Driving accuracy in space propulsion
Protolaunch uses flowmeters to test critical hardware for ambitious space missions
Protolaunch provides space propulsion expertise to commercial and international space agency partners. The company in Buckinghamshire (UK) has developed two types of rocket engines for spacecraft as well as supporting components, including valves for testing of the Rosalind Franklin Mars lander. On the ground, instrumentation from Endress+Hauser is used to demonstrate the performance of the propulsion systems and components.
Flowmeters are used in rocket propulsion testing
Protolaunch’s propulsion system HILBERT.
The result
Economic use of propellant on spacecraft thanks to ground tests demonstrating that the desired performance can be achieved for Protolaunch’s customers
High-performance flowmeters able to measure different media from water to oxygen/hydrogen and even nitrous oxide
Accurate results with fast response times
Efficient decision-making thanks to helpful tools to select and size instrumentation
Reliable expert support from Endress+Hauser
"Endress+Hauser’s flowmeters work really well and we’ve had a lot of good interactions with the team."
Protolaunch
The customer requirement
When testing the flow of water, oxygen/hydrogen or nitrous oxide, accuracy and response time are crucial. “Our throttling valves are capable of actuating from zero to fully open in less than 100 milliseconds, so we need the flowmeter to respond as quickly as possible,” confirms CTO Dr Jack Coghen-Brewster. “Another key metric for propulsion systems is specific impulse, which is like miles per gallon for a car. Being able to accurately measure propellant delivery rates is critical.”
Our solution
Endress+Hauser was first brought in to supply instrumentation for a water rig, part of the development process to ensure the hardware works before bringing in expensive propellants. Since then, Endress+Hauser flowmeters have been used on many different types of media required for rocket engines. The Proline Promass E 300 Coriolis flowmeter, for example, has been employed to measure mass flow in the nitrous oxide propellant delivery system, and others have been used to measure propellant delivery rates.
Devices used
Proline Promass E 300 for direct measurement of mass flow in the nitrous oxide propellant delivery system
Proline Prowirl F 200 for monitoring propellant delivery rates and in calorimetry applications in conjunction with engine temperature readings to measure total rocket engine heat output
Liquiphant level sensors with high-level and low-level alarms are used in the propellant tanks
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