In-space expendable orbital transfer vehicles (OTVs) capable of delivering 36,000 kg (79,366 lb) of payload from earth orbit (LEO) to geosynchronous orbit (GEO) including return missions to LEO both empty and with a retrieved payload were compared and evaluated. Chemical (LOX/LH2), nuclear thermal (NTR), and thermo-nuclear fusion propulsion systems were considered, vehicle mass breakdowns were calculated, and comparisons made. The chemical systems used performance and systems data typical of the RL-10 and J-2 engines while the nuclear systems used the solid-core ALPHA NTR (a NERVA derivative) performance parameters. The fusion propulsion systems represent new designs from a recently conducted study. PC-based computer program was written to automate the vehicle sizing process. The results indicate that the sizing software developed in this study correlates very well with mass property data from actual OTV designs. As expected, the study shows that as the propulsion system performance increases the total vehicle mass required in LEO decreases. A reusable nuclear OTV initial mass in LEO increases only slightly for empty return missions compared to an expendable, one-way trip OTV. The study also shows that fusion systems are limited to lower levels (approximately equal to 100 kN or 22.5 klbf) because of the size of the power generating equipment, and optimize (i.e., minimum initial mass) at a specific impulse of approximately 1000 to 3000 s.


    Zugriff

    Zugriff über TIB

    Verfügbarkeit in meiner Bibliothek prüfen


    Exportieren, teilen und zitieren



    Titel :

    Orbit Transfer Vehicle Propulsion Design: Trades and Comparisons


    Beteiligte:
    V. E. Haloulakos (Autor:in) / T. M. Miller (Autor:in)

    Erscheinungsdatum :

    1990


    Format / Umfang :

    8 pages


    Medientyp :

    Report


    Format :

    Keine Angabe


    Sprache :

    Englisch




    ORBIT TRANSFER VEHICLE PROPULSION DESIGN: TRADES AND COMPARISONS

    Haloulakos, V. E. / Miller, T. M. / United States | British Library Conference Proceedings | 1990



    Turboelectric Distributed Propulsion Protection System Design Trades

    Jones, Catherine / Ross, Christine / Blackwelder, Mark et al. | SAE Technical Papers | 2014


    Turboelectric Distributed Propulsion Protection System Design Trades

    Ross, C. / Armstrong, M. / Blackwelder, M. et al. | British Library Conference Proceedings | 2014


    Advanced Orbit Transfer Vehicle Propulsion System Study

    J. A. Cathcart / T. W. Cooper / R. M. Corringrato et al. | NTIS | 1985