Device for modulating a gas ejection section

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016010591-A1
Application number	US-201414773042-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 4, 2014
Priority date	Mar 7, 2013
Publication date	Jan 14, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A modulator device for modulating a gas ejection section, includes a shutter member for partially shutting a nozzle throat, a control guide of the shutter member, a main piston, and a primer piston. The control guide is movable between a retraction position for retracting the partial shutter element relative to the nozzle throat and a shutting position in which the partial shutter element is in contact with the nozzle throat. The primer piston is movable between a rest position and a priming position for priming the main piston when the pressure in the modulator device reaches a first predetermined value. The main piston is movable between a first position for locking the control guide against movement in its retraction position, and a second position for locking the control guide when the pressure in the modulator device reaches a second predetermined value less than the first predetermined value.

First claim

1 . A modulator device for modulating a gas ejection section, the modulator device being for placing inside a nozzle upstream from a throat of said nozzle, the modulator device comprising a partial shutter member for partially shutting the nozzle throat, a control guide for the partial shutter member, a main piston, and a primer piston,
the control guide for the partial shutter member being movable between a retraction position in which the partial shutter element is held at a distance from the nozzle throat and a shutting position in which the partial shutter element is in contact with the nozzle throat; the primer piston being movable between a rest position in which it locks the main piston against moving, and a priming position in which it unlocks movement of the main piston, said primer piston moving from the rest position to the priming position when the a pressure in the modulator device reaches a first predetermined value; and the main piston being movable between a first position in which movement of the control guide of the partial shutter member is locked in the retraction position, and a second position in which movement of the control guide of the partial shutter member is unlocked, the main piston moving from the first position to the second position when the primer piston is in the priming position and when the pressure in the modulator device reaches a second predetermined value less than the first predetermined value.

2 . A device according to claim 1 , further comprising a return spring for holding the primer piston in the rest position, the return spring presenting stiffness determined in such a manner that said return spring compresses when the pressure in the modulator device reaches the first predetermined value.

3 . A device according to claim 1 , further comprising a thrust spring held in compression against the main piston, said thrust spring exerting on the main piston a thrust force that is greater than the pressure exerted on said main piston when the pressure in the modulator device reaches the second predetermined value.

4 . A device according to claim 1 , further comprising one or more balls placed around an outer wall of the primer piston, said one or more balls being held in a hosing extending both in the main piston and in a stationary jacket surrounding said main piston while the primer piston is in the rest position, and wherein the primer piston includes one or more cavities suitable for receiving the one or more balls in part when said primer piston is in the priming position so as to unlock the movement of the main piston.

5 . A device according to claim 1 , further comprising one or more balls placed around an outer wall of the main piston, said one or more balls being held in a housing extending both in a stationary jacket surrounding the main piston and in the control guide of the partial shutter member when the main piston is in the first position, and wherein the main piston includes one or more cavities suitable for partially receiving the one or more balls when said main piston is in the second position so as to unlock movement of the control guide of the partial shutter member.

6 . A device according to claim 1 , wherein the main piston is suitable for pushing the control guide of the partial shutter member towards its shutting position when the primer piston is in the priming position and when the pressure in the modulator device reaches a second predetermined value less than the first predetermined value.

7 . A device according to claim 1 , wherein the control guide of the partial shutter member is mounted on a jacket of the main piston by a sliding connection.

8 . A device according to claim 1 , wherein the control guide of the partial shutter member is mounted on a jacket of the main piston via a two-start screw connection.

9 . A nozzle of variable throat section comprising a nozzle throat, a diverging portion, and a modulator device according to claim 1 for modulating a gas ejection section, said modulator device being placed in the nozzle upstream from said nozzle throat.

10 . A rocket engine including a nozzle of variable throat section according to claim 9 .

Assignees

• Herakles

Inventors

• Clermont Mathieu
• Remigi Alain
• Larrieu Jean-Michel
• Marlin Philippe

Classifications

• F02K9/86 Primary

  using nozzle throats of adjustable cross- section {(F02K9/978 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• F02K9/08

  using solid propellants (F02K9/72 takes precedence; using semi-solid or pulverulent propellants F02K9/70) · CPC title

• F02K9/26

  Burning control {(F02K9/10, F02K9/34, F02K9/86, F02K9/92 and F02K9/94 take precedence)} · CPC title