Raytheon Company

Jacob A Pinello-Benavides

John A Meschberger

Edward Little, Iii

Stephen Moore

Frederick B Koehler

Mark T Langhenry

Paul Kadlec

Curtis S Copeland

Isaiah M McNeil

Lauren E Brunacini

Bryce Chanes

David E Hare

In a rocket motor in which burn rate enhancement (BRE) wires are used to accelerate the burn rate of the solid propellent, embedded charge assemblies (ECAs) are configured as support structures for the BRE wires. Each ECA includes an energetic material that is configured to burn along with the solid propellent to produce thrust and, upon detonation, to break up the solid propellent to terminate thrust. The detonation may also be initiated as a part of process to prevent a higher-order reaction, such as in reaction to heating from a fire or other cause. By being located inside the casing, the energetic material and ECAs do not adversely affect aerodynamics of the flight vehicle of which the rocket motor is a part, such as a missile.

Rocket motor including an embedded charge assembly (ECA) configured to support a burn rate enhancement (BRE) wire

A propulsion system includes multiple solid rocket motors that are activated by a single initiator. The rocket motors act in parallel, providing thrust in a single direction. The initiator activates an ignition charge that is in or operatively coupled to a plenum that transports hot gasses from the ignition charge to the rockets to be ignited. The plenum may be an annular plenum, which may be located in an annular manifold. The plenum may be an unchoked plenum, allowing flow of hot gasses without choking. The plenum may be lined with an insulator material. A cover may be used to cover the plenum, and also to receive the rocket motors. The rocket motors may be solid-fuel rocket motors. The individual rocket motors may have separate ignition booster charges coupled to the plenum, which are ignited by the ignition charge and which in turn ignite the propellant grains.

Propulsion system with single initiator for multiple rocket motors

A power generation system includes a manifold having multiple plenums, capable of receiving multiple solid rocket motors. Initiators are coupled to the manifold, and are operatively coupled to respective of the plenums, to selectively fire different groups of the rocket motors coupled to respective of the plenums. The rocket motors act in parallel, to provide thrust in a single direction. The initiators may activate ignition charges that are in the plenums. The plenums may be annular plenums, which may be located in an annular manifold. The plenums may be lined with an insulator material. A cover may be used to cover the plenums, and also to receive the rocket motors. The rocket motors may be solid-fuel rocket motors, with propellant grains and nozzles. The individual rocket motors may have separate ignition booster charges coupled to the plenum, which are ignited by the ignition charge.

Propulsion system with initiators for selective activation of multiple rocket motors

A propulsion system includes multiple solid rocket motors that are activated by a single initiator. The rocket motors act in parallel, providing thrust in a single direction. The initiator activates an ignition charge that is in or operatively coupled to a non-annular plenum that transports hot gasses from the ignition charge to the rockets to be ignited. The plenum may be an unchoked plenum, allowing flow of hot gasses without choking. The plenum may be lined with an insulator material. A cover may be used to cover the plenum, and also to receive the rocket motors. The rocket motors may be solid-fuel rocket motors, with propellant grains and nozzles. The individual rocket motors may have separate ignition booster charges coupled to the plenum, which are ignited by the ignition charge and which in turn ignite the propellant grains.

A rocket motor has an electrically operated propellant initiator for a propellant grain that includes an electrode arrangement configured to concentrate an electric field at an ignition electrode for igniting an electrically operated propellant. The rocket motor includes a combustion chamber containing at least one propellant grain and an electrically operated propellant initiator operatively coupled to the propellant grain to initiate combustion of the propellant grain. The electrically operated propellant initiator includes the electrically operated propellant and at least one pair of electrodes configured to ignite the electrically operated propellant. The pair of electrodes includes a ground plane electrode and an ignition electrode. When an electrical input is applied to the electrically operated propellant initiator, the electric field is concentrated at the ignition electrode to ignite the electrically operated propellant at the location where the ignition electrode is arranged.

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Vail, AZ, United States of America

Jacob A Pinello-Benavides