• Skylon Development Update
    26 replies, posted
[RELEASE]A Skylon status update was given by Alan Bond of Reaction Engines at the BIS Propulsion meeting held at RAF Cosford last weekend. [QUOTE]* Bond discussed the complexities involved in manufacturing the very fine tubes required for the pre coolers, and assembling them into the finished modules. The tubes are checked by automated electromagnetic sensors, with any anomalies passed to human inspectors. * The thermodynamic cycle of the SABRE-3 engine was outlined.[/QUOTE] [IMG]http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1mgKb2lpIJg/Trv3UDGfvMI/AAAAAAAANYQ/JVV8yjpaSRA/s1600/skylonheatexchanger2.PNG[/IMG] The Reaction engines website presents information on the frost control of their heat exchangers. [QUOTE]We have constructed a cryogenic wind tunnel facility at our laboratories at Culham Science Centre. This facility has been used to develop a frost control system for the 'air pre-cooler' heat exchanger of the SABRE engine. The pre-cooler is designed to cool the engine airflow (about 400kg/s) from intake recovered conditions (up to 1000°C at Mach 5) down to about -140°C prior to compression. At low altitudes atmospheric moisture will clog the matrix with frost within a few seconds unless preventive measures are taken. The heat exchanger matrix is cooled by cold gaseous nitogen whose thermal capacity matches the helium flow employed in the real engine. Although the test matrix is much smaller than the real pre-cooler, it is built with the correct tube diameter, wall thickness and material. Therefore no 'scaling' problems can arise since it is tested at identical flow mass fluxes and Reynolds numbers to the real engine.[/QUOTE] [B]Heat Exchangers - Manufacturing[/B] [QUOTE]Current research is mainly focused on the design and manufacture of the novel pre-coolers required for the SABRE engine. These heat exchangers have a mass of 1250 kg and are designed to transfer about 400 MW of heat at Mach 5. Their lightweight design is able to cope with thermal expansions and withstand the inertial and aerodynamic loads experienced during flight. The construction of these heat exchangers pushes manufacturing technology in a number of areas such as: The drawing of matrix tubes in heat-resisting nickel based alloys ensuring correct wall thickness and diameter. Brazing heat exchanger tubes to headers. Machining of heat exchanger tubes to give a profiled (non-constant) wall thickness to ensure good heat exchange properties without compromising physical strength. Hole drilling. Tube forming without ovalisation or wall thinning/buckling. The assembly of large heat exchanger modules incorporating thousands of tubes.[/QUOTE] [IMG]http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hluQyYhG9kU/Trv2_CcLCII/AAAAAAAANYI/3WVl_RUYSbk/s1600/precoolerwide.PNG[/IMG] [QUOTE]More from the Rocketeer Presentation coverage * He showed preliminary photos and videos from the STRICT altitude-compensating nozzle test firings undertaken by Airborne Engineering at Westcott. The use of altitude compensation would cut the typical Skylon takeoff run by 600 meters. * Low-NOx combustor development work for the EU-funded LAPCAT programme was described. * Cryogen plumbing is in place in the B9 test area at Culham in preparation for precooler flow tests * Bond described objectives of the Phase 3 development programme. - raise SABRE engine technology to TRL 6 through ground testing - complete the design of the SABRE 4 to manufacturing drawings - ensure that the vehicle requirements and SABRE 4 engine design are compatible - Flight test the nacelle design It is likely that Phase 3 will grow from the specified 30 months to at least 39 months. * First images of the proposed Nacelle Test Vehicle were shown. The NTVs are 'one-shot' expendable flight test vehicles, propelled by LOX-methane biprops, and intended for aerodynamic verification of the nacelle geometry. The NTVs appear as 'scaled-down' Skylons, and are 9m long, with a 3.5m wingspan, massing approx 1 tonne each. * Tests with LOX film cooling of combustion chambers was conducted in conjunction with DLR at Lampoldhausen. The results were very promising.[/QUOTE] STRICT (Static Test Rocket Incorporating Cooled Thrust-chamber) [QUOTE]The STRICT engine is a follow on to the STERN (Static Test of Expansion/Deflection Nozzle) project and involves the same team. It has the more ambitious goal of running the engine for longer by water cooling the combustion chamber. By cooling bits of the engine separately and monitoring the heat absorbed by the water, the temperature distribution in the engine can be established and compared with the theoretical modelling. The STRICT project has only just started and the basic parameters like thrust have still to be established. The project will start with a series of small test nozzles to establish the exact design; this might be an Expansion/Deflection Nozzle like STERN or a dual bell where one nozzle shape using a low altitude with high atmospheric pressure becomes a second nozzle when in low pressure and vacuum environments.[/QUOTE] [IMG]http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-n8oGx0ruHEQ/Trv3sMGKznI/AAAAAAAANYY/Jwi2pLva6lw/s1600/strictnozzle.jpg[/IMG] [/RELEASE] Source: [url]http://nextbigfuture.com/2011/11/rocketeer-uk-covers-reaction-engines.html[/url]
I think it's safe to say that Skylon is going to be the most badass spacecraft. [t]http://www.reactionengines.co.uk/images/skylon/library/skylon_orbit-2l.jpg[/t] [url=http://www.reactionengines.co.uk/downloads/SKYLON_User_%20Manual_rev1%5B3%5D.pdf]They even have a user's manual out for it, :v:[/url]
[QUOTE=Sumap;33217462]I think it's safe to say that Skylon is going to be the most badass spacecraft. [t]http://www.reactionengines.co.uk/images/skylon/library/skylon_orbit-2l.jpg[/t] [url=http://www.reactionengines.co.uk/downloads/SKYLON_User_%20Manual_rev1%5B3%5D.pdf]They even have a user's manual out for it, :v:[/url][/QUOTE] User's manual? They have a whole fucking MARS MISSION planned with it. [MEDIA]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uj45Au3KCRg[/MEDIA]
I sure hope Reaction Engines know what they doing [editline]10th November 2011[/editline] Take off every 'SKYLON'!
I sure hope it isn't vaporware. Or that they overwhelm and crash the launcher market with their absurdly low prices.
[QUOTE=Eudoxia;33217804]I sure hope it isn't vaporware. Or that they overwhelm and crash the launcher market with their absurdly low prices.[/QUOTE] This True SSTO would be a huge leap forward
Considering it's projected to cost a bit more than an F-22, i'd say it's a far better use of money than the aforementioned.
This Skylon sounds like a rather cool spacecraft; I hope it's easier to launch and re-enter than the old shuttles. If it kicks off and goes gold, space flight would probably become cheaper and easier to accomplish.
Anyone else read the title as 'Skyrim Development Update'?
[QUOTE=Eudoxia;33217487]User's manual? They have a whole fucking MARS MISSION planned with it. [MEDIA]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uj45Au3KCRg[/MEDIA][/QUOTE] My god that's incredibly awesome.
I read Skylon as Skyrim, still pretty awesome.
All it needs now is a waving red eye.
[QUOTE=Big Dumb American;33218442]All it needs now is a waving red eye.[/QUOTE] By your command. [/cylons] That video was incredible, I loved it, sign me up, other synonyms for WIN.
Skylon is one badass name alright.
[QUOTE=Eudoxia;33217487]User's manual? They have a whole fucking MARS MISSION planned with it. [MEDIA]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uj45Au3KCRg[/MEDIA][/QUOTE] Am I the only one that thinks it's funny and a huge waste of money. Eh, it's a private company... cool but I think unnecessary. Would be better to send robots instead.
[QUOTE=Polyethylene;33219416]Am I the only one that thinks it's funny and a huge waste of money. Eh, it's a private company... cool but I think unnecessary. Would be better to send robots instead.[/QUOTE] What's with this robot fetish? Scanning rocks is nice and all but eventually you have to send SOMEONE, for fuck's sake.
Weren't we all saying how we hope this isn't vaporware like a month and a half ago? Hopefully this is a real step to prove otherwise. Also, I want one that looks like the Bebop :v:
A permanent presence on mars would be absolutely amazing, Fuck sending robots there!
[QUOTE=ewitwins;33219533]Weren't we all saying how we hope this isn't vaporware like a month and a half ago? Hopefully this is a real step to prove otherwise. Also, I want one that looks like the Bebop :v:[/QUOTE] That ship had absolutely zero aerodynamics. No, fix that, it had NEGATIVE aerodynamics.
Eudoxia what took you so long. I demand a new space thread every day. That said, the OP has all scientificy terms, I need a version for people that are not Rocket Scientists.
I am currently convinced Eudoxia is actually Carl Sagan's brain being kept alive in a jar.
Read as Cylon. Got scared. Gimme boxes.
[QUOTE=Polyethylene;33219416]Am I the only one that thinks it's funny and a huge waste of money. Eh, it's a private company... cool but I think unnecessary. Would be better to send robots instead.[/QUOTE] This ship [I]is[/I] a robot. [QUOTE=Eudoxia;33219660]That ship had absolutely zero aerodynamics. No, fix that, it had NEGATIVE aerodynamics.[/QUOTE] But there's no air in space, you wacko! I read somewhere that the most efficient shape for a spacecraft would be a perfect cube.
[QUOTE=Big Dumb American;33224947]This ship [I]is[/I] a robot. But there's no air in space, you wacko! I read somewhere that the most efficient shape for a spacecraft would be a perfect cube.[/QUOTE] The Borg O.o
Progress is nice, but I need to see a successful engine test before I begin to hope.
The ideal engine would run on skepticism, and be so pointlessly complicated that nobody could believe it would ever actually work.
[QUOTE=Big Dumb American;33229159]The ideal engine would run on skepticism, and be so pointlessly complicated that nobody could believe it would ever actually work.[/QUOTE] But at the same time, that skepticism is what keeps the gears turning in such an engine, is it not?
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