Patent ID: 8117847

Claim:
A hybrid propulsion system comprising: a solid rocket motor; a ramjet; and a reconfigurable multinozzle grid; wherein the solid rocket motor and the ramjet both pass pressurized gas through the reconfigurable multinozzle grid; wherein the multinozzle grid includes: a forward plate; and an aft plate; wherein the plates are separably mechanically coupled together; wherein, when the plates are mechanically coupled together, the plates define a plurality of converge-diverge nozzles each having a first configuration; wherein, when the plates are separated, the nozzles transform to a second configuration, different from the first configuration, with the nozzles defined by only one of the plates; and wherein the multinozzle grid is configured to change from the first configuration to the second configuration during operation of the propulsion system, such that 1) the multinozzle grid is in the first configuration when pressurized gasses from the solid rocket motor pass through the multinozzle grid, and 2) the multinozzle grid is in the second configuration when pressurized gasses from the ramjet pass through the multinozzle grid.