Annotation: Specialized design office for liquid engines was established on July 22, 1958 to develop engines and propulsion systems, powered by liquid propellants to be installed on the combat missile systems and integrated launch vehicles (LV), developed by Yuzhnoye SDO. Moreover, liquid engines design office was assigned with manufacturing and testing of the main rocket engines, developed by NPO Energomash and to be installed on Yuzhnoye-developed launch vehicles. Over the past 66 years Yuzhnoye SDO has developed more than 40 liquid rocket engines (LRE) of various purpose, designed both to gas-generator cycle and to staged combustion cycle. Seventeen of them were commercially produced by Yuzhmash PA and installed on launch vehicles. Nowadays Yuzhnoye propulsion experts keep working on development of the advanced liquid rocket engines powered both by cryogenic and hypergolic propellants, which satisfy the majority of launch service market demands. Within the framework of extensive cooperation with foreign space companies, on a contract basis, Yuzhnoye propulsion experts are working on the design and development testing of the liquid rocket engines, as well as their components. The accumulated vast experience in the development of liquid rocket engines nowadays enables high scientific and technical level in the creation of up-to-date engines, demanded in the world market. Significant steps in this area have been made by the experts from the Yuzhnoye propulsion division and then subsequent manufacture and delivery by Yuzhmash PA of the engine intended for the European rocket Vega Stage 4; and designing the individual components for the engines with thrusts ranging from 500 kgf to 200 tf ordered by foreign customers. This article provides the review of current and scheduled activities of the Yuzhnoye SDO to develop the liquid rocket engines within the thrust ranges from ~ 40 kgf to ~ 500 tf.

Annotation: The exploratory and experimental investigations were conducted into design of propellant tank made of composite polymer materials for work in cryogenic environment at operating pressure of 7.5 kgf/cm2 . When determining the configuration of a liner-free composite propellant tank, the main requirement was ensuring its leak-tightness at internal excess pressure and cryogenic temperature effect. The world experience of creating similar designs was analyzed and the requirements were defined imposed on configuration of propellant tank load-bearing shells. Before defining the final configuration, the types of materials, reinforcing patterns, and possible ways to ensure leak-tightness were analyzed, and preliminary tests were conducted of physical and mechanical characteristics of thin-wall samples of composite materials and tubular structures with different reinforcing patterns. The tests of carbon plastic samples were conducted at different curing modes to determine the most effective one from the viewpoint of strength characteristics and the tests for permeability by method of mouthpiece were conducted. The tests of pilot propellant tank showed that the calculated values of deformations and displacements differ from the experimental values by no more than 10 %. Using the parameters measurement results from the tests on liquid nitrogen, the empirical formulas were obtained to calculate linear thermal expansion coefficient of the package of materials of load -bearing shell. The empirical dependences were constructed of relative ring deformations at load-bearing shell middle section on pressure and temperature. The tests confirmed correctness of adopted solutions to ensure strength and leak-tightness of propellant tank load-bearing shell at combined effect on internal excess pressure and cryogenic temperature, particularly at cyclic loading. The materials used and propellant tank manufacturing technologies ensure leak-tightness of load-bearing shell at liquid nitrogen operating pressure of 7.5 kgf/cm2 and strength at excess pressure of 15 kgf/cm2 and allow conducting approbation of prospective stage of the integrated launch vehicle.

Annotation: During 60 years of existence of specialized Liquid Rocket Engines Design Office – DO-4 as a part of Yuzhnoye Design Office, extensive experience was accumulated in development of liquid rocket engines of various purpose on storable and cryogenic propellant components. The required test benches and production base were created. When developing the engines, the DO-4 specialists widely use the experience accumulated during manufacturing and testing of the engines developed by the other design offices for Yuzhnoye SDO LVs that were manufactured by SE PA Yuzhny Machine-Building Plant and tested at Yuzhnoye SDO’s and Plant’s test benches. Along with the conventional ones, new original engine designs were developed to achieve high energy-mass characteristics, reliability and quality. Among them we should mention the RD858 and RD859 engines for the soviet lunar take-off-and –landing module of Block E, the unique RD857 and RD862 engines with afterburning of reducing generator gas and gas dynamic method of thrust vector control, the RD866 multifunctional engine of space tug ensuring multiple ignition in flight, and many others. At present, Yuzhnoye SDO jointly with SE PA Yuzhny Machine-Building Plant deliver the engine for the European Vega LV forth stage propulsion system under the contract with Avio company (Italy). Based on Yuzhnoye SDO–created engines, propulsions systems for ballistic missiles and space rockets that are unique by their characteristics and scope of functions, the engines, propulsions systems for spacecraft, LV upper stages and transfer orbit stages can be developed in short terms and at minimal costs.

Annotation: The paper presents the results of comparative investigation into characteristics of methane, kerosene and hydrogen in pair with oxygen. The peculiarities of each of these components are shown. The optimal parameters are considered of pneumohydraulic supply system, including the designs of tanks, pressurization system and engine supply lines cooling system.