Ice Forming From a 5,000-Degree Fahrenheit Rocket Flame
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Description:
NASA’s new Common Extensible Cryogenic Engine for the lunar lander gets icicles on its rim while burning at 5,000 degrees Fahrenheit.
The CECE is fueled by liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen. All the engine components are super-cooled, so when vapor comes out of the burning of the oxygen and the hydrogen and touches the rim of the cryogenic engine, it transforms into ice instantly.
The engine architecture allows it to smoothly throttle from top power levels—it was tested up to 108 percent—down to very-low power: 8 percent, which apparently is a new record in these kind of engines. Its performance allows it to smoothly land on the Moon while carrying a bigger load.
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There’s no such thing as 108% unless you are talking ratios. You can’t make an athlete or an engine run at 108% omggggg justttt dieeee stop the tormenttttt.
I’m pretty sure they’re referring to 108% of the required thrust. Meaning they tested at levels beyond what is required for the lunar lander to achieve escape velocity and return home from the moon.
100% in Aeronautics is refering to the maximum level that the engine can sustain a certain power. To go above that means that the engine will suffer damage if the power level is maintained.
OMG you have no idea.
NASA just cranked it up to 11!
Very cool! I have seen the same thing happen with propane coming out of pipes. To be specific, I have seen this happen at a fireman practice burn.
maybe 8% over recommended specs, for testing equipment sometime the equipment is pushed past it’s engineered limits,. this is a good idea when your 250 k miles away from home
Les is right, most rocket engines can, and do, run well above their engineering limits. The shuttle, for example, will run at 114% of its nominal thrust at liftoff.
Do we know the general propriety of this «ice» thing that leak and crystallize out the big pipe?
Can it be more solid if it’s more hot?
Can we engineer something with this strange material?
What’s the conductivity…
The ice holds a temperature below 0ËšC.
I’ll explain it for those who doesn’t understand why. Everything in that room is super cooled. The rocket flame is moved away from the test chamber and out of the facility through a PRETTY sturdy “ventilation” system. This creates a vacuum, and cold air is sucked along with the rocket exhausts. Therefore, the rim of the CECE is quite cold.