Vertical Rocket Test Stand

The solid rocket motor test firing will burn so hot the sand at the aft end of the motor will turn to glass.

Vertical rocket test stand.

Liquid rocket engines are usually fired in a vertical position because the propellant pump intakes are designed to draw fuel from the bottoms of the fuel tanks. My test stand is a vertical motor mounting with two pressure gauge one for chamber pressure and another for thrust. The b 2 side is designed to test rocket stages. The prc recently upgraded the test stand cryogenic flow systems and instrumentation capabilities in the rocket test cell.

The high energy rocket engine research facility b 1 and nuclear rocket dynamics and control facility b 3 were vertical test stands with cryogenic fuel and steam ejector systems that permitted rocket fuel systems to be studied in simulated altitude conditions. Each test stand had several levels a test section and ground floor shop areas. It fires vertically nozzle up and measures chamber pressure up to 2200 psi 15 megapascal and thrust up to m class motors. A couple of guy wires to steady the stand and two stakes should secure it in place nicely.

Operators can also configure the test stand for either horizontal firing or inclined firing up to 45 degrees for cryogenic liquid engines. The 12 x 12 inch foot print and lineal footage of strut available for mounting hardware makes it ideal for this application. The effect of the propellant weight on the thrust measurement system tms must be accounted for as the engine is firing. Hi guys i m currently examining the differences and pros cons of vertical and horizontal test stand setups for testing a relatively small liquid rocket engine.

Vts supported cold flow and hot fire operations for lotus development engines. The test stand will hold everything from the injector down so gravity shouldn t play a huge. Converting the tripod stand was chosen as the fastest route to an additional raptor test facility in a vertical configuration. This is a prototype and so the tanks will most likely be separate from the engine i e.

The thrust stand shown below has thrust load capabilities from 500 lbf to 2 000 lbf. Construction was well underway by mid october 2019. The b 1 side is equipped for single engine tests. Originally the stand was designed for vertical firing of small liquid rocket motors.

The rocket exhaust is directed into a flame bucket or trench. Fluid systems include high pressure nitrogen liquid nitrous oxide and liquid isopropyl alcohol. The vertical test stand vts began as a variation of the original h ybrid test stand and has now been retired and replaced by the horizontal test stand.