Hybrid rocket motor using a turbopump to pressurize a liquid propellant constituent

• US 6,684,625 B2
• Filed: 01/22/2002
• Issued: 02/03/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/22/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: HY Pat Corporation
• Original Assignee: HY Pat Corporation
• Inventors: Bales, Thomas O., Smith, Kevin W., Kline, Korey R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gartenberg, Ehud
• Application Number:
  US10/054,080
• Publication Number:
  US 20030136109A1
• Time in Patent Office: 742 Days
• Field of Search: 602/51, 102/374, 102/381
• US Class Current: 60/251
• CPC Class Codes: F02K 9/46 using pumps
• CPC Class Codes: F02K 9/48 driven by a gas turbine fed by propellant combustion gases or fed by vaporized propellants or other gases
• CPC Class Codes: F02K 9/563 of propellant feed pumps
• CPC Class Codes: F02K 9/72 using liquid and solid propellants, i.e. hybrid rocket-engine plants
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 13/043 the pump wheel carrying the fluid driving means

Abstract

A hybrid rocket motor includes a storage tank which stores an oxidizer under relatively low pressure, a turbopump preferably directly coupled to an outlet of the storage tank which pressurizes the oxidizer to a relatively high pressure, a combustion chamber including a solid fuel, and an injector between the turbopump and combustion chamber through which the oxidizer is injected into the combustion chamber. According to a preferred aspect of the invention, the turbopump is operated by an expander cycle of a heat exchanger. According to another preferred aspect of the invention, the fluid flowing through the heat exchanger is oxidizer tapped from the storage tank. A barrier is maintained between an oxidizer feed line from the turbopump and the injector until sufficient pressure is created by the turbopump to pump the oxidizer at the requisite pressure into the injector.

Claims

1. A hybrid rocket motor, comprising:

a) a container having a fluid reactant therein and an outlet;

b) a combustion chamber containing a solid reactant therein;

c) an injector between said container and said combustion chamber; and

d) a turbopump including a turbine and a pump axially aligned with said outlet, said pump adapted to increase a pressure of said fluid reactant exiting said outlet and injected through said injector into said combustion chamber.

2. A hybrid rocket motor according to claim 1, wherein:

said pump is directly connected to said outlet.

3. A hybrid rocket motor according to claim 1, further comprising:

bearings which support said turbine and said pump, wherein said bearings are not provided with gas-tight seals.

4. A hybrid rocket motor according to claim 1, further comprising:

e) a heat exchanger at least partially provided in said combustion chamber, said heat exchanger having an inlet and an outlet; and

f) an expansion chamber coupled to said outlet of said heat exchanger, said turbine being provided in said expansion chamber.

5. A hybrid rocket motor according to claim 1, further comprising:

d) an at least partially removable barrier between said pump and said injector.

6. A hybrid rocket motor, comprising:

a) a container having a fluid reactant therein and an outlet;

b) a combustion chamber containing a solid reactant therein;

c) an injector between said container and said combustion chamber; and

d) a heat exchanger at least partially within said combustion chamber.

7. A hybrid rocket motor according to claim 6, further comprising:

e) a turbopump including a turbine and a pump, said pump adapted to increase a pressure of fluid reactant exiting said outlet and injected through said injector into said combustion chamber.

8. A hybrid rocket motor according to claim 7, wherein:

said pump is directly connected to said outlet.

9. A hybrid rocket motor according to claim 7, wherein:

said turbopump includes bearings which support said turbine and said pump, and wherein said bearings are not provided with gas-tight seals.

10. A hybrid rocket motor according to claim 7, further comprising:

f) an at least partially removable barrier between said pump and said injector.

11. A projectile, comprising:

a) a motor having a forward end and an aft end, said motor including,

i) a container having a fluid reactant therein and an outlet,

ii) a combustion chamber containing a solid reactant therein,

iii) an injector between said container and said combustion chamber, and

iv) a turbopump including a turbine and a pump axially aligned with said outlet, said pump adapted to increase a pressure of said fluid reactant exiting said outlet and injected through said injector into said combustion chamber;

b) a tubular casing around said motor;

c) a nose portion coupled to said forward end of said motor; and

d) a nozzle coupled to said aft end of said motor.

12. A projectile, comprising:

a) a motor having a forward end and an aft end, said motor including,

i) a container having a fluid reactant therein and an outlet,

ii) a combustion chamber containing a solid reactant therein,

iii) an injector between said container and said combustion chamber, and

iv) a heat exchanger at least partially within said combustion chamber;

b) a tubular casing around said motor;

c) a nose portion coupled to said forward end of said motor; and

d) a nozzle coupled to said aft end of said motor.

13. In a hybrid rocket motor having a container storing a fluid oxidizer and having a first outlet, a combustion chamber containing a solid fuel grain therein, a turbopump including a turbine side and a pump side, said pump side adapted to increase a pressure of the fluid oxidizer exiting said first outlet and injected into said combustion chamber, the improvement comprising:

a gaseous form of the oxidizer on said turbine side of said turbopump, and a liquid form of said oxidizer on said pump side of said turbopump.

14. The improvement of claim 13, wherein:

said oxidizer is oxygen.

15. The improvement of claim 13, wherein:

said liquid oxidizer is converted into said gaseous oxidizer using an expansion cycle of a heat exchanger.