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US 2026/0036103 A1Published application
Augmented Aerospike Nozzle, Engine Including the Augmented Aerospike Nozzle, and Vehicle Including the Engine
AssigneeSTOKE Space Technologies, Inc.
InventorsAndrew Lapsa, Thomas Feldman
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An augmented aerospike nozzle includes a throat, a centerbody extending aft of the throat, an inner expansion surface defined by the centerbody, an outer expansion surface outboard of the inner expansion surface, and an expansion cavity defined between the inner expansion surface and the outer expansion surface. An engine includes a high pressure chamber and the augmented aerospike nozzle. A vehicle for supersonic flight includes the engine with the augmented aerospike nozzle.
Claims60
A multi-stage rocket, comprising:
- a lower stage rocket;
- and
- an upper stage rocket separable from the lower stage rocket, the upper stage rocket including:
- a nose;
- a base opposite the nose;
- a propulsion engine toward the base, the propulsion engine including:
- a high pressure chamber;
- an aerospike nozzle configured to exhaust gas generated by the high pressure chamber, the aerospike nozzle including:
- a converging-diverging nozzle portion;
- a secondary nozzle portion downstream of the converging-diverging nozzle portion, the secondary nozzle portion including an inner expansion surface, an outer expansion surface outboard of the inner expansion surface, and an expansion cavity defined between the inner expansion surface and the outer expansion surface;
- and
- a nozzle exit at a downstream end of the secondary nozzle portion;
- a heat shield at the base and defining a windward side of the upper stage rocket during travel in a base-first atmospheric re-entry trajectory, the heat shield including a first heat shield portion inboard of the nozzle exit and a second heat shield portion outboard of the nozzle exit;
- and
- a heat exchanger configured to actively cool the first heat shield portion and the second heat shield portion during the travel in the base-first atmospheric re-entry trajectory.
12 more elements
An atmospheric re-entry vehicle, comprising:
- a first end;
- a second end opposite the first end;
- a propulsion engine toward the second end, the propulsion engine including:
- a high pressure chamber;
- an aerospike nozzle configured to exhaust gas generated by the high pressure chamber, the aerospike nozzle including:
- a converging-diverging nozzle portion;
- a secondary nozzle portion downstream of the converging-diverging nozzle portion, the secondary nozzle portion including an inner expansion surface, an outer expansion surface outboard of the inner expansion surface, and an expansion cavity defined between the inner expansion surface and the outer expansion surface;
- and
- a nozzle exit at a downstream end of the secondary nozzle portion;
- a heat shield at the second end and defining a windward side of the vehicle during travel in an atmospheric re-entry trajectory in which the second end leads the first end, the heat shield including a first heat shield portion inboard of the nozzle exit and a second heat shield portion outboard of the nozzle exit;
- and
- a heat exchanger configured to actively cool the first heat shield portion and the second heat shield portion during the travel in the atmospheric re-entry trajectory.
9 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.