NASASpaceFlight.com Forum

International Space Flight (ESA, Russia, China and others) => Indian Launchers => Topic started by: vyoma on 08/16/2016 07:24 pm

Title: ATV-D02, SPEX (Suborbital), Aug 28 2016
Post by: vyoma on 08/16/2016 07:24 pm
ISRO to test its air-breathing scramjet engine by the end of August 2016. Scramjet engine will be mounted on a modified 'Rohini' sounding rocket called Advanced Technology Vehicle (ATV).

ATV serves as a platform for testing experimental/advanced engines for ISRO. ATV-D01 (http://www.isro.gov.in/update/03-mar-2010/successful-flight-testing-of-advanced-sounding-rocket) was launched in March 2010 to test hypersonic (Mach 6) flight characters of a passive scramjet engine.

ATV-D02 will carry an active scramjet engine.

http://www.deccanchronicle.com/science/science/160816/new-gslv-launch-in-september.html (http://www.deccanchronicle.com/science/science/160816/new-gslv-launch-in-september.html)

Quote
Director of Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Shar, P. Kunhi Krishnan, said this during the Independence Day celebrations at Shar in Sriharikota on Monday. According to Mr Krishnan, preparations are on to test the indigenously developed scramjet engine technology based on air-breathing propulsion before the end of August. The test will be on the platform named Advanced Technology Vehicle (ATV) from the Shar.
Title: Re: ATV-D02, SPEX (Suborbital), Aug 2016
Post by: vyoma on 08/16/2016 07:26 pm
Other discussion threads about scramjet, HEX, REX, LEX, SPEX:
Indian Reusable Launch Vehicle Program: https://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=25695.0
ISRO Air Breathing Propulsion developments: https://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=34234.0
RLV-TD HEX-01 (Suborbital), May 23, 2016: https://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=35783.0
ISRO & Reusability: Wings vs VTVL: https://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=40313.0
ISRO Design for Reusable Launch Vehicle Approved: https://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=27701.0
Title: Re: ATV-D02, SPEX (Suborbital), Aug 2016
Post by: vyoma on 08/16/2016 07:27 pm
Re-posting image from here (https://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=35783.msg1266304#msg1266304).
Title: Re: ATV-D02, SPEX (Suborbital), Aug 2016
Post by: vyoma on 08/16/2016 07:31 pm
ATV-D01 with passive scramjet engine mounted on it.
Title: Re: ATV-D02, SPEX (Suborbital), Aug 2016
Post by: vyoma on 08/16/2016 07:45 pm
http://www.thehansindia.com/posts/index/Hans-Classroom/2016-07-22/Scramjet-Engine/243771

Quote
Supersonic Combustion Ramjet (Scramjet) programmes refer to research and testing programs for the development of supersonic combustion ramjets, known as scramjets.  The testing of sub-scale demonstrator scramjet engine is envisaged by ISRO as a part of technology demonstration, by mounting it on a two stage solid rocket.

Quote
This test intends to demonstrate supersonic combustion in flight and evaluate the integrated functioning of the engine. The preparations for carrying out the test are underway and the test is likely to be conducted in the third quarter of 2016.

Quote
It has been ground-tested at hypersonic speeds for 20 seconds. Only the USA recently carried out in-flight demonstration of supersonic combustion for a short duration.

ATV platform is capable of achieving Mach 6+; and scramjet will be ignited at this hypersonic phase to evaluate its characteristics.
Title: Re: ATV-D02, SPEX (Suborbital), end Aug 2016
Post by: sanman on 08/24/2016 09:52 pm
Air-breather propulsion test on Aug. 28: ISRO

http://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/airbreather-propulsion-test-on-aug-28-isro/article9027578.ece

Quote
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is set to conduct air-breathing propulsion experiment using its RH-560 rocket fitted with a supersonic combustion ramjet (Scramjet) engine on August 28 from Sriharikota.


Btw, I'm not sure if the thread title is accurate, because I thought the Scramjet Propulsion Experiment (SPEX) is supposed to involve the RLV-TD. Anyway, we'll have to see how things play out.
Title: Re: ATV-D02, SPEX (Suborbital), end Aug 2016
Post by: russianhalo117 on 08/24/2016 09:57 pm
Air-breather propulsion test on Aug. 28: ISRO

http://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/airbreather-propulsion-test-on-aug-28-isro/article9027578.ece

Quote
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is set to conduct air-breathing propulsion experiment using its RH-560 rocket fitted with a supersonic combustion ramjet (Scramjet) engine on August 28 from Sriharikota.


Btw, I'm not sure if the thread title is accurate, because I thought the Scramjet Propulsion Experiment (SPEX) is supposed to involve the RLV-TD. Anyway, we'll have to see how things play out.
RLV-TD is the follow-on series and will initially run in parallel.
Title: Re: ATV-D02, SPEX (Suborbital), end Aug 2016
Post by: sanman on 08/24/2016 10:35 pm
RLV-TD is the follow-on series and will initially run in parallel.

Yeah, that's what I thought - but I also thought that "SPEX" is the name specifically designated for the RLV-TD Scramjet Propulsion Experiment.

The experiment being referred to in this thread (and in the article link I just posted) would be ATV-D02, the 2nd developmental flight of the Dual-Mode Ramjet (DMRJ) engine. So this does not directly involve the RLV-TD, although it will help to develop the DMRJ that will later be fitted onto the RLV-TD. At least that's my understanding.
Title: Re: ATV-D02, SPEX (Suborbital), end Aug 2016
Post by: russianhalo117 on 08/24/2016 11:56 pm
RLV-TD is the follow-on series and will initially run in parallel.

Yeah, that's what I thought - but I also thought that "SPEX" is the name specifically designated for the RLV-TD Scramjet Propulsion Experiment.

The experiment being referred to in this thread (and in the article link I just posted) would be ATV-D02, the 2nd developmental flight of the Dual-Mode Ramjet (DMRJ) engine. So this does not directly involve the RLV-TD, although it will help to develop the DMRJ that will later be fitted onto the RLV-TD. At least that's my understanding.
SPEX was listed on both on a ISRO press release. Other than that, that is all I know.
Title: Re: ATV-D02, SPEX (Suborbital), Aug 28 2016
Post by: sanman on 08/27/2016 06:11 am
ISRO Gears Up to Test Scramjet Engine on Sunday:

http://www.newindianexpress.com/nation/ISRO-gears-up-to-test-scramjet-engine-on-Sunday/2016/08/27/article3599627.ece
Title: Re: ATV-D02, SPEX (Suborbital), Aug 28 2016
Post by: sanman on 08/27/2016 12:35 pm
http://www.ndtv.com/india-news/isro-to-test-scramjet-engine-on-sunday-1451043

Quote
"The launch of RH-560 sounding rocket to test the scramjet (air breathing) engine is slated for 6 am on Sunday," P Kunhi Krishnan, director of SDSC told IANS.

The rocket will take off at 6 am if the wind speed is conducive for the launch or it may be launched bit later.

I wonder if it will be televised, like the RLV-TD launch was.
Title: Re: ATV-D02, SPEX (Suborbital), Aug 28 2016
Post by: vyoma on 08/27/2016 07:52 pm
http://www.dailyexcelsior.com/isro-all-set-to-test-flight-its-indigenously-developed-scramjet-engine-today/

Quote
In its quest to build its first Resuable Launch Vehicle (RLV) and to bring down the launch cost significantly, the Indian Space Research  Organisation (ISRO) is all set to conduct the air-breathing propulsion experiment  using its RH-560 rocket fitted with a supersonic combustion ramjet (Scramjet)  engine from the spaceport of Sriharikota, tomorrow.

Quote
During the test, the engine would be fitted on a two-stage RH-560 sounding  rocket and launched to an altitude of about 70 km using conventional engines.

There, the first stage will break off and fall into the Bay of Bengal. The second stage will coast horizontally for a bit, travelling at over  six-times the speed of sound. This is when the scramjet engine will fire  for five seconds.

RH-560 signifies two things–RH means its a Rohini-class sounding rocket  and 560 is its diameter in millimetres. Its modified second stage, to which  the scramjet engine was being affixed, was called the Advanced Technology  Vehicle (ATV). According to ISRO, it is a scaled-down prototype of the RLV that will  eventually fly on missions about 14 years from now.   (PTI)
Title: Re: ATV-D02, SPEX (Suborbital), Aug 28 2016
Post by: Sumanta on 08/28/2016 02:15 am
Scramjet engine successfully testfired

Till no update in ISRO's page in Facebook.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chennai/ISRO-successfully-tests-scramjet-engine-using-oxygen-from-atmosphere/articleshow/53892013.cms?
Title: Re: ATV-D02, SPEX (Suborbital), Aug 28 2016
Post by: sanjaykumar on 08/28/2016 02:59 am
Times of India image does not look correct.  Image at NDTV news looks ok.

http://www.ndtv.com/india-news/isro-tests-new-rocket-engine-that-could-make-launches-10-times-cheaper-1451222?pfrom=home-lateststories (http://www.ndtv.com/india-news/isro-tests-new-rocket-engine-that-could-make-launches-10-times-cheaper-1451222?pfrom=home-lateststories)
Title: Re: ATV-D02, SPEX (Suborbital), Aug 28 2016
Post by: vyoma on 08/28/2016 03:07 am
Looks like two scramjet engines were test-fired.


http://www.newindianexpress.com/nation/ISRO-successfully-tests-two-scramjet-engines/2016/08/28/article3601090.ece

Quote
"The mission was successful. Two scramjet engines were tested during the flight. The finer details about the test will be known later," the official not wanting to be quoted told IANS.

He said that as scheduled the two stage/engine RH-560 sounding rocket took off from the rocket port located at Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) in Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh.

He said the two air breathing engines were like hugging the rocket on its sides and normally when the rocket reaches a height of 11 km the scramjet engines would start breathing air.

"The scramjet engines were ignited 55 seconds into the rocket's flight. The engines were tested for six seconds," he added.
Title: Re: ATV-D02, SPEX (Suborbital), Aug 28 2016
Post by: sanman on 08/28/2016 04:13 am
This is an old pic from 2010 showing roughly what the thing is supposed to look like:

(http://i1.myinforms.com/300x200/2016/07/26/4/isro-postpones-scramjet-mission-due-to-missing-an-32-aircrafts.jpg)

Title: Re: ATV-D02, SPEX (Suborbital), Aug 28 2016
Post by: vyoma on 08/28/2016 04:23 am
https://twitter.com/ANI_news/status/769715042669432832

Quote
India test launched Scramjet engine from Satish Dhawan Space Center, Sriharikota at 6 AM.
Title: Re: ATV-D02, SPEX (Suborbital), Aug 28 2016
Post by: sanman on 08/28/2016 04:27 am


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4_pNfJ33gaY
Title: Re: ATV-D02, SPEX (Suborbital), Aug 28 2016
Post by: vyoma on 08/28/2016 06:30 am
http://www.isro.gov.in/update/28-aug-2016/successful-flight-testing-of-isros-scramjet-engine-technology-demonstrator

Quote
Successful Flight Testing of ISRO's Scramjet Engine Technology Demonstrator

The first experimental mission of ISRO’s Scramjet Engine towards the realisation of an Air Breathing Propulsion System was successfully conducted today (August 28, 2016) from Satish Dhawan Space Centre SHAR, Sriharikota.

After a smooth countdown of 12 hours, the solid rocket booster carrying the Scramjet Engines, lifted off at 0600 hrs (6:00 am) IST.  The important flight events, namely, burn out of booster rocket stage, ignition of second stage solid rocket, functioning of Scramjet engines for 5 seconds followed by burn out of the second stage took place exactly as planned.

After a flight of about 300 seconds, the vehicle touched down in the Bay of Bengal, approximately 320 km from Sriharikota. The vehicle was successfully tracked during its flight from the ground stations at Sriharikota.

With this flight, critical technologies such as ignition of air breathing engines at supersonic speed, holding the flame at supersonic speed, air intake mechanism and fuel injection systems have been successfully demonstrated.

The Scramjet engine designed by ISRO uses Hydrogen as fuel and the Oxygen from the atmospheric air as the oxidiser. Today’s test was the maiden short duration experimental test of ISRO’s Scramjet engine with a hypersonic flight at Mach 6. ISRO’s Advanced Technology Vehicle (ATV), which is an advanced sounding rocket, was the solid rocket booster used for today’s test of Scramjet engines at supersonic conditions.  ATV carrying Scramjet engines weighed 3277 kg at lift-off.

ATV is a two stage spin stabilised launcher with identical solid motors (based on Rohini RH560 sounding rocket) as the first as well as the second stage (booster and sustainer). The twin Scramjet engines were mounted on the back of the second stage. Once the second stage reached the desired conditions for engine “Start-up”, necessary actions were initiated to ignite the Scramjet engines and they functioned for about 5 seconds. Today’s ATV flight operations were based on a pre-programmed sequence.

Some of the technological challenges handled by ISRO during the development of Scramjet engine include the design and development of Hypersonic engine air intake, the supersonic combustor, development of materials withstanding very high temperatures, computational tools to simulate hypersonic flow, ensuring performance and operability of the engine across a wide range of flight speeds, proper thermal management and ground testing of the engines.

India is the fourth country to demonstrate the flight testing of Scramjet Engine. The successful technology demonstration of air-breathing Scramjet engines in flight by ISRO today is a modest yet important milestone in its endeavour to design and develop advanced air breathing engines including engines for ISRO’s future space transportation system.
Title: Re: ATV-D02, SPEX (Suborbital), Aug 28 2016
Post by: vyoma on 08/28/2016 06:32 am
ATV-D02 liftoff pictures.
Title: Re: ATV-D02, SPEX (Suborbital), Aug 28 2016
Post by: s^3 on 08/29/2016 05:51 am
The test was to have been carried out earlier but was postponed to avoid clash with the search operations for an aircraft missing since July end.
Title: Re: ATV-D02, SPEX (Suborbital), Aug 28 2016
Post by: s^3 on 08/29/2016 06:30 am
Here is an update with more detailed numbers .. Thanks to my old colleague Shri V K Srivastav who provide these details.

Rohini second stage achieve a height of 70 km and sustain Mach 6+.05 and dynamic pressure 80+35kPa for seven seconds.

Scramjet successfully operated with 6 s of its ignition in specified Mach window with .594g acceleration against.4g.
Title: Re: ATV-D02, SPEX (Suborbital), Aug 28 2016
Post by: sanman on 08/29/2016 11:20 pm
Great stuff - so I assume that the duration limit of the flameholding/hypersonic-burn is due to the fact that the vehicle is on a downward accelerating trajectory which soon quickly takes it beyond the specified velocity/mach regime to sustain the combustion?

I realize this isn't a military forum, but India's DRDO (Defense Research & Development Organization) has been doing their own R&D in parallel to develop hypersonic cruise missile technology. For this purpose, they plan to test their HSTDV outfitted with similar waverider type of scramjet engine, and I think that will involve level flight. So my point is that an experiment involving level flight would probably offer the opportunity for longer duration of hypersonic burn, since gravitational acceleration isn't affecting your velocity/mach regime.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypersonic_Technology_Demonstrator_Vehicle

Quote
In early 2016, it was announced that the vehicle will be tested by December 2016.

Quote
(http://aviatorflight.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/HSTDV.jpg)


I've heard some people say that if you can sustain your burn for 5 seconds, you can sustain it for 5000 seconds - ie. a mere 5-second test is sufficiently representative of the requirements for longer sustained flight necessary to reach orbital velocity. But maybe that's a bit over-optimistic, and realistically you probably need to demonstrate much bigger leaps in burn duration before you can really be confident of handling all the issues. For instance, can you really usefully test thermal load handling during a mere 6-second burn?

Title: Re: ATV-D02, SPEX (Suborbital), Aug 28 2016
Post by: vyoma on 08/29/2016 11:50 pm
http://www.newskarnataka.com/technology/india-takes-a-baby-step-in-developing-scramjet-engine-isro-official

Quote
"The engine that was tested today (Sunday) was burnt only for five seconds. But in a rocket, the engine has to burn for over 1,000 seconds. The speed at which it has to burn would also vary. We have to conduct various tests for that before getting ready an engine that can fly a rocket," Sivan said.

Quote
According to him, the total cost of developing this technology is estimated at Rs 35 crore.

He said the scramjet engine can be used to augment ISRO's reusable launch vehicle.
Title: Re: ATV-D02, SPEX (Suborbital), Aug 28 2016
Post by: vyoma on 08/29/2016 11:52 pm
I realize this isn't a military forum, but India's DRDO (Defense Research & Development Organization) has been doing their own R&D in parallel to develop hypersonic cruise missile technology. For this purpose, they plan to test their HSTDV outfitted with similar waverider type of scramjet engine, and I think that will involve level flight. So my point is that an experiment involving level flight would probably offer the opportunity for longer duration of hypersonic burn, since gravitational acceleration isn't affecting your velocity/mach regime.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypersonic_Technology_Demonstrator_Vehicle

Quote
In early 2016, it was announced that the vehicle will be tested by December 2016.

Off topic: DRDO also has BrahMos-II hypersonic cruise missile. But, not sure if HSTDV itself would evolve into BrahMos-II, or it's an entirely different project.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BrahMos-II
Title: Re: ATV-D02, SPEX (Suborbital), Aug 28 2016
Post by: sanman on 08/30/2016 12:15 am
Anyway, it's very gratifying to see that the entire country took notice of this hypersonic test - it was all over the headlines and TV in India, with politicians of all stripes giving congratulations - and hopefully that will bode well for the future funding and development. Achievements like this are very eagerly embraced in a country like India which doesn't win many Olympic medals or other big bragging opportunities.

I've always felt a little disappointed that when the US or Australia have done similar tests in the past, they don't get sufficient news coverage or recognition in proportion to the technical achievement - no wonder progress has been so slow. I can't help but think that if people put the same level of attention and effort on scramjets as they have with SpaceX, then I bet the pace of advancement would happen much faster. Hopefully, this ATV-D02 test will similarly result in further Indian support and funding for further tests to genuinely progressively advance the hypersonic program in a fruitful way.

http://www.dailypioneer.com/columnists/edit/pocket-friendly-rockets.html


This article says that this scramjet test was in the mach 6 regime, which is what the HSTDV is supposed to operate in:

http://www.business-standard.com/article/pti-stories/air-breathing-technology-could-propel-space-plane-idea-vssc-116082800678_1.html


I mentioned the upcoming HSTDV test which will happen this December, because it's the only other hypersonic test from India that I know of - does anybody have any information on further planned tests or next steps?
Title: Re: ATV-D02, SPEX (Suborbital), Aug 28 2016
Post by: vyoma on 08/30/2016 06:13 am
Scramjet successfully operated with 6 s of its ignition in specified Mach window with .594g acceleration against.4g.

Thanks for the update! So, scramjet engines imparted an acceleration of 0.594g, as against the expected 0.4g. This is amazing!
Title: Re: ATV-D02, SPEX (Suborbital), Aug 28 2016
Post by: sanman on 08/31/2016 08:47 pm
So I just want to specifically ask about the "Dual Mode" aspect of the DMRJ - were both of these dual propulsion modes tested in this latest ATV-D02 flight? Or was it just Scramjet mode alone that was tested?

(And just for clarity - when we say "Dual Mode", are talking about Rocket+Scramjet or is it Ramjet+Scramjet?)