Monopropellant assisted solid rocket engine

Details Monopropellant assisted solid rocket engine Monopropellant assisted solid rocket engine

1998-02-19

2001-01-30

Casaregola, Louis J. (Department: 3746)

Power plants

Reaction motor

Method of operation

C060S220000, C060S251000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06178739

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to rocket engines. More particularly, though not exclusively, the present invention relates to a method and apparatus for providing a monopropellant assisted solid rocket engine.
2. Problems in the Art
Rocket engines have been used for years to propel various objects or vehicles. Generally, a rocket engine operates as follows. When a hot gas under pressure is produced by the burning of a rocket fuel (the propellant) in a combustion chamber, the gas will exercise an equal pressure in all directions upon the walls within the chamber. If an opening (a nozzle) is made in one wall of the chamber, the gas will stream out of the nozzle at a supersonic velocity. At the same time, a reaction force will be exerted on the opposite side of the chamber. It is this reaction force that thrusts a rocket forward.
Rockets can be classified into solid-propellant, liquid-propellant, and hybrid rockets. In a liquid-propellant rocket, the liquid combustibles are contained in tanks and fed into the combustion chamber through an injector head by a propellant supply system. Most liquid-propellant rockets use two combustibles such as liquid oxygen and kerosene, where the oxygen is provided to combust the kerosene. The propellants are injected at a high pressure into the combustion chamber, at which time the propellants are atomized, mixed, and burned. The hot gaseous combustion products are expelled through the exhaust nozzle propelling the rocket. In a solid-propellant rocket, the propellant consists of combustibles and an agent supplying oxygen for its combustion. The propellant is introduced into the combustion chamber, where it burns producing a hot-pressure gas which is discharged through a nozzle and produces the thrust that propels the rocket. With a hybrid rocket, a liquid oxygen supplying agent can be used in conjunction with a solid combustible, whereby a better control of the thrust developed by the rocket motor is obtained.
The new rocket engine of the present invention is in a class by itself, whereby the liquid is not an oxidizer but a monopropellant.
FEATURES OF THE INVENTION
A general feature of the present invention is the provision of a method and apparatus for providing a rocket engine which overcomes problems found in the prior art.
A further feature of the present invention is the provision of a method and apparatus for providing a monopropellant assisted solid rocket engine.
Further features, objects, and advantages of the present invention include:
A method and apparatus for providing a monopropellant assisted solid rocket engine which provides a simple, safe and inexpensive rocket engine.
A method and apparatus for providing a monopropellant assisted solid rocket engine which provides moderate thrust efficiencies with throttle capability.
A method and apparatus for providing a monopropellant assisted solid rocket engine which reaches supersonic flows within a DeLaval nozzle at low chamber pressures (e.g.,
20
-
40
psi).
A method and apparatus for providing a monopropellant assisted solid rocket engine which uses nitromethane as the monopropellant.
A method and apparatus for providing a monopropellant assisted solid rocket engine which can be used for launching vehicles into orbit.
A method and apparatus for providing a monopropellant assisted solid rocket engine which can be used for air-to-air missiles.
A method and apparatus for providing a monopropellant assisted solid rocket engine which provides a wide throttling range (e.g., 16%-100%).
A method and apparatus for providing a monopropellant assisted solid rocket engine which can be utilized in the model rocket industry.
These as well as other features, objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following specification and claims.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The method and apparatus for providing a monopropellant assisted solid rocket engine of the present invention includes the use of a monopropellant injected into a solid fuel rocket engine. By injecting the monopropellant into the rocket engine, the rocket engine performs in a manner superior to the prior art. In addition, the present invention provides a method for throttling a solid rocket engine. In the preferred embodiment, the monopropellant is comprised of nitromethane.


REFERENCES:
patent: 3065597 (1962-11-01), Adamson et al.
patent: 3302403 (1967-02-01), Krzycki et al.
patent: 4424085 (1984-01-01), Fukuma et al.
patent: 5552093 (1996-09-01), Lee

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