ISRO Conducts Sea-Level Test of CE20 Cryogenic Engine at 22-Tonne Thrust
ISRO conducts sea level test of cryogenic engine at 22 tonne thrust level with full area nozzle
Hot test at Mahendragiri marks key step toward enhancing payload capacity of LVM3 launch vehicle.
Nellore, March 13:
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) successfully conducted a sea-level hot test of its CE20 cryogenic engine at a thrust level of 22 tonnes on March 10 at the ISRO Propulsion Complex in Mahendragiri.
The test was carried out using a Nozzle Protection System (NPS) and a multi-element igniter. Earlier sea-level tests using the nozzle protection system had been conducted at a thrust level of 19 tonnes.
The CE20 cryogenic engine powers the upper cryogenic stage of the LVM3 launch vehicle. To enhance the payload capability of LVM3, future missions are planned to operate with an upgraded C32 stage capable of producing 22 tonnes of thrust.
In line with this objective, the latest test was conducted for a duration of 165 seconds at the enhanced thrust level. ISRO said the engine and the test facility performed as expected throughout the test.
Testing the CE20 engine at sea level poses significant technical challenges due to its high area ratio nozzle, which has an exit pressure of around 50 millibars. One of the major concerns during such tests is flow separation inside the nozzle, which can cause severe vibrations and thermal stress that may damage the nozzle.
The engine used in the test has successfully undergone a record 20 hot tests, enabling the demonstration of several critical technologies using a single engine platform.
These include ignition using a multi-element igniter, ignition margin demonstration for the Gaganyaan mission under varying propellant tank pressures, qualification of the engine at 20-tonne thrust for Gaganyaan, demonstration of 22-tonne thrust operation, and bootstrap mode starting of the CE20 engine without a start-up system to enable in-flight restart capability.
The tests also validated indigenous turbopump bearings, sensors, and the nozzle protection system designed for high area ratio nozzle testing at sea level.
Nellore: The Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) has successfully conducted a sea-level hot test of its CE20 cryogenic engine at an upgraded thrust level of 22 tonnes at the Isro Propulsion Complex in Mahendragiri on March 10, marking an important step towards enhancing the payload capacity of the LVM3 launch vehicle.
