Centaur G/G Prime High Energy Upper Stage

[Notebook]

Don't know if it might help, this is a photo of a heat-exchanger on Blue Streak engine:
http://s89.photobucket.com/albums/k207/Notebook_04/Heat Exchanger/?action=view&current=img018a.jpg

It just articulated on one axis, it was pointing inboard at lift-off, then swung outboard at altitude.

Here it is on an engine schematic:
http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k207/Notebook_04/Heat Exchanger/PropBayCutAway.jpg

N.

 

[Urwumpe]

Could you mark on the rotation system drawing where you think the different rotation joints are located?

 

[DaveS]

This is what I currently have. Everything modeled after the side and aft images found in the Centaur G Prime Technical Description document.

Legend for the bottom image:

• Light blue is LH2 fill/drain/dump
• Dark blue is GH2 ground vent
• Turqoise is GH2 in-flight vent

---------- Post added 06-23-12 at 08:59 PM ---------- Previous post was 06-22-12 at 09:15 PM ----------

Here's today's work. Finished up the fill/drain ducts as well as the Centaur Support Structure (CSS) Side Panels. The CSS is the actual 2124 T851 Aluminium alloy structure. I'm almost done with the H2 duct work, just need to add the GH2 articulated duct and properly connect the in-flight vent.

A question: Should I connect the in-flight vent were it originally was (near the exhaust ports for APUs 1/2) or should I run it up through the vertical stabilizer as per the later proposal to deal with accidental H2 ignition?

 

[Urwumpe]

The later proposal sounds more like it would have been realized. A massive LH2 dump near the APU exhaust port is not what NASA would have permitted.

 

[DaveS]

Everything except the final in-flight GH2 venting duct work is now complete!

---------- Post added 06-25-12 at 12:42 AM ---------- Previous post was 06-24-12 at 02:04 AM ----------

Here's some notes I have made on the cryo system on the Centaur G Prime:

*Prelaunch GH2 venting is through the port Midbody T0 panel
*On-orbit GH2 venting is through the port LH2 dump port
*Ascent GH2 venting is through the GH2 vent port on starboard side of vertical tail
*LH2 F/D is through the port Midbody T0 panel

*Prelaunch and on-orbit GOX venting is through the starboard LOX dump port
*LOX F/D is through the Orbiter MPS Aft compartment plumbing

---------- Post added at 08:08 PM ---------- Previous post was at 12:42 AM ----------

Oxygen ducts now done as well the Helium spheres. Only things left are the rotation mechanisms and the CISS AC duct.

---------- Post added 06-26-12 at 02:32 AM ---------- Previous post was 06-25-12 at 08:08 PM ----------

And here's the pretty much done CISS. Now only some final tweaks on the Centaur remain and then it is waiting on the orbiter.

 

[DaveS]

Checked in the latest Centaur G Prime meshes and textures. I also removed the old Centaur G CISS and stage meshes as they're outdated. Once we have the G Prime version working, I'll start working on the shorter G version.

 

[DaveS]

After a bit of trial and error in AC3D, here's the animation data for the propellant ducts on the CISS:

LH2/LOX duct segment 1: 
Rotation angle: 22.5
Rotation point: 1.58, -0.66, -2.17

LH2/LOX duct segment 2:
Rotation angle: 13
Rotation point: 1.58, 0.66, -2.71

LH2/LOX duct segment 3:
Rotation angle: 5.3
Rotation point: 1.58, 1.08, -2.15

GH2/GOX duct segment 1:
Rotation angle: 22.5
Rotation point: 1.58, -0.47, -2.12

GH2/GOX duct segment 2:
Rotation angle: 15.0
Rotation point: 1.58, 0.45, -2.66

GH2/GOX duct segment 3:
Rotation angle: 7.4
Rotation point: 1.58, 0.95, -2.01

 

[DaveS]

I'm trying to get the CISS proofed using GenericVessel and so far everything is good except for the CISS Deployment Adapter cranks and links. Any suggestions on how to set them up in a proper animation?

Edit:
Only information I have says that the cranks rotate counterclockwise. There's nothing on how the links move.

 

[DaveS]

Found this interesting document on NTRS: Centaur operations at the space station

 

[Urwumpe]

Could make some nice missions, but currently we don't even have all the subsystems implemented used just in the ALT tests. We must stay focussed on the basics...and then have fun with it.

 

[Graham2001]

Found an unflown payload on the NTRS that was designed to interface with the Centaur fuel dump system while being transported aboard the shuttle.

Space Station Experiment Definition: Long-Term Cryogenic Fluid Storage

 

[DaveS]

Found an unflown payload on the NTRS that was designed to interface with the Centaur fuel dump system while being transported aboard the shuttle.

Space Station Experiment Definition: Long-Term Cryogenic Fluid Storage

Thanks:thumbup:! Page 204 nicely shows the planned(?) Centaur-related plumbing inside the aft engine compartment, something I have been looking for.

Keep up the good work!

 

[DaveS]

Been working on finishing up the Centaur G Prime. Since all the mesh stuff is pretty much done, the work has focused on the textures:

 

[Donamy]

Love that Dx9

 

[DaveS]

I just came across this nice film uploaded by the San Diego Air and Space Museum on the Shuttle Centaur:

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=akHKvR-qiws"]Shuttle/Centaur Documentary Building 5 08/00/85 HACL Film 00297 - YouTube[/ame]

 

[DaveS]

GLS, if you're done with the MPS and the other stuff, how about starting on the S/C stuff?

 

[GLS]

GLS, if you're done with the MPS and the other stuff, how about starting on the S/C stuff?

Yeah, I had that in mind, as well as making a branch to do improve the OMS/RCS simulation, but to me it's very obvious that we need to solve the "vehicle configuration" problem before anything else. So for now both those things will have to wait a bit more (and I only have 2 weeks at best before classes start eating up all of my time ).
(in a few minutes I'll post in the other thread about the config stuff)

 

[DaveS]

This photo shows the port midbody sidewall modification kit applied to OV-104 during her OPF stay after returning to KSC after landing at EDW following STS-61B in November 1985.

The photo was taken during her October/November 1986 stay at Pad B to checkout the Orbiter Weather Protection (OWP) system as well as take part in launch team exercises.

The arrows point to the Centaur Mod Kit areas. The bottom photo shows the same area of OV-104 taken during her overland transport from Palmdale to EDW to be mated to SCA905 for the delivery ferry flight to KSC.

 

[GLS]

I see the point you're making, but the 2 lines were there already, and the 2 panels (only know the big one) are on all OVs after Columbia, but are not visible because of a cover. Don't know what's under the cover, but the cover is on all of them.
About when Atlantis had the mods made, I've read all along that it came with them already from Palmdale, and that Challenger (and Discovery) had the mods made at KSC.

Edit: The panel is on all OVs because that's the place where the OMS Kit would be filled.

 

[DaveS]

I see the point you're making, but the 2 lines were there already, and the 2 panels (only know the big one) are on all OVs after Columbia, but are not visible because of a cover. Don't know what's under the cover, but the cover is on all of them.
About when Atlantis had the mods made, I've read all along that it came with them already from Palmdale, and that Challenger (and Discovery) had the mods made at KSC.

Edit: The panel is on all OVs because that's the place where the OMS Kit would be filled.

Actually, only Atlantis had the full Centaur Mod Kit installed. Challenger was at the time of 51L configured just like Atlantis was at the time of her KSC delivery, only the RBUS carrier plate feet cavities added.

The other aspects of the Mod Kit (Midbody sidewall penetrations as well as the 1307 bulkhead penetrations) had not yet been added. That was scheduled for the OPF processing after 51L.

Discovery never had any Centaur mods done as she was going west to Vandenberg AFB where there was no support for Centaur (no Centaur servicing GSE at all at the pad).

Only Atlantis and Challenger ever had any support for Centaur and that that was at KSC.