General Electric Company

Martin Marietta Corporation

Cordant Technologies Inc.

Robert A Pate

Alma J Pate

Steven Joseph Brown

John Mandzy

Keith James Schaefer

John Joseph Johnson

Frederick M Perkins

This rocket motor propellant grain is designed to reduce recession of at least the converging portion of a converging/diverging rocket motor nozzle. The propellant grain has an oxidizer-deficient grain portion constructed and arranged in relation to the nozzle to create, upon ignition of the propellant, a boundary layer of oxygen-deficient combustion products that flows through the nozzle throat passage and over an internal surface region of the nozzle. The boundary layer functions to at least substantially isolate the internal surface region of the nozzle from oxidizers contained in the combustion products generated from portions of the propellant grain having higher concentrations of oxygen than the oxidizer-deficient grain portion. As a result, the oxygen-rich portions of the propellant are unable to react with and thereby cause recession of the nozzle internal surface.

Propellant grain capable of generating buffered boundary layer for reducing rocket nozzle recession

An initiator, for use in a gas generator, includes an enclosed volume in communication with apertures for introducing liquid propellant and pre-pressurization gas into a propellant ignition chamber, and an aperture for introducing combusted gasses into a gas generator. A mechanism for controlling when the gases are allowed to enter the gas generator, and a heater/electrode to initiate combustion of the liquid propellant, also communicate with the enclosed volume. The propellant and the pre-pressurization gas may be introduced together or through separate ports. The heater/electrode thermally decomposes and vaporizes the propellant causing pressurization of the ignition chamber until a critical value is reached and the propellant ignites and burns. The burning propellant increases the chamber pressure beyond a predetermined value thereby opening the controlling mechanism and allowing the combusted gases to be introduced into the gas generator combustion chamber.

Ignitor for use in a liquid monopropellant gas generator

A booster stage is positioned down-bore from the breech of a gun to contain a charge of liquid propellant that is ignited by the combustion gases of a detonated breech propellant charge trailing the projectile down the gun bore. The detonated liquid propellant increases the bore gas pressure and thus accelerates the projectile to a higher muzzle velocity.

Gun equipped with down-bore liquid propellant booster stage to increase

This invention provides a gun having a combustion chamber (combustor) which is filled with a charge of monopropellant or bi-propellant to less than full volume, (e.g. 30 to 90%) prior to ignition thereof, which is ignited with a tangential flow of ignition gas from the side or rear to establish the desired pattern of combustion gas in the charge.

Liquid propellant gun

This invention provides a gun having a combustion chamber (combustor) which is filled with a charge of monopropellant or bi-propellant to less than full volume. (e.g. 30 to 90%) prior to ignition thereof. which is ignited with a tangential flow of ignition gas from the side or rear to establish the desired pattern of combustion gas in the charge.

Growing community of inventors

Pittsfield, MA, United States of America

Robert A Pate