# US 2018/0023512 A1 · Rocket Fueling Systems and Methods > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2018/0023512 A1 - Document ID: US20180023512A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 15/216,129 - Filed: 2016-07-21 - Published: 2018-01-25 - Earliest claimed: 2016-07-21 - Assignees: The Boeing Company - Applicants: The Boeing Company - Inventors: Daniel A. Watts; David S. Jenkins - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20180023512A1 ## CPC - B64G 5/00: Ground equipment for vehicles, e.g. starting towers, fuelling arrangements (B64G3/00 takes precedence) - B64G 1/401: {Liquid propellant rocket engines (Ion or plasma engines B64G1/413; Arcjets and other resistojets B64G1/415)} - B64G 1/402: {Propellant tanks; Feeding propellants} - F02K 9/00: Rocket-engine plants, i.e. plants carrying both fuel and oxidant therefor; Control thereof - F02K 9/52: Injectors - F02K 9/566: {elements and safety devices, e.g. pressure relief valves} - F02K 9/62: Combustion or thrust chambers - F02K 9/64: having cooling arrangements - F02K 9/972: {Fluid cooling arrangements for nozzles (F02K9/64 takes precedence)} - B64G: COSMONAUTICS; VEHICLES OR EQUIPMENT THEREFOR - F02K: JET-PROPULSION PLANTS (features of jet-propulsion plants common to gas-turbine plants, air intakes or fuel supply control of air-breathing jet-propulsion plants F02C7/00, F02C9/00) ## Abstract A rocket fueling system includes an insulated jacket configured to removably couple to at least a portion of a rocket and form an enclosed space between the insulated jacket and the at least the portion of the rocket. The rocket fueling system also includes a cryogen inlet in the insulated jacket. The cryogen inlet is configured to receive a cryogen into an interior chamber of the insulated jacket. The rocket fueling system further includes a cryogen outlet in the insulated jacket. The cryogen outlet is configured to provide the cryogen from the interior chamber in the insulated jacket to the at least the portion of the rocket in the enclosed space. The rocket fueling system still further includes a gas outlet in the insulated jacket configured to exhaust the cryogen from the enclosed space, and a flammable gas sensor configured to detect a flammable gas at the gas outlet. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A rocket fueling system comprising: an insulated jacket configured to removably couple to at least a portion of a rocket and form an enclosed space between the insulated jacket and the at least the portion of the rocket; a cryogen inlet in the insulated jacket, wherein the cryogen inlet is configured to receive a cryogen into an interior chamber of the insulated jacket; a cryogen outlet in the insulated jacket, wherein the cryogen outlet is configured to provide the cryogen from the interior chamber in the insulated jacket to the at least the portion of the rocket in the enclosed space; a gas outlet in the insulated jacket configured to exhaust the cryogen from the enclosed space; and a gas sensor configured to detect a flammable gas at the gas outlet. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The rocket fueling system of claim 1, wherein the cryogen is configured to cool the rocket to a temperature that is less than a liquefaction temperature of a gaseous fuel for the rocket. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The rocket fueling system of claim 2, wherein the cryogen outlet comprises a plurality of cryogen outlets along a longitudinal axis of the insulated jacket for providing the cryogen along a length of the at least the portion of the rocket. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The rocket fueling system of claim 3, wherein the plurality of cryogen outlets are along a circumferential axis of the insulated jacket for providing the cryogen around a circumference of the at least the portion of the rocket. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The rocket fueling system of claim 1, wherein the insulated jacket includes a conduit for directing the cryogen from the cryogen inlet to the cryogen outlet. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The rocket fueling system of claim 1, further comprising an alarm system coupled to the gas sensor, wherein the alarm system is configured to generate at least one of a visual alarm or an audio alarm in response to the gas sensor detecting the flammable gas at the gas outlet. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The rocket fueling system of claim 1, further comprising a temperature sensor coupled to the insulated jacket, wherein the temperature sensor is configured to measure a temperature of an exterior surface of the at least the portion of the rocket. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The rocket fueling system of claim 7, further comprising a controller communicatively coupled to the temperature sensor and a cryogen source, wherein the controller is configured to control, based on the temperature measured by the temperature sensor, a flow rate of the cryogen provided from the cryogen source to the at least the portion of the rocket. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The rocket fueling system of claim 1, wherein the cryogen is inert. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The rocket fueling system of claim 1, wherein an inner surface of the insulated jacket comprises a plurality of spacers configured to form a gap between the inner surface of the insulated jacket and an exterior surface of the at least the portion rocket. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The rocket fueling system of claim 1, further comprising: a gas-mixing system configured to mix a plurality of gas components to form a gas mixture; and a fuel-supply conduit for providing the gas mixture from the gas-mixing system to the rocket. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The rocket fueling system of claim 1, wherein the insulated jacket comprises a flexible material, and wherein the insulated jacket is configured to removably couple to the at least the portion of the rocket by wrapping around an exterior surface of the at least the portion of the rocket. ### Claim 13 A method of fueling a rocket, comprising: coupling an insulated jacket to an exterior surface of the rocket; cooling the exterior surface of the rocket by transferring, via the insulated jacket, a cryogen from a cryogen source to the exterior surface of the rocket; transferring a gas mixture from an external fuel source to a fuel chamber in the rocket; and liquefying the gas mixture in the fuel chamber to form a liquid rocket fuel in the fuel chamber. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein cooling the exterior surface comprises cooling the exterior surface to a temperature below a liquefaction temperature of the gas mixture. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein cooling the exterior surface of the rocket comprises cooling the exterior surface of the rocket prior to and during transferring the gas mixture to the fuel chamber. ### Claim 16 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein transferring the gas mixture to the fuel chamber comprises: transferring a first gas component from a first gas source to a mixing compartment of a gas-mixing system; transferring a second gas component from a second gas source to the mixing compartment; mixing the first gas component and the second gas component in the mixing compartment to form the gas mixture; and transferring the gas mixture from the mixing compartment to the fuel chamber in the rocket. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, wherein (i) mixing the first gas component and the second gas component and (ii) transferring the gas mixture are performed simultaneously. ### Claim 18 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, further comprising transporting the rocket from a storage location to a launch location, wherein cooling the exterior surface of the rocket is performed while transporting the rocket. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The method of claim 18, further comprising transporting at least two gas containers, each containing a different gas component of the gas mixture, from the storage location to the launch location while transporting the rocket from the storage location to the launch location. ### Claim 20 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, further comprising: detecting, via a gas sensor in the insulated jacket, a portion of the gas mixture; and responsive to detecting the portion of the gas mixture, terminating transferring the gas mixture to the fuel chamber in the rocket.