Arianegroup Gmbh

Eads Space Transportation Gmbh

Ulrich Gotzig

Malte Wurdak

Dieter May

Manuel Frey

Joel Deck

A catalyst chamber with a catalyst bed embedded therein for a monopropellant thruster of a rocket engine. The catalyst chamber comprises an inlet having a first cross-sectional area through which a propellant can be introduced into the catalyst chamber and an outlet having a second cross-sectional area through which the propellant and/or resulting reaction products can be introduced into a combustion chamber of the thruster. The outlet is connected to the inlet via a catalyst volume of the catalyst chamber. At least one helical wall member is arranged within the catalyst chamber and is dividing the catalyst volume into two or more segments such that an effective length of the catalyst bed of each segment passed through by the propellant and/or its reaction products is larger than a geometrical length of the catalyst chamber defined between the inlet and the outlet along a direction of extension of the catalyst chamber.

Catalyst chamber with a catalyst bed embedded therein for a monopropellant thruster of a rocket engine

A rocket propulsion system comprises a combustion chamber, a hydrogen-oxygen supply system connected to the combustion chamber, which hydrogen-oxygen supply system is configured to conduct hydrogen and oxygen into the combustion chamber, and a coolant supply system connected to the combustion chamber, which coolant supply system is configured to conduct a combustible coolant into the combustion chamber. An ignition system of the rocket propulsion system is configured to initiate combustion of the hydrogen-oxygen-coolant mixture in the combustion chamber.

Rocket propulsion system and method for operating a rocket propulsion system

A method for operating a rocket propulsion system comprises the steps of supplying oxygen to a combustion chamber, supplying hydrogen to the combustion chamber and combusting the oxygen-hydrogen mixture in the combustion chamber. The rocket propulsion system is operated alternately in a first operating mode, in which oxygen and hydrogen are supplied to the combustion chamber in a first mass mixing ratio of oxygen to hydrogen, and in a second operating mode, in which oxygen and hydrogen are supplied to the combustion chamber in a second mass mixing ratio of oxygen to hydrogen that is greater than the first mass mixing ratio.

Method for operating a rocket propulsion system and rocket propulsion system

A rocket propulsion system comprises a combustion chamber, an oxygen supply system, comprising an oxygen supply duct and being configured to supply oxygen to the combustion chamber, and a hydrogen supply system, comprising a hydrogen supply duct and being configured to supply hydrogen to the combustion chamber. An ignition unit of the propulsion system, to which at least portions of the oxygen and the hydrogen supplied to the combustion chamber can be supplied, is configured to initiate combustion of the oxygen-hydrogen mixture in the combustion chamber. The propulsion system further comprises a cooling duct extending along an inner surface of a combustion chamber wall and through which at least a portion of the oxygen supplied to the combustion chamber, at least a portion of the hydrogen supplied to the combustion chamber or a combustion gas mixture emerging from the ignition unit flows.

An injection device including at least one injection plate adjacent a combustion space of a combustion chamber, and at least one first injection nozzle including a first entry bore having a first discharge into the combustion chamber, and a first orifice bore, having a cross-sectional dimension less than or equal to the first entry bore, coaxially arranged with the first entry bore and remote from the first discharge. At least one second injection nozzle includes a second entry bore having a second discharge into the combustion chamber, and a second orifice bore, having a cross-sectional dimension less than or equal to the second entry bore, coaxially arranged with the second entry bore and remote from the second discharge. The instant abstract is neither intended to define the invention disclosed in this specification nor intended to limit the scope of the invention in any way.

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Bad Friedrichshall, Germany

Ulrich Gotzig