Reversible space plane

• US 8,215,589 B2
• Filed: 05/19/2008
• Issued: 07/10/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/23/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Charl E. Janeke
• Original Assignee: Charl E. Janeke
• Inventors: Janeke, Charl E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Collins, Timothy D
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sanderson, Joseph W
• Application Number:
  US12/154,185
• Publication Number:
  US 20080217481A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,513 Days
• Field of Search: 244/158.1, 244/159.1, 244/159.3, 244/158.9, 244/171.8, 244/160, 244/171.7, 244/172.2, 244/53.B, 62/7
• US Class Current: 244/158.9
• CPC Class Codes: B64G 1/14 Space shuttles reusable launch rockets B64G1/006
• CPC Class Codes: B64G 1/62 Systems for re-entry into the earth's atmosphere; Retarding or landing devices

Abstract

A reversible aerospace plane includes an air intake at a first end of the aerospace plane, at least one heat exchanger disposed in the aerospace plane and an engine at a second end of the aerospace plane, wherein the aerospace plane is configured to accelerate in a first direction and configured to glide and land in a second direction, wherein the second direction is substantially in a reverse direction from the first direction.

Claims

1. A reversible aerospace plane, comprising:

an air intake at a first end of the aerospace plane;

a compressor next to the first end of the aerospace plane for compressing the intake air;

a turbine disposed next to the compressor for driving said compressor;

a first heat exchanger disposed in the aerospace plane for cooling the compressed intake air to produce cooled compressed intake air;

a second heat exchanger disposed in the aerospace plane for cooling the cooled compressed intake air;

an engine at a second end of the aerospace plane, wherein the aerospace plane is configured to accelerate in a first orientation and configured to glide and land in a second orientation, wherein the second orientation is substantially a reverse of the first orientation;

a superheat shroud operably associated with said turbine for augmenting the performance of said turbine;

wherein one of said first and second heat exchangers is configured to use tanked liquid hydrogen as a coolant to condense at least a portion of an oxygen component of an incident air.

2. A reversible aerospace plane, comprising:

an air intake at a first end of the aerospace plane;

a compressor located next to the first end of the aerospace plane for compressing the intake air;

a turbine located next to the said compressor for driving said compressor;

a first heat exchanger disposed in the aerospace plane for cooling the compressed intake air to produce cooled compressed intake air;

a second heat exchanger disposed in the aerospace plane for cooling the cooled compressed intake air;

an expansion turbine operably associated with said second heat exchanger for super-cooling said intake air;

a superheat shroud operably associated with said turbine for augmenting the performance of said turbine;

and an engine at a second end of the aerospace plane, wherein the aerospace plane is configured to accelerate in a first orientation and configured to glide and land in a second orientation, wherein the second orientation is substantially a reverse of the first orientation;

wherein one of said first and second heat exchangers is configured to use tanked liquid hydrogen as a coolant to condense at least a portion of an oxygen component of an intake air.

3. The reversible aerospace plane as defined in claim 2, further comprising a nose cone at the first end of the aerospace plane, said nose cone being configured to be jettisoned before a re-entry.

4. The reversible aerospace plane of claim 2, wherein the engine comprises a bell nozzle engine configured to be jettisoned before a re-entry.

5. The reversible aerospace plane of claim 2, wherein the engine comprises an aerospike engine.