Employees of "Proton-PM", which is part of Roscosmos, have completed an important stage in preparing for the serial production of the RD-191 engine for the "Angara" rocket. The production of a gas duct with a swing unit has been mastered, which supplies fuel to the combustion chamber and controls the thrust vector, ensuring correction of the rocket's movement at the start.
The gas duct is considered one of the most complex engine components due to the high labor intensity of production. Its reliability is ensured by a seven-layer bellows with a diameter of 350 millimeters, developed by specialists from NPO Energomash. The bellows compensates for deformations of the pipeline that occur under the influence of temperature changes and mechanical loads, which is critical for stable engine operation.
For the production of bellows at "Proton-PM", the press equipment was modernized, adding hydraulic systems, and test methods were developed to check the strength and tightness of large-volume units.
The next stage in preparing for the serial production of the gas duct is qualification tests, which will determine the readiness of the structure for mass production.
Read materials on the topic:
Roscosmos Introduces a Robotic Complex for Assembling RD-191 Engines: Works Without Smoke Breaks
Roscosmos Completes Testing of the RD-191M Engine for the Modernized Angara-A5M Rocket
Production of RD-191 Engines for Angara Family Launch Vehicles to be Established in Perm
