FORCE TECHNOLOGY
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As part of a European space project, Kirkholm is helping Danish Force Technology develop real rocket technology.
WHEN IT ACTUALLY IS ROCKET SCIENCE
Kirkholm is developing rocket technology together with Danish Force Technology, which is part of a European space project to develop the Ariane 6 launch vehicle. The Kirkholm engineers have calculated and redesigned a key component for controlling welds in a rocket nozzle.
"It's not rocket science" is a term often used about something that is considered straightforward and easy. But in Kirkholm, it is actually rocket science, which is a discipline that requires expert knowledge. The renowned company Force Technology is involved in a European space project through ESA, the European Space Agency, and their partners. With its high technological competencies, Force Technology is developing a rocket nozzle design to be used for the new Ariane 6 - a launch vehicle to send satellites into orbit.
The rocket nozzle itself has a diameter of 2.1 meters, where it is widest and is approximately 2.3 meters high. It is made of high-temperature-resistant stainless steel, which has been developed especially for the purpose. As the rocket is sent out into space, the temperature rises to approximately 3,500 ° C inside the nozzle, and to keep the temperature down, liquid hydrogen is used as a refrigerant that runs through channels inside the rocket nozzle. The nozzle is thus exposed to extreme loads, and this places correspondingly high demands on the welds.
X-RAY PHOTOGRAPHS CHECK WELDING
Precision is a must, and to ensure that all welds are free of defects, Force Technology has developed an X-ray system that carefully checks each of the up to 1,400 welds found in each nozzle. The control system includes a fork-shaped construction which holds the X-ray source and receiver in a precise position opposite each other. Force Technology has set Kirkholm to further develop this fork with a focus on high rigidity and lightness combined with fine tolerances.
DESIGN IN CARBON FIBER AND SHARP IMAGES
Kirkholm engineer Jacob Fogh Knudsen has been at the forefront of calculating and redesigning the fork construction, while he has received assistance from his backyard. Among them is Jon Svenninggaard, who is currently working on his PhD dissertation, which investigates 3D delamination characterization of fiber-reinforced composites.
"We could see that there would be clear advantages in designing the construction in composite. The existing structure was designed in aluminum, which Force Technology are experts in. With their knowledge, they had pushed the boundaries of what is possible for a construction in aluminum. We were therefore aware from the start that we had to take alternative paths and look in the direction of more exotic materials in the form of carbon fiber", explains Jacob Fogh Knudsen, and Jon Svenninggaard adds:
"It was essential that the fork construction was as rigid as possible with the least possible weight in relation to the load scenarios to which it will be exposed. Therefore, we optimized the fiber angles so that we could get the most out of the increased stiffness that carbon fiber provides".
In its new form, the rigidity of the fork structure is increased by over 50% without weight gain. This is a difference that means that the X-ray images of the welds on the rocket nozzle can now be completely accurate.
Kirkholm's designer Nils Østergaard has designed the visualization of the rocket nozzle and the new fork construction in carbon fiber, which Kirkholm has developed.
INVENTION AND COMMITMENT
Program Manager at Force Technology, Thomas Aaboe Jensen, is satisfied with the collaboration and is now eagerly waiting to receive the new fork:
"The collaboration with Kirkholm has been exciting and characterized by ingenuity and commitment. Kirkholm has taken on both the design task and the production of the new carbon fiber fork from one of their subcontractors. Precisely the delivery of the entire solution has had a great impact on our choice of partner".
Foto credit: DLR