Isebenzisa isakhiwo sezinto ezihlanganisiwe ze-carbon fiber, irokhethi ethi “Neutron” izoba imoto yokuqala emhlabeni yokwethula izinto ezihlanganisiwe ze-carbon fiber enkulu.
Ngokusekelwe kokuhlangenwe nakho okuphumelelayo kwangaphambilini ekuthuthukisweni kwemoto encane yokuqalisa i-“Electron”, i-Rocket Lab USA, inkampani ehamba phambili yokuqalisa kanye nesistimu yesikhala e-US, ithuthukise ukuqaliswa okukhulu okubizwa ngokuthi i-“Neutron” Rockets, okunomthamo womthwalo ongamathani ayi-8, okungasetshenziswa ukundiza emkhathini onabantu, ukuqaliswa kwezinkanyezi ezinkulu zesathelayithi, kanye nokuhlola isikhala ngokujulile. Irokhethi ithole imiphumela ephumelelayo ekuklanyweni, ezintweni zokwakha kanye nasekusetshenzisweni kabusha.
Irokhethi ethi “Neutron” uhlobo olusha lwemoto yokuqalisa enokuthembeka okuphezulu, ukusetshenziswa kabusha kanye nezindleko eziphansi. Ngokungafani namarokhethi endabuko, irokhethi ethi “Neutron” izothuthukiswa ngokwezidingo zamakhasimende. Kulinganiselwa ukuthi ngaphezu kuka-80% wamasathelayithi aqalwe eminyakeni eyishumi ezayo azoba amaqoqo ezinkanyezi zesathelayithi, anezidingo ezikhethekile zokuthunyelwa. Irokhethi ethi “Neutron” ingahlangabezana ngqo nezidingo ezinjalo ezikhethekile. Imoto yokuqalisa ethi “Neutron” yenze intuthuko elandelayo kwezobuchwepheshe:
1. Imoto yokuqala enkulu emhlabeni esebenzisa izinto ezihlanganisiwe ze-carbon fiber
Irokhethi ethi “Neutron” izoba yimoto yokuqala enkulu emhlabeni esebenzisa izinto ezihlanganisiwe ze-carbon fiber. Irokhethi izosebenzisa izinto ezintsha nezikhethekile ze-carbon fiber composite, ezilula ngesisindo, ezinamandla aphezulu, ezingamelana nokushisa okukhulu nomthelela wokwethulwa nokungena kabusha, ukuze isigaba sokuqala sisetshenziswe ngokuphindaphindiwe. Ukuze kufezwe ukukhiqizwa okusheshayo, isakhiwo se-carbon fiber composite serokhethi ethi “Neutron” sizokhiqizwa kusetshenziswa inqubo yokubeka i-fiber othomathikhi (AFP), engakhiqiza igobolondo lerokhethi elihlanganisiwe le-carbon fiber elingamamitha amaningana ubude ngemizuzu embalwa.
2. Isakhiwo esisha sesisekelo senza kube lula inqubo yokuqalisa kanye nokufika
Ukuphinda kusetshenziswe kuyisihluthulelo sokuqaliswa okuvamile nokungabizi kakhulu, ngakho-ke kusukela ekuqaleni komklamo, irokhethi “Neutron” yanikezwa ikhono lokufika, ukubuyisa nokuqalisa futhi. Uma sibheka isimo serokhethi “Neutron”, ukwakheka okunciphile kanye nesisekelo esikhulu, esiqinile akugcini nje ngokwenza kube lula isakhiwo esiyinkimbinkimbi serokhethi, kodwa futhi kuqeda isidingo semilenze yokufika kanye nengqalasizinda enkulu yendawo yokuqalisa. Irokhethi “Neutron” ayinciki embhoshongweni wokuqalisa, futhi ingaqalisa imisebenzi kuphela esisekelweni sayo. Ngemva kokuqalisa emzileni wokujikeleza nokukhulula irokhethi yesigaba sesibili kanye nomthwalo wayo, irokhethi yesigaba sokuqala izobuyela emhlabeni futhi ifike endaweni yokuqalisa ethambile.
3. Umqondo omusha we-fairing udlula ekwakhiweni okuvamile
Umklamo oyingqayizivele werokhethi ethi “Neutron” ubonakala nasesilinganisweni esibizwa ngokuthi “iHungry Hippo” (iHungry Hippo). Isilinganiso esithi “Hungry Hippo” sizoba yingxenye yesigaba sokuqala serokhethi futhi sizohlanganiswa ngokugcwele nesigaba sokuqala; isilinganiso esithi “Hungry Hippo” ngeke sihlukaniswe nerokhethi futhi siwele olwandle njengesilinganiso sendabuko, kodwa sizovuleka njengemvubu. Umlomo uvuleka ukuze kukhishwe isigaba sesibili serokhethi kanye nomthwalo wokulayisha, bese sivalwa futhi bese sibuyiselwa eMhlabeni ngerokhethi yesigaba sokuqala. Ukufika kwerokhethi endaweni yokuqalisa kuyirokhethi yesigaba sokuqala enesilinganiso, engahlanganiswa nerokhethi yesigaba sesibili ngesikhathi esifushane bese iphinda iqalwe. Ukwamukela umklamo wesilinganiso esithi “Hungry Hippo” kungasheshisa imvamisa yokuqalisa futhi kuqede izindleko eziphezulu kanye nokuthembeka okuphansi kokuphinda kuqalwe kabusha kwezilinganiso olwandle.
4. Isigaba sesibili serokhethi sinezici zokusebenza okuphezulu
Ngenxa yomklamo we-fairing we-"Hungry Hippo", isigaba sesi-2 serokhethi sizovalwa ngokuphelele esigabeni serokhethi kanye ne-fairing lapho yethulwa. Ngakho-ke, isigaba sesibili serokhethi "Neutron" sizoba yisigaba sesibili esilula kakhulu emlandweni. Ngokuvamile, isigaba sesibili serokhethi siyingxenye yesakhiwo sangaphandle semoto yokuqalisa, esizovezwa endaweni enzima yomkhathi ophansi ngesikhathi sokwethulwa. Ngokufaka isigaba serokhethi kanye ne-fairing ye-"Hungry Hippo", isigaba sesibili serokhethi "Neutron" asidingeki. Simelane nengcindezi yendawo yokuqalisa, futhi singanciphisa kakhulu isisindo, ngaleyo ndlela sifinyelele ukusebenza okuphezulu kwesikhala. Njengamanje, isigaba sesibili serokhethi sisaklanyelwe ukusetshenziswa kanye.
5. Izinjini zerokhethi ezakhelwe ukuthembeka nokusetshenziswa okuphindaphindiwe
Irokhethi “ye-Neutron” izosebenza ngenjini entsha yerokhethi i-Archimedes. I-Archimedes yaklanywa futhi yakhiqizwa yi-Rocket Lab. Iyinjini yomjikelezo we-oxygen/methane gas generator engasetshenziswa kabusha enganikeza i-meganewton eyi-1 yokushukumisa kanye nemizuzwana engama-320 ye-initial specific impulse (ISP). Irokhethi “ye-Neutron” isebenzisa izinjini ze-Archimedes eziyi-7 esigabeni sokuqala, kanye nenguqulo eyodwa ye-vacuum yezinjini ze-Archimedes esigabeni sesibili. Irokhethi “ye-Neutron” isebenzisa izingxenye zesakhiwo ezihlanganisiwe ze-carbon fiber ezilula, futhi asikho isidingo sokudinga injini ye-Archimedes ukuthi ibe nokusebenza okuphezulu kakhulu kanye nobunzima. Ngokuthuthukisa injini elula kakhulu enokusebenza okulinganiselwe, isikhathi sokuthuthukiswa nokuhlolwa singafinyezwa kakhulu.
Isikhathi sokuthunyelwe: Disemba 31-2021
