Multiple-propellant air vehicle and propulsion system

Abstract

In a propulsion system which includes a rocket casing having a combustor chamber with a combustor liner and a nozzle throat chamber with a nozzle throat liner; a fuel passageway adjacent to and surrounding the combustor liner and nozzle throat liner which form the inner wall of the fuel passageway, the outerwall of the fuel passageway being spaced from the innerwall to form the passageway, a plurality of flow directing vances disposed in the fuel passageway to direct the fuel in the fuel passageway circumferentially. In the propulsion system, the fuel travels a longer path through the passageway, and the residence time of fuel in the passageway is increased to promote heat transfer to the fuel in the passageway. A plurality of fuel injection holes in the combustor liner are also arranged so that fuel is injected into the combustion chamber in a direction which promotes circumferential motion of the fuel. An oxidizer is introduced through oxidizer injection holes to the center of the combustion chamber to inject oxidizer into the combustion chamber in a direction which promotes circumferential motion of the oxidizer. In one embodiment, fuel injection holes and oxidizer injection holes are staggered to promote overlapping of fuel and oxidizer and further promote mixing prior to and during combuston.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.