Rocket Science

FUEL DKIL XIDIZEN ROCKET SCIENCE THE BASICS OF A ROCKET ENGINE SCIENCE FUEL BOOST PUMP There are four main components in a simplified liquid-fuel" rocket engine: the Pumps, the Turbine, the Combustion Chamber, and the Nozzle. Each of these play a critical role in creating enough thrust to propel humans and payloads into Earth orbit... and beyond. OXYGEN BOOST PUMP в TURBINE Liquid Hydrogen Gaseous Hydrogen Liquid Oxygen *With no air in space, liquid-fueled rockets need to carry both oxidizer (usually oxygen) and fuel (usually hydrogen or kerosene) in specialized tanks. Liquid Hydrogen is the most powerful rocket fuel. The objective of rocket design is to keep the hardware weight as low as possible. Using Liquid Hydrogen allows for a smaller (and lighter) engine. COMBUSTION CHAMBER 1 PUMP IT UP To reduce the size (and weight) of the tanks the fuel and охудen propellants are liquified through extreme cooling. The Pumps elevate the pressure of these two propellants before sending them on down the line. 2 COOL FUEL Because of the high temperatures created from burning propellants within the engine, the super-cooled fuel is pumped through special passages to keep the Combustion Chamber and Nozzle from melting. The nozzle is designed to act as a heat exchanger, keeping the metal components cool while vaporizing the liquid fuel to drive the turbine. NOZZLE Solid Fuel Liquid Fuel Oxidizer Ignition 3 MINI ENGINE After the fuel travels through the coolant passages, it is routed into the turbopump. The pressurized fuel passes over the Turbine, causing it to rotate. This provides the power to operate the pumps. Turbopump Combustion Chamber/ Nozzle 1 LIGHT THE FIRE Once the oxidizer and fuel enter the Combustion Chamber, they are ignited and burned to form a super-heated, high-pressure gas. The pressure created by this process forces the gas through the narrow throat LIQUID FUEL SOLID FUEL ROCKET ROCKET and out the Nozzle. 5 ACTION REACTION As the gas accelerates through the throat and out the Nozzle, it generates thrust that pushes up toward the Combustion Chamber, much like the air escaping from an inflated balloon, thus propelling the rocket upwards. How a rocket engine works courtesy Pratt & Whitney A United Technologies Company (Based on the Liquid Hydrogen-fueled RL10)