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:
Aug. 31, 2010
Filed:
Aug. 25, 2006
Jeffrey K. Greason, Tehachapi, CA (US);
Daniel L. Delong, Mojave, CA (US);
Douglas B. Jones, Mojave, CA (US);
Jeffrey K. Greason, Tehachapi, CA (US);
Daniel L. DeLong, Mojave, CA (US);
Douglas B. Jones, Mojave, CA (US);
Xcor Aerospace, Mojave, CA (US);
Abstract
A propulsion system for a rocket engine and a method of cooling a rocket engine includes a propellant tank fluidically coupled to the rocket engine to hold a pressurized propellant, a coolant tank to hold a coolant, a first heat exchanger thermally coupled to the rocket engine and fluidically coupled to the coolant tank, a second heat exchanger thermally coupled to the propellant tank and fluidically coupled to the first heat exchanger, and a third heat exchanger disposed inside the propellant tank to thermally couple a propellant withdrawn from the tank for combustion to a propellant disposed inside the tank. The coolant flows from the coolant tank to the first heat exchanger and through the first heat exchanger to cool the rocket engine. The propellant withdrawn from the propellant tank receives heat from the propellant disposed inside the tank through the third heat exchanger to convert to a gaseous propellant when withdrawn from the propellant tank as a liquid propellant. The coolant flows from the first heat exchanger to the second heat exchanger and through the second heat exchanger to heat the propellant disposed inside the propellant tank.