New Delhi: India's Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has developed a 10-tonne propellant mixer for solid motors. This mixer was created at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SHAR), ISRO, located in Sriharikota, in collaboration with the Central Manufacturing Technology Institute (CMTI) in Bengaluru, a leading research and development organisation under the Ministry of Heavy Industries.
The indigenous 10-tonne Vertical Planetary Mixer is the largest solid propellant mixer in the world. Below, you can find more detailed information about this significant development.
What is propellant mixer and its role in solid motor production
A propellant mixer is a machine that mixes the ingredients of rocket propellants, specifically fuel and oxidiser, to ensure a uniform and reliable mixture for solid rocket motors. These mixers, such as planetary mixers, are utilised to combine the raw materials that compose rocket propellant. The quality of the mixed propellant directly impacts the performance and reliability of the rocket motor.
Propellant mixers are equipped with special blades or agitators designed to shear the ingredients effectively, ensuring precise and safe mixing of solid propellant components, which is crucial for a successful rocket launch. Recently, ISRO has developed a significant technological advancement in the form of a 10-ton vertical mixer for solid rocket motors.
About the world's largest vertical propellant mixer
According to ISRO, the 10-ton vertical mixer has a total weight of approximately 150 tonnes, with dimensions of 5.4 meters in length, 3.3 meters in breadth, and 8.7 meters in height. This high-capacity mixer is designed to enhance both productivity and quality, ultimately improving the production of heavy solid motors.
10 ton Vertical Mixer | ISRO
The key feature of a 10-ton vertical mixer is that it has a high-capacity mixing of propellant ingredients in a single batch. It also has safety and reliability for handling hazardous materials.
The development of this equipment is part of the Aatmanirbhar Bharat (Self-Reliant India) initiative, which aims to promote the indigenous development of critical technologies and machinery in the space sector.
India's space agency has stated that solid propulsion is vital for Indian Space Transportation Systems. A vertical mixer is one of the essential pieces of equipment used in the production of solid rocket motors, which are crucial to the effectiveness of these systems. The production of these motors requires the careful mixing of hazardous and highly sensitive ingredients.
