[AR] Re: starship pad flame trench?
- From: David McMillan <skyefire@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: arocket@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Sat, 22 Apr 2023 12:29:12 -0400
On 4/22/2023 11:40 AM, Norman Yarvin wrote:
Whether even thick steel will work... I'm guessing it'll get scarred,
but with just a few seconds' exposure maybe not. Also, differential
thermal expansion will make it bow up in the middle when it's heated,
which might cause trouble.
Most speculation I've heard centers around a deflector made of
pipes with large volumes of water being pumped through for cooling.
Possibly with upwards-facing "pinholes" for transpiration cooling and
adding steam to the acoustic "cushioning", but the CFD types have said
that would present potential issues any time the exhaust plume pressure
locally exceeded the water pressure in the pipes.
Given how tight space is at Boca Chica, and the various potential
environmental issues, my money would be on some kind of cooling system
that's as closed-loop as possible -- SC has (AUUI) build permits for
some water-collection ponds in the pad vicinity, but I think BC can't
really support a massive(ly overkill) deluge system like what's used at
LC-39. And any runoff escaping into the wetlands or the beach would be
a big no-no.
So, my armchair-analyst's money is on some kind of metal deflector
with closed-loop "internal" water cooling, supplemented by a "light"
deluge designed to maximize steam generation and acoustic buffering
whilst minimizing runoff into the capture pond. Of course, my opinion
and $10 will get you a coffee at Starbuck's....
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