TR-201

TR-201

Country of origin	United States
Date	1972-1988
Manufacturer	TRW
Application	Upper stage/Spacecraft propulsion
Predecessor	LMDE
Status	Retired
Liquid-fuel engine
Propellant	N2O4 / Aerozine 50
Cycle	Pressure-fed cycle
Configuration
Chamber	1
Performance
Thrust, vacuum	41.90 kN (9,419 lbf)
Thrust-to-weight ratio	31.4338235294118
Chamber pressure	7.00 bar
Specific impulse, vacuum	301 s (3,050 N•s/kg)
Dimensions
Length	2.27 m (7.44 ft)
Diameter	1.38 m (4.52 ft)
Dry mass	113 kg (249 lb)
Used in
Delta P, second stage

The TR-201 or TR201 is a hypergolic pressure-fed rocket engine. It was used to propel the upper stage of the Delta rocket from 1972 to 1988. The rocket engine uses Aerozine 50 as a propellent, and N2O4 as the oxidizer. It was developed in early 1970s by TRW as a derivative of the Lunar Module Descent Engine (LMDE). This engine used a pintle injector first developed by TRW in late 1950s and received US Patent in 1972. This injector technology and design is also used on SpaceX Merlin engines.

“TRW TR-201 Bipropellant Rocket Engine. The thrust chamber was initially developed for the Apollo Lunar Module and was subsequently adopted for the Delta Expendable Launch Vehicle 2nd stage. The engine made 10 flights during the Apollo program and 77 during its Delta career between 1974-1988. The TRW TR-201 was re-configured as a fixed thrust version of the Lunar Module Descent Engine (LMDE) for Delta's stage 2. Multi start operation is adjustable up to 55.6 kN and propellant throughput up to 7,711 kg; and the engine can be adapted to optional expansion ratio nozzles. Development of the innovative thrust chamber and pintle design is credited to TRW Aerospace Engineer Dr. Peter Staudhammer.

The combustion chamber consists of an ablative-lined titanium alloy case to the 16:1 area ratio. Fabrication of the 6A1-4V alloy titanium case was accomplished by machining the chamber portion and the exit cone portion from forgings and welding them into one unit at the throat centerline. The ablative liner is fabricated in two segments and installed from either end. The shape of the nozzle extension is such that the ablative liner is retained in the exit cone during transportation, launch and boost. During engine firing, thrust loads force the exit cone liner against the case. The titanium head end assembly which contains the Pintle Injector and propellant valve subcomponents is attached with thirty-six A-286 steel ¼ inch bolts.

In order to keep the maximum operating temperatures of the titanium case in the vicinity of 800 degrees (F), the ablative liner was designed as a composite material providing the maximum heat sink and minimum weight. The selected configuration consisted of a high density, erosion-resistant silica cloth/phenolic material surrounded by a lightweight needle-felted silica mat/phenolic insulation.

The installed Pintle Injector, unique to TRW designed liquid propulsion systems, provides improved reliability and less costly method of fuel oxidizer impingement in the thrust chamber then conventional coaxial distributed-element injectors typically used on liquid bipropellant rocket engines.

Number flown: 77 (Delta 2000 configuration) Dry mass: 300 pounds (with Columbian Nozzle Extension Installed) Length: 51 inches - Gimbal attachment to nozzle tip (minus nozzle extension) Maximum diameter: 34 inches (minus nozzle extension) Mounting: gimbal attachment above injector Engine cycle: pressure fed (15.5 atm reservoir) Fuel: 50/50 N2O4/UDMH at 8.92 kg/s Oxidizer: Dinitrogen tetroxide at 5.62 kg/s O/F ratio: 1.60 Thrust: 42.923 kN vac Specific impulse: 303 s vacuum Expansion ratio: 16:1, 43:1 (with Expansion Nozzle) Cooling method: Film cooled (upper thrust chamber); quartz phenolic chamber ablation (lower thrust chamber) and columbium (niobium) nozzle radiation (Nozzle extension) Chamber pressure: 7.1 atm Ignition: hypergolic, started by 28 V electrical signal to on/off solenoid valves Burn time: 500 s for total of 5 starts; 10 350 s single burn”

Delta Usage

The TR-201 engine was used as the second stage for 77 Delta launches between 1972 to 1988. The engine had a 100% reliability record during this 15 year operational period.