Naked Science Forum

Non Life Sciences => Physics, Astronomy & Cosmology => Topic started by: DoctorBeaver on 04/01/2007 14:04:43

Title: How do big rockets stay upright?
Post by: DoctorBeaver on 04/01/2007 14:04:43

I mean when they launch. I was asked yesterday & I think I explained it OK; but can we have an authoritative answer please.

Title: Re: How do big rockets stay upright?
Post by: syhprum on 04/01/2007 15:26:51

The original "V2's" had servo controlled carbon vanes in the exhaust stream, these servos were revolutionary as they were the first servos to be contlolled by magnetic amplifiers.
Before the development of transistors the only amplifiers available were thermionic tubes and carbon pile types neither of which were very suitable for this application.

Title: Re: How do big rockets stay upright?
Post by: daveshorts on 04/01/2007 22:50:02

Yes I think it is basically the same way you balance a stick on your finger, by lots of little corrections at the bottom - I think modern rockets do it in a variety of ways, definitely some of them do it by steering the bell shaped rocket nozzles.

How did the magnetic amplifiers work that sounds fascinating?

Title: Re: How do big rockets stay upright?
Post by: syhprum on 05/01/2007 09:00:05

magnetic amplifiers were basically transformers that incorporated DC control windings to alter their efficiency by either saturating the core or moving the flux path in some way.
I remember reading details in the late forties but I have not looked for any current details.
Of course with the development of transistors they fell out of use
Here is a link to a forum

http://uplink.space.com/showflat.php?Cat=&Board=tech&Number=510016&page=11&view=collapsed&sb=5&o=0&fpart=