초록 ▼

A membrane seal assembly separating forward and aft combustion chambers of a rocket motor. The assembly covers the aft surface of a bulkhead having apertures therein to preclude flow communication between the combustion chambers during combustion of propellant within the aft combustion chamber. The

A membrane seal assembly separating forward and aft combustion chambers of a rocket motor. The assembly covers the aft surface of a bulkhead having apertures therein to preclude flow communication between the combustion chambers during combustion of propellant within the aft combustion chamber. The assembly includes a membrane which has a plurality of sectors which open along hinge lines away from the bulkhead to allow flow communication between the combustion chambers when a higher pressure is present in the forward combustion chamber than in the aft combustion chamber, i.e., during subsequent combustion of the propellant in the forward combustion chamber. The sectors are provided by a plurality of radially extending slits in the membrane which are formed entirely through the thickness of the membrane so that complex scoring tooling and close tolerances of manufacturing membranes with score lines is not required while maintaining reliability of the burst membrane so that the cost of the membrane seal assembly may be reduced. The pattern and sizing of apertures in the bulkhead is such, for an erodible bulkhead, that each aperture erodes into the adjacent eroding apertures in such a manner as to minimize the size of debris breaking away from the bulkhead to reduce the possibility of debris becoming lodged in the nozzle throat.

대표청구항 ▼

A rocket motor comprising at least two combustion chambers each having propellant material therein, structural means separating said combustion chambers and having a plurality of aperture means therein for providing flow communication between said combustion chambers, a membrane seal means disposed

A rocket motor comprising at least two combustion chambers each having propellant material therein, structural means separating said combustion chambers and having a plurality of aperture means therein for providing flow communication between said combustion chambers, a membrane seal means disposed in one of said combustion chambers for covering said aperture means and precluding flow communication between said combustion chambers when a substantially higher pressure is present in said one chamber than in the other chamber and for allowing flow communication between said chambers when a substantially higher pressure is present in said other chamber than in said one chamber, said membrane seal means comprises a membrane having a marginal portion which is attached to said structural means, said membrane characterized by a plurality of slits formed entirely through the thickness of said membrane and which extend to and terminate at said marginal portion to define a plurality of sectors integral with and extending from said marginal portion to cover said aperture means whereby said membrane may bend for movement hingedly of said sectors to uncover said aperture means when a pressure in said other chamber is substantially higher than a pressure in said one chamber to allow flow communication between said combustion chambers, and insulation means covering said membrane for precluding flow communication between said combustion chambers when a pressure in said one chamber is higher than a pressure in said other chamber.