Engine apparatus and method for reducing a side load on a flying object
AssigneeDeutsches Zentrum fuer Luft- und Raumfahrt e.V.
InventorsRalf Stark, Chloé Génin
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An engine apparatus is provided for a flying object, the engine apparatus including a combustion chamber having a throat region and a nozzle region, the nozzle region having a nozzle wall, wherein the nozzle region expands from the throat region towards an exit end relative to a combustion chamber axis, wherein the nozzle region has associated therewith a skirt having a skirt wall, the skirt being positioned downstream relative to the exit end and surrounding the exit end of the nozzle region, and wherein the skirt wall is at an acute angle away from the combustion chamber axis with respect to the nozzle wall, at least at the exit end of the nozzle region.
Claims18
An engine apparatus for a flying object, comprising:
- a combustion chamber having a throat region and a nozzle region, said nozzle region having a nozzle wall;
- wherein the nozzle region expands from the throat region towards an exit end relative to a combustion chamber axis;
- wherein the nozzle region has associated therewith a skirt and a gap between the exit end and the skirt for admitting ambient air;
- said skirt having a skirt wall, said skirt being positioned downstream relative to the exit end of the nozzle region and surrounding the exit end of the nozzle region;
- said skirt having a skirt exit end and a cross-sectional area of the skirt exit end being greater than a cross-sectional area of the nozzle at the exit end of the nozzle;
- wherein the skirt wall is at an acute angle away from the combustion chamber axis with respect to the nozzle wall, at least at the exit end of the nozzle region;
- and
- wherein the skirt is fixed to a holding area from where the flying object which is provided with the engine apparatus is launched.
A flying object, in particular a rocket, which is provided with an engine apparatus comprising:
- a combustion chamber having a throat region and a nozzle region, said nozzle region having a nozzle wall;
- wherein the nozzle region expands from the throat region towards an exit end relative to a combustion chamber axis;
- wherein the nozzle region has associated therewith a skirt and a gap between the exit end and the skirt for admitting ambient air;
- said skirt having a skirt wall, said skirt being positioned downstream relative to the exit end of the nozzle region and surrounding the exit end of the nozzle region;
- said skirt having a skirt exit end and a cross-sectional area of the skirt exit end being greater than a cross-sectional area of the nozzle at the exit end of the nozzle;
- wherein the skirt wall is at an acute angle away from the combustion chamber axis with respect to the nozzle wall, at least at the exit end of the nozzle region;
- and
- wherein the skirt is fixed to a holding area from where the flying object which is provided with the engine apparatus is launched.
A test stand or launching ramp for a flying object which is provided with an engine apparatus, said engine apparatus comprising:
- a combustion chamber having a throat region and a nozzle region, said nozzle region having a nozzle wall;
- wherein the nozzle region expands from the throat region towards an exit end relative to a combustion chamber axis;
- wherein the nozzle region has associated therewith a skirt and a gap between the exit end and the skirt for admitting ambient air;
- said skirt having a skirt wall, said skirt being positioned downstream relative to the exit end of the nozzle region and surrounding the exit end of the nozzle region;
- and wherein the skirt wall is at an acute angle away from the combustion chamber axis with respect to the nozzle wall, at least at the exit end of the nozzle region;
- said skirt having a skirt exit end and a cross-sectional area of the skirt exit end being greater than a cross-sectional area of the nozzle at the exit end of the nozzle;
- said stand or ramp comprising a non-co-flying holding area at which the skirt is arranged;
- and
- wherein a space region is arranged beneath the skirt which permits the inflow of air into the skirt.
A Method for reducing a side load in an engine apparatus, particularly in at least one of a startup phase and a shutdown phase, in which method the engine apparatus comprises a combustion chamber having a throat region and a nozzle region, said nozzle region having a nozzle wall;
- wherein the nozzle region expands from the throat region towards an exit end relative to a combustion chamber axis;
- wherein the nozzle region has associated therewith a skirt and a gap between the exit end and the skirt for admitting ambient air;
- said skirt having a skirt wall, said skirt being arranged downstream relative to the exit end of the nozzle region and surrounding the exit end of the nozzle region;
- said skirt having an exit cross-sectional area greater than a cross-sectional area of the nozzle at the exit end of the nozzle;
- wherein the skirt wall is an at acute angle away from the combustion chamber axis with respect to the nozzle wall, at least at an exit end of the nozzle region;
- wherein the skirt is fixed to a holding area from where a flying object is provided with the engine apparatus is launched;
- and
- wherein by use of the skirt a larger volume of air is drawn into a separation region of the nozzle region as compared to the case without a skirt.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.