Hornet
Test campaign –
Instrumentation , Control
system & Data Acquisition
Basic control systems in a LPRE
• Engine start & shut down sequence
• Engine duration control
• Engine Health Monitoring System (EHMS)
• Mixture ratio (MR) control
• Tank pressurization control
• Thrust vector control (TVC)
Mixture ratio control , Tank pressurization control & TV control to be
discussed in the future…
Engine start & shut down sequence
• Purging of feed lines & components pre and post hot fire.
• Thermal conditioning of all feed system components upstream of the
main injection valve.
• Lead/lag characteristics of propellants inside the engine for safe
operation.
• Ensuring short and safe ignition transients.
• Ensuring safe mixture ratio.
Engine duration control
• For static fires, duration can easily be controlled through a pre-
programmed valve shutoff to shut the engine.
• The shutoff should be programmed such that the engine is always in a
fuel rich operation and not oxygen rich.
Engine Health Monitoring System
(EHMS)
Several Redline parameters will Reference points to control and monitor the
be defined to monitor the engine health will be optimized throughout the
engine’s health. test campaign.
• High/low chamber pressure
A detailed Failure Mode & Effects Analysis
during igniter transients
(FMEA) is necessary to evaluate critical failure
relative to estimated chamber
modes of the entire system.
pressure due to ignition.
• High/ low chamber pressure
relative to design chamber
pressure.
• Excessive engine wall
temperature.
• High LOX injection pressure
• Low Fuel injection pressure
Primary measurands in the system
• Thrust
• Chamber pressure (Static and dynamic)
• Fuel/Ox injection pressure
• Engine wall temperature
• Pressure in feed lines
• Temperature in feed lines
• Flow rates in feed lines & pressurant line
• Liquid level inside the tanks.
Basic sensors and transducers in the
system
• Pressure transducers (Normal and high speed)
• K/E type thermocouples. RTD if necessary.
• Pressure gauge
• Load cells
• Temperature rakes (Maybe)
• Capacitance probes (Maybe)
References (Must read)
• [Link]
entation%20Experience_v2.pdf
• [Link]
df
• [Link]
• [Link]
uid-fueled-3d-printed-rocket-engine-44760/
• [Link]
9/1d/a91d9b30-3671-4105-84cb-272ca06cdff6/eve_control_system.p
df
• [Link]
Additional readings (must)
• Rocket propulsion elements – 8.4 Starting and Ignition, 10.5 Engine
controls, 10.6 Engine system calibration, 10.7 System integration and
Engine optimization, 20.3 Instrumentation and Data Management.