Cryogenic thruster assembly using regenerative heating from main and settling thrusters

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9446862-B2
Application number	US-201214127055-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 7, 2012
Priority date	Jun 17, 2011
Publication date	Sep 20, 2016
Grant date	Sep 20, 2016

Abstract

A cryogenic thruster assembly including: a reignitable main thruster; a first cryogenic tank connected to the main thruster to feed the main thruster with a first propellant; a first gas tank; at least one settling thruster; and a first feed circuit for feeding the first gas tank. The feed circuit of the first gas tank is connected to the first cryogenic tank and includes a heat exchanger for using heat given off by the at least one settling thruster to vaporize a liquid flow of the first propellant as extracted from the first cryogenic tank to feed the first gas tank with the first propellant in the gaseous state. A method feeds the first gas tank with the first propellant in the gaseous state.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A cryogenic thruster assembly comprising:
a reignitable main thruster;
a first cryogenic tank connected to the reignitable main thruster to feed the reignitable main thruster with a first propellant;
a first gas tank;
at least one settling thruster;
a first feed circuit to feed the first gas tank, the first feed circuit being connected to the first cryogenic tank and including a first heat exchanger to use heat given off by the at least one settling thruster to vaporize a liquid flow of the first propellant as extracted from the first cryogenic tank to feed the first gas tank with the first propellant in a gaseous state; and
a second feed circuit to feed the first gas tank, the second feed circuit being connected to the first cryogenic tank and including a second heat exchanger to use heat given off by the reignitable main thruster to vaporize the liquid flow of the first propellant extracted from the first cryogenic tank to feed the first gas tank with the first propellant in the gaseous state.

2. The cryogenic thruster assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the first gas tank is connected to the at least one settling thruster to feed the at least one settling thruster.

3. The cryogenic thruster assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the first gas tank is connected to the first cryogenic tank to pressurize the first cryogenic tank.

4. The cryogenic thruster assembly according to claim 1 , further comprising at least one steering control thruster connected to the first gas tank.

5. The cryogenic thruster assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the first feed circuit of the first gas tank further comprises at least one feed pump.

6. The cryogenic thruster assembly according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a second cryogenic tank connected to the reignitable main thruster to feed the reignitable main thruster with a second propellant;
a second gas tank; and
a third feed circuit to feed the second gas tank, the third feed circuit being connected to the second cryogenic tank and including a third heat exchanger to use heat generated by the at least one settling thruster to vaporize a liquid flow of the second propellant extracted from the second cryogenic tank to feed the second gas tank with the second propellant in the gaseous state.

7. An upper stage of a space vehicle launcher, the upper stage comprising:
a cryogenic thruster assembly including:
a reignitable main thruster;
a first cryogenic tank connected to the reignitable main thruster to feed the reignitable main thruster with a first propellant;
a first gas tank;
at least one settling thruster;
a first feed circuit to feed the first gas tank, the first feed circuit being connected to the first cryogenic tank and including a first heat exchanger to use heat given off by the at least one settling thruster to vaporize a liquid flow of the first propellant as extracted from the first cryogenic tank to feed the first gas tank with the first propellant in a gaseous state; and
a second feed circuit to feed the first gas tank, the second feed circuit being connected to the first cryogenic tank and including a second heat exchanger to use heat given off by the reignitable main thruster to vaporize the liquid flow of the first propellant extracted from the first cryogenic tank to feed the first gas tank with the first propellant in the gaseous state.

8. A method of feeding a first gas tank of a cryogenic thruster assembly with a first propellant in a gaseous state, wherein a reignitable first thruster is extinguished and at least one settling thruster is ignited, the method comprising:
extracting a liquid flow of the first propellant from a first cryogenic tank via a first feed circuit to feed the first gas tank;
vaporizing the liquid flow of the first propellant in a first heat exchanger of the first feed circuit of the first gas tank by heat given off by the at least one settling thruster, prior to delivering the first propellant in the gaseous state to the first gas tank; and
when the reignitable first thruster is ignited:
extracting the liquid flow of the first propellant from the first cryogenic tank via a second feed circuit to feed the first gas tank; and
vaporizing the liquid flow of the first propellant extracted via the second feed circuit of the first gas tank in a second heat exchanger of the second feed circuit of the first gas tank by heat given off by the reignitable first thruster prior to delivering the first propellant in the gaseous state to the first gas tank.

Assignees

• Barthoulot Jean-Luc
• Vuillamy Didier
• Sannino Jean-Michel
• Snecma

Inventors

• Barthoulot Jean-Luc
• Vuillamy Didier
• Sannino Jean-Michel

Classifications

• F02K9/50 Primary

  using pressurised fluid to pressurise the propellants · CPC title

• F02K9/88

  using auxiliary rocket nozzles · CPC title

• F02K9/94

  Re-ignitable or restartable rocket- engine plants; Intermittently operated rocket-engine plants · CPC title

• F02K9/64

  having cooling arrangements · CPC title

• B64G1/401 Primary

  Liquid propellant rocket engines (Ion or plasma engines B64G1/413; Arcjets and other resistojets B64G1/415) · CPC title