Multiple pintle nozzle propulsion control system

A multiple nozzle propulsion system comprising:

• a motor casing that forms a combustion chamber;
• propellant disposed in said chamber;
• multiple pintle nozzles each having a throat and a pintle movably positioned therein for changing the throat area of the nozzle, each pintle nozzle being fluidly coupled to said chamber;
• and
• means for changing the position of said pintles, each by essentially the same amount, in response to pressure changes in said chamber.

A method of controlling thrust in a propulsion system comprising the steps of:

• (a) providing a rocket motor having a combustion chamber with multiple nozzles each having an adjustable nozzle throat area for proportionally controlling gas discharge therefrom;
• (b) generating hot exhaust gases in the combustion chamber discharging gases so generated from the nozzles to generate thrust;
• (c) adjusting the throat area of a number of the nozzles to generate a thrust differential, while maintaining the sum of all the nozzle throat areas essentially constant;
• (d) sensing the pressure in the rocket motor combustion chamber;
• (e) comparing the sensed pressure value to a preselected pressure value;
• and
• (f) changing the throat areas of the nozzles, each by essentially the same amount, based on the difference between the sensed and preselected values to obtain the preselected pressure value in the combustion chamber.