 2018

This paper reports the preliminary firing test performed with an ADN-based monopropellant using a 5 N scale thruster. ADN-based propellant and catalyst was fabricated and catalytic combustion of propellant was characterized by DSC-TG analysis. Although an explosion in the catalyst bed was occurred, high temperature in the catalyst bed obtained and demonstrated catalytic combustion of the propellant. Preliminary test results motivates the research for catalysts with better thermal stability.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Propulsion Engineers Conference
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• 2004.03a
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• pp.48-54
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• 2004

The effects of injector spacing s and injector diameter d on mixing are numerically investigated in supersonic combustor with perpendicular injection behind a backward-facing step. Simulations are reported for airstream Mach number of 2.4. Parameters are changed on following 4 cases to investigate the effects of injector configuration on mixing efficiency $\eta_m$. In the case of varying d or s, dynamic pressure ratio $Rq(=(pu^2)_j/(pu^2)_a)$ is also varied to keep bulk equivalence ratio $\Phi({\oe})Rq.d^2/s)$ constant. (l) Injector spacing s is varied at constant $\Phi$=0.5, 1, 2 for injector diameter d=6mm. In the case of $\Phi$=1, $\eta_m$ has its maximum value at s=24mm. The reason is that increase of $\eta_m$. , by widening spacing at Rq=constant competes with decrease of $\eta_m$ by increasing Rq at s=constant. When spacing is narrow, the flow field of vicinity of injector becomes two-dimensional because adjacent jets interferes each other. By widening spacing, air is easily entrained by three-dimensional effect. This mechanism also appears in the case of $\Phi$=0.5, 2 for d=6mm, and $\eta_m$. reaches its maximum value at s=24mm for $\Phi$=0.5 and at s=42mm for $\Phi$=2. (2) In the case of injector diameter d varied at $\Phi$=1 for s=30mm, $\eta_m$. has its maximum value at d=3mm. The reason is that decrease of $\eta_m$ by increasing injector diameter competes with increase of $\eta_m$ by decreasing Rq at d=constant.(3) In the case of s varied at $\Phi$=0.5, 1,2 for d=3mm, the injector spacing at which mixing efficiency has its maximum value is s= 18mm for $\Phi$=0.5, s=24mm for $\Phi$=1, s=24mm for $\Phi$=2. Therefore it is found that d=3mm and s=24mm can be optimum configuration over a range of $\Phi$=0.5~2.(4) The effect of h on the optimum spacing is investigated. s is varied for d=6mm at step height h=4, 6, 8mm. The simulation results do not show significant change on the step height.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Aeronautical & Space Sciences
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• v.49 no.2
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• pp.107-120
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• 2021

Electric-powered distributed propulsion aircraft possess a complex wake flow and mutual interference with the airframe, due to the use of many propellers. Accordingly, in the early design stage, rapid aerodynamic and load analysis considering the effect of propellers for various configurations and flight conditions are required. In this study, an efficient panel-based aerodynamic analysis method that can take into account the propeller effects is developed and validated. The induced velocity field in the region of propeller wake is calculated based on Actuator Disk Theory (ADT) and is considered as the boundary condition at the vehicle's surface in the three-dimensional steady source-doublet panel method. Analyses are carried out by selecting an isolated propeller of the Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI)'s Quad Tilt Propeller (QTP) aircraft and the propeller-wing configuration of the former experimental study as benchmark problems. Through comparisons with the results of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) based on actuator methods, the wake velocity of propeller and the changes in the aerodynamic load distribution of the wing due to the propeller operation are validated. The method is applied to the analysis of the Optional Piloted Personal Aerial Vehicle (OPPAV) and QTP, and the practicality and validity of the method are confirmed through comparison and analysis of the computational time and results with CFD.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Propulsion Engineers Conference
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• 2011.04a
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• pp.1-2
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• 2011

Hybrid rockets have lately attracted attention as a strong candidate of small, low cost, safe and reliable launch vehicles. A significant topic is that the first commercially sponsored space ship, SpaceShipOne vehicle chose a hybrid rocket. The main factors for the choice were safety of operation, system cost, quick turnaround, and thrust termination. In Japan, five universities including Hokkaido University and three private companies organized "Hybrid Rocket Research Group" from 1998 to 2002. Their main purpose was to downsize the cost and scale of rocket experiments. In 2002, UNISEC (University Space Engineering Consortium) and HASTIC (Hokkaido Aerospace Science and Technology Incubation Center) took over the educational and R&D rocket activities respectively and the research group dissolved. In 2008, JAXA/ISAS and eleven universities formed "Hybrid Rocket Research Working Group" as a subcommittee of the Steering Committee for Space Engineering in ISAS. Their goal is to demonstrate technical feasibility of lowcost and high frequency launches of nano/micro satellites into sun-synchronous orbits. Hybrid rockets use a combination of solid and liquid propellants. Usually the fuel is in a solid phase. A serious problem of hybrid rockets is the low regression rate of the solid fuel. In single port hybrids the low regression rate below 1 mm/s causes large L/D exceeding a hundred and small fuel loading ratio falling below 0.3. Multi-port hybrids are a typical solution to solve this problem. However, this solution is not the mainstream in Japan. Another approach is to use high regression rate fuels. For example, a fuel regression rate of 4 mm/s decreases L/D to around 10 and increases the loading ratio to around 0.75. Liquefying fuels such as paraffins are strong candidates for high regression fuels and subject of active research in Japan too. Nakagawa et al. in Tokai University employed EVA (Ethylene Vinyl Acetate) to modify viscosity of paraffin based fuels and investigated the effect of viscosity on regression rates. Wada et al. in Akita University employed LTP (Low melting ThermoPlastic) as another candidate of liquefying fuels and demonstrated high regression rates comparable to paraffin fuels. Hori et al. in JAXA/ISAS employed glycidylazide-poly(ethylene glycol) (GAP-PEG) copolymers as high regression rate fuels and modified the combustion characteristics by changing the PEG mixing ratio. Regression rate improvement by changing internal ballistics is another stream of research. The author proposed a new fuel configuration named "CAMUI" in 1998. CAMUI comes from an abbreviation of "cascaded multistage impinging-jet" meaning the distinctive flow field. A CAMUI type fuel grain consists of several cylindrical fuel blocks with two ports in axial direction. The port alignment shifts 90 degrees with each other to make jets out of ports impinge on the upstream end face of the downstream fuel block, resulting in intense heat transfer to the fuel. Yuasa et al. in Tokyo Metropolitan University employed swirling injection method and improved regression rates more than three times higher. However, regression rate distribution along the axis is not uniform due to the decay of the swirl strength. Aso et al. in Kyushu University employed multi-swirl injection to solve this problem. Combinations of swirling injection and paraffin based fuel have been tried and some results show very high regression rates exceeding ten times of conventional one. High fuel regression rates by new fuel, new internal ballistics, or combination of them require faster fuel-oxidizer mixing to maintain combustion efficiency. Nakagawa et al. succeeded to improve combustion efficiency of a paraffin-based fuel from 77% to 96% by a baffle plate. Another effective approach some researchers are trying is to use an aft-chamber to increase residence time. Better understanding of the new flow fields is necessary to reveal basic mechanisms of regression enhancement. Yuasa et al. visualized the combustion field in a swirling injection type motor. Nakagawa et al. observed boundary layer combustion of wax-based fuels. To understand detailed flow structures in swirling flow type hybrids, Sawada et al. (Tohoku Univ.), Teramoto et al. (Univ. of Tokyo), Shimada et al. (ISAS), and Tsuboi et al. (Kyushu Inst. Tech.) are trying to simulate the flow field numerically. Main challenges are turbulent reaction, stiffness due to low Mach number flow, fuel regression model, and other non-steady phenomena. Oshima et al. in Hokkaido University simulated CAMUI type flow fields and discussed correspondence relation between regression distribution of a burning surface and the vortex structure over the surface.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Propulsion Engineers
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• v.3 no.4
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• pp.67-74
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• 1999

Problems created by supersonic jet impinging on solid objects or ground arise in a variety of situations. For example multi-stage rocket separation, deep-space docking, V/STOL aircraft, jet-engine exhaust, gas-turbine blade, terrestrial rocket launch, and so on. These impinging jet flows generally contain a complex structures. (mixed subsonic and supersonic regions, interacting shocks and expansion waves, regions of turbulent shear layer) This paper describes experimental works on the phenomena (surface pressure distribution, flow visualization) when underexpanded supersonic jets impinge on the perpendicular, inclined plate using a supersonic cold-(low system. The used supersonic nozzle is convergent-divergent type, exit Mach number 2, The maximum on the plate when it was inclined was much larger than perpendicular plate, owing to high pressure recoveries through multiple shocks. Surface pressure distribution as to underexpanded ratio showed similar patterns together.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Propulsion Engineers Conference
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• 2008.05a
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• pp.14-17
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• 2008

A poppet type shutoff valve under the pneumatic control has been adapted for the MOV (Main Oxidizer shutoff Valve) for KSLV (Korea Space Launch Vehicle). The MOV controls the supply of liquid oxygen into the combustion chamber just by opening and shutting operations. The poppet part of the poppet valves is usually connected with the piston, but on the other hand that of the MOV is separated and just contacted with the piston in order to secure the flexibility of the valve design. For the prevention of the collision with valve body by an undesirable movement of the piston part, it is necessary to evaluate the force during the valve closing. The analysis of the force balance of the MOV at the moment of the valve closing have been performed and some important design parameters for the force balance control have been introduced.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Propulsion Engineers Conference
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• 2007.04a
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• pp.208-211
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• 2007

Separation Devices have two functions. These two functions are to bond and to separate two bodies. This paper is about separation devices which use explosives to separate their bodies. Explosive bolt is separated with two bodies when the explosives in the body detonated. The good things of explosive bolt are that it has simple operational system and it is made of few parts. But it has side effects; fragment and pyre-shock. To avoid these side effects gas expansion separation(GES) bolt and pressure cartridge actuation separation(PAS) devices are invented. These use pressure to separate their bodies. The pressure is generated when explosives are burned. But the sizes of PAS devices are bigger than explosive bolts. And GES bolt has a mechanically lower bonding ability than that of explosive bolt. When you design separation devices, it is recommended to know operational system and characteristics of separation devices, to design best one.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Propulsion Engineers
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.1-11
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• 2017

TPTF (Turbopump Real Propellant Test Facility) at Naro Space Center has used alcohol burner system to simulate the gas flow of gas generator of liquid rocket engine. During the test at TPTF, the temperature and pressure at turbine inlet were smoothly increased while those of the gas generator of engine were constant. Present research developed a simulation code for the burner and the piping system and applied to the system. The calculation results were in good agreement with the test, and confirmed quantitatively that the non-steadiness is due to the heat transfer of the pipe. While the insulation of the pipe is ineffective, the length has a large impact on the turbine inlet condition. The present research clarified the empirically estimation of test condition, and can be applied to determination of the following test conditions.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Propulsion Engineers Conference
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• 2010.11a
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• pp.622-627
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• 2010

This paper is focused on the numerical analysis of two Thermal Protection Systems. Both systems have been provided two different temperature of heating at two walls. Outer wall is heated by high temperature($T_{max}$). Inner wall is heated by heat source($710W/m^2$) while the outer wall is heated. Each system has been provided one side heating(outer wall only) and both side heating respectively. The effects of the heat transfer of both sides of wall, PCM temperature variance through the operation time and Inner space average temperature are investigated. The results have shown that the duration of latent heat mainly depends on the materials, the direction of heat transfer and the heat source and these factors should be concerned in the future.