Societe Europeenne De Propulsion

Societe Europeene De Propulsion

Claude E Bonniot

Didier Vuillamy

Andre Beaurain

Etienne Tiret

Pierre Desclos

The downstream portion of the diverging part of the nozzle of the rocket engine is extended by an ejectable diffuser which, downstream from the zone where it is connected to the diverging part, presents a zone of smaller cross-section that acts during a first stage of flight in the presence of significant outside pressure to recompress the flow of hot gases and to prevent a flow separation from appearing along with the wall of the diverging part. The ejectable diffuser may have a streamlined throat which constitutes the zone of smaller cross-section.

Rocket engine nozzle with an engine diffuser

The invention comprises an expansion nozzle for a rocket engine destined to function successively in atmospheric and space conditions. The nozzle is comprised of a main wall defining a surface of revolution that splays outwardly and further comprises a complementary annular convergent divergent nozzle having an exhaust port and also having its axis coinciding with the principal axis of the main wall. The complementary annular nozzle is located outside the main wall and has a gas distribution torus cooperating with gas flow supply means to produce an annular flow of gas surrounding a main flow of gas exhausted at the down stream extremity of said main wall of the expansion nozzle. The annular flow of gas forms a source of static pressure P.sub.s that is substantially lower than atmospheric pressure P.sub.a. P.sub.s has a value of between 0.3 and 0.8 times P.sub.a.

Growing community of inventors

Gisors, France

Claude E Bonniot