# US 2024/0200511 A1 · Annular aerospike nozzle with widely-spaced thrust chambers, engine including the annular aerospike nozzle, and vehicle including the engine > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2024/0200511 A1 - Document ID: US20240200511A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 18/554,650 - Filed: 2022-04-13 - Published: 2024-06-20 - Earliest claimed: 2021-04-13 - Assignees: STOKE Space Technologies, Inc. - Applicants: STOKE Space Technologies, Inc. - Inventors: Thomas Ryan McCullough; Thomas Feldman; Andrew Lapsa; Zachary Sander - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20240200511A1 ## CPC - F02K 9/97: Rocket nozzles (thrust or thrust vector control F02K9/80) - B64G 1/006: {Reusable launch rockets or boosters} - B64G 1/401: {Liquid propellant rocket engines (Ion or plasma engines B64G1/413; Arcjets and other resistojets B64G1/415)} - B64G 1/58: Thermal protection, e.g. heat shields - B64G 1/62: Systems for re-entry into the earth's atmosphere; Retarding or landing devices - F02K 9/88: using auxiliary rocket nozzles - F05D 2220/80: in supersonic vehicles excluding hypersonic vehicles or ram, scram or rocket propulsion - F05D 2240/15: Heat shield - F05D 2250/31: according to the direction of their main axis or their axis of rotation - F05D 2250/314: the axes being inclined in relation to each other - F05D 2250/37: circumferential - F05D 2250/73: asymmetric - 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) - B64G: COSMONAUTICS; VEHICLES OR EQUIPMENT THEREFOR - F05D: INDEXING SCHEME FOR ASPECTS RELATING TO NON-POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT MACHINES OR ENGINES, GAS-TURBINES OR JET-PROPULSION PLANTS ## Abstract An annular aerospike nozzle for a vehicle, such as an upper stage rocket. is disclosed. The annular aerospike nozzle includes a centerbody and a plurality of thrust chambers spaced around the centerbody. Each thrust chamber has a throat and a nozzle portion extending aft of the throat. The nozzle portion has an exit dimension Dexit at an aft end. Each thrust chamber is spaced away from adjacent thrust chambers by a spacing distance Dspace, such that Dspace≥M*Dexit, where M≥1. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An annular aerospike nozzle, comprising: a centerbody; a plurality of thrust chambers spaced around the centerbody, each thrust chamber including: a throat; and a nozzle portion extending aft of the throat, the nozzle portion having an exit dimension Dexit at an aft end thereof; wherein each thrust chamber is spaced away from adjacent thrust chambers by a spacing distance Dspace, such that Dspace≥M*Dexit, where M≥1. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The annular aerospike nozzle of claim 1, wherein the centerbody has a circular contour, and the plurality of thrust chambers are spaced around the circular contour of the centerbody. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The annular aerospike nozzle of claim 2, wherein the spacing distance Dspace is defined as an arc length between adjacent thrust chambers. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The annular aerospike nozzle of claim 2, wherein the spacing distance Dspace is defined as a chord length between adjacent thrust chambers. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The annular aerospike nozzle of claim 1, wherein the thrust chambers are uniformly spaced around the centerbody. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The annular aerospike nozzle of claim 1, wherein the exit dimension Dexit of the nozzle portion of each thrust chamber is a diameter. ### Claim 7 An engine, comprising: a centerbody; a plurality of thrust chambers spaced around the centerbody, each thrust chamber including: a high pressure chamber that generates a gas for thrust; a nozzle portion that extends aft of the high pressure chamber and exhausts the gas generated by the high pressure chamber; the nozzle portion having an exit dimension Dexit at an aft end thereof; and a throat connecting the high pressure chamber to the nozzle portion; wherein each thrust chamber is spaced away from adjacent thrust chambers by a spacing distance Dspace, such that Dspace≥M*Dexit, where M≥1. ### Claim 8 A vehicle, comprising: an engine including a centerbody and a plurality of thrust chambers spaced around the centerbody, each thrust chamber including: a high pressure chamber that generates a gas for thrust, a nozzle portion that extends aft of the high pressure chamber and exhausts the gas generated by the high pressure chamber, the nozzle portion having an exit dimension Dexit at an aft end, and a throat connecting the high pressure chamber to the nozzle portion; wherein each thrust chamber is spaced away from adjacent thrust chambers by a spacing distance Dspace, such that Dspace≥M*Dexit, where M≥1. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The vehicle of claim 8, further comprising a thruster mount positioned at an aft end of a main body of the vehicle, the thruster mount having a plurality of openings extending therethrough in a direction parallel to a centerline of the main body of the vehicle, wherein each opening is configured to receive one of the thrust chambers. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The vehicle of claim 9, wherein the centerbody is non-axisymmetric relative to the centerline of the main body of the vehicle. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The vehicle of claim 9, wherein the centerbody and the thruster mount define at least a portion of a heat shield. ### Claim 12 (depends on 8) The vehicle of claim 8, wherein the centerbody has a circular contour, and the plurality of thrust chambers are spaced around the circular contour of the centerbody. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The vehicle of claim 12, wherein the spacing distance Dspace is defined as an arc length between adjacent thrust chambers. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The vehicle of claim 12, wherein the spacing distance Dspace is defined as a chord length between adjacent thrust chambers. ### Claim 15 (depends on 8) The vehicle of claim 8, wherein the thrust chambers are uniformly spaced around the centerbody. ### Claim 16 (depends on 8) The vehicle of claim 8, wherein the exit dimension Dexit of the nozzle portion of each thrust chamber is a diameter. ### Claim 17 (depends on 8) The vehicle of claim 8, wherein the vehicle is an upper stage rocket.