Resin transfer molded rocket motor nozzle with adaptive geometry

A rocket motor comprising:

• a first fuel portion;
• a second fuel portion;
• and
• a nozzle operatively coupled to the fuel portions, with hot gasses produced by burning of the fuel portions passing through the nozzle;
• wherein the nozzle includes:
• a pair of relatively-low-erosion material layers;
• and
• a relatively-high-erosion material layer sandwiched between the relatively-low-erosion material layers;
• wherein each of the pair of relatively-low-erosion material layers and the relatively-high-erosion material layer include resin-transfer molded materials;
• wherein the resin transfer molded material of the pair of relatively-low-erosion material layers and the resin transfer molded material of the relatively-high-erosion material layer are different materials;
• wherein the relatively-high-erosion material layer is made of a material that erodes more quickly when exposed to flow through the nozzle than does a material or materials of the relatively-low-erosion material layers;
• and
• wherein the relatively-low-erosion material layers include:
• an inner relatively-low-erosion material layer that radially inwardly overlaps the relatively-high-erosion material layer;
• and
• an outer relatively-low-erosion material layer that radially outwardly overlaps the relatively-high-erosion material layer.

A method of operating a rocket motor, the method comprising:

• burning a first portion of fuel of the motor, with a nozzle of the motor in a first configuration, with a channel in the nozzle defined by an inner relatively-low-erosion material layer of the nozzle, with the inner relatively-low-erosion material layer eroding during the burning of the first portion;
• after the burning of at least most of the first portion, and after the inner relatively-low-erosion material layer eroding to expose a relatively-high-erosion material layer that initially underlies the inner relatively-low-erosion material layer, transforming the nozzle from the first configuration to a second configuration by eroding the relatively-high-erosion material layer to expose an outer relatively-low-erosion material layer that initially underlies the relatively-high-erosion material layer;
• and
• after the transforming, burning a second portion of the fuel, with the nozzle in the second configuration;
• wherein each of the inner relatively-low-erosion material layer, the relatively-high-erosion material layer and the outer relatively-low-erosion material layer include resin-transfer molded materials;
• wherein the resin transfer molded material of the pair of relatively-low-erosion material layers and the resin transfer molded material of the relatively-high-erosion material layer are different materials.