The modern space flight industry is growing by leaps and bounds. This is especially evident by headlines in the news and on social media, as privately owned companies are contracting with national space organizations to take payload and astronauts into orbit more often.
Design and testing of space engines and vehicles takes high priority and is accomplished by seasoned technical experts who ensure mission success and safety. One of the key parameters monitored and verified to ensure optimal performance is pressure.
Pressure sensors built by Mensor are used for the development and testing of these state-of-the-art propulsion systems.
Engine Development
One area where Mensor instruments are being used is in the development of rocket engines. It is important to precisely know the different factors affecting the efficiency of cryogenic liquid pumps. These pumps are the primary component used for delivering fuel to the combustion chamber of a liquid fueled rocket engine. During the development process, precision pressure transducers like the Mensor CPT6020 are used to characterize the operation of both liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen pumps.
Engine Testing
When a rocket engine is assembled, there are numerous components and systems that must work correctly in order to prevent a catastrophic failure. The best way to verify these systems are functioning correctly is to conduct an engine test.
During this process, it is important to monitor different engine vitals that are present during the engine test. Variables such as combustion chamber pressure and exhaust nozzle pressure have a direct effect on how much thrust the engine is capable of producing.
Transducers like the CPT6020 and CPT9000 have a temperature compensation range of 0 to 50 degrees Celcius, which means they maintain their pressure accuracy throughout this range. To use a premium pressure transducer in this type of application, special efforts must be made to prevent the instrument temperature from dropping below the compensated temperature range. This is to ensure the readings from the reference instrument are maintaining the desired accuracy specification.
These measures may include but are not limited to the use of insulating elements and chambers that allow for the instruments to be isolated from the extremely low temperatures present during the use of liquid oxygen or liquid hydrogen.
Conclusion
Mensor transducers are a critical component in verifying the efficiency and safety of these rocket components. Their high accuracy measurements give confidence to the precision required in evaluating the operation of the combined elements that produce a safe and successful launch to orbit.
Related Reading:
- Pressure Transducer Applications in Oil and Gas Exploration
- Pressure Transducer Applications in International Arctic Buoy Program
- Flow Meters that Use Pressure Sensors to Derive Measurement
- How to Choose a Pressure Transducer: Ten Things to Consider
- Comparing Different Types of Analog Pressure Transducers
Photo Credit: (A) NASA/Bill Ingalls; (B) Jude Guidry
