Description:
System, Method and Apparatus for Cooling Rocket Motor Components Using a Saturated Liquid-Vapor Coolant Mixture
Rocket motor cooling brochure
Need:
Liquid fuel rocket motors are traditionally cooled using the liquid fuel. Without liquid cooling the rocket motor would typically erode or burn away the inner surfaces of the rocket motor. Hybrid rocket motors use a solid fuel and a gas or liquid oxidizer. However, the solid fuel cannot be circulated through the cooling chamber around the rocket motor. There is still a need for cooling hybrid rocket motors to extend the life of the hybrid rocket motors.
Solution:
Researchers at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo have developed a system, method and apparatus for cooling hybrid rocket motors. Specifically, a system and method of cooling a rocket motor component includes injecting a high pressure liquid coolant through an injector nozzle into a cooling chamber. The cooling chamber having a pressure lower than the high pressure liquid coolant. The liquid coolant flashes into a saturated liquid-vapor coolant mixture in the cooling chamber. The saturated liquid-vapor coolant mixture is at equilibrium at the lower pressure of the cooling chamber. A portion of the coolant is released from the cooling chamber and the coolant in the cooling chamber is dynamically maintained at less than 100% gas phase of the coolant as the thrust and heat generated by the rocket motor varies.
Applications:
- Aerospace Engineering
- Education
Advantages:
- One or both of the fuel and the oxidizer could be used as the coolant in a liquid fueled rocket motor
- The coolant can be injected into the cooling chamber in a saturated liquid-vapor form
- The coolant can be maintained at a nearly constant temperature while absorbing energy in the form of heat from the rocket motor
- The oxidizer is already onboard the rocket for oxidizing the fuel and using the oxidizer cooling eliminates a requirement of carrying a third material for coolant purposes
- The oxidizer used as the coolant can then be consumed in the combustion to oxidize the fuel
IP Status:
US 8,776,494 issued 07/15/2014
Licensing Status:
Available - please contact us for more information