Staged Combustion Cycle Rocket Engine Subsystem Definition for Future Advanced Passenger Transport

Abstract

DLR’s launcher systems analysis division is investigating since a couple of years a visionary, extremely fast passenger transportation concept based on rocket propulsion. Thanks to the multi-national collaboration, the technical lay-out of the SpaceLiner has now matured to Phase A conceptual design level. Full-flow staged combustion cycle rocket engines with a moderate 15 to 17 MPa range in chamber pressure have been selected as the baseline propulsion system. The expansion ratios of the engines are adapted to their respective optimums required by the stages; while the mass flow, turbo-machinery, and combustion chamber are assumed to remain identical. The paper describes the SpaceLiner 7 propulsion system: • The reference vehicle’s preliminary design, • Main propulsion system definition and architectural lay-out, • Thrust chamber geometries, • Pre-design of different turbomachinery and attached preburners, • Advanced ceramic material fuel- and oxidizer-rich pre-burners and injectors as an alternative to increase lifetime of components. The presented work is including preliminary sizing on component level and first mass estimation data.