Transient, high rate, closed system cryogenic injection

• US 7,926,403 B1
• Filed: 06/29/2007
• Issued: 04/19/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: UTRON Kinetics, LLC
• Original Assignee: Utron Inc.
• Inventors: Kruczynski, David L., Landers, Barry L., Massey, Dennis W., Vigil, Eric P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee; Benjamin P
• Application Number:
  US11/824,308
• Time in Patent Office: 1,390 Days
• Field of Search: 89/7, 89/11, 124/71, 124/72, 102/440, 102/443, 239/398, 239/68, 602/57, 602/58, 602/59, 602/60
• US Class Current: 89/7
• CPC Class Codes: F41A 1/04 Missile propulsion using the combustion of a liquid, loose powder or gaseous fuel, e.g. hypergolic fuel
• CPC Class Codes: F41A 13/04 Injecting fluids into barrels or cartridge chambers F41A13/08 takes precedence

Abstract

The new injection system provides rapid, high pressure, high density, and transient batch injection of cryogenic liquids. The system stores and maintains the temperature of liquids in vacuum jacketed tanks, increases pressures using pumps, and stores the high pressure fluid in accumulators. The accumulator periodically injects the fluids at high pressure in measured mass batches into a combustion chamber. The system injects enough liquid or gas in 0.5 to 3.0 seconds to provide 500 to 6500 psi in a closed chamber.

Claims

1. A hydrogen injection system comprising:

a liquid hydrogen source,

a liquid hydrogen storage tank connected to the source,

a liquid hydrogen transfer system connected to the tank that feeds liquid hydrogen from the storage tank to a liquid hydrogen pump,

the liquid hydrogen pump connected to the liquid hydrogen transfer system,

a liquid hydrogen outlet connected to the liquid hydrogen pump for moving liquid hydrogen from the liquid hydrogen pump,

a hydrogen accumulator connected to the liquid hydrogen outlet,

wherein the liquid hydrogen pump charges the hydrogen accumulator to a high pressure,

a light gas gun closed combustion chamber connected to the hydrogen accumulator,

wherein the hydrogen accumulator injects measured batches of hydrogen into the closed combustion chamber.

2. The injection system of claim 1, further comprising a mass flow meter connected to the hydrogen injector allowing precise control of the mass of high-pressure hydrogen provided by the hydrogen accumulator through the hydrogen injector into the closed combustion chamber.

3. The injection system of claim 1, wherein the hydrogen injector further comprises large fluid flow lines in the hydrogen injector reducing pressure drop and minimizing injection time for a high cycling rate.

4. The injection system of claim 1, wherein the hydrogen is at cryogenic temperatures.

5. The injection system of claim 1, wherein the hydrogen is rapidly injected into the closed chamber.

6. The injection system of claim 1, wherein the hydrogen is injected transiently for a period of less than three seconds at high liters per second rates.

7. The injection system of claim 1, wherein the hydrogen is injected at high pressures (500 psi to as high as 6,500 psi).

8. The injection system of claim 1, wherein the hydrogen accumulator provides high volume hydrogen storage at high pressure.

9. The injection system of claim 1, wherein the hydrogen accumulator comprises an inner liquid hydrogen tank with an outer liquid nitrogen tank, and wherein liquid nitrogen is supplied to the outer tank and nitrogen gas is exhausted from the outer tank for maintaining the temperature and pressure of the hydrogen gas in the inner tank.

10. The injection system of claim 1 further comprising a separate oxygen injection system comprising:

a liquid oxygen source,

a liquid oxygen storage tank connected to the source,

a liquid oxygen transfer system connected to the tank that feeds liquid oxygen from the storage tank to a liquid oxygen pump,

the liquid oxygen pump connected to the liquid oxygen transfer system,

a liquid oxygen outlet connected to the liquid oxygen pump for moving liquid oxygen from the liquid oxygen pump,

an oxygen accumulator connected to the liquid oxygen outlet,

wherein the liquid oxygen pump charges the oxygen accumulator to a high pressure,

an oxygen injector connected to the accumulator,

wherein the light gas gun closed combustion chamber is connected to the oxygen injector,

wherein the oxygen accumulator injects measured batches of oxygen into the closed combustion chamber.

11. The injection system of claim 10, wherein the oxygen accumulator comprises an inner liquid oxygen tank with an outer liquid nitrogen tank, and wherein liquid nitrogen is supplied to the outer tank and nitrogen gas is exhausted from the outer tank for maintaining the temperature and pressure of the oxygen liquid in the inner tank.

12. The injection system of claim 8, wherein the liquid hydrogen pump is a reciprocating pump and the hydrogen accumulator is charged by the pump.

15. The injection system of claim 10, wherein the liquid oxygen pump is a reciprocating pump and the oxygen accumulator is charged by the liquid oxygen pump.

16. The injection system of claim 10, wherein the closed combustion chamber is the combustion chamber of a light gas gun and the system is able to fire the gun every 6 to 10 seconds and uses liquid storage of the oxygen and hydrogen.

17. The injection system of claim 10, wherein the accumulators fill the closed combustion chamber in 0.5 to 3 seconds.

13. A hydrogen injection system comprising:

a source of a liquid substance,

a liquid storage tank connected to the source,

a liquid transfer system connected to the tank that feeds liquid from the storage tank to a pump,

a liquid pump connected to the liquid transfer system,

a liquid outlet connected to the pump for moving liquid from the pump,

a liquid accumulator connected to the outlet,

wherein the pump charges the accumulator to a high pressure,

wherein the accumulator provides high volume storage at high pressure,

wherein the accumulator comprises an inner liquid tank with an outer liquid tank and wherein liquid is supplied to the outer tank and gas is exhausted from the outer tank for maintaining the temperature and pressure of the liquid and gas in the inner tank,

a mass flow meter connected to an injector allowing precise control of the mass of high-pressure liquid provided by the accumulator through the injector into a closed chamber of a light gas gun,

wherein the injector further comprises large fluid flow lines in the injector reducing pressure drop and minimizing injection time for a high cycling rate,

wherein the accumulator rapidly injects measured batches of liquid into the closed chamber,

wherein the liquid is injected transiently for a period of 0.5 to 2.0 seconds at high liters per second rates,

wherein the injection occurs at high pressures (500 psi to as high as 6,500 psi),

wherein the substance is either liquid or dense, very cold hydrogen gas at cryogenic temperatures.

14. The method of injecting fuel and oxidant into a light gas gun chamber comprising:

separately providing sources of liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen,

separately storing the liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen in storage tanks,

surrounding the storage tanks with vacuum jackets,

separately withdrawing liquids from the storage containers,

moving the liquids through precoolers,

separately transferring the liquids to inputs of separate steady state pumps,

separately pumping the liquids from ambient pressures to elevated pressures up to 8000 psi,

conducting the liquids under pressure to inner tanks of accumulators,

maintaining liquid nitrogen in outer tanks of the accumulators,

maintaining temperatures and pressures of the liquids in the inner tanks, and

transiently or steadily injecting measured masses of the liquids into a closed combustion chamber of a light gas gun.