Injector Stability Screening Technique (ISST)

ORBITEC proposes to demonstrate and validate a laboratory scale experimental injector stability screening technique which will quantify injector element stability characteristics.  The experimental approach promises to dramatically reduce development cost by utilizing a gaseous single element test facility which presents savings in hardware manufacturing, consumables such as propellant and test personnel.  The simple test facility will allow rapid stability characterization of multiple candidate injectors which will be unobtrusive to schedule requirements.  The key cost and time savings will be fewer full scale hardware configurations that must be manufactured which will in turn reduce the number of full scale tests required for qualification.  The Phase 1 effort will evaluate the DoD plans for next generation engine development.  The scaling technique will be applied to establish operating conditions for the laboratory scale burner and large-scale thrust chamber.  Correlation between laboratory scale and full scale experimental data will be conducted subsequently.  Upon validation, Phase 2 work plans will be developed to improve the screening technique. BENEFITS: The end product of this overall research and validation effort will create an experimental test facility and technique which will decrease engine development time at a reduced cost.  The scaling technique will have application to virtually all high pressure liquid rocket engine development programs and existing engine upgrades for the Air Force, Navy, MDA, NASA and their contractors as well as commercial satellite launch companies.  Development may reveal application to the screech phenomenon in air-breathing engines which will significantly open the commercial aircraft sector.