United Technologies Corporation

William B Watkins

Fred L Honeycutt, Jr

Robert B Fowler

Robert G Carroll

Donald R Connell

Joseph C Barone

A rocket engine system includes a combustion chamber defining a centerline axis, an oxidizer supply, a first fuel delivery circuit connected to a fuel supply, a second fuel delivery circuit connected to the fuel supply, and an injector assembly positioned at the combustion chamber. The injector assembly includes a faceplate having a plurality of openings therethrough, a first injector element connected to the first fuel delivery circuit and extending into one of the openings in the faceplate, and a second injector element connected to the second fuel delivery circuit and extending into another of the openings in the faceplate. Annular oxidizer outlets are formed at the openings in the faceplate and connected to the oxidizer supply to deliver oxidizer to the combustion chamber.

Three component injector for kerosene-oxygen rocket engine

A rocket engine chamber has a back structure and a heat exchanger structure located radially inwardly of the back structure. The heat exchanger structure has a plurality of integrally formed cooling passageways with adjacent ones of the passageways having a common sidewall structure. Each passageway has a top section which forms the wall that contacts the hot gases. The top section is formed by a wall structure having an inner and outer surface formed by an arc of a circle and a substantially constant wall thickness.

Rocket chamber heat exchanger

Decontamination apparatus and methods involve catalytic decomposition of hydrogen peroxide to drive additional hydrogen peroxide to a contaminated location.

Decontamination apparatus and methods

An apparatus and method may be used for welding a first panel to a second panel, the first panel having an inboard side partially contacting the second panel and an opposite outboard side. The apparatus has a welding beam generator. The apparatus reduces a pressure along the inboard side of the panel relative to an adjacent pressure along the outboard side so as to produce inward deflection of the first panel along a first portion of the first panel not contacting the second panel relative to a second portion. The apparatus has locates, based on said deflection, at least one of said first portion or said second portion.

Beam welding apparatus and methods

A hypergolic fuel system comprises hydrogen peroxide, silane and a liquid fuel. The hypergolic fuel system is employed in a method for producing thrust, for example in a rocket, by contacting hydrogen peroxide with silane to obtain initial ignition and thereafter feeding a liquid fuel for combustion.

Hypergolic fuel system

A catalyst bed assembly, comprising: an outer housing having an open interior, an inlet leading to the open interior, and an outlet from the open interior; a catalyst bed in the open interior; and a gap between the outer housing and the catalyst bed. The open interior receives material from the inlet. A portion of the material enters the catalyst bed to expose said material to a catalyst so that the material and the catalyst react and create heat within the catalyst bed assembly. A remainder of the material enters the gap between the outer housing and the catalyst bed to cool the catalyst bed assembly. The catalyst bed assembly could be part of a turbopump assembly. The turbopump assembly would further include a nozzle downstream of the outlet; a turbine downstream of the nozzle; and a pump driven by said turbine.

Catalyst bed

A rocket propulsion system, comprising: a rocket engine; and a turbopump supplying fuel or oxidizer to the rocket engine. The turbopump can supply an; adjustable flow of the fuel or oxidizer to throttle the rocket engine. The turbopump includes a catalyst bed for decomposing a material to produce a discharge; a mixer section downstream of the catalyst bed for introducing an additional amount of the material to the discharge to produce an exhaust stream having a mass flow; a nozzle downstream of the mixer section; a turbine downstream of the nozzle; and a pump driven by the turbine. The additional amount of said material is selected to produce a desired amount of mass flow.

Rocket propulsion system

A gas generator, comprising a catalyst section and a mixer section. The catalyst section has openings through which a material enters and reacts with a catalyst to decompose and to produce heat. The mixer section, located downstream of the catalyst section, introduces an additional amount of the material. The heat produced in the catalyst section is sufficient to decompose the additional amount of material introduce into the mixer section without exposure to said catalyst. The catalyst bed assembly could be part of a turbopump assembly. A nozzle downstream of the mixer section directs the exhaust towards a turbine. The turbine drives a pump. The amount of material added to the mixer is selected to produce a desired amount mass flow through the nozzle. Adding material to the mixer causes the turbopump to supply more fuel or oxidizer to a rocket engine. Thus, the rocket engine is throttleable.

Growing community of inventors

Tequesta, FL, United States of America

William B Watkins