METHOD OF DETERMINING THRUST VECTOR OF ROCKET ENGINE WITH TESTING AND DEVICE FOR DETERMINING LATERAL COMPONENTS OF THRUST VECTOR Russian patent published in 2009 - IPC G01L5/00 

FIELD: physics, testing.

SUBSTANCE: invention relates to the field of ground testing of space technology and can be used during testing of rocket engines of different types, especially, electro-jet engines and propulsion devices based on them. Method consists of the following: engine is mounted on the testing stand on a fixed base. Additionally the target is mounted on the axis of the engine being tested. Target is acted upon by a jet blast for a particular period of time to obtain on the surface of the target area, where under the action of the particles of the jet blast dissipation (dispersion) of the target's material takes place. Measurement is carried of coordinates of not less than three points, which do not belong to one straight line, laying on the changed part of the target in the coordinate system, whose centre lies on an axis of the engine being tested. By the results of mathematical processing the specified coordinates find the position of the centre of pressure of the jet blast on the target and determine the direction of the thrust vector as the direction of the vector, whose beginning is located at the centre of the exhaust nozzle exit of the engine, and at last - in the obtained centre of pressure of the jet blast. After that the lateral thrust vector components are calculated from the obtained value of the main component and the obtained direction of the thrust vector using well-known formulas of analytical geometry. Device contains a rigid basic frame, at one end of which the rocket engine being tested is mounted, and opposite the exhaust nozzle exit the spattering target is placed. Surface of the target exposed to the exhaust nozzle exit perpendicularly to the axis of the engine being tested. Target can be changed with a similar one. Apart from this, the surface of the target is covered with a coating or unevenness, which is destroyed under the action of the jet blast.

EFFECT: simplification of the process of testing, and also elimination of errors during the measurement of the lateral thrust vector components.

4 cl, 5 dwg