Design and Implementation of a Thrust Vector Control (TVC) Test System

The rocket engines are tested statically to evaluate the performance of engine based upon thrust produced. One of the most important parameters of the rocket engine static testing evaluation is to measure the thrust produced by the engine. The thrust produced is measured using a Thrust Vector Control (TVC) test system which is a structural element equipped with load cells. In this study, a load sensor system was designed to measure the propulsion performance of a solid propellant rocket motor. The forces and moments of the rocket motor with respect to the six degrees of freedom of the test system were measured during firing. It is seen that the obtained experimental results and the analysis results are compatible with each other. The designed stand is capable of measuring axial thrust and lateral (misaligned) thrust components, and the rolling moment for rocket motors producing axial thrust up to 50 [kN].