A propulsion assembly and a method of feeding propellants

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016281641-A1
Application number	US-201415034215-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Nov 5, 2014
Priority date	Nov 6, 2013
Publication date	Sep 29, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

The invention relates to the field of rocket engines, and more particularly to a propulsion assembly ( 10 ) comprising a first tank ( 11 ) for a first liquid propellant, a second tank ( 12 ) for a second liquid propellant, a pressurizer device ( 60 ) configured to maintain a substantially higher pressure in the second tank ( 12 ) than in the first tank ( 11 ), and a single-shaft turbopump ( 30 ) comprising a turbine ( 33 ), a first pump ( 31 ), and a second pump ( 32 ). The turbine ( 33 ) is actuated by expansion of the first propellant after it has passed through a regenerative heat exchanger ( 44 ), and in turn it acts via the single rotary shaft ( 34 ) of the turbopump ( 30 ) to drive said first and second pumps ( 31, 32 ) respectively pumping said first and second propellants in order to feed a propulsion chamber ( 40 ).

First claim

1 . A propulsion assembly comprising at least:
a first tank suitable for containing a first liquid propellant; a second tank suitable for containing a second liquid propellant; a pressurizer device configured to maintain a substantially higher pressure in the second tank than in the first tank; a propulsion chamber suitable for generating thrust by combustion and expansion of a mixture of said propellants; a first feed circuit connecting the first tank to the propulsion chamber in order to feed the propulsion chamber with the first propellant, and including a regenerative heat exchanger arranged to heat said first propellant with heat coming from the propulsion chamber; a second feed circuit connecting the second tank to the propulsion chamber in order to feed the propulsion chamber with the second propellant; and a single-shaft turbopump comprising a turbine, a first pump, and a second pump, said first pump and said second pump being mechanically connected to said turbine for actuation by a single rotary shaft, said first pump having the first feed circuit pass therethrough upstream from said regenerative heat exchanger, said second pump having the second feed circuit pass therethrough, and said turbine having the first feed circuit pass therethrough downstream from said regenerative heat exchanger.

2 . The propulsion assembly according to claim 1 , wherein said turbine has the first feed circuit pass therethrough between said regenerative heat exchanger and said propulsion chamber.

3 . The propulsion assembly according to claim 1 , wherein said turbine has a branch connection of the first feed circuit pass therethrough downstream from at least a portion of said regenerative heat exchanger, said branch connection not leading to the propulsion chamber.

4 . The propulsion assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the first tank is suitable for maintaining an internal pressure of at least 2 MPa, and in particular of at least 3 MPa.

5 . The propulsion assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the turbine is placed between the first pump and the second pump .

6 . The propulsion assembly according to claim 5 , wherein the first pump and the second pump are cantilevered out relative to bearings supporting the rotary shaft.

7 . The propulsion assembly according to claim 1 , wherein said turbine is an axial turbine.

8 . The propulsion assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the first pump is a centrifugal pump and the second pump is an axial pump.

9 . The propulsion assembly according to claim 1 , wherein said second tank is made at least in part out of composite material.

10 . The propulsion assembly according to claim 9 , wherein said second tank comprises a wound composite structure.

11 . The propulsion assembly according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of said liquid propellants is a cryogenic propellant.

12 . The propulsion assembly according to claim 11 , wherein said first liquid propellant is liquid hydrogen.

13 . The propulsion assembly according to claim 11 , wherein said second liquid propellant is liquid oxygen.

14 . A space vehicle including the propulsion assembly according to claim 1 .

15 . A feed method for feeding liquid propellants to a propulsion chamber of a propulsion assembly, the method comprising:
extracting a flow of a first liquid propellant from a first tank via a first feed circuit, wherein the flow is initially pumped by a first pump of a single-shaft turbopump, heated in a regenerative heat exchanger with heat coming from the propulsion chamber, and is then expanded in a turbine of said single-shaft turbopump in order to drive said first pump and a second pump of the single-shaft turbopump via a single rotary shaft connecting the turbine to both the first pump and the second pump of the single-shaft turbopump; and extracting a flow of a second liquid propellant from a second tank, wherein the second liquid propellant is maintained by a pressurizer device at a pressure that is substantially higher than the pressure of the first liquid propellant in the first tank, which flow passes via a second feed circuit in which it is pumped by said second pump prior to being injected into the propulsion chamber.

16 . The feed method according to claim 15 , wherein the first liquid propellant is injected into the propulsion chamber after partial expansion in the turbine.

17 . A feed method according to claim 15 , wherein a first portion of said flow of the first liquid propellant is taken off via a branch connection of the first feed circuit downstream from at least a portion of said regenerative heat exchanger in order to be expanded in said turbine, while a second portion of said flow of the first liquid propellant is injected into the propulsion chamber.

Assignees

• Snecma

Inventors

• Danguy François
• Hayoun David
• Sannino Jean Michel

Classifications

• F02K9/972

  Fluid cooling arrangements for nozzles (F02K9/64 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F02K9/425 Primary

  Propellants · CPC title

• F02K9/64

  having cooling arrangements · CPC title

• F02K9/50

  using pressurised fluid to pressurise the propellants · CPC title

• F02K9/48 Primary

  driven by a gas turbine fed by propellant combustion gases {or fed by vaporized propellants or other gases} · CPC title