Common Extensible Cryogenic Engine

How can a rocket engine that generates 5,000 degree steam and 13,800 pounds of thrust form icicles at the rim of its nozzle? It's cryogenic. The Common Extensible Cryogenic Engine, CECE for short, has completed its third round of intensive testing. This technology development engine is fueled by a mixture of -297 degree Fahrenheit liquid oxygen and -423 Fahrenheit liquid hydrogen.

The engine components are super-cooled to similar low temperatures. As CECE burns its frigid fuels, gas composed of hot steam is produced and propelled out the nozzle creating thrust. The steam is cooled by the cold engine nozzle, condensing and eventually freezing at the nozzle exit to form icicles. Using liquid hydrogen and oxygen in rockets will provide major advantages for landing astronauts on the moon. Hydrogen is very light but enables about 40 percent greater performance (force on the rocket per pound of propellant) than other rocket fuels. Therefore, NASA can use this weight savings to bring a bigger spacecraft with a greater payload to the moon than with the same amount of conventional propellants. CECE is a step forward in NASA's efforts to develop reliable, robust technologies to return to the moon -- and a winter wonder.

-From nasa.gov

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• Common
• Extensible
• Cryogenic
• Engine
• Altair
• Lunar
• lander
• moon
• Constellation
• lunar
• Ares
• Orion
• space
• NASA

[DTHRocket]

"Therefore, NASA can use this weight savings to bring a bigger spacecraft with a greater payload to the moon than with the same amount of conventional propellants."

Uh.... I thought that O2 and H2 WERE conventional propellants! What's new?

[Ronsmytheiii]

@DTHRocket : Lunar landers have not used hydrolox engines, until now only used hypergolics

[RoboTekno]

It creates icicles because when you mix bad ass and awesome, you get super cool.

[HAL11000]

@Membrane556

I'm aware of the developments, thanks. I wouldn't loose any seep over the cancellation of Ares I & V; An even more shuttle derived heavy lift launch vehicle would be better for the agency.

[YodaWhat]

It seems engine start was at atmospheric pressure in a chamber -airtight- except for exhaust duct. As engine runs, supersonic exhaust flow entrains and ejects almost all air in test chamber. Only in vacuum would such a large engine be able to run with such extreme smoothness that long, skinny icicles would not break off instantly. Notice that at engine shutdown, the icicles are blown off violently, but not down exhaust duct; rather they're blown sideways into the test chamber. Ice hits lights!

[ApolloWasReal]

Was this test in a vacuum chamber?

[Eagle1Division2]

I thought they tested these in a vacuum chamber, so shouldn't liquid water have not formed? O.o

Seems kinda odd to test it in a specialized chamber like that but not a vacuum chamber :P

[Eagle1Division2]

@RoboTekno :D

[callmeshane303]

Nooo the bell is COOLED with liquid hydrogen and as the BURNED gases blow past it, they condense of the surface..... hot water vapour meet super cooled engine component = water --> ice --> icicle.

[planetrob555]

@Thesterness I would say no because the nozzles are the trailing piece of the rocked. Any icicles would just fall off into the atmosphere, not hit the rocket or payload.

[JillmanVideo]

They seriously need to get puffer protection on their mikes.

[Thesterness]

In all seriousness, wouldn't the icicles pose a possible debris hazard to the engine or other parts of the spacecraft?

[Zoomer30]

This has to be the oddest engine ever made. Ice forming as it's running and it can go WAY down to 10% thrust. The SSMEs also form ice on the nozzles, but not to the extreme.

[Zoomer30]

Hypergolics are nice but VERY toxic. The RCS jets on Apollo used hypergolics, and the astronauts on Apollo Soyuz almost died when the RCS system was left on and fumes from them were sucked into the capsule.