650 seconds at a time! Long-duration Test Run of Land Space "TQ” 10-ton Engine Thrust Chamber Carrie

Recently, the 650-second long-duration test run of the thrust chamber of the

"TQ" 10-ton liquid-oxygen-methane (LOX/LCH4) engine (TQ-11)

independently developed by LandSpace was successfully completed. This means

that, following the 80-ton engine TQ-12, another member of the "TQ"

liquid rocket engine family is about to come out.

One of the design concepts of "ZQ-2" is "generalization" and

"modularization". In simple terms, it depends on only "one combination

of propellants, one rocket body diameter and two types of engines" to form

a series of liquid rocket products with capacity ranging from several tons to

several tens of tons and covering different orbital launching capacities at

low, medium and high levels through different design combinations. Last July,

Land Space announced the technical route of "80+10" rocket propulsion

system, of which "80" represents "TQ" 80-ton LOX/LCH4

engine (TQ-12) and "10" represents 10-ton LOX/LCH4 engine (TQ-11).

TQ-11 engine is commonly used for the second-stage vernier and the third stage active

force of the "ZQ-2" LOX/LCH4 launcher series . In the vernier configuration,

four thrust chambers of TQ-11 are propelled by one turbopump, each with a

thrust of 20 KN; in the three-stage active state, one turbopump propels one thrust

chamber (area ratio of 100) and a single engine supplies a total thrust of 85

KN. This test run involves the thrust chamber in TQ-11 vernier state. Its

application as a vernier in the second stage of the rocket is shown in the

following figure.

Figure 1: TQ 10-ton LOX/LCH4 Engine (TQ-11)

After combined with one TQ-12 engine, it forms the second-stage engine of the

“ZQ-2" rocket.

Second-stage engine of "ZQ-2" launch vehicle

TQ-11 and TQ-12 engines can meet the propulsion requirements of "ZQ-2" launcher

series’ core stage 1, stage 2, stage 3 and booster through highly universal

combination.

Propulsion system layout of ZQ-2 launcher: 80+10

TQ-11can expand the capability of "ZQ-2” launchers from LEO and SSO orbit to

MEO and GTO orbit, and is an essential propulsion system to enter the high

orbit and high value payload launch market.

Although they are two different types of products, the design and technological concept of

TQ-11 is regarded as in one continuous line with TQ-12. The manufacturing

process of injector and nozzle is universal to TQ-12 engine thrust chamber, and

the nozzle also adopts sandwich laser welding process. The combustion chamber

body is integrally formed with 3D printing technology. This universal process

concept is the key to realize rapid product development and manufacturing of LandSpace.

It can not only reduce product development cost and manufacture lead-time, but

also facilitate batch production.

Batch laser sandwich welding for TQ-11 engine thrust chamber nozzle

Another key guarantee is the test bed. According to the engineers of the test bed, this

round of thrust chamber tests was completed 5 times in 2 days, of which the

longest 650-second test run set a record for the duration of a single test run

in the company's thrust chamber history, and the engine performance was fully

verified. LandSpace's two-pit test bed can continuously meet the test

requirements of TQ-12 and TQ-11 in different development stages, providing a

strong guarantee for the engine development.