For auxiliary power system applications in space, a cryogenic, positive-displacement power system has been developed. This system consists of an internal combustion engine using hydrogen as the fuel and oxygen as the oxidizer. This type of engine offers the lowest fixed weight of any space power unit under current development and provides for a very low specific propellant combustion. The engine, in turn, would provide electric and hydraulic power sources.
As the size of rocket engines increase and due to specialized thrust vector control problems, additional emphasis is being given on thrust vector control by other than conventional means. One of the more promising means of thrust vector control is through secondary injection of either liquid or gas into the engine exhaust nozzle. Freon has been found to be one of the more successfully used liquid injectants. In the case of hot gas these might be obtained from either direct engine bleed or from a secondary solid propellant control source. Due to the 6000 F temperatures in this section of the engine, specialized design features are required.
To keep pace with man's increased scope of space exploration in the future, it is imperative that fluid power system technology continue to expand its methods and techniques to be able to meet the severe environments indicated on the various planets. Support equipment industries have a prime new field to develop in the maintenance of vehicles in space. Various investigations have discovered basic data that will prove valuable in projecting effective fluid power support for space craft outside the Earth's atmosphere.
The past decade has shown a dramatic increase in the use of unmanned tethered vehicles in worldwide marine fields. These are used for inspection, debris removal and object retrieval. The RCV-150* system is an example of these advanced technology vehicles. With the requirements of high maneuverability and unusual inspection a responsive, high performance, compact hydraulic system was developed. The hydraulic system is powered by an electric motor-driven pump which provides hydraulic power to the four thruster motors and to the five-function manipulator work arm.
With support equipment now being needed in space operation, a radical change is being made to the support industry. This paper describes these changes in respect to hydraulic support equipment for space applications. To meet new requirements for present ground missile servicing equipment, new units of higher performance are required. However, support equipment for lunar and other planet operations require hydraulic type support equipment using cryogenic fluids. Other types of nonstandard hydraulic controls for space support would be the use of pulse rockets for both vehicle and personnel movements.
Aircraft hydraulic systems have progressed from simple to complex, reliable systems, and in the future, with the Mach 3 aircraft, will be called upon to perform even more tasks. A review of past accomplishments, with a presentation of areas where progress is needed is examined in this paper.
The 747 airplane, the largest commercial airliner, is the first U. S. airplane for airline service to use fully powered flight controls without manual reversion. The four hydraulic systems permit the highest degree of reliability per system operation with all major controls powered by dual-tandem actuators or having redundancy in location of operation. This airplane has 500 hydraulic hp as compared to the 87 hydraulic hp used on the 707 airplane. Each system is powered by an engine-driven pump and an air-driven pump. The latter is operated during peak demands only. In 17,000 hr of ground and flight tests, the 747 hydraulic systems have achieved and exceeded required performance and reliability.