Hybrid rocket

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11473530-B2
Application number	US-201917255696-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 27, 2019
Priority date	Jul 9, 2018
Publication date	Oct 18, 2022
Grant date	Oct 18, 2022

Abstract

A readily combustible portion (110) includes a readily combustible exposed surface (111) that is exposed to a flow channel (CA). A combustion-resistant portion (140), which comprises a material that is more resistant to combustion than the readily combustible portion (110), covers an outer surface of the readily combustible portion (110) on the opposite side from the readily combustible exposed surface (111) in a direction orthogonal to a length direction parallel to a direction in which a hybrid rocket is propelled. The combustion-resistant portion (140) includes a thick portion (120) that serves as a stopper that prevents peeling of the readily combustible portion (110) from the combustion-resistant portion (140) in a direction from a starting end surface (100a) toward a terminating end surface (100b).

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A hybrid rocket comprising:
a solid fuel that includes a starting end surface that is one end surface in a length direction and a terminating end surface that is another end surface in the length direction and in which openings are formed on the starting end surface and the terminating end surface, the solid fuel defining therein a flow channel communicating between the opening of the starting end surface and the opening of the terminating end surface;
a liquid oxidizer supply device that supplies a liquid oxidizer that causes the solid fuel to oxidize to the flow channel through the opening of the starting end surface of the solid fuel, thereby causing the solid fuel to combust in a mode in which a flow of combustion gas, flowing in a direction from the starting end surface toward the terminating end surface, is produced in the flow channel;
a casing that houses the solid fuel; and
a nozzle that is connected to an end of the casing and that jets the combustion gas,
wherein the solid fuel includes a readily combustible portion including a readily combustible exposed surface exposed to the flow channel, and
a combustion-resistant portion covering an outer surface, opposite to the readily combustible exposed surface in a direction orthogonal to the length direction, of the readily combustible portion, the combustion-resistant portion comprising a material that is more resistant to combustion than the readily combustible portion and including an inner surface that is exposed to the flow channel after the readily combustible portion burns out, thereby combusting slower than the readily combustible portion while protecting the casing,
the combustion-resistant portion includes a stopper that prevents peeling of the readily combustible portion in the direction from the starting end surface toward the terminating end surface,
the liquid oxidizer supply device includes
a tank that has an interior in which the liquid oxidizer is stored and, also, is capable of supplying, to the interior,
a pressurization gas that applies pressure to a liquid surface of the liquid oxidizer in the interior,
a gas discharger that is provided in the tank and that discharges gas, obtained by the liquid oxidizer vaporizing in the interior, out of the tank,
a supply pipe that includes an inflow end through which the liquid oxidizer flows in, and an outflow end through which the liquid oxidizer flows out, the inflow end being immersed in the liquid oxidizer in the interior of the tank, the outflow end being connected to the flow channel of the solid fuel disposed downward from the tank, the supply pipe constituting a pipe passage through which the liquid oxidizer flows from the inflow end to the outflow end, and
a gas valve capable of switching between a pressurization stop state in which a supply of the pressurization gas to the tank is cut off and, also, the gas is discharged from the gas discharger, and a pressurization state in which the discharging of the gas from the gas discharger is cut off and, also, the pressurization gas is supplied to the tank and, thereby, the liquid oxidizer is pushed by the pressurization gas from the inflow end through the outflow end and to the flow channel of the solid fuel,
wherein
the supply pipe includes, between the inflow end and the outflow end along the pipe passage, an upward protrusion protruding upward from a top surface of the tank, the upward protrusion constituting a portion of the pipe passage,
wherein the supply pipe further includes:
an upward guide including one end that constitutes the inflow end and another end that is connected to the upward protrusion, the upward guide guiding the liquid oxidizer upward from the inflow end toward the upward protrusion,
a turn-back that constitutes the upward protrusion, the turn-back turning the liquid oxidizer that is guided upward by the upward guide back toward the interior of the tank, and
a downward guide including one end that is connected to the turn-back and another end that constitutes the outflow end, the downward guide guiding the liquid oxidizer, that is turned back downward at the turn-back, downward toward the flow channel of the solid fuel, and

in a case in which the gas valve is set to the pressurization stop state, when the liquid oxidizer is injected into the tank, a void from at least the upper protrusion to the outflow end of the pipe passage is secured.

2. The hybrid rocket according to claim 1 , wherein the downward guide guides the liquid oxidizer, that is turned back downward at the turn-back, downward through the interior of the tank toward the flow channel of the solid fuel.

3. The hybrid rocket according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a gas guide pipe for guiding, to the flow channel of the solid fuel, the gas discharged from the gas discharger.

4. The hybrid rocket according to claim 3 , wherein
the gas guide pipe connects the gas discharger and a portion of the supply pipe constituting the void, and
the gas discharged from the gas discharger is supplied to the flow channel of the solid fuel through the gas guide pipe and the void.

5. The hybrid rocket according to claim 1 , wherein
the supply pipe includes an outer pipe including one end that constitutes the inflow end and another end that constitutes the upward protrusion, and
an inner pipe that passes through an interior of the outer pipe, the inner pipe including one end that is open to an interior of the upward protrusion, and another end that constitutes the outflow end, and
the liquid oxidizer is guided upward from the inflow end toward the upward protrusion by an inner surface of the outer pipe and an outer surface of the inner pipe, the liquid oxidizer flows into the one end of the inner pipe in the upward protrusion, and the liquid oxidizer that has flowed in is guided to the flow channel of the solid fuel by the inner pipe.

Assignees

• Univ Kagoshima

Inventors

• Katanoda Hiroshi

Classifications

• B64G1/00

  Cosmonautic vehicles · CPC title

• F02K9/605

  Reservoirs · CPC title

• F02K9/72 Primary

  using liquid and solid propellants, i.e. hybrid rocket-engine plants · CPC title

• B64G1/404

  Hybrid rocket engines · CPC title

• F02K9/50

  using pressurised fluid to pressurise the propellants · CPC title