US 6,205,770 B1Granted

Rocket engine

OwnerGregg G. Williams, Robert S. Thompson, Jr. +4inventors

InventorsGregg G. Williams, Robert S. Thompson, Jr., Richard D. Stephens, Dean S. Musgrave, John F. Jones, Guido D. Defever

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Abstract

A rocket engine comprises first and second rotary injectors for injecting respective fuel and oxidizer propellant components into a first combustion chamber, and the effluent therefrom drives a turbine that rotates the rotary injectors. The mixture within the first combustion chamber is preferably fuel-rich so as to reduce the associated combustion temperature, and the fuel-rich effluent mixes in a second combustion chamber with additional oxidizer injected by a third rotary injector so as to generate a high temperature effluent suitable for propulsion. The rotary injectors are adapted so as to isolate the low pressure propellant supply from the relatively high pressures in the respective combustion chambers.

Claims61

Dependent claims

A rocket engine, comprising:

a. a first inlet adapted to receive a first propellant component from a source of said first propellant component;
b. a second inlet adapted to receive a second propellant component from a source of said second propellant component;
c. a first combustion chamber comprising an outlet;
d. a first rotary injector within said first combustion chamber comprising at least one first rotary orifice having a first axis of rotation, wherein said at least one first rotary orifice is in fluid communication with at least one inlet of said first rotary injector and with said first combustion chamber, and said at least one inlet of said first rotary injector is in fluid communication with said first inlet of said rocket engine;
e. a second rotary injector within said first combustion chamber comprising at least one second rotary orifice having a second axis of rotation, wherein said at least one second rotary orifice in fluid communication with at least one inlet of said second rotary injector and with said first combustion chamber, and said at least one inlet of said second rotary injector is in fluid communication with said second inlet of said rocket engine;
and
f. a third rotary injector within a second combustion chamber comprising at least one third rotary orifice having a third axis of rotation, wherein said at least one third rotary orifice is in fluid communication with at least one inlet of said third rotary injector and with said second combustion chamber, and said at least one inlet of said third rotary injector is in fluid communication with said second inlet of said rocket engine through said second fluid passage.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 09/522,871Filed 10 Mar 2000 · us provisional application
Priority: 10 Mar 1999
Granted: 27 Mar 2001
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification9 codes

F02K 9/52
Feeding propellants: injectors
F02K 9/48
Using pumps: driven by a gas turbine fed by propellant combustion gases or fed by vaporized propellants or other gases
F02K 9/62
Constructional parts; Details not otherwise provided for: combustion or thrust chambers
F02K 9/64
Combustion or thrust chambers: having cooling arrangements