Propulsion system and rocket having the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9303591-B2
Application number	US-201313864643-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 17, 2013
Priority date	Oct 15, 2012
Publication date	Apr 5, 2016
Grant date	Apr 5, 2016

Abstract

Disclosed is a propulsion system and a rocket having the same. The propulsion system includes: a combustion tube having a propellant therein; a nozzle installed at a rear end of the combustion tube, and configured to discharge combustion gas generated when the propellant is ignited; and a nozzle separation unit coupled to the combustion tube and the nozzle, respectively, and configured to mount the nozzle to the combustion tube, and configured to separate the nozzle from the combustion tube as at least part thereof melts when reaching a preset temperature.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A propulsion system, comprising:
a combustion tube having a propellant therein;
a nozzle installed at a rear end of the combustion tube, and configured to discharge combustion gas generated when the propellant is ignited; and
a nozzle separation unit coupled to the combustion tube and the nozzle, respectively, and configured to mount the nozzle to the combustion tube, and configured to separate the nozzle from the combustion tube as at least part thereof melts when reaching a preset temperature,
wherein the nozzle separation unit comprises:
at least one fixing member coupled to the combustion tube and configured to melt when reaching the preset temperature;
at least one snap ring coupled to the fixing member and configured to fix the nozzle by being inserted into a mounting groove formed at a rear end of the combustion tube; and
an elastic member connected to the nozzle and the snap ring in a tensioned state and being configured to separate the snap ring from the mounting groove when the fixing member melts,

wherein a mounting groove is formed at a rear end of the combustion tube, the mounting groove being stepped towards the combustion tube to mount the end of the nozzle, and
wherein the snap ring is formed to support, in a covering manner, an end of the nozzle mounted in the mounting groove.

2. The propulsion system of claim 1 , wherein the preset temperature is set to be higher than a predetermined maximum storage temperature of the propulsion system and lower than an ignition temperature of the propellant.

3. The propulsion system of claim 2 , wherein the preset temperature is within a range of 90˜120° C.

4. The propulsion system of claim 1 , wherein the fixing member is installed in the combustion tube adjacent to the nozzle, such that the fixing member can be melted by heat transferred from the outside.

5. The propulsion system of claim 1 , wherein the fixing member is an alloy of bismuth, tin, lead and cadmium.

6. The propulsion system of claim 1 , wherein the fixing member is screw-coupled to the combustion tube.

7. The propulsion system of claim 1 , wherein the mounting groove is recessed in a direction crossing a shaft direction of the combustion tube.

8. The propulsion system of claim 1 ,
wherein the at least one snap ring comprises a plurality of snap rings, and the plurality of snap rings are disposed on an inner circumferential surface of the combustion tube, and
wherein the at least one fixing member comprises a plurality of fixing members, and the plurality of fixing members are disposed among the snap rings.

9. The propulsion system of claim 1 , wherein the elastic member comprises a spring connected to the nozzle and the snap ring in a tensioned state, respectively.

10. The propulsion system of claim 9 , wherein two ends of the spring are respectively fixed to the nozzle and the snap ring by bolts.

11. The propulsion system of claim 1 , wherein the elastic member is in a tensioned state towards the center of the nozzle, such that the snap ring moves towards the center of the nozzle when the fixing member melts.

12. A rocket, comprising:
a combustion tube having a propellant therein;
a nozzle installed at a rear end of the combustion tube, and configured to discharge combustion gas generated when the propellant is ignited;
a nozzle separation unit coupled to the combustion tube and the nozzle, respectively, and configured to mount the nozzle to the combustion tube, and to separate the nozzle from the combustion tube as at least part thereof melts when reaching a preset temperature; and
a control unit mounted to the combustion tube, and configured to control an ignition time point of the propellant,
wherein the nozzle separation unit comprises:
at least one fixing member coupled to the combustion tube and configured to melt when reaching the preset temperature;
at least one snap ring coupled to the fixing member and configured to fix the nozzle by being inserted into a mounting groove formed at a rear end of the combustion tube; and
an elastic member connected to the nozzle and the snap ring in a tensioned state and being configured to separate the snap ring from the mounting groove when the fixing member melts,

wherein a mounting groove is formed at a rear end of the combustion tube, the mounting groove being stepped towards the combustion tube so as to mount the end of the nozzle, and
wherein the snap ring is formed to support, in a covering manner, an end of the nozzle mounted in the mounting groove.

13. The rocket of claim 12 , wherein the fixing member is installed in the combustion tube adjacent to the nozzle, such that the fixing member can be melted by heat transferred from the outside.

14. The rocket of claim 12 ,
wherein the at least one snap ring comprises a plurality of snap rings, and the plurality of snap rings are disposed on an inner circumferential surface of the combustion tube, and
wherein the at least one fixing member comprises a plurality of fixing members, and the plurality of fixing members are disposed among the snap rings.

15. The rocket of claim 12 , wherein the elastic member comprises a spring connected to the nozzle and the snap ring in a tensioned state, respectively.

16. The rocket of claim 12 , wherein the elastic member is in a tensioned state towards the center of the nozzle, such that the snap ring moves towards the center of the nozzle when the fixing member melts.

17. A propulsion system, comprising:
a combustion tube having a propellant therein;
a nozzle installed at a rear end of the combustion tube, and configured to discharge combustion gas generated when the propellant is ignited; and
a nozzle separation unit coupled to the combustion tube and the nozzle and configured to mount the nozzle to the combustion tube, and configured to separate the nozzle from the combustion tube as at least part thereof melts when reaching a preset temperature,
wherein the nozzle separation unit comprises:
at least one fixing member coupled to the combustion tube and configured to melt when reaching the preset temperature;
at least one snap ring coupled to the fixing member and configured to fix the nozzle by being inserted into a mounting groove formed at a rear end of the combustion tube; and
an elastic member connected to the nozzle and the snap ring in a tensioned state and being configured to separate the snap ring from the mounting groove when the fixing member melts,

wherein the elastic member comprises a spring connected to the nozzle and the snap ring in a tensioned state, and
wherein two ends of the spring are fixed to the nozzle and the snap ring by bolts.

Assignees

• Park Byeong Yeol
• Koo Song Hoe
• Yoo Ji Chang
• Doh Young Dae
• Agency Defense Dev

Inventors

• Park Byeong Yeol
• Koo Song Hoe
• Yoo Ji Chang
• Doh Young Dae

Classifications

• F02K9/978 Primary

  Closures for nozzles; Nozzles comprising ejectable or discardable elements · CPC title

• F02K9/38

  Safety devices, e.g. to prevent accidental ignition · CPC title

• F02K9/97

  Rocket nozzles (thrust or thrust vector control F02K9/80) · CPC title

• F41F3/055 Primary

  Umbilical connecting means {(means for facilitating disengagement of electric line connector coupling parts in general H01R13/633)} · CPC title

• F41F3/052

  Means for securing the rocket in the launching apparatus · CPC title