A Versatile Rocket Engine Hot Gas Facility

ABSTRACTThe capabilities ofa versatile rocket engine facility,locatedintheRocketLaboratoryattheNASALewisResearchCenter, are presented. Thegaseous hydrogen/oxygen facilitycanbeusedforthermal shockandhotgas testingofmaterialsand structures as well as rocket propulsion testing. Testingover a wide range ofoperating conditions in both fuel andoxygenrichregimescanbeconducted,withcooledoruncooledtest specimens. Thesize and location ofthe test cell providethe ability to conduct large amounts oftesting in short timeperiods with rapid turnaround between programs.INTRODUCTIONThe Rocket Laboratory at the NASA Lewis ResearchCenterconsistsofanumberofsmalltestfacilitiesdesignedforrocket propulsion and related research. The small size andworkhorse nature ofthefacilities inthe RocketLab, plus theexcellenttechnicalsupportcrew, teamuptoprovidehighdataoutput at low cost, with rapid turnaround times betweenprograms. Some ofthe otherfacilities in the Rocket Lab aredescribed in Refs. 1 to 4.Test Cell 22 of the Rocket Laboratory (RL22), alsoknown as the HotGasFacility orThermal ShockTestRig, isa versatilefacility capableofsupportingmanydifferenttypesofresearch programs.Thegaseoushydrogen/oxygen