The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
May. 14, 1991
Filed:
Dec. 14, 1989
John N Rice, Rockford, IL (US);
Richard W Reynolds, Rockford, IL (US);
Sundstrand Corporation, Rockford, IL (US);
Abstract
A propulsion engine (12) which combusts propellant received from the storage tank (24) in which a portion (28) of the tank contains propellant in the liquid state and in which an ullage (26) in a remaining portion of the tank contains the propellant in a gaseous state including a first propellant circuit (34) coupling liquid propellant stored in the tank to an evaporator (30); a second propellant circuit (36), coupling the gaseous propellant from the evaporator to the propulsion engine combustor and to the ullage; at least one power generating device (14 and 16) disposed in the second propellant circuit between the evaporator and the ullage, for providing a power output from energy of the gaseous propellant flowing in the second propellant circuit controlled by at least one control valve controlling a flow of gaseous propellant to the at least one device under the control of at least one valve control signal; a bypass circuit (40) coupled in parallel with the at least one power generating device containing a bypass valve (42) controlling flow of gaseous propellant through the bypass circuit from the evaporator to the ullage in response to a bypass valve control signal; and a controller (44) coupled to the bypass valve and the at least one control valve, for generating the valve control signal controlling the flow of gaseous propellant through the valves to produce a controlled mass flow of gaseous propellant into the ullage independent of variation of a mass of gas flow through the valves.