Firefly Aerospace Inc.

Thomas Edward Markusic

Anatoli Alimpievich Borissov

The inventors introduce the Borissov-Markusic Cycle as the new rocket engine cycle to solve the problem of low efficient open gas generator or tap-off gas generator cycles used to supply power to turbopump. A liquid rocket engine directs turbopump exhaust from a turbopump to a booster engine having an intake to accept ambient airflow, such as a variation of a ramjet, scramjet or dual mode ram scramjet engine. The turbopump is powered by combustion gases, such as from a gas generator or a tap-off manifold interfaced with the liquid rocket engine combustion chamber, and applies energy of the combustion gases to pump fuel and/or liquid oxygen to the liquid rocket engine combustion chamber. The combustion gases have a fuel-rich composition that includes unconsumed fuel from incomplete oxidation so that, upon injection into the combustion chamber of the booster engine, oxidation by ambient air of the unconsumed fuel releases energy to generate thrust with the booster engine.

Liquid rocket engine booster engine with combustion gas fuel source

A liquid rocket engine cools a thruster body by pumping propellant through cooling channels integrated in the thruster body between internal and external surfaces. One or more of the cooling channel surfaces has a variable depth along a thrust axis to mix propellant flow and destroy thermal stratification, such as a depth that varies with a repeated contiguous sinusoidal form along the thrust axis. Fuel passed through the cooling channels injects from the combustion chamber wall towards a central portion of the combustion chamber to cross impinge with oxygen injected at the combustion chamber head so that a toroidal vortex forms to enhance propellant mixing. The cooling channels are formed by milling at the combustion body exterior, filling the channels with wax, then electroplating metal to enclose the channels.

Liquid rocket engine cooling channels

A liquid rocket engine integrates tap-off openings at a combustion chamber wall to direct exhaust from the combustion chamber to a tap-off manifold that provides the exhaust to one or more auxiliary systems, such as a turbopump that pumps oxygen and/or fuel into the combustion chamber. The tap-off opening passes through a fuel channel formed in that combustion chamber exterior wall and receives fuel through a fuel opening that interfaces the fuel channel and tap-off opening. The tap-off manifold nests within a fuel manifold for thermal management. The fuel channel directs fuel into the combustion chamber through fuel port openings formed in the combustion chamber, the fuel port openings located closer to a headend of the combustion chamber than the tap-off openings.

Liquid rocket engine tap-off power source

A liquid rocket engine cools a thruster body by pumping propellant through cooling channels integrated in the thruster body between internal and external surfaces. One or more of the cooling channel surfaces has a variable depth along a thrust axis to mix propellant flow and destroy thermal stratification, such as a depth that varies with a repeated contiguous sinusoidal form along the thrust axis. Fuel passed through the cooling channels injects from the combustion chamber wall towards a central portion of the combustion chamber to cross impinge with oxygen injected at the combustion chamber head so that a toroidal vortex forms to enhance propellant mixing.

Growing community of inventors

Georgetown, TX, United States of America

Thomas Edward Markusic