Patent GB-1071606-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to liquid propellant rocket motors
IPC: F02K9/56
Filed: 1964-05-29
Abstract: 1,071,606. Liquid propellant rocket motors. THIOKOL CHEMICAL CORPORATION. May 29, 1964 [May 31, 1963] No. 22449/64. Heading F1J. [Also in Division F2] The invention relates to a liquid propellant rocket motor in which means are provided to control the flow of propellants from storage containers to the combustion chamber of the rocket motor. The invention is described with reference to a bi-propellant type rocket motor having a combustion chamber 14 defined by a wall 16. An outer wall 12 is disposed around the wall 16 and defines therewith an oxidizer storage tank 17 and a fuel storage tank 18, the two tanks being separated by an annular partition 20. The wall of the thrust chamber may be arranged to be cooled by flow of fuel and for this purpose a wall 22 is provided to define with the chamber wall 16 a flow passage 24. Outlet ports 30 and 32 are provided from the oxidizer tank, and outlet ports 31, 33 are provided from the fuel tank, the ports 30 and 31 being for propellant flow during a "boost" phase and ports 32 and 33 for propellant flow during a "sustain" phase. An axially movable cylindrical slide valve 40 is disposed within and adjacent the combustion chamber wall 16, the slide valve having ports 42 and 44 which may be aligned with the ports 30 and 31 as shown in Fig. 2 or with the ports 32 and 33 as shown in Fig. 4. In Fig. 1 which is the "storage" position the ports are not aligned and the ports 30, 31, 32 and 33 are all sealed by shear cups 35, 36, 37 and 38 which project through the ports into corresponding recesses 45, 46, 47 and 48 in the slide valve 40. The slide 40 is formed at its forward end with a reduced diameter portion which slides on a fixed sleeve 68 and co-operates with a reduced diameter portion of the chamber wall 16 to define a space 67. A pressure gas generating chamber 26 is disposed at the forward end of the assembly and contains a solid propellant charge 28, the chamber 26 being formed with ports 69 so that pressure gas generated in the chamber 26 may act against the flange 65 of the sleeve valve 40. In the "storage" position shown in Fig. 1 the sleeve valve 40 is locked with respect to the wall 16 by means of shear pins 70. In operation, the charge 28 is fired, the resulting gas pressure acting to pressurize the fuel and oxidizer tanks 18, 17 through lines not shown and also acting on the flange 65 of slide valve 40 so that the pins 70 are sheared and the slide valve moves to the right to the "boost" position shown in Fig. 2, the seal cups 35, 36, 37 and 38 shearing as a result of this movement. In the boost position the flange 65 engages against a stop 50 to limit movement of the slide valve to the right, and propellants now flow into the combustion chamber through the aligned ports 30, 42 and 31, 44. The stop 50 is of arcuate form and has an inclined surface 72 which corresponds to an inclined surface 66 of the flange 65 of the slide valve. In the positions shown in Figs. 1 and 2 the stop 50 is prevented from outward movement by a detent 58. At the conclusion of the boost phase a charge is fired in chamber 62 and the resulting gases act on a piston movement of which withdraws the detent 58. The gas pressure acting against the flange 65 now acts to move the slide valve 40 further to the right until it engages against a second stop 52 formed by a shoulder in the chamber wall 16. The oxidizer tank port 32 is now aligned with the valve port 42, and fuel tank port 33 aligned with the valve port 44 the propellant flows through the ports 32 and 33 being those appropriate to the "sustain" phase of operation. Reference has been directed by the Comptroller to Specification 942, 047.