Vulcain (rocket engine)

The Vulcain rocket engine is named in French for Vulcan, the ancient Roman god of fire. Its development, carried out by a European partnership, began in 1988 with the Ariane 5 rocket program.{{Cite web |title=Vulcain – Summary |url=http://www.spaceandtech.com/spacedata/engines/vulcain_sum.shtml |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120208094728/http://www.spaceandtech.com/spacedata/engines/vulcain_sum.shtml |archive-date=2012-02-08 |access-date=2006-12-16 |publisher=SPACEandTECH}} It first flew in 1996 powering the ill-fated flight 501 without being the cause of the disaster, and had its first successful flight in 1997 (flight 502).

In 2002 the upgraded Vulcain 2 with 20% more thrust{{Cite web |date=2005-04-05 |title=Vulcain 2 engine now in full production |url=http://www.esa.int/esaCP/SEMF9DLY17E_Benefits_0.html |access-date=2006-12-16 |publisher=European Space Agency}} first flew on flight 157, although a problem with the engine turned the flight into a failure.{{Cite web |date=2005-11-29 |title=Ariane 5 Data Sheet |url=http://www.spacelaunchreport.com/ariane5.html |access-date=2006-12-15 |publisher=Space Launch Report}} The cause was due to flight loads being much higher than expected, as the inquiry board concluded.{{Cite web |last=L. Winterfeldt |last2=B. Laumert |last3=R. Tano |last4=P. James |last5=F. Geneau |last6=R. Blasi |last7=G. Hagemann |name-list-style=amp |date=2005-07-10 |title=Redesign of the Vulcain 2 Nozzle Extension |url=http://www.volvoaero.com/sitecollectiondocuments/vac/new%20site/documents/vulcain2redesign.pdf |access-date=2012-07-04 |publisher=American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics}} Subsequently, the nozzle was redesigned to include mechanical reinforcement of the structure and improvement of the thermal situation of the tube wall through enhancing hydrogen coolant flow as well as applying a thermal barrier coating to the flame-facing side of the coolant tubes. The first successful flight of the (partially redesigned) Vulcain 2 occurred in 2005 on flight 521.

On 17 June 2007 Volvo Aero announced that in spring of 2008 it expected to hot-fire test a Vulcain 2 nozzle manufactured with a new "sandwich" technology.{{Cite press release |title=Volvo Aero's sandwich space technology passes important milestone |date=June 17, 2007 |publisher=Volvo Aero |url=http://www.volvoaero.com/volvoaero/global/en-gb/newsmedia/press_releases/2007/_layouts/CWP.Internet.VolvoCom/NewsItem.aspx?News.ItemId=24716&News.Language=en-gb |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110717231309/http://www.volvoaero.com/volvoaero/global/en-gb/newsmedia/press_releases/2007/_layouts/CWP.Internet.VolvoCom/NewsItem.aspx?News.ItemId=24716&News.Language=en-gb |archive-date=July 17, 2011}}

The development of the future version for Ariane 6, Vulcain 2.1, began in 2014. First flight-configuration engine nozzle was delivered in June 2017, reducing parts count by 90%, cost by 40% and production time by 30% comparing to the engine nozzle of Vulcain 2.{{Cite press release |title=GKN delivers revolutionary Ariane 6 Nozzle to Airbus Safran Launchers |date=20 June 2017 |publisher=GKN Aerospace |url=http://www.gkn.com/en/newsroom/news-releases/aerospace/2017/gkn-delivers-revolutionary-ariane-6-nozzle-to-airbus-safran-launchers/ |access-date=28 Nov 2023 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171030125748/http://www.gkn.com:80/en/newsroom/news-releases/aerospace/2017/gkn-delivers-revolutionary-ariane-6-nozzle-to-airbus-safran-launchers/ |archive-date=Oct 30, 2017}} The first launch of Vulcain 2.1 took place on 9 July 2024.

The Vulcain is a gas-generator cycle rocket engine fed with cryogenic liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen. It features regenerative cooling through a tube wall design, and the Vulcain 2 introduced a particular film cooling for the lower part of the nozzle, where exhaust gas from the turbine is re-injected in the engine. It powers the first stage of the Ariane 5 launcher, the EPC (Étage Principal Cryotechnique, main cryogenic stage) and provide 8% of the total lift-off thrust{{Cite web |date=2005-11-29 |title=ESA – Launch Vehicles – Vulcain Engine |url=http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/Launchers_Access_to_Space/ASELVQI4HNC_0.html |access-date=2006-12-16 |publisher=European Space Agency}} (the rest being provided by the two solid rocket boosters). The engine operating time is 600 s in both configurations.{{Cite web |title=Volvo Aero: Vulcain – characteristics |url=http://www.volvoaero.com/volvoaero/global/en-gb/products/Space%20propulsion/space_experience/Pages/vulcain.aspx |access-date=2007-05-12 |publisher=Volvo Aero}} 3 m tall and 1.76 m in diameter, the engine weighs 1686 kg and provides 137 t of thrust in its latest version.{{Cite web |title=ESA – Launch Vehicles – Ariane 5 ECA |url=http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/Launchers_Access_to_Space/SEM0LR2PGQD_0.html |access-date=2006-12-16 |publisher=European Space Agency}} The oxygen turbopump rotates at 13600 rpm with a power of 3 MW while the hydrogen turbopump rotates at 34000 rpm with 12 MW of power. The total mass flow rate is 235 kg/s, of which 41.2 kg/s are of hydrogen.

The main contractor for the Vulcain engines is Snecma Moteurs (France), which also provides the liquid hydrogen turbopump. The liquid oxygen turbopump is the responsibility of Avio (Italy), and the gas turbines that power the turbopumps and the nozzle are developed by GKN (Formerly Volvo) (Sweden).

• Comparison of orbital rocket engines
• Spacecraft propulsion
• Timeline of hydrogen technologies

• RS-68
• J-2X
• RS-25 (SSME)
• RD-0120

{{Reflist|30em}}

{{Commons category|Vulcain (rocket engine)|Vulcain}}

• [http://www.arianespace.com/launch-services-ariane5/ariane-5-intro.asp Arianespace – Ariane 5: Cryogenic Main Stage and Solid Boosters]
• [http://www.le-webmag.com/article.php3?id_article=120&lang=en Ariane 5 ECA and Snecma – Snecma Moteurs: Vulcain 2 engine proves its mettle]
• {{Cite web |title=LH2 Turbine (Vulcain and Vulcain 2 engines) |url=http://www.volvoaero.com/sitecollectiondocuments/vac/new%20site/documents/lh2turbine2005.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110322154648/http://www.volvoaero.com/SiteCollectionDocuments/VAC/new%20site/documents/LH2Turbine2005.pdf |archive-date=22 March 2011}} – Volvo Aero
• {{Cite web |title=LOX Turbine (Vulcain and Vulcain 2 engines) |url=http://www.volvoaero.com/sitecollectiondocuments/vac/new%20site/documents/loxturbine2005.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110101020913/http://www.volvoaero.com/SiteCollectionDocuments/VAC/new%20site/documents/LOXTurbine2005.pdf |archive-date=1 January 2011}} – Volvo Aero
• {{Cite web |title=Development of the turbines for the Vulcain 2 turbopumps |url=http://www.volvo.com/NR/rdonlyres/F86D8008-7DF6-44D6-A793-FCE84A6AAB14/0/turbopumpV2paper.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070930023845/http://www.volvo.com/NR/rdonlyres/F86D8008-7DF6-44D6-A793-FCE84A6AAB14/0/turbopumpV2paper.pdf |archive-date=2007-09-30}} – Volvo Aero
• {{Cite web |title=High cycle fatigue of Vulcain 2 LOx turbine blades |url=http://www.volvo.com/NR/rdonlyres/4143AA81-C579-49CC-AA70-423383079F6E/0/high_cycle_fatigue.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927203041/http://www.volvo.com/NR/rdonlyres/4143AA81-C579-49CC-AA70-423383079F6E/0/high_cycle_fatigue.pdf |archive-date=2007-09-27}} – Volvo Aero
• {{Cite web |title=An efficient concept design process |url=http://www.volvo.com/NR/rdonlyres/B3CA4D80-23E1-4B66-A76E-E3AA1CEA53E1/0/conceptdesignprocess.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927203327/http://www.volvo.com/NR/rdonlyres/B3CA4D80-23E1-4B66-A76E-E3AA1CEA53E1/0/conceptdesignprocess.pdf |archive-date=2007-09-27}} – Volvo Aero
• {{Cite web |title=Vulcain 2 nozzle |url=http://www.volvoaero.com/sitecollectiondocuments/vac/new%20site/documents/vulcain2_2005.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110322154809/http://www.volvoaero.com/SiteCollectionDocuments/VAC/new%20site/documents/Vulcain2redesign.pdf |archive-date=22 March 2011}} – Volvo Aero

• [http://www.classic.eads.net/1024/fr/pressdb/archiv/2004/2004/fr_20040510_cc_ariane5.html EADS N.V. – EADS welcomes contract signature for 30 Ariane 5 launchers at ILA 2004 in Berlin]{{Dead link|date=August 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}
• [http://www.classic.eads.net/1024/en/pressdb/archiv/2004/2004/en_20040510_sp_as_ariane5.html Three billion Euros contract for 30 Ariane 5 launchers – EADS Astrium]

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Category:European Space Agency

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Category:Rocket engines using the gas-generator cycle