초록 ▼

A propulsion thruster (10) includes a solid-fuel, liquid-oxidizer main rocket engine (11), a tank (22) of liquid oxygen, and a turbine (32)-driven pump (30) for pumping liquid oxygen to the main engine. A solid-fuel, liquid-oxidizer auxiliary engine (40) has its oxidizer input port (50) coupled to t

A propulsion thruster (10) includes a solid-fuel, liquid-oxidizer main rocket engine (11), a tank (22) of liquid oxygen, and a turbine (32)-driven pump (30) for pumping liquid oxygen to the main engine. A solid-fuel, liquid-oxidizer auxiliary engine (40) has its oxidizer input port (50) coupled to the output (30b) of the turbopump, for generating drive fluids for the turbine (32) of the turbopump. The temperature of the turbine drive fluids is reduced to prevent damage to the turbine, and the mass flow rate is increased, by injecting water from a tank (60) into the drive fluids at the output (48) of the auxiliary engine (40). Starting is enhanced by preventing cooling of the solid fuel by the liquid oxidizer, which is accomplished by applying gaseous oxygen from a tank (90) to the oxidizer input port (50) of the auxiliary engine (40).

대표청구항 ▼

A propulsion engine, comprising: a solid-fuel main rocket engine including a first housing and a grain of solid fuel contained therein, and an inlet for oxidizer; a tank of liquid oxidizer; a turbine-driven pump including an oxidizer inlet port coupled to said tank of liquid oxidizer and an oxidizer

A propulsion engine, comprising: a solid-fuel main rocket engine including a first housing and a grain of solid fuel contained therein, and an inlet for oxidizer; a tank of liquid oxidizer; a turbine-driven pump including an oxidizer inlet port coupled to said tank of liquid oxidizer and an oxidizer outlet port coupled to said inlet of said first housing, and also including a turbine input port for accepting flow of turbine drive fluid, whereby the flow of said turbine drive fluid through said turbine causes a pumped flow of said oxidizer to said solid fuel, whereby said oxidizer and said fuel react to generate rocket thrust; an auxiliary engine including a second housing, a grain of solid fuel contained therein, and an outlet at which at least a portion of said drive fluids are generated during operation of said auxiliary engine, a phase of said solid fuel of said auxiliary engine reacting with a phase of said oxidizer for generating heat and reaction products, said second housing also including an inlet for oxidizer coupled to said oxidizer outlet port of said turbine-driven pump, whereby, when said pump is operating, oxidizer is pumped from said tank to said main rocket engine for generating thrust, and oxidizer is also pumped from said tank to said auxiliary engine for reacting with said grain in said auxiliary engine for generating said drive fluids for driving said turbine-driven pump, whereby said propulsion engine may not start reliably because said liquid oxidizer tends to cool said solid fuel as said liquid oxidizer becomes gaseous, and thereby tends to prevent reaction of said fuel with said oxidizer; a tank of gaseous oxidizer; and gaseous oxidizer coupling means coupled to said tank of gaseous oxidizer and to said inlet port of said second housing, for providing gaseous oxidizer to said grain of solid fuel contained in said second housing, at least during start-up, whereby liquid oxidizer does not cool said solid fuel, thereby allowing said fuel to more readily react with said oxidizer, to thereby generate heat to aid said solid fuel to generate flammable vapor.