Accession Number:

AD0481648

Title:

FULL-SCALE SIMULATED ALTITUDE INVESTIGATION OF THE CENTAUR-PAYLOAD SURFACE AND FUNCTIONAL DEGRADATION RESULTING FROM THE SATURN S-IVB RETRO ROCKET EXHAUST CONTAMINANTS

Descriptive Note:

Corporate Author:

ARNOLD ENGINEERING DEVELOPMENT CENTER ARNOLD AFB TN

Personal Author(s):

• Muse, W. W.

Report Date:

1966-04-01

Pagination or Media Count:

78.0

Abstract:

Five tests were conducted to determine the surface contamination of the Centaur vehicle and its payload resulting from the deposition of retro exhaust particles during separation from the spent S-4B stage. The test article consisted of a full-scale model, 120-deg segment of the S-4B interstage adapter- Centaur-Payload sections of the Saturn 1B-Centaur vehicle. An S4B retro motor was mounted in the adapter section at either a 0- or 11.5-deg angle upward from the model surface and was ignited at a pressure altitude of approximately 130, 000 ft. The contamination of the model surface was primarily a gray deposit of iron and aluminum oxides. Predominant sizes of the particles deposited on the contamination panels were 1 to 10 microns. However, many particles ranged from 20 to 60 microns, and a few particles were as large as 400 microns. Particle erosion of the paint on the model surface was 12 to 14 microns in depth and occurred in a 4- to 30-ft interval downstream of the nozzle exit. The test results dependent upon retro motor firing angles of 0 and 11.5 deg, respectively, varied as follows 1 maximum surface heating rate, 14.1 to 9.0 Btusq ft-sec 2 maximum surface pressure, 0.29 to 0.14 psia 3 degradation of solar cell panel performance, 26.6 to 6.0 4 laser beam attenuation, 22 to 12 and 5 nominal change in surface reflectance of the model utilizing a laser beam, 27 to 19.

Descriptors:

• *LAUNCH VEHICLES
• *RETRO ROCKETS
• ALUMINUM COMPOUNDS
• ATTENUATION
• COMBUSTION DEPOSITS
• COMBUSTION PRODUCTS
• CONTAMINATION
• DEPOSITION
• EROSION
• EXHAUST GASES
• EXPERIMENTAL DATA
• HEAT TRANSFER
• HIGH ALTITUDE
• IRON COMPOUNDS
• LASERS
• MODEL TESTS
• OXIDES
• PAINTS
• PARTICLE SIZE
• PARTICLES
• PERFORMANCE(ENGINEERING)
• PRESSURE
• REFLECTIVITY
• SEPARATION
• SIMULATION
• SOLAR CELLS
• STAGING
• SURFACE PROPERTIES

Subject Categories:

• Solid Propellant Rocket Engines
• Ground Support Systems and Facilities for Space Vehicles

Distribution Statement:

APPROVED FOR PUBLIC RELEASE