Richard Parker

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1 DESIGNING THE GREATEST ADVANCE IN PROPULSION SINCE THE JET ENGINE Richard Parker Graduate Space Industry Careers Conference National Space Centre 8 th Feb 2016

Transcript of Richard Parker

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DESIGNING THE GREATEST ADVANCE IN PROPULSION SINCE THE JET ENGINE

Richard Parker

Graduate Space Industry Careers ConferenceNational Space Centre

8th Feb 2016

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ABOUT ME

• Graduated college with 4 “A” levels in 2000

• Studied Aerospace Engineering at the University of Southampton 2000-2005

• Joined RAL Space (STFC) on a graduate scheme 2005-2013

• Member of the IMechE, became a CEng in 2011 after a 4-year MPDS

• Joined Reaction Engines Ltd in February 2013

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REACTION ENGINES LTD

• Founded in 1989 to evolve the technology behind the HOTOL project into Skylon and the SABRE engine

• Based at Culham Science Centre, Oxfordshire

• Recently attracted £60m from UK government and £20m investment from BAE Systems

• Now 80 people and expanding rapidly!

• Company Vision: “A revolution in aerospace propulsion enabling low cost space access and affordable hypersonic capability”

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SKYLON

Entry to Service Targets

▪ 200 reuses

▪ 1% abort rate per mission

▪ 1:20,000 loss rate per mission

▪ 48 hour turnaround

LEO Payload: 15 TonnesDry Weight: 52 Tonnes

Fluids: 257 Tonnes

GTOW: 325 Tonnes

The Skylon spaceplane concept is designed to deploy payloads into Low Earth Orbit (LEO) in a single stage

This is made possible by SABRE – a breakthrough in propulsion

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Designing SABRE

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A NEW CLASS OF ENGINE

Introducing a new kind of engine that will revolutionise transport…

Cylinders

Boiler

Firebox

The Steam Locomotive!(As envisioned in 1829)

Exhaust Pipe

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ROCKET SCIENCE

Stephenson’s Rocket – The first Modern Steam Locomotive

2. Blastpipe

1. Horizontal Cylinders

3. Multi-tube boiler

The design of Rocket introduced 3 revolutionary new features

This layout has been the basis for every steam locomotive since!

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THE SABRE ENGINE CYCLE

A helium power loop is interposed between the ‘hot’ airflow and the ‘cold’ hydrogen fuel flow – this generates the power to drive the air compressor.

In rocket mode LOX replaces the air fed to the combustion chamber.

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SABRE 3 – THE REACTION ENGINES NOVELTY

What does a SABRE cycle look like in terms of actual hardware?

Apart from the heat exchangers most of the engine components are relatively conventional gas turbine, ramjet and rocket technology…

…but the engine layout is unprecedented!

Air Intake

Precooler

Air Compressor

Helium Turbine

Heat Rejection System

Rocket Nozzles

Bypass Burners

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SABRE 4 – OUR CURRENT CHALLENGE

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Designing SABRE 4, the most detailed design to date, has required overcoming numerous design layout challenges

Self-Starting Intake?

Heat Rejection System?

Altitude Compensating

Nozzles?Thrust Structure?

Nacelle Length?

Nacelle Assembly?

How much nacelle curvature?!

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THE FUTURE

• “Phase 3” – REL plans to design, build and run a ground-based demonstration SABRE engine by the end of the decade

• Followed by a small scale flight demonstrator

• Launch Vehicle development expected in 2020s

• In the meantime REL will continue to develop key technologies (Advanced Rocket Nozzles, Heat Exchangers, etc)

• If you are interested in working at Reaction Engines Ltd check our careers page on our website www.reactionengines.co.uk

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THANKYOU FOR LISTENING!

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