Driving accuracy in space propulsion
Protolaunch delivers critical hardware for ambitious space missions
Protolaunch was founded in 2019 to provide space propulsion expertise to commercial and international space agency partners. The company has developed two types of rocket engines for spacecraft as well as supporting components, including valves for testing of the Rosalind Franklin Mars lander. On the ground, instrumentation from Endress+Hauser is used to demonstrate the performance of the propulsion systems and components.
The benefits
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Ground tests demonstrate that the desired performance can be achieved for Protolaunch’s customers
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Flowmeters can measure different media from water to oxygen/hydrogen and even nitrous oxide
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Accurate results with fast response times
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Tools to select and size instrumentation
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Expert support from Endress+Hauser
“Endress+Hauser’s flowmeters work really well and we’ve had a lot of good interactions with the team.”
Protolaunch
The challenge
When testing the flow of water, oxygen/hydrogen or nitrous oxide, accuracy and response time are crucial. “Our throttling valves are capable of actuating from zero to fully open in less than 100 milliseconds, so we need the flowmeter to respond as quickly as possible,” confirms CTO Dr Jack Coghen-Brewster. “Another key metric for propulsion systems is specific impulse, which is like miles per gallon for a car. Being able to accurately measure propellant delivery rates is critical.”
The solution
Endress+Hauser was first brought in to supply instrumentation for a water rig, part of the development process to ensure the hardware works before bringing in expensive propellants. Since then, Endress+Hauser flowmeters have been used on many different types of media required for rocket engines. The Promass E 300 Coriolis meter, for example, has been employed to measure mass flow in the nitrous oxide propellant delivery system, and others have been used to measure propellant delivery rates.
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