On April 15, the official website of India's national space agency, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), announced a new breakthrough in rocket engine technology, with ISRO successfully developing a lightweight Carbon Fiber Reinforced Carbon Composite (Carbon-Carbon/C-C) Nozzle.
This technological innovation done by Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) is expected to increase the payload capacity of the launch vehicle by improving important parameters of the rocket engine including thrust level, specific impulse and thrust-to-weight ratio.
VSSC continues to expand its pioneering work in space research by utilizing advanced materials such as carbon-carbon (C-C) composites to create a nozzle disperser with exceptional properties. By utilizing processes such as carbonization, chemical vapor-phase infiltration and high-temperature treatment of green composites, it has produced a nozzle with low density, high specific strength and excellent stiffness that maintains excellent mechanical properties even at high temperatures.
A key feature of the C-C composite nozzle is its special silicon carbide oxidation-resistant coating, which extends its service limit in oxidizing environments. This innovation not only reduces thermal stress, but also enhances corrosion resistance, allowing for extended operating temperature limits in harsh environments.
The potential impact of this technological breakthrough is enormous, especially for the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV), ISRO's workhorse launcher.The PS4 is the fourth stage of the PSLV, which is currently powered by twin engines with nozzles made of Columbium alloy; however, by replacing these metal nozzles with C-C composite nozzles, a weight reduction of approximately 67% can be realized. This substitution is expected to increase the payload capacity of the PSLV by 15 kilograms, a significant increase for space missions.
The successful testing of the C-C composite nozzle marks a new major milestone in ISRO's research in this area.A 60-second thermal test was conducted in the High-Altitude Test (HAT) setup at the ISRO Propulsion Complex (IPRC) in Mahendragiri on 19 March 2024 to confirm the performance and hardware integrity of the system. Test (HAT) unit at the ISRO Propulsion Complex (IPRC) in Mahendragiri, where a 60-second thermal test was conducted to confirm the performance and hardware integrity of the system. Subsequent tests, including a 200-second thermal test on April 2, 2024, further validated the nozzle's performance, reaching a temperature of 1,216 K, as predicted.
The Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC) at Valiamala was involved in designing and conducting the experimental tests, and the IPRC at Mahendragiri provided the test instrumentation and execution of the tests at its HAT facility.
About Indian Space Research Organization ISRO
The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) is India's national space agency, which is a major component of the Department of Space (DOS) of the Government of India. The department implements the Indian space program primarily through various centers or units within ISRO.
ISRO, formerly known as the Indian National Committee for Space Research (INCOSPAR), was established by the Government of India in 1962, and the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) was established on August 15, 1969, replacing INCOSPAR, to play a greater role in the utilization of space technology. In 1972, DOS was established and ISRO came under the DOS division.The main objective of ISRO/DOS is to develop and apply space technology to meet the various needs of nations.
ISRO is headquartered in Bangalore and its activities are spread over various centers and units. The launch vehicle is built at the VikramSarabhai Space Center in Thiruvananthapuram; satellites are designed and developed at the U R Rao Satellite Center (URSC) in Bangalore; integration and launch of satellites and launch vehicles are carried out at the Satish Dhawan Space Center (SDSC) in Sriharikota; the development of the liquid stages, including cryogenic stages, is carried out at the Liquid Propulsion System Center (LPSC) in Valliamala and Bangalore; the sensors for communication and remote sensing satellites and the applications of space technology are carried out at the Ahmedabad The development of liquid stages (including cryogenic stages) is carried out at the Liquid Propulsion Systems Center (LPSC) at Valliamala and Bangalore; sensors for communication and remote sensing satellites and applications of space technology are handled by the Space Applications Center (SAC) at Ahmedabad, and reception, processing and dissemination of data from remote sensing satellites are handled by the National Remote Sensing Center (NRSC) at Hyderabad.
