Liquid fuel metering in a hybrid rocket-like liquid rocket motor
AssigneeThe Aerospace Corporation
InventorsJerome Keith Fuller, John D. DeSain
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A hybrid-like liquid fuel motor (the “motor”) may include a port surrounded by a wall. Surrounding the wall are a plurality of chambers and segmented walls to separate the chambers. In some instances, a single helix chamber may surround the wall, and may operate similar to that of a segmental chamber. During operation of the motor, gas flows from one end of the port to another end of the port. As the walls surrounding the port begin to disintegrate, liquid fuel within chambers begins to begin to mix with the flow of gas. As the segmented walls between the chambers begin to disintegrate, liquid from the other chambers begin to mix with the flow of gas, creating a metering of the liquid fuel.
Claims20
An apparatus for metering flow of a liquid propellant, comprising:
- a motor casing comprising a port and a chamber surrounding the port;
- a wall separating the port and chamber comprises wax, plastic or rubber material configured to burn away, allowing liquid fuel stored within the chamber to be metered into the port as the wall burns away.
A hybrid liquid rocket motor, comprising:
- a solid fuel grain having a central port, allowing oxidizer to flow through the central port of the solid fuel grain, wherein
- upon ignition of the solid fuel grain, a surface surrounding the central port begins to regress, exposing one or more chambers comprising liquid fuel, the regression of the surface meters the flow of the liquid fuel into the central port, thereby mixing the liquid fuel with the oxidizer to produce a combustion.
The hybrid liquid rocket motor of 8, wherein each of the one or more chambers are separated by a segmented wall, separating each of the one or more chambers.
The hybrid liquid rocket motor of 12, wherein the segmented wall between each of the one or more chambers comprises a thickness, the thickness being tapered from the head end to the nozzle end, preventing the segmented wall between each of the one or more chambers from quickly regressing from a head end to a nozzle end.
A hybrid liquid rocket motor (“motor”), comprising:
- a solid fuel grain comprising a central port with a tapered wall to prevent the tapered wall from quickly regressing during ignition of the motor;
- a chamber comprising liquid fuel surrounding the central port, wherein
- the liquid fuel is metered into the central port, mixing with oxidizer to produce a combustion, as the tapered wall is regressing during the ignition of the motor.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.