Annotation: The measurement errors upon conducting flight tests for launch vehicles are evaluated by considering the interferences and uncertainties in the measurement system procedure. Formal use of this approach can lead to unpredictable consequences. More reliable evaluation of errors upon conducted measurements can be achieved if the measurement process is regarded as a procedure of successive activities for designing, manufacturing, and testing the measurement system and the rocket including measurements and their processing during the after-flight analysis of the received data. The sampling rates of the main controlled parameters are three to ten times higher than the frequency range of their changing. Therefore, it is possible to determine the characteristics of the random error components directly on the basis of registered data. The unrevealed systematic components create the basic uncertainty in the evaluation of the examined parameter’s total measurement error. To evaluate the precision and measurement accuracy of a particular launch, the article suggests specifying the preliminary data on measurement error components determined during prelaunch processing and launch. Basic structures of algorithms for evaluation of precision and measurement accuracy for certain mathematical models that form the measured parameters were considered along with the practical case when static correlation existed among the measured parameters.

Annotation: At Yuzhnoye State Design Office, the Cyclone-4 launch vehicle 3rd stage engine has been developed and is under testing. For adjustment of the engine and test bench systems, in the first firing tests the radiation-cooled nozzle extension was replaced with a steel water-cooled one. It was planned to start the engine with water-cooled nozzle extension without vacuumizing and without gad dynamic pipe, which conditioned operation with flow separation at the output edge of water-cooled nozzle extension. Therefore, the calculation of flow in the nozzle with water-cooled extension, flow separation place, and thermal load on watercooled nozzle extension during operation in ground conditions is an important task. Selection of turbulent flow model has a noticeable impact on prediction of flow characteristics. The gas dynamic analysis of the nozzle with water-cooled extension showed the importance of using the turbulent flow model k-ω SST for the flows with internal separation of boundary layer and with flow separation at nozzle section. The use the flow model k-ω SST for calculation of nozzle with flow separation or with internal transitional layer allows adequately describing the flow pattern, though, as the comparison with experimental data showed, this model predicts later flow separation from the wall than that obtained in the tests. The calculation allows obtaining a temperature profile of the wall and providing the recommendations for selection of pressure measurement place in the nozzle extension for the purpose of reducing sensors indication error. With consideration for the special nature of the nozzle extension wall temperature field, the cooling mode was selected. The tests of RD861K engine nozzle with water-cooled extension allow speaking about its successful use as a required element for testing engine start and operation in ground conditions without additional test bench equipment.

Annotation: The design proposals for sensor equipment of the measurement system used during gas dynamic model tests of rocket systems elements are presented.

Annotation: The basic results of the design calculations and mathematical modelling of the control processes in the precision high-speed servo drive are presented, as well as results of experimental studies of the functional mock-up of this servo drive’s movable gears of the throttle and fuel flow regulator of the ILV main engine. Major task of the studies was theoretical and experimental verification of the required static and dynamic accuracy of the servo drive in the process of try-out of the command signals reception from the main engine’s controller. In the phase of development, theoretical study of the linearized servo drive with application of transformations and theorems of Laplace passages to the limit is conducted. Analytical dependences between servo drive circuit parametres, its elements and characteristics of the control signals are obtained. Instrument errors and servostatic elasticity of the servo drive are calculated. Calculation model including the basic nonlinearities of this servo drive is prepared. Mathematical modelling of the control processes is conducted according to the computational model, varying the circuit and design parameters of the electric drive. Results of the theoretical studies were taken as input data for the requirements specification document to develop the executive unit with the electromotor, reduction gear and output shaft position sensor, and the control box. Functional mockups of the executive unit, control box, as well as the computer-controlled technological test console were manufactured on the basis of the requirements specification documents. The required scope of the laboratory-development tests of the functional mock-up of the servo drive was conducted. Results of the conducted activities confirm the achievement of the required accuracies of the servo drive in the laboratory environment.

Annotation: This paper describes the configuration of the rig, designed to fasten the solid-propellant rocket engine (hereunder referred to engine) during their testing, with engine thrust measurements by force transducers. It is determined that rig is the important link in the measurement chain, which directly impacts the thrust measurements, values of which will be used for calculation of the most important engine characteristics (for example, total burn). It was observed that when engine starts the basic mode of operation the thrust-measuring system of the rig is impacted by the dynamic loading caused by the engine thrust, which results in the occurrence of the oscillating processes in the rig, therefore it is important to know the behavior of these oscillating processes to estimate their impact on the thrust measurement during the design of the rigs and their thrustmeasuring systems. It is shown that if there is no procedure in the design practice to define the mode of oscillations in the rig it is rational to do it analyzing experimental thrust – time curves when different engines start the basic mode of operation. Number of experimental thrust (displacement of the engine/rig moving part) – time curves are provided for analysis when four different engines with different ballistic characteristic and capabilities start the basic mode of operation. Oscillating processes in the rig distort the physical behavior of the thrust, which requires additional analysis of the data following the tests, but since the oscillations subside rapidly, they will not significantly affect the calculation of the total burn. It is also observed that frequency of oscillations of the moving part of the rig, registered by the motion sensor, coincides with oscillation frequency, registered by the force transducer, moreover stable behavior of the oscillating processes, registered by the force transducer of the same engines, when they started the basic mode of operation, indicate the stable behavior of those engines and stable performance of the rig.

Annotation: This paper describes the firing rig test of the solid rocket motor, fastened to the rig in order to measure the thrust level. It is shown that when the motor enters the steady-state mode, the rig with solid rocket motor starts experiencing mechanical oscillations due to the sudden thrust build-up. Motion of the oscillating system is studied under the impact of the linearly or suddenly increasing impulse load. Mechanical oscillations damping is considered on the basis of the viscous friction model. Procedure of the analytical modeling of the damped oscillations is suggested for the complex pattern of the loading variations, based on the fundamental principle of superposition, according to which the motor displacement during the oscillating motion is considered as sum of displacements due to the impact of the impulsive, sudden and linearly increasing loadings. This procedure simulates different time variations of thrust as motor enters the steady-state mode. Oscillating motion with parameters of the oscillating system and thrust change with time option have been simulated as they were realized during the firing rig tests of one of the solid rocket motors. Simulated and experimental (thrust sensor readings) curves of the elastic force were compared, which showed the qualitative and quantitative conformity of the suggested model of oscillations to the actual oscillations of the solid rocket motor, installed in the rig during the firing rig test. Values of the initial thrust, initial impulse and other simulation parameters were updated, adjusting the simulated curve of the elastic force to the experimental one. It was concluded that simulation of the elastic oscillations of the solid rocket motor in the rig using the suggested analytical model will enable more reliable definition of the initial thrust of the motor and its time behavior, impulse loading due to the separation of the plug and used elements that separate with it. Application of the suggested procedure of motor oscillations simulation in the phase of rig design will enable more detailed prediction of the occurring processes as well as the estimation of parameters of the individual elements, units and rig as a whole.

Annotation: Under the Sea Launch program when developer of the Zenit-3SL ILV control system issued the permission to launch in the conditions of drift from the design launch point of the Odyssey launch platform, the problem of drift parameters monitoring at the Sea Launch Commander ACS appeared. To ensure the payload orbiting accuracy the following maximum permissible values of platform drift parametres were determined: • maximum velocity of platform drift – no more than 0,32 m/s; • maximum acceleration of platform drift – no more than ±0,05 m/s2; • maximum distance of platform drift from design launch point – no more than 1950 m. The article includes the computation algorithm of the platform drift parametres to calculate velocity and acceleration of the drift, as well as distance from the design launch point to the actual point of the platform location. Geographical coordinates – latitude and longitude of the platform according to the GPS sensor, installed on the platform are used for calculations. These values during prelaunch processing of the ILV are transmitted to the assembly and command ship’s workstation for calculation of loads in the ILV root section at the rate of once in a second. During one of the Sea Launch missions, C++ program was developed and installed on the loads calculation workstation, realizing the computation algorithm offered by the authors of this article. This program displayed in real time the monitored parametres of the platform drift, and monitored the tolerable limits. During the same mission, the correctness of the developed algorithm and program were confirmed during the special experiment on the launch platform drift in the launch point. In future, they were used during the subsequent missions of the Sea Launch program.

Annotation: This article dwells on results of firing bench testing of the solid-propellant rocket engine (SPRE), fastened to the thrust-measuring assembly stand. It is shown that when engine enters the steady-state mode of operation, plane (forward and rotation) vibrations of the SPRE can take place in the assembly stand due to the sudden pattern of thrust generation and displacement of the center of mass of the vibrating system from the engine axis. These vibrations distort measured values of engine thrust and pattern of its change versus time. The purpose of this work is to simulate the oscillating processes of the engine atop the assembly stand to single out in the distorted values of the measured thrust the components related to the processes in the engine and components, which are introduced into the thrust measurement by the oscillating processes in the system “assembly stand – engine”. Model of vibrating system is suggested, which consists of two rigidly connected bodies, containing elastic links, enabling forward and rotary motion and limited by the rigidity of the links. Mathematical model of the vibrating system is developed. Internal forces and moments acting in oscillatory system are defined. Method of numerical simulation of plane vibrations within the limits of the developed model is suggested. Plane vibrating motion and elastic force curve (curve based on force sensor readings) were simulated in thrust-measuring system for different cases of thrust curve and values of vibrating system parameters. Resonance condition was simulated and mutual influence of elastic parametrical link between forward and rotary vibrations was established. Impact of thrust-measuring system rigidity on peak values of force sensor readings was found out. Elastic force vibrations in thrust-measuring system with vibrating system parameters were simulated including variant of thrust change versus time, implemented during firing bench tests of one of the SPRE. It is shown that registered simulation results recreate thrust measurement results in pattern and values obtained by the force sensor during the firing bench tests, and owing to this, it was concluded that oscillating process parameters, assumed in the model, meet the actual ones. It is concluded that simulation provides objective interpretation of the thrust curve, reliable and comprehensive analysis of engine run during firing bench tests, more detailed and exact design of the assembly stand.