Cryogenic rocket engine thrust chamber test facility

A unique facility viz Thrust Chamber Test facility has been established at Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre, Mahendragiri for performing static firing test for development of cryogenic rocket engine's thrust chamber in pressure-fed mode. This facility has capability to feed cryogenic propellants viz liquid Oxygen and liquid Hydrogen at pressure as high as 20 MPa at the required temperature and flow rate. Due to complex requirements, several technical challenges were encountered such as regulated chill-down for controlling thermal stress of heavy-walled vessels, pipe bends for thermal compensation with floating suspension, chill-down of transfer piping system at variable flow rates to compromise between thermal stress and bowing effect and pilot plug design for isolation and control valves. The facility has been realized and successfully commissioned in three phases viz first phase with inert fluids at atmospheric temperature, second phase with inert cryogenic fluids and final phase with actual cryogenic fluids.