Wondrous SpaceX's Merlin Rocket engine !!
Ok,
first of all what is Merlin engine?
Merlin engine is a family of rocket engines which is developed by SpaceX and this liquid-propelled rocket engine is used for the falcon propulsion system. The Merlin engine is the only new hydrocarbon engine to be successfully developed and flown in the U.S. in the past 40 years. This engine uses RP-1 as its fuel and liquid oxygen as its oxidizer in a gas generator cycle and this engine was originally designed for sea recovery and reuse. Merlin engine has four versions: Merlin 1A, Merlin 1B, Merlin 1C, and Merlin 1D. Currently, Merlin 1D is active and other versions were retired.
Merlin engine:
Manufacturer: SpaceX
Propellant: Liquid Kerosene(fuel) and Liquid Oxygen(Oxidizer), a.k.a Kerolox
Cycle: Gas generator cycle (a.k.a open cycle)
Merlin 1A:
Thrust (sea level): 325 kNThrust (vacuum): 370 kN
Isp (sea level): 253.7 sec
Isp (vacuum): 288.5 sec
Chamber pressure: 5.39 MPa
Merlin 1B:
Thrust (sea level): 380 kN
Thrust (vacuum): 420 kN
Isp (sea level): 261 sec
Isp (vacuum): 303 sec
Thrust (vacuum): 400kN
Isp (sea level): 264.5 sec
Isp (vacuum): 299.2 sec
Thrust (vacuum): 420 kN
Isp (sea level): 261 sec
Isp (vacuum): 303 sec
Merlin 1C:
Merlin 1Ci:
Thrust (vacuum): 400kN
Isp (sea level): 264.5 sec
Isp (vacuum): 299.2 sec
Chamber pressure: 6.08 MPa
Thrust (sea level): 546 kN
Thrust (vacuum): 617 kN
Isp (sea level): 275 sec
Isp (vaccum): 311 sec
Chamber pressure: 6.77 MPa
Thrust to weight ratio: 96
Merlin 1C:
Thrust (sea level): 423 kN
Thrust (vacuum): 483 kN
Isp (sea level): 267 sec
Isp (vacuum): 304.8 sec
Chamber pressure: 6.14 MPa
Isp (sea level): 267 sec
Isp (vacuum): 304.8 sec
Chamber pressure: 6.14 MPa
Merlin 1C+:
Thrust (vacuum): 617 kN
Isp (sea level): 275 sec
Isp (vaccum): 311 sec
Chamber pressure: 6.77 MPa
Thrust to weight ratio: 96
Merlin Vacuum 1C:
Thrust (vacuum): 411 kN
Isp (vacuum): 342 sec
Chamber pressure: 6.14 MPa
Area expansion ratio: 117
Thrust (vacuum): 742 kN
Isp (sea level): 282 sec
Isp (vacuum): 320 sec
Chamber pressure: 9.72 MPa
Isp (vacuum): 342 sec
Chamber pressure: 6.14 MPa
Area expansion ratio: 117
Merlin 1D:
Merlin 1D:
Thrust (vacuum): 742 kN
Isp (sea level): 282 sec
Isp (vacuum): 320 sec
Chamber pressure: 9.72 MPa
Merlin 1D+:
Thrust (sea level): 845 kN
Thrust (vacuum): 914 kN
Isp (sea level): 288.5 sec
Isp (vacuum): 312 sec
Chamber pressure: 10.8 MPa
Thrust (vacuum): 914 kN
Isp (sea level): 288.5 sec
Isp (vacuum): 312 sec
Chamber pressure: 10.8 MPa
Merlin 1D++:
Thrust (sea level): 903 kN
Thrust (vacuum): 980 kN
Isp (sea level): 290 sec
Isp (vacuum): 314.3 sec
Merlin 1D was originally designed to throttle between 100% and 70% of maximal thrust, however, further refinements since 2013 now allow the engine to throttle to 40%
Thrust to weight ratio: 96
Thrust (vacuum): 980 kN
Isp (sea level): 290 sec
Isp (vacuum): 314.3 sec
Merlin 1D was originally designed to throttle between 100% and 70% of maximal thrust, however, further refinements since 2013 now allow the engine to throttle to 40%
Thrust to weight ratio: 96
Merlin 1DV (vacuum):
Thrust (vacuum): 805 kN
Isp (vacuum): 347 sec
Chamber pressure: 9.72 MPa
Area expansion ratio: 117
Merlin has the highest thrust-weight ratio of any boost engine ever made. Propellants are fed by a single-shaft, dual-impeller turbopump. The turbopumps (for both fuel and oxidizer) used on Merlin engines 1A–1C have the ability to spins at 36,000 RPM, delivering 7,500 kW of power and a fuel-rich gas-generator is used in the merlin engine to power its turbopumps. The regeneratively cooled nozzle and thrust chamber use a milled copper alloy liner that provides large heat flux margins. The injector (which is used for atomizing) which is used in the Merlin engine is pintle type which provides inherent combustion stability (this type of injector first used in the Apollo lunar landing module). This engine uses (except Merlin 1A) TEA-TAB ignition instead of torch ignition. The basic Merlin fuel/oxidizer mixture ratio is controlled by the sizing of the propellant supply tubes, with only a small amount of the total flow trimmed out by a "servo-motor-controlled butterfly valve" to provide fine control of the mixture ratio. The engine debacles can be reduced by eliminating separate subsystems where appropriate, For example, the thrust vector control system of the first stage uses the high-pressure rocket-grade kerosene system instead of using a separate hydraulic fluid and pressurization system. Using fuel as the hydraulic fluid eliminates the failures associated with a separate hydraulic system. The second-stage Merlin Vacuum engine uses a fixed, non-deploying expansion nozzle, eliminating potential failure modes in nozzle extension. Although the likelihood of catastrophic engine failure is low, and failing engines are designed to be shut down prior to a catastrophic failure, each engine is housed within its own metal bay to isolate it from neighboring engines.
Isp (vacuum): 347 sec
Chamber pressure: 9.72 MPa
Area expansion ratio: 117
Merlin 1DV+ (vacuum):
Thrust (vacuum): 934 kN
Isp (vacuum): 348 sec
Chamber pressure: 10.8 MPa
Area expansion ratio: >117
The engine can throttle down to 39% of its maximum thrust or 360 kN
Isp (vacuum): 348 sec
Chamber pressure: 10.8 MPa
Area expansion ratio: >117
The engine can throttle down to 39% of its maximum thrust or 360 kN
Features
of Merlin engine:
Merlin has the highest thrust-weight ratio of any boost engine ever made. Propellants are fed by a single-shaft, dual-impeller turbopump. The turbopumps (for both fuel and oxidizer) used on Merlin engines 1A–1C have the ability to spins at 36,000 RPM, delivering 7,500 kW of power and a fuel-rich gas-generator is used in the merlin engine to power its turbopumps. The regeneratively cooled nozzle and thrust chamber use a milled copper alloy liner that provides large heat flux margins. The injector (which is used for atomizing) which is used in the Merlin engine is pintle type which provides inherent combustion stability (this type of injector first used in the Apollo lunar landing module). This engine uses (except Merlin 1A) TEA-TAB ignition instead of torch ignition. The basic Merlin fuel/oxidizer mixture ratio is controlled by the sizing of the propellant supply tubes, with only a small amount of the total flow trimmed out by a "servo-motor-controlled butterfly valve" to provide fine control of the mixture ratio. The engine debacles can be reduced by eliminating separate subsystems where appropriate, For example, the thrust vector control system of the first stage uses the high-pressure rocket-grade kerosene system instead of using a separate hydraulic fluid and pressurization system. Using fuel as the hydraulic fluid eliminates the failures associated with a separate hydraulic system. The second-stage Merlin Vacuum engine uses a fixed, non-deploying expansion nozzle, eliminating potential failure modes in nozzle extension. Although the likelihood of catastrophic engine failure is low, and failing engines are designed to be shut down prior to a catastrophic failure, each engine is housed within its own metal bay to isolate it from neighboring engines.
Merlin 1D engine firing test video:
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