Since campus recruitment ended, the Rocket Research Institute has added a large number of young technical personnel.
The technical progress of each project team has obviously advanced very quickly.
The first thing to complete various design and production processes is the core combustion chamber of the rocket.
The combustion chamber is a component that burns rocket fuel to produce high-pressure propulsion gas, and is also the core of the rocket engine.
It is equivalent to the human heart. Without a qualified and reliable combustion chamber, it is equivalent to a person having congenital heart disease.
There is no way to carry out high-intensity exercise, and there is no way to launch various heavy-weight satellites into space.
The rocket engine design plan given by Zhang Xingyang is very complete with various data.
However, the development of rocket engines does not mean everything will be fine once there are drawings.
A series of tests are also needed to ensure that there are no design problems with the entire engine.
This is also a requirement of the technical zeroing criteria in the double zeroing system.
Therefore, what Zhang Xingyang is currently most concerned about is the combustion chamber structure testing of the new model rocket engine.
Because of the new carbon-carbon composite materials previously developed, the mass production problem has not yet been practically solved.
Therefore, for the first structural test, the institute used the high-strength structural steel that has been used in previous rocket engines.
Of course, this is also a method Zhang Xingyang later conceived to reduce performance and cost.
After all, after Shiji learned about the processing level of carbon-carbon composite materials in this era, he had a more accurate understanding of the cost assessment of new materials.
For processing plants, since there are no special changes in materials, they only need to adjust the processing technology to complete the manufacturing of the combustion chamber.
So after the design drawings were completed, it took less than a week to send them to the processing factory that has been cooperating with the Rocket Research Institute.
The new rocket engine combustion chamber has completed a series of processing processes from rough blank to fine milling.
The rocket engine combustion chamber test uses water pressure testing to simulate the high-pressure state of the rocket during operation.
Because ordinary high-thrust rocket engines will generate high pressure exceeding 100 atmospheres during operation.
The new rocket engine designed by Zhang Xingyang generates more powerful pressure during operation. According to data, it is estimated that it will exceed 180 atmospheres.
The internal pressure test of the combustion chamber shell includes three items, namely the hydraulic pressure test, the hydraulic burst test, and the positive pressure air tightness test.
The first thing to do is the air tightness test, in order to prevent leaks in the combustion chamber shell and leakage.
After assembling the combustion chamber shell, use the inflation pipe to connect the shell and the pressure reducing valve, and check whether each connection part is firm and normal.
Then turn on the air source and increase the pressure in the combustion chamber to the specified 20Mpa.
Observe the pressure gauge to see if there is any pressure drop problem.
As a long-established manufacturer that has been doing processing work for the Rocket Research Institute, the processing plant has good processing technology, at least there is no major pressure leakage problem.
Then use neutral soap solution to check the airtightness of each interface to see if there is any leakage problem.
After the pressure holding begins, record the pressure in the combustion chamber shell.
After staying for several hours, Zhang Xingyang looked at the test record sheet in Qiao Yang's hand.
The data recorded above shows that even the newly processed shell has excellent air tightness, with no air leakage at all.
Next is the hydrostatic test of the combustion chamber shell.
The preliminary preparation work is still similar, except that the high-pressure gas is replaced by clean water, and anti-corrosion fluid needs to be added to it.
To prevent clean water from corroding the combustion chamber shell during the experiment.
After starting the high-pressure water pump, increase the water pressure in the combustion chamber housing to 5 atmospheres.
During this process, experimenters are not allowed to stay in or enter the test room.
Everything can only be recorded through the values displayed by the computer.
This is also for the safety of test personnel.
If there is any problem in the manufacturing of the combustion chamber shell, an explosion may occur during the test, which may endanger the safety of the test personnel.
These are strict standards tested by our predecessors with their blood and lives.
Hydrostatic testing is performed more quickly than tightness testing, after the test is completed.
First, lower the water body in the combustion chamber shell, and then reduce the water flow to normal pressure.
Zhang Xingyang looked at Qiao Yang and others who rushed into the laboratory and took photos of the status of the entire system.
Then he turned his attention to the test readings, which were the same as those detected before.
The data from the hydrostatic test are also very good.
Zhang Xingyang thought to himself as he looked at Qiao Yang who was methodically preparing for the next hydraulic blasting experiment.
Next is the blasting test, which values performance the most.
This experiment is also a destructive test, which requires increasing the water pressure to the extent that it directly destroys the combustion chamber shell.
After drying the metal casing and wiping off the oil and water stains, Qiao Yang reconnected the high-pressure water source to the casing.
After exiting the laboratory, Zhang Xingyang looked at all the personnel who had left the laboratory.
Then press the button to start pressurizing the housing.
The pressure reading on the computer display is getting higher and higher. However, when it reaches 12Mpa, the shell still has no change. This is already equivalent to a strength of 120 atmospheres.
Next, the pressure inside the shell increased to 18Mpa without any deformation.
When the water pressure rose to 20Mpa, the first screw broke from the first thread.
When the pressure continued to increase to 20.5Mpa, all the screws broke, the rear head of the combustion chamber housing fell off, and the connection failed.
The high-intensity water pressure in the shell spurted out instantly, like a dragon king spraying water.
Zhang Xingyang touched his short stubbled chin, thinking about the results of this experiment.
In fact, according to the experimental design requirements, the combustion chamber shell has completed its mission.
After all, his design requires that the blast pressure only needs to be greater than 19.4Mpa.
But judging from the experiment just now, there are still problems that I have not paid attention to.
It was the screw that broke during the test!
The country in this era is not only lagging behind in various high and new technologies.
These connectors, which lay the foundation for various heavy industries and can be called the industrial foundation, are also in a state of uneven quality.
When all the noise in the laboratory calmed down, Zhang Xingyang also walked into the laboratory where there was water everywhere.
I touched the small half screw that was broken on the casing. The surface was very smooth.
Zhang Xingyang carefully observed the broken stubble. The small half of the screw that was still on the housing had no visible deformation.
This proves that the fracture of the screw is not a ductile fracture, but a brittle deformation caused by stress concentration.
Of course, these are just Zhang Xingyang's visual judgments. Detailed accident analysis also requires stress analysis and metallographic analysis of the port.
However, this test still achieved the desired results, and there was no complete failure.
As a result, Zhang Xingyang was still in the mood to joke a little with Qiao Yang, who was busy cleaning up the laboratory:
"Qiao Yang, I'll leave it to you to do the stress analysis. After all, you want to be a big shot in mechanics!"
