Author Topic: SpaceX: Merlin 1D Updates and Discussion Thread 3  (Read 225545 times)

Offline old_sellsword

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Re: SpaceX: Merlin 1D Updates and Discussion Thread 3
« Reply #20 on: 04/20/2017 03:14 pm »
then should the 1B flights of Falcon 1 be included in any tally also?

*1A

1B never made it past the drawing board.

Offline edkyle99

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Re: SpaceX: Merlin 1D Updates and Discussion Thread 3
« Reply #21 on: 04/20/2017 03:27 pm »
M9D will surpass RS-25 in engine flights with 10 more F9 launches, so likely later this year. It's already surpassed RL-10, though all three are comparable (+/- 50%)

I think RS-27 variants have flown over 700 times, so that's the active leader for US engines. Ed probably has an exact number.
Rocketdyne's "150K" engine flew on four different launch vehicles.  There were two thrust chambers on each Atlas booster package, though some models shared a turbopump.  There was one on each Thor/Delta and on each Jupiter/Juno 2.  There were eight on each Saturn 1/1B.  There were 576 Rocketdyne Atlas launches, 721 Thor/Delta/N launches, 46 Jupiter/Juno 2 launches, and 19 Saturn 1/1B launches.  That makes a total of 2,071 thrust chambers, if not complete engines (with two more to fly!).  So Merlin has a way to go.

Obviously there were many variants of the basic "150K" engine (so-called because when it first began flying it made 150,000 lbs of sea-level thrust).  It will take a bit more work to break these numbers down further.

 - Ed Kyle
« Last Edit: 04/20/2017 03:38 pm by edkyle99 »

Offline Nomadd

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Re: SpaceX: Merlin 1D Updates and Discussion Thread 3
« Reply #22 on: 04/20/2017 04:33 pm »
then should the 1B flights of Falcon 1 be included in any tally also?

*1A

1B never made it past the drawing board.

The 3rd F1 was when they started using their own turbopump and regen right?
Those who danced were thought to be quite insane by those who couldn't hear the music.

Offline smfarmer11

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Re: SpaceX: Merlin 1D Updates and Discussion Thread 3
« Reply #23 on: 04/20/2017 05:31 pm »
The Merlin has a while to catch up with the Russians however. The RD-107 has probably been manufactured at least 10000 times, with all the R-7 derived launchers.  Then there are the Proton's RD-275 and RD-0210 each with about 2400 and 1200 respectively.

Offline dmc6960

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Re: SpaceX: Merlin 1D Updates and Discussion Thread 3
« Reply #24 on: 04/20/2017 05:50 pm »

The 3rd F1 was when they started using their own turbopump and regen right?

F1 flight 3 used the M1C.  It was the regenerative cooling chambers which caused the stage recontact after separation and thus the launch failure.  They didn't completely (or at all) take into account the thrust tail off with the additional propellent downstream of the valves.

M1B was originally planned with a turbopump upgrade but still ablatively cooled.  M1C incorporated the turbopump upgrade plus regen nozzle.
« Last Edit: 04/20/2017 05:50 pm by dmc6960 »
-Jim

Online FutureSpaceTourist

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Re: SpaceX: Merlin 1D Updates and Discussion Thread 3
« Reply #25 on: 10/06/2017 08:23 pm »
Interesting update:

NASA ASAP notes:

[...]

The Merlin turbine disc improvements have been implemented and are in the middle of testing.  One of the panel members with propulsion experience had a chance to go over it with SpaceX.  Referred to it as a bladed disc (blisc) in a single forging.  It's a complex, state of the art forging.

Offline Norm38

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Re: SpaceX: Merlin 1D Updates and Discussion Thread 3
« Reply #26 on: 10/13/2017 03:12 am »
Would they have ever made that upgrade without reuse and examination of flight engines?

Offline gongora

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Re: SpaceX: Merlin 1D Updates and Discussion Thread 3
« Reply #27 on: 10/13/2017 03:28 am »
Would they have ever made that upgrade without reuse and examination of flight engines?

Yes.  Issues like that are found during testing.  SpaceX just didn't think it was a serious enough problem to warrant a design change until they were made to do so as part of the human rating process.

edit: From GAO report
Quote
During qualification testing in 2015, SpaceX identified cracks in the turbines of its engine.
« Last Edit: 10/13/2017 03:35 am by gongora »

Offline livingjw

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Re: SpaceX: Merlin 1D Updates and Discussion Thread 3
« Reply #28 on: 10/13/2017 05:29 am »
You fly on aircraft with "non-critical" cracks all through them, engines and air frames both.

Offline woods170

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Re: SpaceX: Merlin 1D Updates and Discussion Thread 3
« Reply #29 on: 10/18/2017 09:00 am »
Update on Merlin 1D for crew missions:

- Crew Merlin development testing complete
- Crew Merlin qualification in-work

Offline acsawdey

Re: SpaceX: Merlin 1D Updates and Discussion Thread 3
« Reply #30 on: 10/18/2017 02:48 pm »
On a recent episode of the space show podcast, an interesting anecdote about merlin development was shared ... John Bucknell claimed that at the time (sometime before 2012 when he left spacex) the merlin test program was using all available excess supply of RP-1, the supplier said they had no capacity to produce more.

http://thespaceshow.com/show/10-oct-2017/broadcast-2995-john-bucknell

Offline vaporcobra

Re: SpaceX: Merlin 1D Updates and Discussion Thread 3
« Reply #31 on: 10/18/2017 08:35 pm »
This is an odd one. Looks a lot like a Merlin to me, but the hand for scale on the lower right suggests it's too small, and the odd trailer-esque setup does not look familiar, nor does the giant white sphere thing. Also looks too big to be a BE-3, and the geotag is in Dallas with the suggestion that the poster's "neighbors" are rocket scientists. McGregor is about an hour and a half south of Dallas.

Definitely not SpaceX's. Looks like it's an EXOS Aerospace engine, nice catch! I need to broaden my new space focus :D
« Last Edit: 10/18/2017 10:06 pm by vaporcobra »

Offline guckyfan

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Re: SpaceX: Merlin 1D Updates and Discussion Thread 3
« Reply #32 on: 10/18/2017 08:42 pm »
BFR RCS-thruster? Apologies if totally off.

Offline yokem55

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Re: SpaceX: Merlin 1D Updates and Discussion Thread 3
« Reply #33 on: 10/18/2017 08:58 pm »
This is an odd one. Looks a lot like a Merlin to me, but the hand for scale on the lower right suggests it's too small, and the odd trailer-esque setup does not look familiar, nor does the giant white sphere thing. Also looks too big to be a BE-3, and the geotag is in Dallas with the suggestion that the poster's "neighbors" are rocket scientists. McGregor is about an hour and a half south of Dallas.
Not a Merlin. I don't see a gas generator anywhere.

Offline Gliderflyer

Re: SpaceX: Merlin 1D Updates and Discussion Thread 3
« Reply #34 on: 10/18/2017 08:59 pm »
This is an odd one. Looks a lot like a Merlin to me, but the hand for scale on the lower right suggests it's too small, and the odd trailer-esque setup does not look familiar, nor does the giant white sphere thing. Also looks too big to be a BE-3, and the geotag is in Dallas with the suggestion that the poster's "neighbors" are rocket scientists. McGregor is about an hour and a half south of Dallas.
That is the EXOS Aerospace engine and test stand.
I tried it at home

Offline vaporcobra

Re: SpaceX: Merlin 1D Updates and Discussion Thread 3
« Reply #35 on: 10/18/2017 10:10 pm »
This is an odd one. Looks a lot like a Merlin to me, but the hand for scale on the lower right suggests it's too small, and the odd trailer-esque setup does not look familiar, nor does the giant white sphere thing. Also looks too big to be a BE-3, and the geotag is in Dallas with the suggestion that the poster's "neighbors" are rocket scientists. McGregor is about an hour and a half south of Dallas.
That is the EXOS Aerospace engine and test stand.

Nice catch. I need to follow EXOS more closely :)

Online FutureSpaceTourist

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Re: SpaceX: Merlin 1D Updates and Discussion Thread 3
« Reply #36 on: 11/08/2017 02:20 pm »
Quote
Elon Musk’s SpaceX suffers a rocket-engine failure during testing
By Christian Davenport November 8 at 10:08 AM

SpaceX is investigating why one of its rocket engines exploded during a test fire earlier this week at the company’s facility in Texas, the company confirmed Wednesday.

The explosion of the Merlin engine occurred on Sunday during what the company called a “qualification test.” No one was injured [...]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-switch/wp/2017/11/08/elon-musks-spacex-suffers-a-rocket-engine-failure-during-testing/

Offline ugordan

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Re: SpaceX: Merlin 1D Updates and Discussion Thread 3
« Reply #37 on: 11/08/2017 02:22 pm »
By "qualification test" I guess they mean the M1d turbopump upgrade? Or do they bunch acceptance testing into the same category?

Offline SmallKing

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Re: SpaceX: Merlin 1D Updates and Discussion Thread 3
« Reply #38 on: 11/08/2017 02:26 pm »
Quote
Elon Musk’s SpaceX suffers a rocket-engine failure during testing
By Christian Davenport November 8 at 10:08 AM

SpaceX is investigating why one of its rocket engines exploded during a test fire earlier this week at the company’s facility in Texas, the company confirmed Wednesday.

The explosion of the Merlin engine occurred on Sunday during what the company called a “qualification test.” No one was injured [...]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-switch/wp/2017/11/08/elon-musks-spacex-suffers-a-rocket-engine-failure-during-testing/
How many single Merlin testing pods does they have
Some are bound for happiness, some are bound to glory, some are bound to live with less, who can tell your story?

Offline SmallKing

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Re: SpaceX: Merlin 1D Updates and Discussion Thread 3
« Reply #39 on: 11/08/2017 02:30 pm »
By "qualification test" I guess they mean the M1d turbopump upgrade? Or do they bunch acceptance testing into the same category?
It may delay the schedule of block 5 upgrade, and the daily testing of single Merlin
Some are bound for happiness, some are bound to glory, some are bound to live with less, who can tell your story?

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