Thruster Injector Faceplate Testing in Support of the Aerojet Rocket-Based Combined Cycle (RBCC) Concept

To satisfy RBCC rocket thruster requirements of high performance and a minimum amount of free hydrogen at plume boundary, a new impinging injector element using gaseous hydrogen and gaseous oxygen as the propellants has been designed. Analysis has shown that this injector design has potential to provide a high specific impulse (Isp) while minimizing the amount of free hydrogen that is available to be burned with incoming secondary flow. Past studies and test programs have shown that gas/gas-impinging elements typically result in high injector face temperatures due to combustion occurring close to the face. Since this design is new, there is no hot fire experience with this element. Objectives of this test program were to gain experience and hot fire test data on this new rocket thruster element design and injector faceplate pattern. Twenty-two hot fire tests were run with maximum mixture ratio (MR) and chamber pressure (Pc) obtained at 7.25 and 1,822 psia, respectively. Post-test scanning microscope (SEM) images show only slight faceplate erosion during testing. This injector element design performed well and can be operated at design conditions: (1) Pc of 2,000 psia and MR of 7.0 and (2) Pc of 1,000 psia and MR of 5.0.