REUSABLE MAN-RATED ROCKET ENGINES The French Experience, 1944-1996

摘要

Re-usable man-rated liquid propellant rocket engines were developed at Snecma Moteurs between 1948 and 1960. Two concepts were used: the rocket engine used as main propulsion for fighter planes and the rocket engine used as a "booster" enabling the fighter to reach its operational ceiling more rapidly. These concepts used either turbopumps with a gas-generator or mechanical drive from a jet engine for feeding the chamber with propellants. The proof-of-concept mechanically-driven engine SEPR 25 with a thrust of 15 kN, it performed its first flight on June 10, 1952 and demonstrated the feasibility and the advantages of the mixed propulsion principle. The SO 9000 "Trident 1" main power came from a powerful gas generator rocket engine fitted in its fuselage, the nitric acid and kerosene SEPR-48. The chambers could be ignited together or separately, enabling the overall thrust to be of 15, 30 or 45 kN. The pre-production plane SO 9050 "Trident 2" used the SEPR-631 which differed from the SEPR-48 in having only two thrust chambers. During a test flight, the Trident reached an altitude of 15,000 m in 2mins 50secs, setting a record for climbing speed The SEPR 841/fitted to the Mirage III were the most advanced aircraft engines to be developed. Burning nitric acid and kerosene, delivering a thrust of 750 or 1500 kg, they could be ignited twice during the flight. More than 20000 manned flights were accomplished with these operational engines. Europe demonstrated that highly reusable man-rated rocket engines and their routine operation were perfectly feasible.