The YF-90 is a liquid cryogenic rocket engine burning liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen in a staged combustion cycle. It is China's first hydrogen-oxygen engine to use the staged combustion cycle and is expected to be used for the second stage of the Long March 9, which is a three-stage rocket with boosters.[4][5] The engine has advanced features such as variable thrust, multiple ignitions, and automatic fault diagnosis.[2]

YF-90
Country of originChina
Associated LVLong March 9
PredecessorYF-77
StatusIn development
Liquid-fuel engine
PropellantLiquid oxygen / Liquid hydrogen
Mixture ratio6.0 (±5%) Variable
CycleStaged combustion cycle
Pumps2
Configuration
Nozzle ratio100
Performance
Thrust, vacuum2,200 kilonewtons (490,000 lbf)
Thrust-to-weight ratio46.7
Specific impulse, vacuum453 seconds (4.44 km/s)
Dimensions
Length6.1 metres (20 ft)
(With Engine Mount)
Diameter2.87 metres (9 ft 5 in)
Dry mass4,800 kilograms (10,600 lb)
References
References[1][2][3]

History

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On July 28, 2021, the engine's manufacturer, China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) completed the first YF-90 engineering prototype.[6]

On September 23, 2021, the engine successfully underwent its first semi-system test.[7][8] The YF -90 engine is one of the key technologies for China's deep space exploration ambitions.[9]

In 2023, CASC plans to conduct more tests on the YF-90 engine, as well as on its first-stage counterpart, the YF-130 engine. The YF-130 is a liquid kerosene-oxygen rocket engine with a thrust of 500 tonnes. Both engines are expected to be ready for flight by 2025.[9]

References

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  1. ^ Brügge, Norbert. "China's new rocket engines". www.b14643.de. Retrieved 8 March 2023.
  2. ^ a b 丁兆波,刘 倩,王天泰,杨继东,孙纪国,龚杰峰 (2020-11-17). "220t级补燃循环氢氧发动机推力室研制" (in Simplified Chinese). 北京航天动力研究所,北京 100076. Retrieved 2022-04-01.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  3. ^ 孙纪国,郑孟伟,龚杰峰,陶瑞峰 (2022-01-15). "220tf补燃循环氢氧发动机研制进展" (in Simplified Chinese). 《火箭推进》2022年02期. Archived from the original on 2022-06-05. Retrieved 2022-06-05.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  4. ^ "China successfully tests new engine for Long March 9 rocket". 2022-10-03. Retrieved 2023-03-08.
  5. ^ "Development Trend of Liquid Hydrogen-Fueled Rocket Engines (Part 1): Current Status and Future Prospects in Korea and China". Journal of Mechanical Science and Technology. 36 (2): 1015–1026. doi:10.1007/s42405-022-00519-7. S2CID 251938449.
  6. ^ 蘇子牧 (2021-07-29). "中國製造|重型火箭220噸級引擎現身 首台工程樣機完成生產" (in Traditional Chinese). 香港01. Archived from the original on 2021-08-06. Retrieved 2021-08-07.
  7. ^ "China moves to next stage of super heavy rocket development". 2022-09-07. Retrieved 2023-03-08.
  8. ^ 郑孟伟 (2021-09-27). "重型运载火箭220吨级补燃循环氢氧发动机首次半系统试验圆满成功" (in Simplified Chinese). 北京航天动力研究所. Archived from the original on 2021-09-27. Retrieved 2021-09-27.
  9. ^ a b "China Achieves 'Critical Milestone' In Next-Gen Rocket Engine Tech". 2021-12-25. Retrieved 2023-03-08.