Rocket motor nozzle assemblies having vacuum plasma-sprayed refractory metal shell throat inserts, methods of making, and rocket motors including same

A rocket motor assembly comprising:

• a rocket motor case comprising a combustion chamber and at least one propellant that is ignitable to generate high temperature combustion products;
• and
• a nozzle assembly having a converging/diverging pathway with a throat and an exit region, the nozzle assembly being operatively engageable with the rocket motor case to receive the combustion products generated from the at least one propellant and to pass the combustion products through the converging/diverging pathway before the combustion products are discharged from the exit region to propel and/or divert the rocket motor assembly, the nozzle assembly comprising:
• an annular throat insert comprising an annular throat support and an annular shell positioned radially inside the throat support, the support comprising at least one carbon-based material and having a forward face or edge, a radially inner converging portion that converges into a minimum cross-sectional area portion at the throat, and a radially inner diverging portion aft of the minimum cross-sectional area portion;
• the annular shell comprising at least one refractory metal or refractory metal alloy and comprising:
• forward surface region covering at least a portion of the converging portion of the throat support;
• the throat surface region covering the minimum cross-sectional area portion of the throat support, the throat surface region defining the throat and exposed along the converging/diverging pathway;
• and
• an aft surface region covering at least a portion of the diverging portion of the throat support;
• a protective eyelid comprising at least one member selected from the group consisting of a carbon-based material and a silica-based material, the protective eyelid covering a sufficient portion of the forward surface region of the shell to insulate the shell and prevent the combustion products passing along the converging/diverging pathway from reaching a radially outer surface of the throat insert, yet the protective eyelid not covering the throat surface region of the shell so the throat surface region of the shell remains exposed to the combustion products passing along the converging/diverging pathway during operation of the rocket motor assembly;
• and
• an aft skirt configured as a diverging truncated cone, the aft skirt extending aftwardly from the throat insert.

A method of making a rocket motor nozzle assembly having a converging/diverging pathway with a throat and an exit region, the nozzle assembly being operatively engageable to a rocket motor case to receive high temperature combustion products generated in the rocket motor case upon ignition of propellant loaded in the rocket motor case and to pass the combustion products through the throat before the combustion products are discharged from the exit region, the method comprising:

• forming an annular shell by plasma spraying at least one refractory metal or refractory metal alloy;
• and
• forming a rocket motor nozzle comprising:
• an annular throat insert comprising an annular throat support and the shell, the throat support comprising at least one carbon-based material and having a forward face or edge, a radially inner converging portion that converges into a minimum cross-sectional area portion at the throat, and a radially inner diverging portion aft of the minimum cross-sectional area portion;
• the shell positioned radially inside the throat support and comprising:
• a forward surface region covering at least a portion of the converging portion of the throat support;
• the throat surface region covering the minimum cross-sectional area portion of the throat support, the throat surface region defining the throat and exposed along the converging/diverging pathway;
• and
• an aft surface region covering at least a portion of the diverging portion of the throat support;
• a protective eyelid comprising at least one member selected from the group consisting of a carbon-based material and a silica-based material, the protective eyelid covering a sufficient portion of the forward surface region of the shell to insulate the shell and cover the forward face or edge of the throat support to prevent the combustion products passing along the converging/diverging pathway from reaching a radially outer surface of the throat insert, yet the protective eyelid not covering the throat surface region of the shell so that the throat surface region of the shell remains exposed to the combustion products passing along the converging/diverging pathway during operation of the rocket motor assembly;
• and
• an aft skirt configured as a diverging truncated cone, the aft skirt extending aftwardly from the throat insert.