Patent ID: 6865878

Claim:
A rocket engine comprising: a combustion chamber defined by a wall portion and having a chamber axis, a closed end and a nozzle end, said wall portion including a closed end wall, a nozzle end wall and a side wall between said closed end wall and said nozzle end wall, said side wall having an inner side wall surface; an outlet nozzle at said nozzle end; at least one first fluid inlet opening in said wall portion for directing a first combustion component fluid into said chamber to create an outer spiral flow of said first combustion component fluid from said at least one first fluid opening along said inner side wall surface toward said closed end, then inwardly toward said chamber axis and then along said chamber axis in an inner spiral flow toward said nozzle end; at least one second fluid inlet opening in said side wall or said closed end wall for introducing said second combustion component fluid into said chamber at a point downstream from said at least one first fluid opening and at a point prior to said inner spiral flow.