Plug for a liquid-propellant rocket engine chamber

Details Plug for a liquid-propellant rocket engine chamber Plug for a liquid-propellant rocket engine chamber

1999-08-20

2001-09-18

Freay, Charles G. (Department: 3746)

Power plants

Internal combustion engine with treatment or handling of...

Material from exhaust structure fed to engine intake

C060S223000, C060S259000, C060S039091, C060S257000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06289671

ABSTRACT:

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to rocket engineering, in particular to plugs protecting the internal cavities of rocket engine chambers against the ingress of moisture, dust and other substances from the environment.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Plugs are known from prior art that are mounted in a critical throat section of a chamber during storage of an engine.
Thus, for example, a blow-out plug according to U.S. Pat. No. 3,020,710 is made of synthetic rubber having high insulating properties. The plug is bonded in the portion located downstream of the nozzle throat section of a solid-propellant rocket engine.
A special covering is applied in the region where the plug is bonded to the nozzle. On an electric signal, the plug is separated along a thinned place by gas pressure, and the remaining part of the plug is burned out.
A disadvantage of this plug is that it is not dismountable during maintenance work.
Furthermore, during the process of engine storage it is often necessary to release the gases from the internal cavity of the combustion chamber.
This plug does not provide for the release of gases from the internal cavity of the combustion chamber, and this may result in a dangerous increase of the positive pressure in the internal cavity of the chamber during the process of engine storage.
A plug is also known from U.S. Pat. No. 3,390,529, which is mounted in the nozzle throat section of a rocket engine chamber. The attachment and sealing are provided by supplying a gaseous product into the internal cavity of the plug. Two valves are mounted on the plug, one of which makes it possible to maintain the pressure inside the chamber, and the other makes it possible to maintain the pressure inside the plug itself. One of the valves makes it possible to release the positive pressure from the internal cavity of the chamber.
The plug is blown out due to the pressure drop.
The construction of this plug is complex and it is heavy, which does not make it possible to effectively use it in this field of engineering.
A nozzle plug of a rocket engine chamber is known from U.S. Pat. No. 3,693,831. The plug is mounted in the nozzle throat section of the rocket engine chamber.
The plug is made of plastic in the form of a stopper of corresponding shape, wherein an annular groove is made in the stopper with an annular sealing element inserted in the groove. The sealing element is connected by a tube to an air source under pressure. A channel is made along the plug axis, and a metal tube (rod) is placed in this channel with a release valve mounted at the outlet thereof. When air under pressure is fed to the sealing element, the plug seals the chamber along the mating surfaces.
Vapors of the fuel and oxidizer are released from the internal cavity of the chamber by means of a release valve.
Such a system for removing the fuel and oxidizer vapors is ineffective because rapid blowing of the chamber is not possible.
This may also result in a dangerous increase of the positive pressure in the internal cavity of the chamber during storage of the engine.
Moreover, the known construction of the plug does not provide a guarantee that the plug will be blown out of the chamber at small pressure drops.
Furthermore, this system does not ensure the blowing of the chamber with gas at low pressure before the engine starts.
Finally, it is very difficult to produce the known plug with identical blow-out parameters.
The latter is especially important for the chambers of a multichamber LRE, where it is necessary to simultaneously blow out the plugs at the moment of engine start.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The object of the invention is to create a plug for the chamber of a liquid-propellant rocket engine, which plug would have a small weight and simple construction.
The next object of the invention is to create a plug for the chamber of a liquid-propellant rocket engine, which could be demounted during maintenance work.
One more object of the invention is to create a plug for the chamber of a liquid-propellant rocket engine with an effective system for removing the fuel and oxidizer vapors from the internal cavity of the chamber in the process of engine storage.
A further object of the invention is to create a plug for the chamber of a liquid-propellant rocket engine, which would ensure the guaranteed blowing of the chamber with gas at small pressure drops.
One more object of the invention is to provide the possibility of preparing several plugs with substantially identical parameters.
Finally, the last object of the invention is to create a plug for a chamber of a liquid-propellant rocket engine, which would ensure enhancement of the operating characteristics of a plug for an LRE chamber.
The aforesaid objects according to a first aspect of the invention are achieved by means of a plug for a liquid-propellant rocket engine chamber, the plug comprising: an axial rod having a first end with a stopper and a second end, wherein the rod is positioned substantially along the longitudinal axis of the plug; valve means mounted on the rod with the possibility of sliding from a closed position, in which the chamber is closed, to an open position in which the chamber is open for passage of a fluid medium from the chamber; a first spring means positioned on the rod between the valve means and the stopper and interacting with the valve means and with the stopper; stop means mounted on the rod downstream of the valve means in the direction towards the second end of the rod with the possibility of sliding from a stop position in which the stop means interacts with walls of the chamber to a free position in which the stop means is free from interaction with the walls of the chamber; a second spring means positioned on the rod between the valve means and the stop means and interacting with the valve means and with the stop means; means for tracking the wall profile of the chamber, the means stationarily fixed on the rod adjacent the second end of the rod, wherein the means for tracking is in constant interaction with the chamber walls and is disposed with the possibility for interaction with the stop means; a sleeve of the tracking means, which is stationarily fixed on the rod and is provided with a plurality of structural ribs directed in a radial direction from the sleeve; a plurality of levers of the tracking means, each lever having a first end, a second end and a middle portion, the middle portion of each lever hinge secured on an end of a corresponding structural rib of the sleeve, while the first end of each lever is provided with a roller and is positioned with the possibility for contact of the roller with a wall of the chamber; a plurality of spring means of the tracking means, each of which has a first end secured to the sleeve, and a second end secured to the second end of a corresponding lever of the tracking means for contact of the roller with a wall of the chamber.
In a particularly preferable embodiment of the invention, the valve means comprises a spacer, mounted on the rod with the possibility of sliding, and a substantially conical plate secured on the spacer, wherein the peripheral section of the plate comprises a seal.
In order to enhance the efficiency of operation of the valve means, the seal is made in the form of a ring of elastic material, which is secured with interference on the peripheral section of the plate.
It is desirable that rubber be selected as the elastic material of the seal.
The plate may be made from metal, and also it may be produced by stamping.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the stop means may comprise a cross slide, mounted with the possibility of sliding on the rod, and a substantially conical shell, wherein the cross slide may be connected to the shell by a plurality of rod ties. It is preferable that the cross slide be connected to the shell by six rod ties arranged with an identical step along corresponding surfaces of the cross slide and the shell.
In order to reduce the weight of the construction, the shell may be made in the form of a plurality o

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