A rocket engine benefiting from better behavior during its starting stage, the rocket engine (1) including a diverging section (13) and a lashing system (40) configured to hold the diverging section (13) while starting the rocket engine (1), the lashing system (40) comprising: a plurality of radial cables (42) connected at respective first ends to a plurality of points of the diverging section (13), and a peripheral cable (41) connected to the second ends of the radial cables (42) and configured to co-operate with attachment points (43) of a launch platform (3).

Systems and methods for subscale testing of rocket engine injector stability. The system includes a combustion chamber with telescoping throat that is continuously axially moveable via an actuator. A modular injector plate comprises one or more first rocket engine injector elements configured to inject one or more propellants, such as a fuel and an oxidizer, into the chamber. The injector plate and/or the telescoping throat may be continuously translated, to thereby continuously vary a combustion volume of the chamber and create a dynamically tunable downstream boundary. The injectors are thus exposed to acoustic modes of varying frequency, covering the range of acoustic modes expected in a full scale rocket engine. The injector plate is removably attached to an upstream end of the chamber for replacement of the first injectors with different, second injectors for subsequent testing.

Systems and methods for subscale testing of rocket engine injector stability. The system includes a combustion chamber with telescoping throat that is continuously axially moveable via an actuator. A modular injector plate comprises one or more first rocket engine injector elements configured to inject one or more propellants, such as a fuel and an oxidizer, into the chamber. The injector plate and/or the telescoping throat may be continuously translated, to thereby continuously vary a combustion volume of the chamber and create a dynamically tunable downstream boundary. The injectors are thus exposed to acoustic modes of varying frequency, covering the range of acoustic modes expected in a full scale rocket engine. The injector plate is removably attached to an upstream end of the chamber for replacement of the first injectors with different, second injectors for subsequent testing.

An obtaining step for obtaining a measurement of the monitored parameter as measured by a sensor and corresponding to an operating point of the engine, the operating point being defined by at least one regulation parameter of the engine; an estimation step for estimating a value of the monitored parameter for this operating point on the basis of a regulated value or a filtered setpoint value of the at least one regulation parameter of the engine defining the operating point; a comparison step for comparing an error between the measurement of the monitored parameter and its estimate relative to at least one threshold determined on the basis of an uncertainty on the error evaluated for the operating point; and a notification step for sending a notification in the event of the at least one threshold being crossed.

An obtaining step for obtaining a measurement of the monitored parameter as measured by a sensor and corresponding to an operating point of the engine, the operating point being defined by at least one regulation parameter of the engine; an estimation step for estimating a value of the monitored parameter for this operating point on the basis of a regulated value or a filtered setpoint value of the at least one regulation parameter of the engine defining the operating point; a comparison step for comparing an error between the measurement of the monitored parameter and its estimate relative to at least one threshold determined on the basis of an uncertainty on the error evaluated for the operating point; and a notification step for sending a notification in the event of the at least one threshold being crossed.

A rocket engine system including a coolant source containing a coolant fuel. The coolant source for providing the coolant fuel to a first surface of a wall partially defining a combustion chamber of a rocket engine, and the coolant fuel provides film cooling of the first surface of the wall. An oxidizer source for providing an oxidizer to a second surface of the wall. A monitor configured to control flow of the coolant fuel and the oxidizer, and to ensure that a stoichiometry of a combination of the coolant fuel and the oxidizer, after the coolant fuel has completed the film cooling of the first surface of the wall, is appropriate for generating a combustion of the combination of the coolant fuel and the oxidizer.

A rocket engine system including a coolant source containing a coolant fuel. The coolant source for providing the coolant fuel to a first surface of a wall partially defining a combustion chamber of a rocket engine, and the coolant fuel provides film cooling of the first surface of the wall. An oxidizer source for providing an oxidizer to a second surface of the wall. A monitor configured to control flow of the coolant fuel and the oxidizer, and to ensure that a stoichiometry of a combination of the coolant fuel and the oxidizer, after the coolant fuel has completed the film cooling of the first surface of the wall, is appropriate for generating a combustion of the combination of the coolant fuel and the oxidizer.

A technical test method for evaluating at least one operating parameter of a device over a sequence of a plurality of operating stages, each stage corresponding to a stable value of at least one operating setpoint of the device. The method including at least sampling values of the at least one operating parameter over time, filtering the sampled values in order to obtain a filtered signal for each operating parameter, calculating the variance of the sampled values for each operating parameter in a sampling window during the operating stage, calculating the absolute value of the time derivative of the filtered signal for each operating parameter, and changing the value of the at least one operating setpoint when, for each operating parameter, the variance of the sampled values and the absolute value of the time derivative of the filtered signal are less than respective predetermined lower thresholds.

A technical test method for evaluating at least one operating parameter of a device over a sequence of a plurality of operating stages, each stage corresponding to a stable value of at least one operating setpoint of the device. The method including at least sampling values of the at least one operating parameter over time, filtering the sampled values in order to obtain a filtered signal for each operating parameter, calculating the variance of the sampled values for each operating parameter in a sampling window during the operating stage, calculating the absolute value of the time derivative of the filtered signal for each operating parameter, and changing the value of the at least one operating setpoint when, for each operating parameter, the variance of the sampled values and the absolute value of the time derivative of the filtered signal are less than respective predetermined lower thresholds.

A method of controlling the pressure (PGC) and a mixture ratio of a rocket engine from a pressure setpoint (PGCc) and from a mixture ratio setpoint (RMc), the method comprising regulation delivering control signals for two control valves (VR1, VR2) of said engine, the regulation using a pressure feedback loop. The method further comprises determining an estimated value for the mixture ratio (RMe) used by said regulation, the estimated value for the mixture ratio being obtained by a model that delivers mixture ratio values as estimated from at least one of the two control valve control signals and/or from the measured pressure.

The invention also provides a control device.