RU2266424C2 - Rocket engine nozzle - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: rocketry.

SUBSTANCE: proposed of rocket engine contains cooled part, load-bearing ring and nozzle head made of composite material. Load-bearing ring is installed on cooled part from side of nozzle exit section, being connected with cooled part of nozzle through sealed joint made in form of lock with steps and gasket placed between steps. Load-bearing ring is fastened on cooling part by means of clamps connected with ring by bolts and engaging by one end with step of load-bearing ring and by other end, with thrust groove of nozzle cooled part.

EFFECT: possibility of using nozzle in engines with different dimensional and mass and thrust characteristics.

6 dwg

Description

The invention relates to rocket technology and can be used in liquid rocket engines containing a cooled part of the nozzle and an uncooled nozzle nozzle made of composite material.

As you know, the lighter the rocket engine and the greater the degree of expansion of its nozzle, the more perfect and has a greater specific thrust. An increase in the degree of expansion of the nozzle of the rocket engine and, consequently, the length of the nozzle nozzle allows to obtain an increase in the specific thrust of the rocket engine. This increase is achieved by the use of composite materials for the manufacture of nozzle nozzles. Compared to metal alloys, the density of the carbon-carbon or carbon-ceramic composite material is significantly lower, therefore, nozzle nozzles can be made from it either of a greater length or less mass.

In addition, in practice, the same rocket engine can be installed in different launch vehicles, which in turn have installation compartments of various sizes. Accordingly, in a compartment with large dimensions, you can install a rocket engine in a configuration with a nozzle nozzle of increased length and get a greater specific impulse of thrust of the rocket engine. In this case, the nozzle nozzles are made of lightweight composite material, and the nozzle nozzle is connected to the cooled part of the nozzle by means of a power ring fixed to it.

The following options for manufacturing nozzle nozzles and fixing them on the cooled part of the nozzle are possible:

- the first option - nozzle nozzles are made of light carbon-carbon or carbon-ceramic composite material, which is not welded with a metal alloy of the cooled part of the nozzle of a rocket engine. The power ring is thus structurally required, see figure 2;

- the second option - nozzle nozzles are made of heat-resistant multilayer composite material based on metal alloys, which allows welded connection with the metal alloy of the cooled part of the nozzle of the rocket engine. The power ring is not structurally required, see figure 3;

- the third option - nozzle nozzles are made of cheaper heat-resistant metal alloy compared to the previous version, which cannot be welded with the metal alloy of the cooled part of the nozzle. The power ring is not structurally required, see figure 4.

Each of the above options has its advantages and disadvantages, namely:

Shown in figure 4, the third option has the lowest cost indicators nozzle nozzle, however, the density of the metal alloy in this case is the highest. That is, if the length of the nozzle nozzle of the second embodiment is designated as L2, and the length of the nozzle nozzle made according to the third option, as L3, then for the same mass of nozzle nozzles we will have L2> L3. In addition, if the length of the nozzle nozzle made according to the first embodiment is denoted as L1, then for the same mass of nozzle nozzles we will have L1> L2> L3. In this case, the nozzle nozzles in the first embodiment have lower cost performance than the nozzle nozzles of the second option, and higher than the third option. At the same time, for each specific purpose of the rocket engine, one or another of the above qualities of the nozzle nozzle may be decisive, so that all three options for the manufacture of nozzle nozzles at the same time turn out to be relevant and in demand.

There are known rocket engines containing carbon-carbon composite material nozzle nozzles (see Interavia magazine, December 1999, article “Ariane 20 years”). Known nozzle rocket engine RL-10B-2, containing nozzles of composite material, mounted on a section of the cooled part of the nozzle (see materials of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics), which is considered as a prototype.

The design of the prototype contains on the cut of the cooled nozzle a power ring to which the nozzles of the carbon-carbon composite material are attached. The power ring is attached to the cooled part of the nozzle using a welded joint in the manufacturing process of the engine combustion chamber in the factory.

Figure 1 shows a General view of a prototype nozzle of a rocket engine, where:

1 - the cooled part of the nozzle of the rocket engine,

2 - nozzle nozzles of carbon-carbon composite material,

3 - power ring,

4 - welded connection of the power ring with the cooled part of the nozzle,

5 - flange connection of a nozzle nozzle made of carbon-carbon composite material with a power ring.

If the same engine is used for different launch vehicles in several trim levels, namely with a “short” metal nozzle nozzle or with an elongated nozzle nozzle made of composite material, for industrial and economic reasons, the task is to have a rocket engine nozzle with a standardized the cooled part of the nozzle of the minimum mass, which does not allow the design of the prototype, since in the case of installing a power ring on the cooled part of the nozzle of the rocket engine by welding will increase its passive mass and as a consequence, to decrease the effectiveness of the rocket engine in the event picking its nozzle head for attachment which power ring on the cooling of the nozzle from the constructive point of view, it will be superfluous.

The objective of the invention is the unification of the nozzle of a rocket engine to ensure that it can be used in engines with different overall mass and traction characteristics obtained due to the ability to quickly change the nozzle nozzles for any required rocket engine configuration options, including the completion of a technological nozzle nozzle for various tests.

This problem is solved in that in a nozzle of a rocket engine containing a cooled part, a power ring, a nozzle nozzle made of composite material, the power ring is installed on the cooled part from the nozzle exit side and connected to the cooled part of the nozzle through a sealed joint made in the form of a lock connection, formed by ledges with a gasket located between them, and the power ring is attached to the cooled part using brackets connected to the ring by bolts and interacting with one ring with a ledge on the force ring, and the other with a persistent groove of the cooled part of the nozzle.

Figure 2, figure 3 and figure 4 shows a General view of the inventive nozzle of a rocket engine in different configurations and figure 5, figure 6 shows the design of the connection nozzle nozzle of carbon-carbon composite material with the cooled part of the nozzle of the rocket engine, where :

1 - the cooled part of the nozzle of the rocket engine,

2 - nozzle nozzles of carbon-carbon composite material,

3 - power ring,

5 - flange connection of a nozzle nozzle of a carbon-carbon composite material with a power ring,

6 - detachable connection of the power ring with the cooled part of the nozzle of the rocket engine,

7 - bracket

8 - bolts of fastening of brackets between the cooling part of the nozzle of the rocket engine and the power ring,

9 - gasket,

10 - gasket,

11 - output section of the cooled part of the nozzle of the rocket engine,

12 - persistent groove of the cooled part of the nozzle of the rocket engine,

13 - axis of the nozzle,

14 - bolts securing the nozzle nozzle to the power ring,

15 - welded joint of the cooled part of the nozzle and nozzle nozzle of a multilayer composite material based on metal alloys,

16 - nozzle nozzles of a multilayer composite material based on metal alloys,

17 - nozzle nozzles made of heat-resistant metal alloy.

The design of the inventive nozzle as follows ensures its assembly and operation:

- a power ring 3 is put on the cooled part of the nozzle of the rocket engine 1. In this case, the gasket 9 is placed between two ledges 18 and 19, which form the so-called "castle" connection (a cavity closed on all sides, in which the gasket 9 is pressed tightly);

- in the factory, the nozzle nozzles are made separately from carbon-carbon composite material 2;

- on the power ring 3 mounted on the cooled part of the nozzle of the rocket engine, brackets 7 are installed with one of its ends entering into the stop groove 12 of the cooled part of the rocket engine nozzle, and the other on the ledge 20 on the power ring 3, which eliminates the work of “bending” bolts 8;

- when tightening the inserted calculated bolts 8 by the magnitude of the controlled design moment, the power ring 3 is pressed against the cooled part of the nozzle of the rocket engine 1, the gasket 9 is crushed in the “lock” connection and, thus, a tight joint is formed between the power ring and the cooled part of the nozzle of the rocket engine;

- if necessary, remove the power ring from the cooled part of the nozzle of the rocket engine, all of the above operations are performed in the reverse order;

- further, on the power ring 3 fixed on the cooled part of the nozzle of the rocket engine, the nozzle nozzles 2 are put on through the gasket 10, which is then inserted into the groove 21 intended for it, which is available on the nozzle nozzle 2;

- the bolts 14 are inserted into the holes in the nozzle nozzle 2 and matching the angular location of the holes in the power ring 3. The holes for the bolts 14 are located in the spaces between the holes for the bolts 8. The bolts 14 are tightened to a controlled design moment, providing a tight flange connection of the nozzle nozzle from carbon-carbon composite material 2 with a power ring 3;

- if you need to remove the nozzle nozzle, all operations are performed in the reverse order.

During engine operation, the continuity of the joints between the power ring 3, the cooled part of the nozzle of the rocket engine 1 and the nozzle nozzle 2, as well as their tightness under thermal cyclic loads are provided by gaskets 9 and 10 made of heat-resistant materials that are elastically deformed in the “lock” joints. The brackets 7, the bolts 8 and 14 are the fasteners of the nozzle nozzle 2 to the cooled part of the nozzle of the rocket engine 1 and the power ring 3.

A significant point in the constructive solution of the inventive nozzle is the location of the power ring 3, the elements of its attachment to the cooled part of the nozzle of the rocket engine 1 and the nozzle nozzle 2 on the side of the cooled part of the nozzle of the rocket engine with respect to its output section 11. This arrangement allows them to be shielded from heat fluxes of products combustion of a rocket engine and provide them with an acceptable thermal regime and, as a result, a significant resource of work.

These assembly-disassembly operations can be performed both with a freestanding rocket engine and with an engine installed in the launch vehicle block.

Using the proposed design of the nozzle of a rocket engine makes it possible to solve various functional problems on the same engine due to the rapid change of nozzle nozzles (for example, to test an engine without a nozzle nozzle or with its simulator, after which it is technologically simple to install a standard nozzle nozzle). In addition, the proposed design allows you to use the backlog of engines made without taking into account the use of nozzle nozzles made of composite material, without additional disassembly of the engines and their refinement.

The operability of the engine design with a nozzle made of composite material, its reliability and operational and technical characteristics are confirmed by a full cycle of autonomous and firing bench testing with positive results.

Claims (1)

A nozzle of a rocket engine containing a cooled part, a power ring, a nozzle nozzle made of composite material, characterized in that the power ring is mounted on the cooled part from the nozzle exit side and connected to the cooled part of the nozzle through a sealed joint made in the form of a locking joint formed by ledges with a gasket located between them, and the power ring is attached to the cooled part using brackets connected to the ring by bolts and interacting at one end with a ledge on the power ring, and another - with a persistent groove of the cooled part of the nozzle.

Images