METHOD OF HEAT AND VACUUM TESTS OF THERMOCATALYTIC ENGINES WITHIN SPACECRAFT Russian patent published in 2015 - IPC F02K9/96 G01M15/14 

FIELD: testing equipment.

SUBSTANCE: under heat and vacuum tests of thermocatalytic engines within a spacecraft a tight plug is installed onto a chamber of thermocatalytic decomposition of a working medium with a nozzle, a manifold of an interblock pipeline via an inspection neck and a process manifold are communicated with a bench vacuumising facility, a pressure and vacuum gage and a gas station, between which a valve is installed. Upon completion of the spacecraft testing stage with the open cover of the vacuum chamber, they connect circuits of the engine heater to the control unit. After installation of the vacuum chamber cover they pump the vacuum chamber, control generation of information by a control unit according to the fact of closure of pressure alarm contacts, close the valve and vacuumise the manifold of the interblock pipeline to the pressure level that is below the pressure of pressure alarm contacts opening. Commands are sent to switch on the engine valves, information generation by the control unit is monitored by the facts of power supply source connection to appropriate valves and opening of pressure alarm contacts. Commands are sent to switch on the engine heater, information generation by the control unit is monitored according to the facts of connection of the engine heater power supply source, operation of a thermocouple and engine heater is inspected using monitoring of temperature variation rate, corresponding to connection of the engine heater. The engine heater is disconnected, and the pause is maintained to cool down the engine. Vacuumising of the interblock pipeline manifold is completed, the valve is opened, and process gas is supplied from the gas station into the manifold of the interblock pipeline under pressure sufficient to close contacts of the pressure alarm. Then information generation by the control unit is monitored by the fact of closure of the pressure alarm contacts. Commands are sent to disconnect the engine valves, and telemetering information is monitored, which is formed by the control unit by the fact of disconnection of the power supply source of appropriate valves.

EFFECT: invention makes it possible to simplify a scheme of tests for thermocatalytic engines and to reduce their duration.

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