Alternate Nozzle Ablative Materials Pro.,ram

224 Pages·05.99 MB·English

1985015613
https://ntrs.nasa.gov/search.jsp?R=19850015613 2019-03-27T13:04:59+00:00Z
._IP/ PURl ICA, Ir)N B4-58
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Alternate Nozzle Ablative Materials
Pro.,ram
N. A. k,mmel
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#__;##_ ._-.
September1,1984 _1_. #__.
Preparedfor
NASAMarshallSpaceFlightCenter
throughanagreementwith
NationalAeronauticsand Space Administration _,
by ;i
Jet Prol;ulslon Laboratory
CalifcrniaInstituteof Technology
Pasadena,California ,_
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1985015613-002
JPL PUBLICATION 84-58
Alternate Nozzle Ablative Materials
Program
N. A. Kimmel
: September 1, 1984
..t
Prepared for
: NASA Marshall Space Flight Center
throughan agreementwith
Natlonsl Aeronautics and Space Administration
by
_ Jet Propulslor, Laboratory
California In_t_tL,teof Technology
Pasadena,Cali;omia
't
1985015613-003
Theresearch described inthispublication wascarried out by Morton Thiokol, Inc.,
; Wasatch Division, and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California !nstitute of Tech- :
nology,and wassponsored bythe NASA George C. Marshall Space FlightCenter
through an agreement with the National Aeronautics and Space Admimstrat_on.
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1985015G13-004
FORE,._OR.n
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' The work described in this document was performed by Morton Thiokol,
Inc./Wasatch Division (MTI/WD) under National Aeronautic_ and .SpaceAdminis-
• tration, George C. Marshall Space Flight Center (NASA-MSFC) Contract No.
NAS8-30490,and by the Jet PropulsionLaboratory(JPL), California Institute
of Technology, by agreement with the NationalAeronauticsand Space Adminis-
tration under Contract No. NAS7-918. NASA-MSFC, ]PL, and MTI/WD initiateda
joint subscale noTzle te_t program to evaluate erosion, char, and thermal
performanceof polyacrylonitrile (PAN)-based and pitch-based carbon cloth-
phenolic ablativematerials;ceramicfibermat-phenolicand E-glassfibermat-
phenolic insulator materials; and, a PAN-based carbon fiber-epoxy filament
wound str,cturaloverwrap material.
A 9.5-inchthroat diameter subscale Space Shuttle Solid Rocket Motor
(SRM)nozzle assemblywas designedby MTI/WD and NASA-MSFC. A iO,O00-1bpro- |
!
pellant subscale reusabletest motor was designed by JPL. Four _tor-nozzle !
tests were performed by JPL. The test nozzles were evaluated by MTI/WD.
Conclusionsand recommendations were made by MTI/WD and NASA-MSFC. Test |I
reports,which include summary evaluationsand analyses,anJ conclusionsand
recommendations,were provided by MTI/WD. The reports are included, without
change,as AppendicesA, B, C, and D of this report. Finally,JPL wrote and
publishedthis final report. ',
J
The Technical Director and Program Manager for this SRM alter,ate
materialevaluationprogram was Mr. James W. Thomas, Jr., of NASA-MSFC. The
Task Managerof theMTI/WD effortwas Mr. George E. Nichols. The Task Manager
for the JPL work was Mr. Floyd A. Anderson.
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1985015613-005
ABSTRACT
• Under a NASA-MSFCfunded program, four subscale solid rocket motor
tests were conducted successfully by JPL to evaluate alternate nozzle
liner, insulation, and exit cone structural LJerwrap components for possible
application to the Space Shuttle Solid Rocket Motor (SRM) nozzle assembly.
The lO,O00-1b propellant motor tests each simulated, as close as practical,
the configuration and operational environment of the full-scale SRM,and had
,.j _ 9.5-inch initial nozzle throat diameter, (2) an operating time of
approximately 32 s, (3) an average operating chamber pressure of approximately
. 650 psia, (4) a _urning rate of 0.340 in./s at 650 psia and /7°F,and (5)an
average thrust of approximately 75,000 Ibf. Fifteen PAN-based and three
pitch-basedcarbon-phenolic nozzle liner materials were evaluated; three
P_-based materials had no filler in the phenolic resin, four PAN-based
materialshad carbon microballoons in the resin, and the rest of the
materials had carbon powder in the resin. Three nozzle insulation mate- i
rialswere evaluated; an aluminum oxide-silicon oxide ceramic fiber mat-
phenolic material with no resin filler, and two E-glass fiber mat-phenolic i
!
materialswith no resin filler. Also, one PAN-based carbon fiber-epoxy
material was evaluated for the structural exit cone overwrap. It was con-
cluded by MTI/WD (the fabricator and evaluator of the t_st nozzles) and
NASA-MSFC that it was possible to design an alternate-material full-scale
SRM nozzle assembly, which could provide an estimated 360-Ib increased pay-
load capability for Space Shuttle launches over that obLainable with the
currentqualified SRM design. It would use (1) PAN-based carbon-phenolic
material in thethroat region, (2) lightweightPAN-basedcarbcncloth-phenolic
material for the aft exit cone, fixed housing, and cowl, {3) lightweight
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"" " I P_E_DING PAGE BLANK NOtI' F'lrEMED
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1985015613-006
/ glass-phenolimcaterial for all insulatorcomponents,and (4) a PAN-based
graphitefiber-epoxyfilamentwoundexitcone ovenvrap. Due to risksasso-
)
ciatedwith the introductionof new materialswith relativelylimitedtest
data,and the Space TransportationSystem (STS)-8Anozzleerosionanonlaiy,
NASA-MSFCdecidednot to incorporatethe alternatematerialsin a full-scale
, SRM nozzle assemblyat this time. No additionalalternatematerialstests
are planned.
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1985015613-007
_ CONTENTS
I. INTRODUCTIONAND SUMMARY .......................................1
If. OBJECTIVES .....................................................5
A. PROGRAM ...................................................5
B. NOZZLETEST NUMBER 1 ......................................5
C. NOZZLE TEST NUMBER 2 ......................................5
D. NOZZLE TEST NUMBER 3 ......................................5
; E NOZZL[TEST NUMBER 4 6
• ••••••moo•mole•e•••• ••moo•moo•oleo•m• •
",4 Ill NOZZLE MATERIAL DESCRIPTION 7
• o •oo ooeooooe ooooeoooooaJoomeo•ooooooo
A. BASELINEMATERIALS ........................................8
_ 1 AblativeLiner Materials 8
• o oo qpo• •or oB• • oom moom • o • o• • ato• qp
2. Insulationor StructuralMaterials .................... 9
}
B. ALTERNATEMATERIALS .......................................10
1. AblativeLiner Materials ..............................10
2 InsulationMaterials 16
• • ooooeeooeooooeoleeeoeoooooooeeooo
3 StructuralMaterial 16 --
• mo••e•o•oeo•emoomooooooo•oomeo ••el •
IV. NOZZLE DESCRIPTION ............................................18
A. NOZZLETEST NUMBER I ......................................18
B. NOZZLE TEST NUMBER2 ......................................19
C NOZZLETEST NUMBER 3 19
, q, ooeoolooooo • ooooeeooooooopo4oooooooeÙoo
D. NOZZLE TEST NUMBER4 ......................................19 I
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V, NOZZLE INSTRUMENTATION........................................2.0
A. NOZZLE TEST NUMBER I ......................................20
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1985015613-008
CONTENTS (cont'd)
B. NOZZLETEST NUMBER 2 ......................................20
C. NOZZLE TEST NUMBER 3 ......................................20
D. NOZZLETEST NUMBER 4 ......................................21
, Vl. TEST CONDITIONSAND MOTOR PERFORMANCE ..........................22
VII. NOZZLE PERFORMANCEPREDICTION ................................. 24
VIII. NOZZLE PERFORMANCE .............................................25
_' A. NOZZLE TEST NUMBER 1 ......................................25
' B NOZZLETEST NUMBER 2 26
_, • oeeoooeooooeooeeeoeoe oeooooeeooea_oeooo
C. NG_ZLETEST NUMBER 3 ......................................27
" D. NOZZLZ TEST NUMBER 4 ......................................27
E. DATA SUMMARY AND ANALYSIS .................................28
!Y. CONCLUSIONSAND RECOMMENDATIONS ................................29
REFERENCES ............................................................31
APPENDICES .......................................................... 51
A. TEST NUMBER 1 STATIC TEST ANG ANALYSIS REPORT ............. 51
B. TEST NUMBER 2 STATIC TEST AND ANALYSIS REPORT ............. 95
> C. TEST NUMBER 3 STATIC TEST AND ANALYSIS REPORT .............133
D. TEST NUMBER 4 STATIC TEST AND ANALYSIS REPORT .............175
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1985015613-009
Figures
i. Subscal e Space Shuttl e Nozzle ................................ 33
2. N-I Nozzle Materials and Thermocouple Locations .............. 34
3, N-2 Nozzle Materials and Thermocouple Locations .............. 35
4 N-3 Nozzle Material s 36
• momeoooeooeooemoomeosoemsoeomeoomoeemeoem
5 N-4 Nozzle Materials 37
• oeoooeeoooeoeooeooooooeeeeeeeeooooooeoooo
6 Test N-3 Nuzzle Instrumentation 38
• eeoemeoemomoieeoeo•eee.o,soeeo
7 Test N-4 Nozzle Instrumentation 39
• ,ooeo ••am • e. o a• e• e• I•oo• , ••oee•
_i 8. Test Motor Assembly .......................................... 40
I 9• Predicted C_,amber Pressure-'ri meTraces ................,...... 41
ii i0. Test N-I Motor Pressure-Time Curve........................... 42
!
! 11. Test N-2 Motor Pressure-Time Curve........................... 43
!
12. Test N-3 Motor Pressure-Time Curve ........................... 44
13. Test N-4 Motor Pressure-Time Curve........................... 45
'J Tables
' I. Instrumentation Specifications for N-I and N-2 Motors• 46 .
eem•mm•
2. Instrumentation Specifications for N-3 Motor................. 47
3. Instrumentation Specifications for N-4 Motor................. 48
4. Propellant Characteristics ................................... 49
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1985015613-010
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I. iNTRODUCTIONAND SUMMARY
The Space Shuttle SRM nozzle uses Rayon-based carbon cloth-phenolic
as the qualified baseline mat_,rial. Each SRM nozzle assembly uses approxi-
mately 14,000 Ib of Rayon-based carbon cloth-phenolicmaterial in its manu-
facture. Two newer carbon cloth-phenolic materials, using PAN-based and
pitch-basedfibers,offermaterialsthat have higher thermaland higherstruc-
tural properties, and improved erosion performanceover that of the baseline
SRM material. These materials offer the potential of (1) reducing the SRM
nozzle cost, (2) increasing the SRMperformance, and (3) providing an increase
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_ JPL initiated a subscale nozzle test program to evaluate the erosion, char,
and thermal performance of PAN-based and pitch-based carbon cloth-phenolic
materials in simulated full-scale SRM nozzle environments. From December
1978 throughOctober 1982, a total of 48 subscalenozzle tests were conducted
by JPL at its Edwards Test Station (ETS),Edwards Air Force Base, California
test site: six 4.0-inch and 42 2.2-inch throat diameter nozzle assemblies
(Pefs. 1, 2 and 3). Based on the results of the subscale tests, it was
estimatedthat recession at the full-scale SRM nozzle assembly throat
could be reduced by 21% and 40% with the use of PAN-based and pitch-based
carbon cloth-phenolic materials, respectively. At the 40% reduction in
throat erosion rate, the full-scale SRM delivered specific impulse could be
increasedby 0,6 s, and would provide an estimated 500-1b increase in th_
Space Shuttle payload capability.
Based on the successful test re._ultsfrom the 2.2-inch and 4.0-inch
throat diameter nozzle tests, NASA-MSFC initiated,in February 1982, a final
subscale nozzle test program for evaluation of the PAN-based at_dpitch-based
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