Cryogenic Engine

The Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC) situated at Mahendragiri, in Tamil Nadu is the main centre for the development of an indigenous cryogenic engine, along with Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre in Kerala, Indian Space Research Organisation's (ISRO) Satellite Centre in Karnataka and Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota along the East coast of India.  Several industries in the public and private sectors are also involved in its development. India has become the sixth country to possess this highly complex technology which was confirmed on November 15, 2007 with other five including United States, Russia, European Space Agency (ESA), Japan and China.

THE RISING
With this success, scientists and engineers working at the project have crossed a significant milestone. The CE uses special materials like Aluminum, Titanium, Nickel and their alloys, bi-metallic materials and polyamides.

This CE with tanks control components for pressurization, filling of cryogenic propellants and other operations which are totally indigenous. A cryogenic engine is powered by cryogenic propellants; liquid hydrogen at 252 degrees Celsius below zero and liquid oxygen at 183 degree Celsius below zero.

Technology Control Regime claims that cryogenic engines could be used to launch missiles. However, cryogenic engines are never used in the construction of ballistic missiles. The real reason for withholding CE technology was however not global security but commerce. These engines are required to launch the geo-stationary satellites that are used in communications and TV broadcasts. It is a lucrative business. Russia, Europe and the US have carved out the launch market. Emergence of India as a low cost launcher would have threatened their shares. The ISRO, then, accepted the challenge of developing the technology and went ahead, designed and fabricated indigenous CE.

ISRO scientists had full confidence in their ability to develop the cryogenic engine on its own. The continued presence of Russian space technicians at ISRO in connection with the outright supply of the CEs provided ISRO a channel to the source of CE technology.

THE WORKING
The objective is to develop and qualify a high-thrust semi-cryogenic engine using kerosene as fuel and liquid oxygen (LOX), as oxidizer for the future. A full CE uses liquid hydrogen (LH) as fuel and liquid oxygen (LOX) as oxidizer. Both the fuel and the oxidizer being gases at ordinary temperatures, their liquefaction requires use of the cryo-genic technology and systems at sub-zero temperatures.

In the case of a semi-CE, the fuel kerosene usually the superior aviation turbine fuel (ATF) is a liquid at room temperature and only oxygen requires liquefaction. LOX-kerosene has propelled many Russian launch vehicles. The world’s most powerful liquid engine, the Russian RD 170 is powered by a LOX - kerosene combination.
LOX - kerosene engines have powered several American launchers as well, including Saturn V, which carried American astronauts to the moon. For India it is the beginning to rise in to the moons and the stars.