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US 11,415,082 B1Granted
Turbopump, thrust chamber, and injector with distribution system and a circular array of support columns to flow liquid from the distribution system into a combustion chamber
AssigneeRocket Labs USA, Inc.
InventorsPeter Joseph Beck, Lachlan Jesse Matchett, Peter William Edward Barlow
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Disclosed herein are various technologies pertinent to rocket engines, including injector, thrust chamber, and electrical turbopump devices that may be combined to provide a more efficient rocket engine. The thrust chamber may be coupled with an injector having a circular array of support columns supporting a distribution system. Liquid may be flowed from the distribution system, through the support columns, and into a combustion chamber of the thrust chamber.
Claims29
A system comprising:
- a turbopump that is electrically driven and battery-powered;
- a thrust chamber comprising an expansion section, a throat section and a barrel section wherein:
- the expansion section comprises an annular cooling plenum at a first end,
- the expansion section is welded to the throat section at a second end,
- a plurality of coolant flow passages begin at the annular cooling plenum, and
- the plurality of coolant flow passages are formed by a plurality of walls between an interior skin of the thrust chamber and an exterior skin of the thrust chamber;
- a conduit operable to provide a liquid from the turbopump to the annular cooling plenum;
- and
- an injector that comprises:
- a plate coupled with the barrel section;
- a distribution system, wherein the coolant flow passages are operable to flow liquid into the distribution system, wherein the distribution system comprises a plurality of radial passages;
- and
- a plurality of support columns between the plate and the distribution system, wherein the plurality of support columns includes at least a first set of support columns that are arranged in a circular array about a center axis and a portion of the liquid that flows into the distribution system enters a combustion chamber via the support columns and a first plurality of holes in the plate.
10 more elements
A method comprising:
- operably coupling an electrically driven, battery-powered turbopump to a thrust chamber, wherein
- an interior skin of the expansion section is welded to an interior skin of the throat section to provide an interior skin of the thrust chamber;
- and
- pumping a liquid, via the electrically-driven, battery-powered turbopump, through a cooling chamber ring in the expansion section and through a plurality of coolant flow passages in the thrust chamber and into an injector, wherein the plurality of coolant flow passages are formed, during the additive manufacturing of the respective sections of the thrust chamber, by a plurality of walls between the interior skin of the thrust chamber and an exterior skin of the thrust chamber and wherein the injector includes:
- a plate coupled with the barrel section;
- a distribution system, wherein the coolant flow passages are operable to flow liquid into the distribution system, wherein the distribution system comprises a plurality of radial passages;
- and
- a plurality of support columns between the plate and the distribution system, wherein the plurality of support columns includes at least a first set of support columns that are arranged in a circular pattern about a center axis and a portion of the fluid that flows into the distribution system enters a combustion chamber via the support columns and a first plurality of holes in the plate.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.