5
$\begingroup$

foils above merlin vacuum engines in space

foils above merlin vacuum engines in space

I want to know what is the purpose of this silvery foil situated above the bell in Merlin Vacuum Engines, and what purpose does it fulfill exactly?

Improve this question
$\endgroup$
2
  • 7
    $\begingroup$ The answer is always "thermal control". $\endgroup$
    – Organic Marble
    Jun 2 '20 at 14:44
  • $\begingroup$ @OrganicMarble May as well make that an answer $\endgroup$
    – Tristan
    Jun 2 '20 at 16:29
6
$\begingroup$

The nozzle radiates a lot of heat, the plumbing leading to the Merlin engine contains liquid oxygen pretty close to boiling. Local hot spots on the plumbing could cause the oxidizer to flash, which would be quite problematic. The foil works by creating a radiative buffer and radiating away some of the absorbed heat. You can see how this works here https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multi-layer_insulation (although, they may only be using one layer here).

Improve this answer
$\endgroup$
1
  • $\begingroup$ Thanks... Very helpful. $\endgroup$
    – Ak.pani
    Jun 3 '20 at 14:36

Your Answer

By clicking “Post Your Answer”, you agree to our terms of service, privacy policy and cookie policy

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.