Scientists of the Perm Tech have created a mathematical model of an installation for underwater launching of space rockets. This method will help to probe the Earth without harm to the environment. The rocket engines will start the engine at a safe distance from its surface. The researchers provided detailed calculations for the first time.
— It has been proposed to launch rockets using hydrostatic pressure for a long time, but scientists have not developed mathematical flight models yet. We analyzed an underwater launch using a setup that accelerates a rocket using the pressure of a water spout,- says Svetlana Shestakova, who is one of the developers, a 5th year student of the Aerospace Engineering Faculty of Perm Tech
Dangerous chemical emissions into the atmosphere from such a start will be reduced due to the fact that the engine will be started at a long distance from the Earth's surface. In addition, the development will reduce the sound pollution of the environment, since the sound during flight will be dumped in the mine.
According to the developers, the underwater rocket launch is cost-efficient: there will be no need to divert the hot gas jet stream from the equipment and provide additional protection. "Cold start" will simplify the design and reduce the size of the missile launcher, as well as increase the payload mass of the rocket.
The mathematical model of Perm scientists made it possible to study the influence of the rocket immersion depth, the magnitude of its load and the diameter of the shaft on the maximum speed of movement. The installation involves a floating platform that keeps the entire structure afloat; launch shaft; a rocket; actuating piston; a pump that pumps out water from a pipe; pump and intake valve. It can work in combination with a straight flow air-breathing , solid and liquid-propellant rocket motor.
— It is assumed that the launch of the rocket will occur due to the pressure of the water column on the starting piston. First, from a mine flooded in a pond, liquid is pumped out through a valve using a pump. A piston will be installed in the pipe cavity, on which a rocket will be placed. When the inlet valve is opened, a stream of water will enter the installation and accelerate the rocket. The craft's engines will start after leaving the mine, at a safe distance from the Earth. To avoid overloads that act on the rocket, we proposed to regulate the water supply, - explains the developer.
The mathematical model showed the possibility of installation with various parameters of the rocket launch. The calculations were made by the developers of Perm Tech using the engineering software Mathcad. Scientists have determined under what conditions the rocket can reach a maximum speed of 155.8 m / s. These parameters were a mine depth of 300 m and a diameter of 1.4 m; the mass of the spacecraft with the piston was 3 thousand kg, and the pressure and temperature of the air in the tube were 1.013 × 105 Pa and 293 K. The rocket builds up speed almost at the moment of leaving the mine in 2.1 seconds.
According to scientists, the model can become part of a project for remote sensing of the Earth from space.