ISRO’s CE-20 Cryogenic Engine

ISRO has tested the CE-20 Cryogenic Engine successfully for the upcoming Gaganyaan mission, which will take Indians into space.

What is a Cryogenic Engine?

1. A cryogenic engine is a type of rocket engine that operates on cryogenic temperature fuels & oxidisers.
   1. Cryogenic temperature refers to extremely low temperatures, typically below -150°C. It's so cold that gases like oxygen and hydrogen turn into liquids.
   2. Fuel is what burns in a rocket to produce energy such as Liquid Hydrogen, while the oxidizer such as Liquid Oxygen provides the oxygen needed for the burning to happen. Together, they create the powerful thrust that propels the rocket into space.
2. They are commonly used in the rocket's upper stages where they help put payloads in the desired orbits in space.
3. Hydrogen is considered to be the ‘desired fuel’ for cryogenic engines because
   1. It has the highest calorific value. Calorific value is the amount of energy released when a fuel is burned completely.
   2. It has the highest Exhaust velocity. Exhaust velocity is how fast the hot gases shoot out from a rocket's engine. The faster they go, the more thrust the rocket gets to go up into space.
   3. When we liquefy the gas, it requires much less space for the tank, reducing the weight of the rocket altogether.
4. Drawbacks of using Hydrogen fuel:
   1. Hydrogen fuel must be stored at extremely low temperatures to maintain its liquid state, requiring complex and costly cryogenic storage systems.
   2. It can leak easily due to its small molecular size.
   3. It is highly flammable and can pose safety risks during handling, storage, and fueling operations.
5. India has used 3 cryogenic engines over the years:

KVD-1	Supplied to India by Russia in the early 1980s
CE-7.5	Developed by India but the design of this engine is based on the KVD-1
CE-20	Designed and Developed by India

About the CE-20 Rocket Engine:

1. It has been designed and developed by the Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC) which is a subsidiary of ISRO.
2. It is one of the strongest upper-stage cryogenic engines worldwide.
3. India has become the 6th space power after the USA, Russia, China, Japan and the European Space Agency to develop its own indigenous cryogenic engine.
4. It will be used in the Launch Vehicle Mark-3 (LVM3)  to carry up to 8 tonnes of weight to the Lower Earth Orbit (LEO).
   1. LEO is the region of space relatively close to Earth's surface, typically ranging from about 160 Km to 2,000 Km in altitude.
   2. LVM-3 is India's most powerful launch vehicle.

Must Check: Best IAS Coaching In Delhi

 Watch Detailed Video Of This Topic