The RD-214 (

GRAU The Main Missile and Artillery Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation (), commonly referred to by its transliterated Russian acronym GRAU (), is a department of the Russian Ministry of Defense. It is subordinate to the ...

Index 8D59) was a

liquid A liquid is a nearly incompressible fluid that conforms to the shape of its container but retains a (nearly) constant volume independent of pressure. As such, it is one of the four fundamental states of matter (the others being solid, gas, a ...

rocket engine A rocket engine uses stored rocket propellants as the reaction mass for forming a high-speed propulsive jet of fluid, usually high-temperature gas. Rocket engines are reaction engines, producing thrust by ejecting mass rearward, in accordanc ...

, burning AK-27I (a mixture of 73%

nitric acid Nitric acid is the inorganic compound with the formula . It is a highly corrosive mineral acid. The compound is colorless, but older samples tend to be yellow cast due to decomposition into oxides of nitrogen. Most commercially available nitri ...

and 27% N₂O₄ +

iodine Iodine is a chemical element with the symbol I and atomic number 53. The heaviest of the stable halogens, it exists as a semi-lustrous, non-metallic solid at standard conditions that melts to form a deep violet liquid at , and boils to a vi ...

passivant and TM-185 (a

kerosene Kerosene, paraffin, or lamp oil is a combustible hydrocarbon liquid which is derived from petroleum. It is widely used as a fuel in aviation as well as households. Its name derives from el, κηρός (''keros'') meaning "wax", and was regi ...

and

gasoline Gasoline (; ) or petrol (; ) (see ) is a transparent, petroleum-derived flammable liquid that is used primarily as a fuel in most spark-ignited internal combustion engines (also known as petrol engines). It consists mostly of organic co ...

mix) in the

gas generator A gas generator is a device for generating gas. A gas generator may create gas by a chemical reaction or from a solid or liquid source, when storing a pressurized gas is undesirable or impractical. The term often refers to a device that uses a ...

cycle. As was the case with many

V-2 The V-2 (german: Vergeltungswaffe 2, lit=Retaliation Weapon 2), with the technical name ''Aggregat 4'' (A-4), was the world’s first long-range guided ballistic missile. The missile, powered by a liquid-propellant rocket engine, was develope ...

influenced engines, the single turbine was driven by steam generated by

catalytic Catalysis () is the process of increasing the rate of a chemical reaction by adding a substance known as a catalyst (). Catalysts are not consumed in the reaction and remain unchanged after it. If the reaction is rapid and the catalyst recyc ...

decomposition of H₂O₂. It also had four combustion chambers and

vector control Vector control is any method to limit or eradicate the mammals, birds, insects or other arthropods (here collectively called " vectors") which transmit disease pathogens. The most frequent type of vector control is mosquito control using a variet ...

was achieved by refractory vanes protruding into the nozzle's exhaust.

Development

For the requirements to have storable propellants and higher thrust, Glushko's OKB-456 developed the RD-211, which had four combustion chambers, each having twice the thrust of the RD-100, a Russian adaptation of the V-2 A-4 engine. The four chambers were fed from a single turbopump powered by steam generated from

decomposition of H₂O₂. When then came the requirement for the Buran

cruise missile A cruise missile is a guided missile used against terrestrial or naval targets that remains in the atmosphere and flies the major portion of its flight path at approximately constant speed. Cruise missiles are designed to deliver a large warhe ...

project, a version for that application was developed in the RD-212. Both RD-211 and RD-212 proved too weak for the application and the project were abandoned for the RD-213 for Buran. When Yangel's

OKB-586 Pivdenne Design Office ( uk, Державне конструкторське бюро «Південне» ім. М. К. Янгеля , lit=State design bureau "Southern", named after M. K. Yangel, translit=Derzhavne konstruktors ...

was tasked with developing the first storable propellant

ballistic missile A ballistic missile is a type of missile that uses projectile motion to deliver warheads on a target. These weapons are guided only during relatively brief periods—most of the flight is unpowered. Short-range ballistic missiles stay within the ...

in the Soviet arsenal, the RD-211 proved too weak. Thus, the project was definitely abandoned and the more powerful RD-214 was developed. While Korolev's refusal to use toxic propellants basically left him out of the ballistic missile development race, the basic design of the RD-211 also served as basis for the

RD-107 The RD-107 and its sibling, the RD-108, are a type of rocket engine initially used to launch R-7 Semyorka missiles. RD-107 engines were later used on space launch vehicles based on the R-7. , very similar RD-107A and RD-108A engines are used to la ...

RD-108 The RD-107 and its sibling, the RD-108, are a type of rocket engine initially used to launch R-7 Semyorka missiles. RD-107 engines were later used on space launch vehicles based on the R-7. , very similar RD-107A and RD-108A engines are used to la ...

engine, which went to be the most flown rocket engines in history. The initial R-12 was a pad launched missile. It had significant operative issues on readiness and vulnerability. Thus, the silo launched R-12U was developed. For this development the RD-214U was developed. When Yangel used the R-12U as the basis for the Kosmos-2 63S1, the RD-214F was developed and fire tested, but in the end the stock R-12U was used as first stage. So it was for all subsequent 63S1M and 11K63.

Versions

This engine many versions: *RD-211:

Index 8D57. Original design for the R-12. Based on the RD-100, itself an adaptation of the V-2 A4 engine. This engine already had four separate combustion chambers, an H₂O₂ steam driven turbine and required vanes in the exhaust to control the rocket. *RD-212:

Index 8D41. Originally developed from the RD-211 for the Buran

project. Project drop in favor of RD-213 due to insufficient thrust. *RD-213:

Index 8D13. Similar to the RD-214. Developed for the Buran

project. Cancelled with the project. *RD-214:

Index 8D59. Original version of the engine designed for the R-12 (8K63). *RD-214U:

Index 8D59. Improved version of the engine. Flew on the R-12U (8K63S) and Kosmos-2 (11K63) launch vehicle. *RD-214F:

Index 11D45. Project for the initial version of Kosmos-2 (63S1).

References

External links

NPO Energomash official site.
{{Rocket engines Rocket engines of the Soviet Union Rocket engines using the gas-generator cycle Rocket engines using hypergolic propellant Energomash rocket engines

Development

Versions

See also

References

External links