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US 8,601,790 B2Granted
Buried radial flow rapid prototyping rocket motors
AssigneeThe Aerospace Corporation
InventorJerome K. Fuller
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A hybrid rocket motor is manufactured by photopolymerizing the solid fuel grain in a stereolithography method, wherein fuel grains in a plastic matrix are deposited in layers for building a solid fuel rocket body in three dimensions for improved performance and for a compact design, the hybrid rocket motor including buried radial channels for defining a desired burn profile including the oxidizer to fuel burn ratio.
Claims12
An apparatus for providing an exhaust, comprising:
- a fuel grain comprising:
- a solid fuel body;
- a solid fuel core;
- an entry disposed along one end of the fuel grain and having an entry gas flow;
- an exit disposed along another end of the fuel grain and having an exit gas flow for passing a gas through the fuel grain between the entry and the exit;
- at least one initial burn channel having side walls disposed through the fuel grain and extending between the entry and exit of the fuel grain, the solid fuel core at least partially defining the initial burn channel side walls;
- and
- at least one buried channel disposed in the fuel grain and including a first end and a second end, the first end separated from the initial burn channel side walls by a portion of the solid fuel core, the second end opening into the initial burn channel, the solid fuel core at least partially defining the at least one buried channel between the second end and the first end, wherein flowing the gas into the entry burns the sidewalls which burns away the portion of the solid fuel core separating the first end from the initial burn channel side walls, thereby opening the first end into the initial burn channel and allowing the gas to flow into the first end, through the at least one buried channel, and out the second end.
5 more elements
A rocket motor for providing an exhaust, comprising:
- a fuel grain defining internal channels through which a gas is to pass, the fuel grain comprising:
- a solid fuel body;
- a solid fuel core;
- an entry having an entry gas flow;
- an exit having an exit gas flow for passing the gas through the fuel grain between the entry and the exit;
- an initial channel having side walls extending between the entry and the exit, the solid fuel body and the solid fuel core at least partially defining the side walls of the initial channel;
- a buried channel disposed between the entry and the exit, the buried channel disposed in the fuel grain and including a first end and a second end, the first end separated from the initial channel side walls by a portion of the solid fuel core, the second end opening into the initial channel, the solid fuel body and the solid fuel core at least partially defining the buried channel between the second end and the first end;
- at least one igniter proximal the entry and distal the exit, the igniter igniting the solid fuel body and the solid fuel core proximal the entry creating combustion gases, the combustion gases passing through the initial channel upon a first ignition and not passing through the buried channel first end, the combustion gases passing through the buried channel after an initial burn period of the first ignition burns the sidewalls which burns away the portion of the solid fuel core separating the first end from the initial channel side walls, thereby opening the first end into the initial channel, the combustion gases exiting the fuel grain through the exit as the exhaust, wherein the initial channel has an initial gas flow and the buried channel has a subsequent gas flow into the first end, through the buried channel, and out the second end;
- an intake manifold having an aperture in the intake manifold for providing an oxidizer at the entry;
- and
- an exhaust manifold having a nozzle, the nozzle comprising an aperture in the exhaust manifold through which the exhaust flows at the exit.
8 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.