초록 ▼

Disclosed is a space launch system having a main engine which uses turbopumps to provide fuel and oxidizer to the main engine combustion chamber, and one or more booster engines that use high pressure fuel and/or oxidizer to pressurize the fuel and oxidizer tanks of the booster engine to obtain the

Disclosed is a space launch system having a main engine which uses turbopumps to provide fuel and oxidizer to the main engine combustion chamber, and one or more booster engines that use high pressure fuel and/or oxidizer to pressurize the fuel and oxidizer tanks of the booster engine to obtain the pressure differential necessary to drive fuel and oxidizer from the fuel and oxidizer tanks of the booster engine to the combustion chamber of the booster engine.

대표청구항 ▼

A method of delivering booster fuel and booster oxidizer from a booster fuel tank and a booster oxidizer tank, respectively, of a space launch vehicle\s booster engine to a booster combustion chamber of the booster engine, said method comprising: providing a main engine on said vehicle, said main en

A method of delivering booster fuel and booster oxidizer from a booster fuel tank and a booster oxidizer tank, respectively, of a space launch vehicle\s booster engine to a booster combustion chamber of the booster engine, said method comprising: providing a main engine on said vehicle, said main engine including cryogenic fuel in a cryogenic fuel tank and cryogenic oxidizer in a cryogenic oxidizer tank, and a main combustion chamber/nozzle assembly having a main combustion chamber therein; providing a booster fuel supply line connecting said booster fuel tank to said booster combustion chamber; providing a booster oxidizer supply line connecting said booster oxidizer tank to said booster combustion chamber; pumping said cryogenic fuel from said cryogenic fuel tank to a heat source; pumping a first portion of said cryogenic oxidizer from said cryogenic oxidizer tank to said main combustion chamber; pumping a second portion of said cryogenic oxidizer from said cryogenic oxidizer tank to said heat source; heating and vaporizing said cryogenic fuel and said second portion of cryogenic oxidizer to a pressure greater than the ambient pressure within said booster combustion chamber; delivering a first portion of the vaporized fuel to the main combustion chamber; delivering a second portion of the vaporized fuel to the booster fuel tank at a pressure greater than ambient pressure in said booster combustion chamber to provide a fuel pressure differential between said pressure in said booster fuel tank and said ambient pressure in said booster combustion chamber; delivering a third portion of the vaporized fuel to the cryogenic fuel tank to provide pressurization thereof; delivering said second portion of vaporized oxidizer to the booster oxidizer tank at a pressure greater than ambient pressure in said booster combustion chamber to provide an oxidizer pressure differential between said pressure in said booster oxidizer tank and said ambient pressure in said booster combustion chamber; combusting said first portion of vaporized fuel and said first portion of cryogenic oxidizer in said main combustion chamber; and, using the fuel pressure differential to drive the booster fuel from the booster fuel tank through the booster fuel supply line to the booster combustion chamber and using the oxidizer pressure differential to drive the booster oxidizer from the booster oxidizer tank through the booster oxidizer supply line to the booster combustion chamber.