Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Technical Review Vol. 48 No. 4 (December 2011)
36

Development of the LE-X Engine

MASAHIRO ATSUMI*1

KIMITO YOSHIKAWA*2

AKIRA OGAWARA*3

TADAOKI ONGA*3

The expander bleed cycle is an engine cycle that was developed in Japan for practicalapplications. It has robust operational characteristics against disturbances due to its simplicity,
and was adopted for the LE-5B engine, the second-stage engine of H-IIA launch vehicle. TheLE-5B has many capabilities, providing restart capability, throttling and idle mode combustion(extremely low thrust operations) capability, these capabilities is evaluated highly in the world due
to its reliable performance. The expander bleed cycle was first adapted for the LE-5A engine,which was an improved version of the LE-5 engine. The LE-5 was the first Japanese liquidoxidant/hydrogen(LOX/LH2) engine. This cycle was also adapted for the LE-5B engine, andmore recently, for the MB-XX engine, which is a cooperative development between Mitsubishi
Heavy Industries, Ltd. (MHI) and U.S. Pratt and Whitney Rocketdyne. These are all second-stageengines. Now, MHI is adopting this cycle for the first-stage engine of a next-generation launchvehicle under contract with the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), with the intention ofproviding world-standard first-class reliability. This report describes the features of the expander
bleed engine cycle and our approach for providing the highly reliable LE-X engine.

|1. Introduction
In 1999, H-II Launch Vehicle Flight No. 8 ended in failure due to an explosion in thefirst-stage LE-7 engine during flight. For the cryogenic propellant engine, the pump had to becooled sufficiently by the propellant. The propellant had to be pressurized to the required pressure
for the fuel supply to avoid pump suction failure and ensure stabilized combustion acceleration
when starting. However, during Flight No. 8, the second-stage vehicle, in which the LE-5B wasinstalled, was disconnected from the first-stage vehicle in an unstable tumbling condition, so thatthe engine started with insufficient cooling and tank pressure. However, under such conditions, theLE-5B engine started normally and provided stable and rated operation until it received adestruction command (Figure 1). This resulted in an unexpected verification of the robust
characteristics and reliability of the expander bleed cycle (EBC), which was developed in Japan forpractical use and later adopted for the LE-5B engine.
This engine cycle has the potential to be adapted for human space-flight engine, and also has
the potential to be cost competitive due to their simple systems. A previous study verified theadaptability of the EBC for large-thrust first-stage engines. We are currently developing an LE-X
first-stage engine for next-generation launch vehicles, adopting this engine cycle with the aim todevelop world-standard first-class reliability.
This report describes the features of the EBC developed in Japan, its developmental history,
and the present activities used to obtain high reliability for the LE-X engine.

*1

General Manager, Guidance & Propulsion Division, Aerospace Systems*2

Deputy General Manager, Guidance & Propulsion Division, Aerospace Systems*3

Manager, Guidance & Propulsion Division, Aerospace Systems

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Technical Review Vol. 48 No. 4 (December 2011)
37Figure 1

Second-stage engine used in the H-IIB, starting from Flight No. 8|2. Development of the EBC engine
2.1

Liquid-Fuel Rocket Engine Cycles

In a rocket engine cycle, the propellant is pressurized by a turbopump and combusted in acombustor to produce the thrust force. The engine cycle is categorized according to the driving
method of the turbopump turbine (Figure 2).

Figure 2

Engine cycles

The categories based on how the gas is handled after driving the turbine are as follows:・ Closed cycle – the gas is returned to the main combustion chamber and combusted [A];・ Open cycle – the gas is exhausted [B].
There are also categories based on turbine gas-generation method, as follows:
・ The gas is generated in an auxiliary chamber [1]);・ The turbine is driven by a high-temperature propellant after cooling the combustor [2].
These categories are referred to as the two-stage combustion cycle ([A]-[1]), thegas-generator cycle ([B]-[1]), the full expander cycle ([A]-[2]), and the EBC ([B]-[2]), respectively.
The features of each engine cycle are described below.

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Technical Review Vol. 48 No. 4 (December 2011)38(1)

Performance
An open cycle rejects the turbine-driving gas. However, in a closed cycle, after driving
the turbine, the gas is combusted in the main combustion chamber for utilization as thrust
power. This gives a high specific impulse (Isp) value (thrust force divided by propellant weight
per unit time), providing superior performance.
(2) Simplicity
The expander cycle does not have an auxiliary combustion chamber and has a simple
construction.
(3) Controllability on starting
In a system where the turbine-driving gas is generated in the auxiliary combustion
chamber, controlling the start timing of each chamber is complicated because the auxiliary andmain chambers are separate. The timing is further complicated in a closed cycle, because themain chamber is downstream of the turbine, so that the exhaust pressure of the turbine isincreased by the pressure increase in the main combustion chamber upon ignition, which affects
pump operation. However, in the EBC, the timings of combustion chamber pressure increase
and turbine power increase are coupled, because the gas that cools the main chamber is used as
the turbine-driving gas and then rejected. The turbine backpressure is immune to combustion
pressure, and the engine starts in an autonomously controlled manner.
(4) Safety
In a system where the turbine-driving gas is generated in an auxiliary combustion
chamber, the adjustment of the oxidant and fuel flow rate (mixing rate) controls theturbine-driving gas temperature. In other words, if the controlled mixing rate is changed bysome abnormality, such as a valve malfunction, the temperature of the turbine-driving gas canincrease up to a maximum of 3,500 K. This may cause catastrophic destruction. In contrast, in
the EBC, the gas that cools the combustion chamber is used to drive the turbine. A change inthe mixing rate in the combustion chamber has little effect on turbine gas temperature. This is
an inherently safe cycle (Figure 3).

Figure 3(5)Comparison of turbine-driving gas

Increased engine thrust
In a system where the turbine-driving gas is generated in an auxiliary combustion
chamber, the engine thrust is controlled by the auxiliary chamber power, and the thrust power
can be increased simply by increasing the combustion gas flow in the auxiliary chamber. In theEBC, thrust can be increased up to approximately 200 tons by enlarging the combustion

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Technical Review Vol. 48 No. 4 (December 2011)39

chamber and absorbing the heat required to drive the turbine. Because the turbine-driving gas isreturned to the combustion chamber in the full expander cycle, the pump discharge pressure
rises and the combustion chamber becomes too large to absorb the heat from the turbine-driving
force.
Thus, based on these characteristics, the EBC is a simple, autonomously controlled,inherently safe engine that can provide large thrust increases.

2.2

Development of a Two-Stage Engine

Figure 4 shows the history of the expander bleed engine. The world’s first practical engine
using the EBC was the LE-5A used in the second stage of the H-II launch vehicle. The potential ofthis engine had been discovered during the development stage of the LE-5, the predecessor of theLE-5A.

Figure 4(1)Developmental history of expander bleed engines

LE-5 engine
The LE-5 engine was the first Japanese LH2/LOX propellant rocket engine. The
gas-generator cycle was adopted for the engine cycle. In this cycle, the system transition to thegas-generator cycle is completed after increasing the engine power to some extent andoperating the auxiliary combustion chamber. The J-2 (the third-stage engine in the Saturnlaunch vehicle) and RS-68 (the first stage in the Delta IV) engines, which had the same cycle,
used a starter (high-pressure starting tank or an explosive type). In the LE-5, the starter wasomitted for simplification, and hydrogen gas that cooled the combustion chamber drove theturbine. During transition to the rated operation, the auxiliary chamber started after the main
combustion chamber power rose with the turbine power to some extent. In other words, theEBC was used to start the engine, and later, the system was transferred to a gas-generator cycle.
This was the first attempt in the world to adopt an EBC to start a gas-generator cycle.
In the early stages of development, the engine took a considerable amount of time toestablish the starting sequence from the EBC to the gas generator operation. A preliminary
combustion test was performed using the EBC without the gas generator to verify the durabilityof the combustion chamber. The heat absorbed in the brazed-tube combustion chamber adopted
in the LE-5 was not sufficient to drive the turbine, and the thrust and performance (ISP) were notsatisfactory, however, this was the first step leading to the advent of the EBC engine, aproprietary system invented in Japan.
(2) LE-5A engine
Study of the expander bleed operation in the LE-5 engine demonstrated that a sufficientMitsubishi Heavy Industries Technical Review Vol. 48 No. 4 (December 2011)
40amount of heat absorption could provide the required thrust power and performance. Thus,
development of the LE-5A engine was started. In the LE-5A, the heat was absorbed through thebrazed-tube combustion chamber and the nozzle cooling skirt. The high-temperature hydrogengas drove the turbine to provide the required rated thrust and performance.
(3) LE-5B engine
In the LE-5B engine, the design was revised from a brazed-tube combustion chamber toan electroformed combustion chamber with copper-alloy cooling grooves. The new systemprovided enough heat absorption only from the combustion chamber to drive the turbine. In thisprocess, the engine system was simplified and could be tested without the nozzle skirt.
Therefore, engine combustion experiments could be performed not only in a high-vacuum
testing facility with the nozzle skirt installed, but also at atmospheric pressure without thenozzle skirt, and the development cost could be drastically reduced. The brazed-tube
combustion chamber was abolished, and simplification of the nozzle structure reduced theengine cost.
In addition to 100% rated operation, throttling tests at 60%, 30%, and at extremely low
levels (3%) for idle-mode operation only using the tank-head pressure without operating theturbine were demonstrated and verified the stable operating capability over a wide range ofconditions.
(4) MB-XX Engine
Rocket engines provide thrust by accelerating supersonic-velocity combustion gas with adivergent nozzle. A larger expansion ratio (the ratio of the nozzle outlet area to the throat area)
can result in better performance (ISP). The EBC has an inferior ISP compared to two-stage
combustion or full expander cycles. Thus, development of the MB-XX engine was started toimprove the performance using a higher expansion ratio by increasing the combustion pressure
and reducing the throat area. In the MB-XX engine, the combustion pressure was raised from
3.6 MPa, used in the LE-5B, to 14 MPa, and ISP was improved. This engine development is aprivate collaborative project between Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. (MHI) and U.S. Prattand Whitney Rocketdyne (PWR). The hot firing tests at the Tashiro field laboratory in 2005,
assembling the LH2 turbopump (FTP) made by PWR and the combustion system and LOXturbopump (OTP) made by MHI, were demonstrated the required thrust/performance(Figure5).

Figure 5

MB-XX engine system demonstration|3. Approach to Obtain High Reliability
The rocket engine is the most fragile component in a launch vehicle because of its severe
heat, pressure, and vibration environment. The approach used to develop the first-stage LE-X
engine for next-generation main launch vehicles attempts to improve the reliability by several
orders of magnitude through the followings:・Adoption of an engine cycle resilient against failure.
The EBC will be used for the first-stage engine to increase thrust;・Reliability perfection during the design stage.
As shown in Figure 6, valve problems have frequently occurred, even duringmass-production phase of H-IIA launch vehicles. A quality-improvement program based on

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Technical Review Vol. 48 No. 4 (December 2011)41

intensive production management (SV100 Tactics) and design-reliability improvement program(Valve Task Force) were applied to solve the problems, and led to a drastic reduction ofdefects. These procedures will be applied to the development of the entire LE-X engine.

Figure 6

3.1

Approach using high-reliability design techniques for a rocket engine

Production Quality-Improvement (SV100 Tactics)

In the early phase of the H-IIA launch vehicle project, valves often had defects after shipping
and assembling. At that time, the design was completed and the vehicles were in mass production.
Intensive quality-control during manufacturing was used to reduce the defects at the launch site. To
this end, the shipping quality (initial quality) was improved using major characteristic value control(2 trend assessment). The major characteristic values (leak amount, actuation timing, and others)of each valve were recorded and controlled. When a value exceeded the 2 deviation, it wasconsidered abnormal, and thus was inspected and technically assessed before shipping. This
activity contributed to the successful launchings of H-IIA Flight No. 7 and successors bydrastically reducing the defects at the launch site.

3.2

Design Quality-Improvement Activity (Valve Task Force)

A task force initiative was also started to improve valve reliability (under contract withJAXA). Highly reliable design techniques (front-loading design) summarized below were applied
to the development of three new valves for the H-IIB launch vehicle.
・Using quality function deployment (QFD), failure mode and effect analysis (FMEA), and event
sequence diagram (ESD) techniques, a comprehensive list of concerns about production,
operation, and performance was created.
・After thorough study and quantification of all concerns using element analysis and element
tests, a design was implemented that reliably satisfied the design criteria while even when
variation in production is considered.
This process drastically reduced the problems encountered during development, and led to an
on-time, successful launch of H-IIB Flight No. 1. The manufacturing division extended favorable
feedback for good productivity.

3.3

Development of the LE-X Engine for a Next-Generation Main First-Stage
EngineIn the development of the LE-X engine, the design process developed by the Valve Task
Force was refined and applied to the entire engine. The design concept has been completed, and thedevelopment of a real-sized combustor has been started (it will be tested in fiscal year 2013).
Implementation and element tests for verification are in progress.
3.3.1 High-Reliability Design Techniques
The approach using the quality-control design techniques (described above), refined andapplied to the development of the LE-X engine, is illustrated in Figure 7. This consisted ofthree steps, as follows:(1) Balance of performance, cost, and reliability (Figure 7, left).
Considering performance, cost, and margin against each criteria considering variation inMitsubishi Heavy Industries Technical Review Vol. 48 No. 4 (December 2011)42

the main controlling factors, such as the engine combustion pressure and turbine inlet
temperature, are optimized using optimization theory. The engine specifications are determinedbased on a good balance of performance, cost, and reliability;(2) Quantitative reliability evaluation (Figure 7, center).
The failure probability of the main failure mode is calculated with probability designanalysis (PDA) considering variation in the load, dimensions, and material characteristics(Figure 8), using design analysis techniques such as the finite element method (FEM) and also
considering variation in factors described in the FMEA and probability design analysis (PDA).
Improving accuracy based on design analysis is important; therefore, appropriate analyticaltechnology, including verification with element tests, is also being developed;(3) Reliability verification with tests (Figure 7, right).
The design failure probability will be verified and updated using the results of element
tests and engine tests to improve the estimating accuracy of the failure probability.

Figure 7

High-reliability design process for LE-X development

Figure 8

Calculation of failure probability using a design analysis

3.3.2 Development of a Large Combustor
The critical issue when constructing a large-thrust engine based on the EBC is theacquisition of a large amount of turbopump power. For this reason, the key factors considered
for the LE-X engine were heat absorption and manufacturing techniques for the combustor toraise the gas temperature to drive the turbine, and performance improvements of the hydrogenturbopump turbine. Research and development of these two factors are in progress. Under thesupervision of JAXA, MHI is responsible for the combustor, and IHI Corporation is responsible
for the hydrogen turbopump.
Figure 9 shows the development plan for the combustor, including the quality-control
design techniques (Section 3.3.1), new manufacturing techniques, reliability improvements, andcost reductions.

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Technical Review Vol. 48 No. 4 (December 2011)43

Figure 9

Development of a large combustor

The evaluation of combustion has depended on experiences and tests, or the combustion
test results of real engine in the past. On the other hand, LE-X is aiming for short-period
development with less trouble by applying the various analytical techniques (Figure 10)
developed by JAXA and MHI. The combustor design is almost finished, and the procurementof the manufacturing stock and the jig design will be started in the near future.

Figure 10

Development of combustion analytical techniques|4. Conclusion
The development of a practical liquid-fuel rocket engine, starting from the introduction oftechnology from the U.S. and the accumulation of unique domestic techniques through work forpurely domestic production, has now attained world-level competence. In the course of thisprocess, we developed world-leading technology to design Japan’s original expander bleed engine.
The LE-X engine, which integrates these technologies, is now being developed, with the intent ofproducing the world’s best engine.

References
123456

Ryuichi Sekita, The LE-5Series Development, Approach to High Thrust, High Reliability and GreaterFlexibility, AIAA2000-3453
Yojiro Kakuma, Masaaki Yasui, Tadaoki Onga, LE-5B Engine Development, AIAA 2000-3775
Akihide Kurosu, LE- X - Japanese Next Liquid Booster Engine-, AIAA 2008 – 4665
Hideo Sunakawa, Akihide Kurosu, Overview of LE-X Research and Development, ISTS2011
William Sack, LE-X Prototype Main Combustion Chamber Development Progress, ISTS2011
Fujimura et al., Development of LE5, The Japan Society of Mechanical Engineers Vol. 90 No. 822 (1987)