An introduction to the novel vacuum plume effects experimental system

This paper introduces a newly developed vacuum Plume effects Experimental System(PES) used for plume effect tests of rocket engines and vacuum heat tests of satellites. The design level, manufacturing technique, and testing capabilities of the PES have reached a highly advanced level at home and abroad. The PES mainly consists of a vacuum chamber, vacuum acquisition system, nitrogen system, helium system, and parameter measurement system. A breakthrough was obtained on the Large Scale Cryo-Pumping System, which was based on a combined liquid nitrogen and liquid helium heat sink. An internal cryopump with a limiting temperature of 4.2 K and an efficient absorption area of 305 m2 was developed. The absorption capability of the cryopump was above 7×107 L/s. Vacuum plume tests were performed in the temperature ranges of ambient temperature, liquid nitrogen, and liquid helium. The experimental results showed that the plume test capability of PES is higher than that of similar foreign equipment STG and CHAFF-4. For 2 g/s and 117 N rocket engines, the dynamic vacuum degree of environment was 8.0×10?4 Pa(approximately 137 km height) and 1.1×10?2 Pa(approximately 106 km height), respectively.