A simulated launch method for a carrier rocket

Abstract

The present invention provides a simulated launch method for a carrier rocket, comprising: after the test engine is ignited, the propellant of the test tank is consumed, and pressurized gas is provided to the test tank through the oxygen pressurization pipeline and the fuel pressurization pipeline respectively, to simulate the self-pressurization during the flight of the carrier rocket, wherein the test tank includes a fuel tank and an oxygen tank; the ground control system opens the first fuel discharge valve and the first oxygen discharge valve of the test host to discharge the propellant, simulating the propellant consumption during the flight of the carrier rocket, wherein the first fuel discharge valve is connected to the fuel tank, and the first oxygen discharge valve is connected to the oxygen tank. The method can effectively utilize the test process of the test engine to simulate the important node process of the launch of the carrier rocket, thereby simulating and verifying the flight of the carrier rocket, reducing the requirements for the use site, and saving costs.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to the field of launch vehicles, and in particular to a simulated launching method of a launch vehicle. Background Art

[0002] Cryogenic launch vehicles will perform a series of action sequences before launch, including propellant filling, engine precooling, tank pressurization, etc. Only when the launch vehicle's pre-launch action sequence is confirmed to be normal will it ignite and take off. Propellant filling, engine precooling and tank pressurization usually require specific parameters to be determined through engineering algorithms and simulations. New models of launch vehicles usually require power system tests to verify the rocket's launch process. The disadvantage of verifying the rocket launch process by power system tests is that the power system test requires the configuration of a complete set of launch vehicle-related systems, including engines, tanks, control and measurement equipment, etc. Not only is the test cycle long and the investment large, but the test itself is also subject to the test site and test system capabilities.

[0003] In view of this, there is an urgent need to design a simulated launch method for a launch vehicle that is not restricted by the test site and is simple and reliable. Summary of the invention

[0004] The purpose of the present invention is to overcome the deficiencies of the prior art and provide a method for simulating the launching of a carrier rocket.

[0005] The present invention provides a simulated launch method for a carrier rocket, comprising: after a test engine is ignited, propellant in a test tank is consumed and pressurized gas is provided to a test tank through an oxygen pressurization pipeline and a fuel pressurization pipeline respectively, so as to simulate the self-pressurization during the flight of the carrier rocket, wherein the test tank comprises a fuel tank and an oxygen tank; a ground control system opens a first fuel discharge valve and a first oxygen discharge valve of a test main engine to discharge propellant, so as to simulate the propellant consumption during the flight of the carrier rocket, wherein the first fuel discharge valve is connected to the fuel tank, and the first oxygen discharge valve is connected to the oxygen tank.

[0006] According to one embodiment of the present invention, after opening the first fuel discharge valve and the first oxygen discharge valve of the test host machine, it also includes: the ground control system opens the second fuel discharge valve and the second oxygen discharge valve of the test aircraft to discharge the propellant to simulate the propellant consumption during the flight of the carrier rocket, the second fuel discharge valve is connected to the fuel tank, and the second oxygen discharge valve is connected to the oxygen tank.

[0007] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the first fuel discharge valve and the second fuel discharge valve are arranged in parallel, and the first oxygen material discharge valve and the second oxygen material discharge valve are arranged in parallel.

[0008] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the method further comprises: filling the fuel tank and the oxygen tank before the test engine is ignited, and the relevant parameters of the filling process are consistent with the flight status.

[0009] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the method further comprises: precooling the engine fuel and oxygen by a ground control system before igniting the test engine.

[0010] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the engine oxygen precooling is performed by controlling the return line to be opened by a ground control system so as to return the oxygen through the engine assembly to the oxygen tank for precooling.

[0011] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the engine fuel is precooled by controlling the precooling discharge valve of the discharge pipeline to open through the ground control system so as to discharge the fuel through the engine component for precooling.

[0012] According to one embodiment of the present invention, orifice plates are respectively arranged upstream of the first fuel discharge valve, the second fuel discharge valve, the first oxygen discharge valve and the second oxygen discharge valve for throttling.

[0013] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the orifice plates corresponding to the first fuel discharge valve and the first oxygen discharge valve have a larger flow rate than the orifice plates corresponding to the second fuel discharge valve and the second oxygen discharge valve.

[0014] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the discharged propellant is collected by a collecting device.

[0015] The launch simulation method of the carrier rocket of the present invention can effectively utilize the test process of the test engine to simulate the important node process of the carrier rocket launch, thereby simulating and verifying the flight of the carrier rocket, reducing the requirements for the use site and saving costs.

[0016] It should be understood that the above general description and the following detailed description are merely exemplary and illustrative and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] The following drawings are a part of the specification of the present invention, and illustrate exemplary embodiments of the present invention. Together with the description of the specification, the accompanying drawings are used to explain the principles of the invention.

[0018] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a simulated launch method of a carrier rocket according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0019] Figure 2 It is a schematic diagram of a simulated launch device of a carrier rocket according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0020] Reference numerals:

[0021] 101-test engine, 102-test tank, 103-oxygen boost pipeline, 104-fuel boost pipeline, 200-ground control system, 201-test main engine, 202-fuel tank, 203-oxygen tank, 204-first fuel discharge valve, 205-first oxygen discharge valve, 206-test engine, 207-second fuel discharge valve, 208-second oxygen discharge valve, 209-return pipeline, 210-discharge pipeline. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0022] The features and exemplary embodiments of various aspects of the present invention will be described in detail below. In order to make the purpose, technical solutions and advantages of the present invention clearer, the present invention will be further described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only configured to explain the present invention and are used to illustrate the principles of the present invention, and are not configured to limit the present invention. In addition, the structural components in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale. For example, the sizes of some structural components or areas in the drawings may be enlarged for other structural components or areas to help understand the embodiments of the present invention.

[0023] The directional words appearing in the following description are all directions shown in the figures, and do not limit the specific structure of the embodiments of the present invention. In the description of the present invention, it should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, the terms "installation", "connection" and "connection" should be understood in a broad sense. For example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be directly connected or indirectly connected through an intermediate medium. For ordinary technicians in this field, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention can be understood according to the specific circumstances.

[0024] In addition, the terms "include", "comprise", "have" or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, so that a structure or component including a series of elements includes not only those elements, but also other mechanical elements that are not explicitly listed or inherent in the structure or component. In the absence of more restrictions, the elements defined by the sentence "include..." do not exclude the existence of other identical elements in the article or device including the elements.

[0025] Spatially related terms such as "below", "beneath", "under", "low", "above", "on", "high", etc. are used to facilitate description to explain the positioning of one element relative to a second element, indicating that these terms are intended to cover different orientations of the device in addition to orientations different from those shown in the figures. In addition, for example, "one element is above / below another element" can mean that the two elements are in direct contact, or that there are other elements between the two elements. In addition, terms such as "first", "second", etc. are also used to describe various elements, regions, parts, etc., and should not be regarded as limiting. Similar terms represent similar elements throughout the description.

[0026] For those skilled in the art, the present invention can be implemented without some of these specific details. The following description of the embodiments is only intended to provide a better understanding of the present invention by showing examples of the present invention.

[0027] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a simulated launch method of a carrier rocket according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0028] Figure 2 It is a schematic diagram of a simulated launch device of a carrier rocket according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0029] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the present invention provides a simulated launch method of a carrier rocket, comprising:

[0030] S1: After the test engine 101 is ignited, it consumes the propellant in the test tank 102 and provides pressurized gas to the test tank through the oxygen pressurization pipeline 103 and the fuel pressurization pipeline 104, simulating the self-pressurization of the launch vehicle during flight, wherein the test tank includes the fuel tank 202 and the oxygen tank 203;

[0031] S2: The ground control system 200 opens the first fuel discharge valve 204 and the first oxygen discharge valve 205 of the test host 201 to discharge the propellant, simulating the propellant consumption during the flight of the carrier rocket, wherein the first fuel discharge valve 204 is connected to the fuel tank 202, and the first oxygen discharge valve 205 is connected to the oxygen tank 203.

[0032] Specifically, this embodiment provides a simulated launch method of a carrier rocket, wherein the ground control system 200 controls the pre-launch action valve on the rocket to simulate the pressurization process before the launch of the carrier rocket and achieve the ignition condition. The test tank of the carrier rocket is separately set on the test bench, and the test engine 101 ignites and consumes the propellant of the test tank 102 to provide pressurized gas to the test tank through the oxygen pressurization pipeline 103 and the fuel pressurization pipeline 104, thereby simulating the self-pressurization during the flight of the carrier rocket. The test tank includes a fuel tank 202 and an oxygen tank 203, and the test engine 101 delivers the pressurized gas to the oxygen tank 203 through the oxygen pressurization pipeline 103, and delivers the pressurized gas to the fuel tank 202 through the fuel pressurization pipeline 104. It is worth mentioning that if the pressurized gas is not provided in the form of engine testing, the pressurized gas can also be provided by gas cylinder pressurization or other pressurization methods, which also belongs to the protection scope of the present invention. The present invention can be applied not only to the pressurization test verification of liquid oxygen-methane launch vehicles, but also to the pressurization test of other types of propellant launch vehicles.

[0033] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the test system in the method includes two engines, one for providing pressurized gas for the test run, and one for the engine precooling test before the rocket ignition. Among them, since the test engine of the carrier rocket does not perform the ignition operation, the first fuel discharge valve 204 and the first oxygen discharge valve 205 of the test main engine 201 are opened through the ground control system 200 to discharge the propellant, simulating the propellant consumption during the flight of the carrier rocket, wherein the first fuel discharge valve 204 is connected to the fuel tank 202, and the first oxygen discharge valve 205 is connected to the oxygen tank 203. The outlets of the oxygen tank 203 and the fuel tank 202 are connected to the outside of the oxygen tank 203 and the fuel tank 202 through the discharge pipeline for propellant outflow, thereby simulating the propellant consumption of the main engine during the flight of the carrier rocket, so as to verify the reliability of the launch of the carrier rocket in advance. According to the launch sequence of the carrier rocket, the first stage test main engine 201 is ignited, followed by a sub-stage flight process. The test of the embodiment of the present application can verify whether there will be any failure in the process of the first stage of the carrier rocket during the simulated flight. Among them, if the test host 201 has multiple start-up processes, the present invention can also verify the flight process of the carrier rocket under multiple start-up conditions.

[0034] The launch vehicle simulation launch method of this embodiment can be carried out according to the timing of normal flight, simulate the important node process of launch vehicle launch, and verify the flight test of launch vehicle. The test scheme is simple, and different working stages of the engine can be completed in one test, simulating the real flight conditions to the maximum extent. In addition, the rocket simulation test method of this application can complete the test at the normal test site, without the need to assemble the launch vehicle as a whole and transport it to a site for special test power system test, so the simulation launch method has low requirements for the use site and can greatly save the test cost. The boost test is carried out by the engine test, and there is no need for the control system on the launch vehicle to participate, which simplifies the test system and reduces the test scale.

[0035] According to one embodiment of the present invention, after opening the first fuel discharge valve 204 and the first oxygen discharge valve 205 of the test host machine 201, it also includes: the ground control system 200 opens the second fuel discharge valve 207 and the second oxygen discharge valve 208 of the test aircraft 206 to discharge the propellant to simulate the propellant consumption during the flight of the carrier rocket, the second fuel discharge valve 207 is connected to the fuel tank 202, and the second oxygen discharge valve 208 is connected to the oxygen tank 203.

[0036] Specifically, after opening the first fuel discharge valve 204 and the first oxygen discharge valve 205 of the test host 201, that is, when the test host 201 of the carrier rocket finishes the launch simulation test, the ground control system 200 closes the first fuel discharge valve 204 and the first oxygen discharge valve 205 corresponding to the test host 201, opens the second fuel discharge valve 207 and the second oxygen discharge valve 208 of the test aircraft 206 to discharge the propellant, and simulates the propellant consumption of the test aircraft 206 during the flight of the carrier rocket. The second fuel discharge valve 207 is connected to the fuel tank 202, and the second oxygen discharge valve 208 is connected to the oxygen tank 203. The outlets of the oxygen tank 203 and the fuel tank 202 discharge the propellant through the discharge pipeline, thereby simulating the propellant consumption of the test aircraft 206 during the flight of the carrier rocket, so as to verify the reliability of the launch of the carrier rocket in advance.

[0037] According to the ignition sequence, the first oxygen discharge valve 205 and the first fuel discharge valve 204 of the test main engine 201 of the carrier rocket are opened to discharge the medium, simulating the propellant consumption during the flight. According to the flight sequence, after the first-level test main engine 201 completes its work, the second-level test aircraft 206 works alone, and the second-level test aircraft 206 is ignited and the second-level flight process is carried out. According to the ignition sequence, the ground control system 200 closes the discharge pipeline of the test main engine 201, that is, closes the first oxygen discharge valve 205 and the first fuel discharge valve 204, and opens the second oxygen discharge valve 208 and the second fuel discharge valve 207 of the test aircraft 206 respectively to discharge the propellant medium of the test aircraft 206. According to the flight sequence, the ground control system 200 closes the test aircraft 206 and all the discharge valves to simulate the shutdown during flight. Finally, the post-processing of the test is carried out and the test is completed.

[0038] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the first fuel discharge valve 204 and the second fuel discharge valve 207 are arranged in parallel, and the first oxygen discharge valve 205 and the second oxygen discharge valve 208 are arranged in parallel.

[0039] Specifically, the oxygen tank 203 discharges oxygen through the oxygen discharge pipeline, the first oxygen discharge valve 205 and the second oxygen discharge valve 208 are installed on the oxygen discharge pipeline, and the first oxygen discharge valve 205 and the second oxygen discharge valve 208 are arranged in parallel. The fuel tank 202 discharges fuel through the fuel discharge pipeline, the first fuel discharge valve 204 and the second fuel discharge valve 207 are installed on the fuel discharge pipeline, and the first fuel discharge valve 204 and the second fuel discharge valve 207 are arranged in parallel.

[0040] According to one embodiment of the present invention, before the test engine 101 is ignited, the method further includes: filling the fuel tank 202 and the oxygen tank 203, and the relevant parameters of the filling process are consistent with the flight state.

[0041] Specifically, in order to verify the entire launch process of the carrier rocket, the filling process of the fuel tank 202 and the oxygen tank 203 needs to be verified before the test engine 101 is ignited. The filling process parameters of the two tanks need to be consistent with those during the flight of the carrier rocket, simulating the filling process of the carrier rocket launch. By testing and verifying the filling process and the self-pressurization process, possible faults in the filling and self-pressurization processes of the carrier rocket can be checked to prevent possible faults of the carrier rocket in a real flight environment.

[0042] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the method further comprises: precooling the engine fuel and oxygen by the ground control system 200 before the test engine 101 is ignited.

[0043] According to one embodiment of the present invention, engine oxygen precooling is achieved by ground control system 200 controlling return line 209 to open so that oxygen flows through engine components (eg, engine pump) and then returns to oxygen tank 203 to precool the engine and the lines.

[0044] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the engine fuel is precooled by controlling the ground control system 200 to open the precooling discharge valve of the discharge pipeline 210 so as to discharge the fuel after passing through the engine components to precool the engine and the pipeline.

[0045] Specifically, in order to verify the entire launch process of the carrier rocket, the precooling process of the engine fuel and oxygen needs to be verified before the test engine 101 is ignited. The engine oxygen precooling requires a return line 209 to return the oxygen from the engine to the oxygen tank 203, and a control valve is installed on the return line 209. The ground control system 200 opens the control valve, and the oxygen returns to the oxygen tank 203 through the engine assembly, thereby realizing the engine oxygen precooling. The engine fuel precooling requires a discharge line 210 to discharge the fuel from the engine, and a precooling discharge valve is installed on the discharge line 210. The ground control system 200 opens the precooling discharge valve to discharge the fuel, thereby realizing the engine fuel precooling.

[0046] After the precooling test is completed, the oxygen tank 203 and the fuel tank 202 are self-pressurized before launch according to the launch process of the carrier rocket to check for possible faults of the carrier rocket, so as to prevent faults in the actual flight process in advance.

[0047] According to one embodiment of the present invention, orifice plates are respectively arranged upstream of the first fuel discharge valve 204 , the second fuel discharge valve 207 , the first oxygen discharge valve 205 , and the second oxygen discharge valve 208 for throttling.

[0048] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the apertures of the orifice plates corresponding to the first fuel discharge valve 204 and the first oxygen discharge valve 205 are larger than the apertures of the orifice plates corresponding to the second fuel discharge valve 207 and the second oxygen discharge valve 208 .

[0049] Specifically, in order to control the discharge speed of oxygen and fuel, orifice plates are respectively set upstream of the first fuel discharge valve 204, the second fuel discharge valve 207, the first oxygen discharge valve 205 and the second oxygen discharge valve 208 for throttling, and the outflow rate of the propellant is simulated by using the orifice plate throttling method, and the test method is simple. Since the vacuum thrust of the test host 201 is greater than that of the test motor 206, the speed at which the test host 201 consumes propellant is faster than that of the test motor 206. Therefore, the aperture of the orifice plate corresponding to the first fuel discharge valve 204 and the first oxygen discharge valve 205 of the test host 201 is larger than the aperture of the orifice plate corresponding to the second fuel discharge valve 207 and the second oxygen discharge valve 208 of the test motor 206, ensuring that the propellant consumption rate of the test host is greater than the propellant consumption rate of the test motor. This method can set the discharge speed of the propellant according to the vacuum thrust of the test host 201 and the test motor 206, and more accurately simulate the consumption of propellant during the launch of the carrier rocket.

[0050] In one embodiment, the flow rate of the propellant may be controlled by throttling the propellant in a manner other than orifice plate throttling, and other throttling methods such as adjusting the valve opening may be used.

[0051] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the discharged propellant is collected by a collecting device. In order to avoid wasting propellant, the discharged propellant can be recycled by the collecting device without affecting the flow rate of the propellant and the oxidation of the propellant, and protective measures need to be taken.

[0052] The above are only preferred embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc. made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included in the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A method for simulating the launch of a carrier rocket, characterized in that: include: After the test engine is ignited, the propellant in the test tank is consumed and pressurized gas is provided to the test tank through the oxygen pressurization pipeline and the fuel pressurization pipeline respectively, so as to simulate the self-pressurization of the launch vehicle during flight, wherein the test tank includes a fuel tank and an oxygen tank; The ground control system opens the first fuel discharge valve and the first oxygen discharge valve of the test host to discharge the propellant, simulating the propellant consumption during the flight of the carrier rocket, wherein the first fuel discharge valve is connected to the fuel tank, and the first oxygen discharge valve is connected to the oxygen tank; The ground control system opens the second fuel discharge valve and the second oxygen discharge valve of the test aircraft to discharge the propellant, simulating the propellant consumption during the flight of the launch vehicle, wherein the second fuel discharge valve is connected to the fuel tank, and the second oxygen discharge valve is connected to the oxygen tank; The first fuel discharge valve and the second fuel discharge valve are arranged in parallel, wherein the first oxygen material discharge valve and the second oxygen material discharge valve are arranged in parallel.

2. The simulated launch method of a carrier rocket according to claim 1, characterized in that: Also includes: The fuel tank and the oxygen tank are filled before the test engine is ignited, and the relevant parameters of the filling process are consistent with the flight status.

3. The simulated launch method of a carrier rocket according to claim 1, characterized in that: Also includes: Engine fuel and oxygen are precooled by the ground control system before the test engine is ignited.

4. The simulated launch method of a carrier rocket according to claim 3, characterized in that: Engine oxygen precooling is achieved by opening the return line controlled by the ground control system to return the oxygen through the engine components to the oxygen tank for precooling.

5. The simulated launch method of a carrier rocket according to claim 3, characterized in that: Engine fuel precooling is achieved by controlling the ground control system to open the precooling discharge valve of the discharge pipeline so that the fuel can be discharged after passing through the engine components for precooling.

6. The method for simulating launch of a carrier rocket according to claim 1, characterized in that: Orifice plates are respectively arranged upstream of the first fuel discharge valve, the second fuel discharge valve, the first oxygen discharge valve and the second oxygen discharge valve for throttling.

7. The method for simulating launch of a carrier rocket according to claim 6, characterized in that: The orifice plates corresponding to the first fuel discharge valve and the first oxygen discharge valve have a larger flow rate than the orifice plates corresponding to the second fuel discharge valve and the second oxygen discharge valve.

8. The method for simulating launch of a carrier rocket according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that: The discharged propellant is collected by a collection device.

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