Hybrid rocket system and integrated motor for use therein
AssigneeEnvironmental Aeroscience Corp.
InventorsKevin W. Smith, Korey R. Kline, Theodore C. Slack, Jr., Andrew E. Mossberg
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A hybrid rocket system and motor includes an oxidant tank communicating with a combustion chamber containing a solid fuel grain. The passage from the oxidant tank to the combustion chamber is obstructed by a fill tube which fills the oxidant tank with oxidant and pressurizes it. Once the tank is full, the fill tube is displaced from the tank-chamber passage to deliver oxidant to the grain and initiate the combustion process. The motor may be an integral part of the rocket, or it may be a modular, expendable or exchangeable cartridge-type device inserted into a reusable body.
Claims47
A solid/fluid hybrid propulsion system for a projectile launchable from a launch platform, comprising:
- a container having a fluid reactant therein;
- a combustion chamber containing a solid reactant therein and having a thrust nozzle at one end thereof;
- a fluid-flow pathway between said fluid reactant container and said combustion chamber;
- and
- a flow-control member which comprises an elongated member of selected length secured to the launch platform and extending through said combustion chamber into said fluid-flow pathway to obstruct flow through said flow pathway when the projectile is in a prelaunch configuration, relative movement between said elongated member and said flow pathway consequent to launching of the projectile removing said elongated member from fluid-flow pathway to admit fluid reactant from said container into said chamber for reaction with said solid reactant to produce thrust for propelling the projectile.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.