Viking (rocket engine)

The Viking engine was developed in France and the first stage of never materialized Europe should propel III missile. After the end of this project was for the first stage, and selected with an enlarged ( for operation in vacuum optimized ) exhaust nozzle for the second stage of the Ariane 1. Enhanced versions have been used in the Ariane 2, 3 and 4.

Subsequently, licenses were granted to India for the original versions, where the engines are manufactured under the name Vikas and are used in various stages of PSLV and GSLV rockets.

Technology

The Viking engines operate with the bypass mode and use hypergolic fuels, which ignite spontaneously on contact with each other. The Ariane 1 used as the oxidizer nitrogen tetroxide and UDMH as fuel. Because it but the second flight of the Ariane 1 was a combustion instability, which led to the crash, it was decided to change the Fuel 25 on UH, while the oxidizer was retained. This project, however, was realized only when the shear increased Viking versions that were used from the Ariane 2.

In the gas generator oxidizer about 1 kg and 1 kg of fuel per second is burned, and 3000 ° C hot exhaust gases arise. So that the gas does not damage the turbine, every second is injected 4 liters of water and thus reducing the gas temperature to 600 ° C. The turbine has an output of 2500 kW at 10,000 rpm and drives two turbo pumps, squeeze the total of about 275 kg of fuel and oxidant per second, from the side, in the combustion chamber.

To protect the combustion chamber inner wall in front of the 3000 ° C hot reaction products, a fuel is injected curtain inwardly along the combustion chamber wall, the absence of oxidizer where it forms locally a non -burning, cooling layer. The exhaust nozzle is not actively cooled, but heats up to red heat and are just as much heat by radiation to the outside, as it picks up the inside of the thrust jet.

Specifications

Use

Four Viking 2 engines were used in the first stage and a Viking 4 engine with extended exhaust nozzle in the second stage of the Ariane 1. The improved Viking 2B engine was used in the first stage of the Ariane 2, 3. In the Estonians stage of the Ariane 4, again slightly improved Viking came 5C engine used. The improved Viking 4B engine with large exhaust nozzle, however, was not only used in the second stage of Ariane 2 and 3, but also in the second stage of the Ariane 4. The Viking 6 engine, however, had a small exhaust nozzle again and was used by the PAL liquid propellant boosters of Ariane 4.

For the original versions Viking 2 and 4 licenses were awarded to India, where the engines are continued to be produced under the name Vikas and are used in various stages of PSLV and GSLV rockets.

The Viking engines were highly reliable. Only twice were Viking engines involved in the crash of Ariane rockets. The second launch of the Ariane 1, there was a Viking engine of the first stage combustion instability, which led to the crash. The second false start, however, the reason was not the Viking engine, but a cloth clogged a fuel line of a Viking 6 engine and thus led in flight V 36 crash of an Ariane 44L.

Swell

  • Hans -Martin Fischer: European launcher ARIANE. History and technology for the last launch of the Ariane 4 Stedinger Verlag, Lemwerder 2004, ISBN 3-927697-32- X
  • Several authors etc. What is What Space SPACE ADVENTURE © 1991 - 1993 - 1994 CNES - SEP for texts and documents "L Espace Comment ça - do -. Quoi ça sert â " © 1996 Tessloff Publishing ISBN 3-7886-0778-5
  • The history of the European launch vehicle Ariane
  • The story of the Ariane 4
  • Arianespace Launch log
Ariane 3 Hypergolic propellant UH 25
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