Full-automatic thrust calibration system and calibration method for rocket engine

Abstract

The invention provides a full-automatic thrust calibration system and method for a rocket engine. The full-automatic thrust calibration system at least comprises a thrust frame, a standard force providing module, a standard force sensor, a working force sensor, an NI data acquisition case system and an OPC server. The thrust frame is used for receiving standard force and forming working force; the standard force providing module is connected with the controller and outputs required standard force to the thrust frame under the control of the controller; the standard force sensor is installed on the thrust frame and used for detecting the standard force output by the standard force providing module and feeding back the detection result to the controller. The working force sensor is mounted on the thrust frame and is used for detecting the working force of the thrust frame; and the NI data acquisition case system is in communication connection with the working sensor and the controller. The OPC server is installed in the data acquisition cabinet system and is used for realizing two-way communication between the data acquisition cabinet system and the controller.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of rocket engines, and in particular to a fully automatic thrust calibration system and a calibration method for a rocket engine. Background Art

[0002] The traditional liquid rocket engine ground test thrust calibration system has a low degree of automation and mostly uses manual judgment to determine whether the standard force has been reached. The manual judgment process is very cumbersome and the judgment results are subjective and arbitrary, which brings certain uncertainties to the entire thrust calibration system.

[0003] Therefore, there is an urgent need to provide a thrust calibration system and calibration method that can achieve full automation and high calibration accuracy. Summary of the invention

[0004] In order to solve the above technical problems, the present invention proposes a fully automatic thrust calibration system and calibration method for a rocket engine, which completes the comprehensive automation of the thrust calibration system, improves the accuracy and stability of the thrust calibration system for liquid rocket engines, and further improves the efficiency of the thrust calibration system for liquid rocket engines, saving the manual input of traditional thrust calibration work.

[0005] On one hand, the present invention provides a rocket engine fully automatic thrust calibration system, which at least includes a thrust frame, a standard force providing module, a standard force sensor, a working force sensor, a NI data acquisition chassis system and an OPC server. The thrust frame is used to receive the standard force and form the working force; the standard force providing module is connected to the controller, and outputs the required standard force to the thrust frame under the control of the controller; the standard force sensor is installed on the thrust frame, and is used to detect the standard force output by the standard force providing module, and feeds back the detection result to the controller; the working force sensor is installed on the thrust frame, and is used to detect the working force of the thrust frame; the NI data acquisition chassis system is connected to the working sensor and the controller in communication; the OPC server is installed on the data acquisition chassis system.

[0006] After the calibration starts, the controller outputs the standard force signal to the standard force providing module, and the standard force providing module applies the standard force to the standard force sensor and transmits it to the thrust frame; the standard force sensor feeds back the detection result to the controller, and the controller sends a collection signal to the NI data acquisition chassis after determining that the standard force is "reached"; the NI data acquisition chassis system receives the collection signal of the controller through the OPC server, and collects the detection data of the working force sensor, and after the collection is completed, sends the completion signal to the controller through the OPC server.

[0007] Furthermore, the standard force providing module includes at least an adjusting mechanism and an actuator; the adjusting mechanism adjusts the size of the standard force under the control of the controller, and drives the actuator to apply the adjusted standard force to the standard force sensor and then transmit it to the thrust frame.

[0008] Furthermore, the regulating mechanism is a servo valve, and the actuator is an oil cylinder; the servo valve adjusts its opening under the control of the controller, thereby controlling the amount of oil entering the oil cylinder, and the oil cylinder pushes the push rod to apply the standard force to the standard force sensor and transmit it to the thrust frame.

[0009] In one embodiment, the NI data acquisition chassis system includes a Labview thrust calibration module, and the Labview thrust calibration module automatically calculates a calibration formula after collecting data from all working force sensors.

[0010] In one embodiment, the controller is a PLC.

[0011] In one embodiment, the thrust frame includes a fixed frame and a movable frame, the movable frame is mounted on the fixed frame via a spring plate; the standard force sensor and the working force sensor are mounted on the movable frame.

[0012] Another aspect of the present invention provides a rocket engine full-automatic thrust calibration method, which uses the rocket engine full-automatic thrust calibration system in any of the above embodiments to perform thrust calibration, and at least includes the following steps:

[0013] Step 1: The controller PLC presets multiple standard force setting values;

[0014] Step 2: Start the PLC program and run the Labview thrust calibration program in the NI data acquisition chassis system at the same time;

[0015] Step 3: PLC runs the first standard force setting value, outputs a signal to the servo valve, controls the amount of oil entering the cylinder by controlling the opening of the servo valve, and the cylinder pushes the push rod to apply the standard force to the standard force sensor and transmit it to the moving frame. The standard force sensor feeds back the measured first standard force value to the PLC;

[0016] Step 4: After the PLC determines that the first standard force measurement value is "reached", the "reached" signal is transmitted to the Labview thrust calibration program in the NI data acquisition chassis system through the OPC server;

[0017] Step 5: After receiving the "reach" signal, the Labview thrust calibration program in the NI data acquisition chassis system completes the data acquisition of the working force sensor and sends the "collected" signal to the PLC through the OPC server;

[0018] Step 6: After receiving the "collected" signal, the PLC automatically runs the second standard force setting value;

[0019] Step 7. Repeat steps 3, 4, 5 and 6 until the PLC runs through each standard force setting value in sequence, and the Labview thrust calibration program collects the measurement values ​​of all working force sensors and automatically calculates the calibration formula, and the thrust calibration work is completed.

[0020] Furthermore, the PLC program presets seven standard force setting values: 0kN, 200kN, 400kN, 500kN, 600kN, 700kN, and 800kN.

[0021] Furthermore, the method for the PLC to determine that the first standard force measurement value is “reached” is: if the first standard force measurement value is stable within the range of ±0.2 kN of the set value for 15 consecutive seconds, the PLC program can determine that the first standard force measurement value is “reached”.

[0022] Furthermore, the PLC runs seven standard force setting values ​​of 0kN, 200kN, 400kN, 500kN, 600kN, 700kN, and 800kN in sequence. After the Labview thrust calibration program completes the data collection of the seven working force sensors, the above steps are repeated for two more cycles until the Labview thrust calibration program completes the data collection of 21 working force sensors, and the calibration formula is automatically calculated, and the thrust calibration work is completed.

[0023] The present invention provides a rocket engine full-automatic thrust calibration system and calibration method, which have at least one of the following beneficial effects:

[0024] 1. The rocket engine fully automatic thrust calibration system and calibration method of the present invention solve the deficiencies of the existing system in terms of measurement accuracy and degree of automation, and improve the performance and reliability of the calibration system.

[0025] 2. The present invention innovatively uses OPC technology to achieve two-way communication between the PLC program and the Labview program, realizes automatic adjustment of calibration parameters and automatic matching of calibration schemes, greatly improves calibration efficiency and accuracy, and reduces manual intervention.

[0026] 3. The present invention realizes the full automation of thrust calibration work, and compared with manual calibration, it significantly improves the accuracy and stability of the liquid rocket engine thrust calibration system.

[0027] Those skilled in the art will recognize additional features and advantages upon reading the detailed description and upon viewing the accompanying drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0028] In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present invention or the technical solutions in the prior art, the drawings required for use in the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying creative work.

[0029] Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the overall automatic thrust calibration system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0030] Figure 2 It is a schematic structural diagram of the thrust frame part of an embodiment of the present invention.

[0031] Figure 3 It is a flow chart of the fully automatic thrust calibration method of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0032] 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.

[0033] 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.

[0034] 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.

[0035] 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.

[0036] 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.

[0037] Because the engine models, pipelines and centers of gravity of the test run are different, thrust calibration is required before each ignition hot test run. In order to improve the accuracy and stability of the thrust calibration system and reduce manual participation, the present invention provides a rocket engine full-automatic thrust calibration system, which is used to automatically determine whether the standard force of the liquid rocket engine tilt table thrust calibration system is in place, reducing manual work and improving the efficiency of thrust calibration.

[0038] See also Figure 1 On one hand, the present invention provides a rocket engine full-automatic thrust calibration system, which at least includes a controller 1, a thrust frame 2, a standard force providing module 3, a standard force sensor 4, a working force sensor 5, a NI data acquisition chassis system 6 and an OPC server. Among them, the controller 1 is respectively connected to the standard force providing module 3, the standard force sensor 4 and the NI data acquisition chassis system 6, and the NI data acquisition chassis system 6 is connected to the working force sensor 5. It should be noted that the OPC server is installed in the data acquisition chassis system, and the controller 1 and the NI data acquisition chassis system 6 perform two-way communication through the OPC server.

[0039] In this embodiment, the standard force sensor 4 and the working force sensor 5 are both installed on the thrust frame 2. The standard force sensor 4 is installed on one side of the thrust frame 2 close to the standard force providing module 3, and the working force sensor 5 is installed on the other side. During the thrust calibration process, the standard force providing module 3 applies the standard force to the standard force sensor 4, and the standard force sensor 4 transmits the standard force to the thrust frame 2, and the thrust frame 2 then acts on the working force sensor 5. Therefore, in order to distinguish the force applied by the standard force providing module 3 and the force applied by the thrust frame 2 to the working force sensor 5, the present invention refers to the force applied by the standard force providing module 3 as the standard force, and the force applied by the thrust frame 2 to the working force sensor 5 as the working force.

[0040] Specifically, when the fully automatic thrust calibration system of the present invention is used for thrust calibration, the controller 1 reads the required standard force setting value and outputs the standard force signal to the standard force providing module 3. The standard force providing module 3 applies the standard force to the standard force sensor 4 and transmits it to the thrust frame 2, and then the thrust frame 2 acts on the working force sensor 5. The standard force sensor 4 feeds back the detection result to the controller 1. After the controller 1 determines that the standard force is "reached", it sends a collection signal to the NI data acquisition chassis system 6. The NI data acquisition chassis system 6 receives the collection signal of the controller 1 through the OPC server, and starts to collect the detection data of the working force sensor 5. After the collection is completed, the completion signal is sent to the controller 1 through the OPC server. After receiving the completion signal, the controller 1 continues to read the next standard force setting value and executes it. This cycle is repeated until the NI data acquisition chassis system 6 completes the data collection of all working force sensors 5, automatically calculates the calibration formula, and the thrust calibration work is completed.

[0041] See also Figure 1 and Figure 2 In one embodiment, the standard force providing module 3 at least includes an adjusting mechanism and an actuator. The adjusting mechanism adjusts the size of the standard force under the control of the controller, and drives the actuator to apply the adjusted standard force to the standard force sensor 4 and then transmit it to the thrust frame 2. Among them, the adjusting mechanism can be a servo valve 31, the actuator can be a cylinder 32, and the working force sensor 5 is a signal feedback mechanism. Therefore, the controller 1, the servo valve 31, the cylinder 32 and the working force sensor 5 together constitute a PID system with a given standard force.

[0042] When the fully automatic thrust calibration system of this embodiment is used for calibration, the controller 1 reads the preset standard force values ​​in sequence and outputs signals to the servo valve 31, and controls the amount of oil entering the oil cylinder 32 by controlling the opening of the servo valve 31. The oil cylinder pushes the push rod 33 to act on the standard force sensor 4 of the thrust frame 2, and the standard force sensor 4 measures the pressure in real time and feeds back the measured value to the controller 1.

[0043] In the above embodiment, the thrust frame 2 includes a fixed frame 21 and a movable frame 22, the movable frame 22 is mounted on the fixed frame 21 through a spring plate 23, and the standard force sensor 4 and the working force sensor 5 are mounted on the movable frame 22. Among them, the standard force sensor 4 is mounted on one side of the movable frame 22 close to the oil cylinder 32, and the working force sensor 5 is mounted on the other side of the movable frame 22. It should be particularly noted that the standard force is driven by the oil cylinder 32 to push the push rod 33 to act on the standard force sensor 4, and then the standard force sensor 4 acts on the movable frame 22, and the movable frame 22 receives the standard force to form a working force and acts on the working force sensor 5.

[0044] In order to increase the calibration precision and accuracy, multiple working force sensors 5 can be set on the moving frame 22, and each working force sensor 5 is evenly distributed on the moving frame 22, so as to ensure the comprehensiveness of the action force detection data. Specifically, when the NI data acquisition chassis system 6 receives the acquisition signal from the controller 1, it starts to collect the measurement data of each working force sensor 5, and sends the collected signal to the controller 1 after the acquisition is completed. After collecting each working force measurement data, the NI data acquisition chassis system 6 calculates the average value and saves it, and the average value is used for subsequent calculation of the calibration formula.

[0045] In one embodiment, the NI data acquisition chassis system includes a Labview thrust calibration module (also referred to as a Labview thrust calibration program), which communicates with the controller via OPC technology. After the Labview thrust calibration module collects all data of the working force sensor, it automatically calculates the calibration formula.

[0046] In the above embodiment, PLC can be selected as the controller of the system, or DCS (distributed control system), single chip microcomputer, etc. can be selected as the controller of the system.

[0047] In addition, the standard force sensor and the working force sensor in the embodiment of the present invention can adopt a new type of sensor with high precision, high sensitivity and temperature compensation function to reduce the influence of environmental factors on the measurement results and improve the measurement accuracy.

[0048] The above embodiments can be combined with each other and have corresponding technical effects.

[0049] See also Figure 3 On the other hand, the present invention provides a rocket engine full-automatic thrust calibration method, which performs thrust calibration by using the rocket engine full-automatic thrust calibration system in any of the above embodiments, and selects PLC as a controller, and at least includes the following steps:

[0050] S10. The controller PLC presets a plurality of standard force setting values.

[0051] S20, start the PLC program and run the Labview thrust calibration program in the NI data acquisition chassis system at the same time.

[0052] S30, PLC runs the first standard force setting value, outputs a signal to the servo valve, controls the amount of oil entering the cylinder by controlling the opening of the servo valve, the cylinder pushes the push rod to apply the standard force to the standard force sensor and transmits it to the moving frame, and the standard force sensor feeds back the measured first standard force measurement value to the PLC.

[0053] S40, after the PLC determines that the first standard force measurement value is "reached", the PLC transmits a "reached" signal to the Labview thrust calibration program in the NI data acquisition chassis system through the OPC server.

[0054] After receiving the "reach" signal, the Labview thrust calibration program in S50 and NI data acquisition chassis system completes the data collection of the working force sensor and sends the "collected" signal to the PLC through the OPC server.

[0055] S60. After receiving the "collected" signal, the PLC automatically runs the second standard force setting value.

[0056] S70, repeat S30, S40, S50 and S60 until the PLC runs through each standard force setting value in sequence, and the Labview thrust calibration program collects the measurement values ​​of all working force sensors and automatically calculates the calibration formula, and the thrust calibration work is completed.

[0057] In this embodiment, PLC is selected as the controller of the system. Before the calibration work begins, the PLC program presets seven standard force setting values ​​of 0kN, 200kN, 400kN, 500kN, 600kN, 700kN, and 800kN. In the embodiment of the present invention, the oil cylinder can be used to apply the standard force on the dynamic frame to simulate the thrust of the engine, and the Labview thrust calibration program can be used to collect data on the working force sensor to calculate a new calibration formula.

[0058] See also Figure 1 and Figure 2Specifically, the thrust calibration work begins, the PLC program is started, and the Labview thrust calibration program is run at the same time. The PLC reads the first standard force setting value (0kN) and outputs a signal to the servo valve 31. By controlling the opening of the servo valve 31, the oil volume entering the oil cylinder 32 is controlled. The oil cylinder 32 pushes the push rod 33 to act on the standard force sensor 4 of the movable frame 22. The standard force sensor 4 measures the standard force provided by the push rod 33 and feeds back the measured value (real-time feedback value) to the PLC. When the value of the standard force is stable within the acceptable fluctuation range of the set value (±0.2kN) for 15 consecutive seconds, the PLC program determines that the first standard force measurement value is "reached" and transmits the "reached" signal to the Labview thrust calibration program running on the NI data acquisition chassis system 6 through the OPC server. After receiving the "reached" signal sent by the PLC, the Labview thrust calibration program running on the NI data acquisition chassis system 6 completes the data collection and recording of the working force sensor 5 once, and sends the "collected" signal to the PLC through the OPC server. After the PLC receives the "collected" signal from the Labview thrust calibration program, it automatically runs the program for the second standard force setting value (200kN). Repeat the above steps until the PLC runs all standard force setting values ​​in sequence, and the Labview thrust calibration program collects all the measurement values ​​of the working force sensor and automatically calculates the calibration formula, and the thrust calibration work is completed.

[0059] Furthermore, in order to increase the accuracy and precision of the thrust calibration system, the PLC can be made to repeat all standard force setting values ​​for multiple times. For example, the PLC can be made to run seven standard force setting values ​​of 0kN, 200kN, 400kN, 500kN, 600kN, 700kN, and 800kN in sequence, and then repeat all standard force setting values ​​twice, that is, a total of 21 standard force setting value programs are run. After the Labview thrust calibration module collects the measurement data of 21 working force sensors, it automatically calculates the calibration formula, and the thrust calibration work is completed.

[0060] In the above embodiment, the standard force setting value can be adaptively adjusted according to the engine model and working conditions.

[0061] The above embodiments can be combined with each other and have corresponding technical effects.

[0062] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc. made within the spirit and principle of the present invention should be included in the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A rocket engine fully automatic thrust calibration system, characterized in that: At least: Thrust frame, used to receive standard force and form working force; A standard force providing module is connected to the controller and outputs the required standard force to the thrust frame under the control of the controller; A standard force sensor, mounted on the thrust frame, for detecting the standard force output by the standard force providing module and feeding back the detection result to the controller; A working force sensor, mounted on the thrust frame, for detecting the working force of the thrust frame; NI data acquisition chassis system, in communication with the working sensor and the controller; An OPC server is installed in the data acquisition chassis system; The controller outputs the standard force signal to the standard force providing module, and the standard force providing module applies the standard force to the standard force sensor and transmits it to the thrust frame; the standard force sensor feeds back the detection result to the controller, and the controller sends a collection signal to the NI data acquisition chassis after determining that the standard force is "reached"; the NI data acquisition chassis system receives the collection signal of the controller through the OPC server, and collects the detection data of the working force sensor, and after the collection is completed, sends a completion signal to the controller through the OPC server.

2. The rocket engine fully automatic thrust calibration system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The standard force providing module at least includes an adjusting mechanism and an actuator; the adjusting mechanism adjusts the size of the standard force under the control of the controller, and drives the actuator to apply the adjusted standard force to the standard force sensor and then transmit it to the thrust frame.

3. The rocket engine fully automatic thrust calibration system according to claim 2, characterized in that: The regulating mechanism is a servo valve, and the actuator is an oil cylinder; the servo valve adjusts its opening under the control of the controller, thereby controlling the amount of oil entering the oil cylinder, and the oil cylinder pushes the push rod to apply the standard force to the standard force sensor and transmit it to the thrust frame.

4. The rocket engine fully automatic thrust calibration system according to claim 3, characterized in that: The NI data acquisition chassis system includes a Labview thrust calibration module, which automatically calculates a calibration formula after collecting data from all working force sensors.

5. The rocket engine fully automatic thrust calibration system according to claim 4, characterized in that: The controller is a PLC.

6. The rocket engine fully automatic thrust calibration system according to claim 5, characterized in that: The thrust frame comprises a fixed frame and a movable frame, wherein the movable frame is mounted on the fixed frame via a spring plate; and the standard force sensor and the working force sensor are mounted on the movable frame.

7. A rocket engine fully automatic thrust calibration method, characterized in that: Using the rocket engine fully automatic thrust calibration system according to any one of claims 1 to 6 to perform thrust calibration, at least the following steps are included: Step 1: The controller PLC presets multiple standard force setting values; Step 2: Start the PLC program and run the Labview thrust calibration program in the NI data acquisition chassis system at the same time; Step 3: PLC runs the first standard force setting value, outputs a signal to the servo valve, controls the amount of oil entering the cylinder by controlling the opening of the servo valve, and the cylinder pushes the push rod to apply the standard force to the standard force sensor and transmit it to the moving frame. The standard force sensor feeds back the measured first standard force value to the PLC; Step 4: After the PLC determines that the first standard force measurement value is "reached", the "reached" signal is transmitted to the Labview thrust calibration program in the NI data acquisition chassis system through the OPC server; Step 5: After receiving the "reach" signal, the Labview thrust calibration program in the NI data acquisition chassis system completes the data acquisition of the working force sensor and sends the "collected" signal to the PLC through the OPC server; Step 6: After receiving the "collected" signal, the PLC automatically runs the second standard force setting value; Step 7. Repeat steps 3, 4, 5 and 6 until the PLC runs through each standard force setting value in sequence, and the Labview thrust calibration program collects the measurement values ​​of all working force sensors and automatically calculates the calibration formula, and the thrust calibration work is completed.

8. The rocket engine fully automatic thrust calibration method according to claim 7, characterized in that: The PLC program presets 7 standard force setting values: 0kN, 200kN, 400kN, 500kN, 600kN, 700kN, and 800kN.

9. The rocket engine fully automatic thrust calibration method according to claim 8, characterized in that: The method for the PLC to determine that the first standard force measurement value is "reached" is: if the first standard force measurement value is stable within the range of ±0.2 kN of the set value for 15 consecutive seconds, the PLC program can determine that the first standard force measurement value is "reached".

10. The rocket engine fully automatic thrust calibration method according to claim 9, characterized in that: The PLC runs seven standard force setting values ​​of 0kN, 200kN, 400kN, 500kN, 600kN, 700kN, and 800kN in sequence. After the Labview thrust calibration program completes the data collection of the seven working force sensors, the above steps are repeated for two more cycles until the Labview thrust calibration program completes the data collection of 21 working force sensors. The calibration formula is automatically calculated, and the thrust calibration work is completed.

Images