RD-170 (rocket engine)
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The RD-170 rocket engine is a Russian liquid fuel 4-chamber design. It is the world's most powerful liquid fuelled rocket engine. It burns RP-1 fuel and LOX oxidizer. RD-170 models were used in the boosters for the Energiya launch vehicle, are still used in the Zenit rocket, and formed the basis for the a family of modern rocket engines, including RD-180 which powers the Atlas V launch vehicle in the United States, and RD-191, which is proposed for Angara rocket in Russia.
The original RD-170 was intended only for the Energiya boosters, and had nozzles that swiveled in one direction only. Full directional control of the Energiya was accomplished using all four boosters around the core stage.
Several Soviet and now Russian rocket designs use the same approach of clustering small combustion chambers around a single turbine and pump. This makes for a rocket motor which is shorter but wider, and is somewhat easier to develop. Large combustion chambers are very hard to make run stably, and using more but smaller chambers makes the design and development easier.
[edit] Specifications
- 4 combustion chambers, 4 nozzles
- 1 set of turbines and pumps - Turbine produces approximately 257,000 hp (192 MW); equivalent to the power output of 3 nuclear powered icebreakers
- Vacuum thrust of 1,773,000 lbf (7,887 kN)
- Vacuum Isp of 338 s (3,315 N·s/kg)
- Sea Level Isp of 309 s (3,030 N·s/kg)
- Weight: 9,750 kg (21,500 lb)
- Thrust to weight ratio: 82
[edit] Variants
- RD-170
- Nozzles swiveled in one axis
- Basic model for Energiya booster
- Only flown for Energiya flight tests, now out of production
- RD-171
- Nozzles swiveled in two axes, in comparison of one as in the RD-170
- Used in the Zenit rocket, both the Ukrainian and Sea Launch variants
- Still in production
- RD-172
- Proposed but not built upgraded model, about 6% more thrust
- RD-173
- Proposed but not built upgraded model, about 4% more thrust
- RD-174
- Variant for Angara rocket
- Nearly identical specifications to base RD-170
