We know that the temperature of the tail flame of a rocket can be as high as thousands of degrees, and such a high temperature will definitely cause damage to the launch platform. When the missile is launched from a fixed launch frame or silo on the ground, there is a base flame exhaust diversion device, which can remove the high-temperature tail flame generated by the rocket engine of the missile, reduce the temperature of the missile launch frame or silos, and make the missile launch very safe. Some netizens often ask, if the missile is launched in a mobile way and is launched directly on the launch vehicle, will the high-temperature tail flame of the missile melt the body and tires of the launch vehicle, or even burn the launch vehicle?
Ballistic missiles are launched using vehicles, and the accurate name of that vehicle is the three-purpose vehicle of missile transport, erection and launch, abbreviated as TEL. The various types of TEL vehicles used in the mainland's Dongfeng series missiles are very expensive, and many of them are as high as tens of millions or even hundreds of millions of yuan. So it is unlikely to be disposable, these launchers can launch missiles multiple times and definitely not burn the hull.
There are two types of missile launches: cold launch and hot launch. At present, the Dongfeng missiles of the Continental Rocket Force coexist in both cold and hot launch forms. Missiles that use cold launch usually have missile launch canisters, such as Dongfeng 21, Dongfeng 26, Dongfeng 31, and Dongfeng 41.
When cold launch is adopted, the gas generator at the bottom of the launch canister is started first, and the missile is pushed away from the launch canister with relatively low temperature gas power, and when the missile rises to more than 20 meters above the ground, the rocket engine of the missile ignites and accelerates the missile body into the air.
Cold launch of ballistic missiles is the current and future development trend, and most land-based mobile ballistic missiles have adopted the technology of cold launch in cartridges.
- The advantages are that it does not ablate the launch system, there is no need for a lift-up launch frame, the launch system is small in size, and there is no need for a special exhaust channel like a thermal launch.
- There are also shortcomings, because the cold launch missile must rely on external force to help the launch, the structure of the launch system is complex, the reliability is poor, if the cold launch fails, it will cause serious consequences, and the missile attitude control technology and engine ignition control technology are very high.
Early Dongfeng missiles all used fixed position thermal launches, such as the Dongfeng-3 missile and the Dongfeng-4 missile. There are also mobile launched Dongfeng missiles, which are launched using heat. For example, the DF-11 and DF-15 missiles are directly ignited and launched from the launch vehicle.
When hot launch is adopted, the impact on the missile launch system and the carrier vehicle is great, and the tail flame of the missile engine will cause serious ablation of the launch system, and the danger is high. However, the advantages of thermal emission are simple structure and strong reliability. However, if the shipborne vertical launch or silo launch is adopted, a special flame exhaust channel must be set up, which will cause the entire missile launch system to be too large and bulky.
When using on-board thermal emission, the high-temperature flame will indeed have an impact on the car body, but it is basically within the tolerance range of the car body. A missile launcher is very expensive, and if it is launched once and thrown away, Lao Mei is not so arrogant, even if he has money, from a practical point of view, he can't afford it.
Therefore, the general missile launch vehicle, in order to be used many times, the body will be specially treated with special materials, using a large number of high-temperature resistant materials, so that it can have good high temperature resistance and compression resistance, the rocket ignition will be lifted into the air at the moment, the tail flame contact with the bottom of the launch frame will not exceed a few seconds, these few seconds the launch frame is still resistant, and then after inspection, it will be put into use again after confirming the safety. A missile launcher can basically launch missiles about 20 times.