Rocket propulsion system
AssigneeUnited Technologies Corporation
InventorWilliam B. Watkins
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A rocket propulsion system, comprising: a rocket engine; and a turbopump supplying fuel or oxidizer to the rocket engine. The turbopump can supply an; adjustable flow of the fuel or oxidizer to throttle the rocket engine. The turbopump includes a catalyst bed for decomposing a material to produce a discharge; a mixer section downstream of the catalyst bed for introducing an additional amount of the material to the discharge to produce an exhaust stream having a mass flow; a nozzle downstream of the mixer section; a turbine downstream of the nozzle; and a pump driven by the turbine. The additional amount of said material is selected to produce a desired amount of mass flow.
Claims6
A rocket propulsion system, comprising:
- a rocket engine;
- and
- a turbopump supplying fuel or oxidizer to said rocket engine;
- wherein said turbopump is supplying an adjustable flow of said fuel or
- oxidizer to throttle said rocket engine;
- said turbopump including a gas generator producing an adjustable exhaust stream that drives said turbopump;
- said gas generator decomposing a material to produce said adjustable exhaust stream;
- wherein said gas generator uses a catalyst to decompose a portion of said material and thermal decomposition for another portion of said material.
A rocket propulsion system having a turbopump assembly that comprises:
- catalyst bed for decomposing a material to produce a discharge;
- a mixer section downstream of said catalyst bed for introducing an additional amount of said material to said discharge to produce an exhaust stream having a mass flow;
- a nozzle downstream of said mixer section;
- a turbine downstream of said nozzle;
- and
- a pump driven by said turbine;
- wherein said additional amount of said material is selected to produce a desired amount of said mass flow.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.