Rocket Engine Diverging Section Lashing System for Startup Stability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Rocket engine diverging sections experience unpredictable jet separations during startup, leading to lateral loads and potential deformation or damage to components due to asymmetric pressure conditions, with existing solutions being bulky, complex, and costly.
Innovation Solution
A lashing system comprising radial cables connected to the diverging section and a peripheral cable that cooperates with launch platform attachment points to stabilize the diverging section during startup, minimizing deformation and reducing stresses on other components, while being lightweight and detachable for liftoff.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If holder devices are used to hold the diverging section during starting, then the rocket engine benefits from better behavior during startup, but the holder devices are bulky, complex, and expensive
Solution Approach 1:
The holder device is segmented into multiple radial cables (6 cables arranged at 60-degree intervals) that connect individual attachment points on the diverging section to a common peripheral cable. This segmentation allows the complex holding function to be distributed across simpler cable elements, reducing overall device complexity while maintaining reliability during startup
Solution Approach 2:
The peripheral cable serves multiple functions: it connects all radial cables together, provides a common attachment interface for the launch platform, and enables coordinated holding of all radial cables. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate components, simplifying the overall device structure while ensuring reliable startup behavior
2Strength
If components are reinforced to resist lateral loads, then the rocket engine benefits from better resistance to deformation, but the components become heavier
Solution Approach 1:
Radial cables are introduced as intermediary elements that directly counteract lateral loads on the diverging section during startup. Instead of reinforcing the diverging section itself (which would increase weight), the cables act as external mediators that provide the necessary structural support, allowing the diverging section to remain lightweight while still resisting lateral deformation
Solution Approach 2:
The lashing system is installed and configured before startup, with radial cables pre-tensioned and attached to the diverging section. This preliminary action ensures that lateral load resistance is already in place before ignition, allowing the engine components to be optimized for performance rather than over-engineered for startup conditions
Data Source
AI summary
A rocket engine benefiting from better behavior during its starting stage, the rocket engine (1) including a diverging section (13) and a lashing system (40) configured to hold the diverging section (13) while starting the rocket engine (1), the lashing system (40) comprising: a plurality of radial cables (42) connected at respective first ends to a plurality of points of the diverging section (13), and a peripheral cable (41) connected to the second ends of the radial cables (42) and configured to co-operate with attachment points (43) of a launch platform (3).