IGF::OT::IGF ORBITEC PROPOSES TO DEVELOP AND DEMONSTRATE AN INTEGRATED COMPOSITE ROCKET NOZZLE EXTENSION (I…

Public award description

IGF::OT::IGF ORBITEC PROPOSES TO DEVELOP AND DEMONSTRATE AN INTEGRATED COMPOSITE ROCKET NOZZLE EXTENSION (ICRNE) FOR USE IN ROCKET THRUST CHAMBERS. THE ICRNE WILL UTILIZE AN INNOVATIVE BONDING APPROACH TO JOIN A HIGH-TEMPERATURE COMPOSITE NOZZLE EXTENSION TO A REGENERATIVELY COOLED METALLIC NOZZLE. THE ICRNE TECHNOLOGY WILL ALLOW HIGH-TEMPERATURE COMPOSITE MATERIALS TO BE DIRECTLY INTEGRATED INTO A REGENERATIVELY-COOLED NOZZLE SECTION OR THRUST CHAMBER MADE OUT OF HIGH-STRENGTH METALLIC ALLOYS, THEREBY ELIMINATING THE HEAVY BOLTED FLANGE JOINT THAT IS CURRENTLY USED TO ATTACH HIGH-TEMPERATURE NOZZLE EXTENSIONS. THE RESULTING WEIGHT REDUCTION WILL INCREASE THE THRUST-TO-WEIGHT RATIO OF THE ROCKET ENGINE. THE ICRNE WILL ALSO ELIMINATE THE NEED FOR MULTIPLE SEALS IN THE BOLTED FLANGE JOINTS, THUS INCREASING RELIABILITY. THE FOCUS OF THE PROPOSED PHASE 1 EFFORT WILL BE TO DEMONSTRATE THE ICRNE TECHNOLOGY BY MANUFACTURING AND EVALUATING TEST SPECIMENS. A PROTOTYPE ICRNE WILL ALSO BE DESIGNED AND ANALYZED. IN PHASE 2, A PROTOTYPE ICRNE UNIT WILL BE FABRICATED, INSTALLED, AND HOT FIRE TESTED ON AN EXISTING ROCKET ENGINE. THIS PROPOSAL RESPONDS TO SUBTOPIC H2.02 IN-SPACE PROPULSION SYSTEMS, SPECIFICALLY "HIGH TEMPERATURE MATERIALS, COATINGS AND/OR ABLATIVES OR INJECTORS, COMBUSTION CHAMBERS, NOZZLES, AND NOZZLE EXTENSIONS" FOR NON-TOXIC, CRYOGENIC, AND NUCLEAR THERMAL PROPULSION SYSTEMS.