Author Topic: Sierra Nevada Corporation - 2018 Capabilities Overview  (Read 13682 times)

Online catdlr

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Sierra Nevada Corporation
Published on Apr 30, 2018



Tony De La Rosa, ...I'm no Feline Dealer!! I move mountains.  but I'm better known for "I think it's highly sexual." Japanese to English Translation.


Offline Lar

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Re: Sierra Nevada Corporation - 2018 Capabilities Overview
« Reply #2 on: 07/16/2018 04:59 am »
Excellent article on history of SNC and its owners.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.forbes.com/sites/forbesdigitalcovers/2018/07/11/meet-the-unknown-immigrant-billionaire-betting-her-fortune-to-take-on-musk-in-space/amp/

This "take on Musk" narrative the media comes up with? yawn. Done properly there is plenty of room for SNC, Blue, and SpaceX in the transport business.
"I think it would be great to be born on Earth and to die on Mars. Just hopefully not at the point of impact." -Elon Musk
"We're a little bit like the dog who caught the bus" - Musk after CRS-8 S1 successfully landed on ASDS OCISLY

Offline TripleSeven

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Re: Sierra Nevada Corporation - 2018 Capabilities Overview
« Reply #3 on: 07/16/2018 05:08 am »
Excellent article on history of SNC and its owners.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.forbes.com/sites/forbesdigitalcovers/2018/07/11/meet-the-unknown-immigrant-billionaire-betting-her-fortune-to-take-on-musk-in-space/amp/

This "take on Musk" narrative the media comes up with? yawn. Done properly there is plenty of room for SNC, Blue, and SpaceX in the transport business.

I agree...in fact if SNC can ever "fly" I predict that they will become the premier "down mass" provider.

Online TrevorMonty

We can add US engine designer and manufacturer to SNC capabilities.


www.parabolicarc.com/2018/10/12/sierra-nevadas-vortex-upper-stage-engine-closer-reality/

Online Steven Pietrobon

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Re: Sierra Nevada Corporation - 2018 Capabilities Overview
« Reply #5 on: 10/17/2018 09:47 am »
The engine is called VR35K-A and uses liquid hydrogen and oxygen. Presumably, the 35K refers to 35 klbf or 156 kN (or may 35 kN if they are with the program!). No idea what engine cycle they are using. Its used  "state-of-the-art technology and a VORTEX flow field to cool the inner walls allows the new engine to be simpler, smaller and lower cost."
« Last Edit: 10/17/2018 09:48 am by Steven Pietrobon »
Akin's Laws of Spacecraft Design #1:  Engineering is done with numbers.  Analysis without numbers is only an opinion.

Offline brickmack

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Re: Sierra Nevada Corporation - 2018 Capabilities Overview
« Reply #6 on: 10/17/2018 05:25 pm »
This press release from a few years ago https://www.sncorp.com/press-releases/snc-orbitec-vortex-rocket/ mentions a 65klbf hydrogen engine as an eventual goal. Is this an incremental upgrade towards that (original was 30klbf), or a downgrade of that plan?

Offline yg1968

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Re: Sierra Nevada Corporation - 2018 Capabilities Overview
« Reply #7 on: 10/17/2018 11:08 pm »
I am also interested in this engine because I believe that crewed DC was supposed to use a vortex engine for its abort motor but I don't know if that engine is related to it.

Offline Prettz

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Re: Sierra Nevada Corporation - 2018 Capabilities Overview
« Reply #8 on: 10/18/2018 01:42 am »
I am also interested in this engine because I believe that crewed DC was supposed to use a vortex engine for its abort motor but I don't know if that engine is related to it.
It's definitely related to it, by virtue of also being a vortex engine. The abort motor was to be pressure fed, and different propellant, of course.

Offline Davidthefat

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Re: Sierra Nevada Corporation - 2018 Capabilities Overview
« Reply #9 on: 10/19/2018 04:01 pm »
What's unique about the Vortex engine? From the sounds of it, it's just film cooling of the thrust chamber; something that's been done plenty of time.

Offline GWH

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Re: Sierra Nevada Corporation - 2018 Capabilities Overview
« Reply #10 on: 10/19/2018 04:43 pm »
What's unique about the Vortex engine? From the sounds of it, it's just film cooling of the thrust chamber; something that's been done plenty of time.

Since SNC bought Orbitec, there is a little to be gleaned from Orbitec's old website:
http://web.archive.org/web/20140701074820/http://www.orbitec.com/propulsion.html


Quote
ORBITEC is focused on the development and demonstration of innovative, low-cost components for propulsion systems, including the “Vortex Combustion Cold-Wall (VCCW)” thrust chamber assemblies for boost and upper stage applications.   

The VCCW uses ORBITEC’s revolutionary, patented vortex combustion process to confine propellant mixing and burning to the central core region of a coaxial vortex flow field. This enables dramatic cost savings through robust design margins leading to extremely high durability, reliability, and reusability in engines that are inexpensive to manufacture and maintain.


I found this image as a quick google search of Orbitec Vortex engine:
« Last Edit: 10/19/2018 04:47 pm by GWH »

Offline Tulse

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Re: Sierra Nevada Corporation - 2018 Capabilities Overview
« Reply #11 on: 10/22/2018 02:53 pm »
So the main advantage of this design is it keeps the hardware cooler?

Offline libra

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Re: Sierra Nevada Corporation - 2018 Capabilities Overview
« Reply #12 on: 03/24/2019 12:19 pm »
Excellent article on history of SNC and its owners.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.forbes.com/sites/forbesdigitalcovers/2018/07/11/meet-the-unknown-immigrant-billionaire-betting-her-fortune-to-take-on-musk-in-space/amp/

Since the Shuttle was nicknamed the Turkey, it make some sense its successor was build by people which origins are... in  Turkey.  ;D (ok, I run for cover)

Offline Tywin

The engine is called VR35K-A and uses liquid hydrogen and oxygen. Presumably, the 35K refers to 35 klbf or 156 kN (or may 35 kN if they are with the program!). No idea what engine cycle they are using. Its used  "state-of-the-art technology and a VORTEX flow field to cool the inner walls allows the new engine to be simpler, smaller and lower cost."


This press release from a few years ago https://www.sncorp.com/press-releases/snc-orbitec-vortex-rocket/ mentions a 65klbf hydrogen engine as an eventual goal. Is this an incremental upgrade towards that (original was 30klbf), or a downgrade of that plan?


After the recent presentation, it's look like they want to sell in the future this engine Vortex, for the US of the Vulcan...

(minute 33:40")



 
Which are the major difference with the RL-10 of the Aerojet?
« Last Edit: 08/14/2019 07:58 pm by Tywin »
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