AhlulBayt News Agency (ABNA): Last week, the test of Raafe composite solid-fuel engine was successfully performed at Iran’s Shahroud missile base, and with the publication of the footage of this test, Iran officially reached at the cutting edge of solid fuel-engine technology.
Rafe solid-fuel engine has a composite body made of carbon fiber composite and can withstand up to 100 bar pressure. The use of carbon fiber in the construction of the fuselage greatly reduces the dead weight of the engine and provides a Structural Ratio ratio of about 10%, paving the way for the construction of missile and light rocket engine with a high mass ratio.
According to the footages, the test was performed on a horizontal solid fuel test platform in the coordinates of 36°13’03.7″N 55°21’44.0″E in Shahroud base.
According to the length of the platform, which is 28 meters, the length of the ‘Raafe’ engine is 9 meters and its diameter is 1.25 meters in accordance with the standard diameter of Shahab-3, Qadr, Safir, etc. missiles.
The nozzle of this engine is Flexnozzle type to control the thrust vector, similar to Salman second stage engine. The advantage of using a Flexnozzle is better propulsion performance compared to the Jet Vane-based thrust vector mechanism in the Sejjil solid-fueled missile and the Zuljanah satellite launch vehicle.
The closest solid-fuel engine to the ‘Raafe’ engine can be considered the GEM 46 engine, which with a chamber pressure of 105 bar, a thrust of about 60 tons and a special impact of 242 seconds at sea level and a carbon fiber composite body material and a structural factor of about 11%.
The first-stage “Raafe” rocket engine can be used on the Qased-2 satellite launch vehicle, which is a light satellite launch vehicle; However, due to the size and performance of this engine, it can be used in a small intercontinental ballistic missile like the MGM-134 Midgetman missile or an extraterrestrial interceptor missile such as the GBI missile.
According to the specifications of GEM 46 engine, the specifications of Raafe engine are estimated as follows:
Weight: 12.5 tons
Structure coefficient: 10%
Special Impact (Shahroud Conditions): 250 seconds
Length: 9 meters
Diameter: 1.25 meters
Burning time: 65+ seconds
Maximum trust: 68 tons
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