Devices and methods of rocket propulsion are disclosed. In one aspect, a staged combustion liquid rocket engine with preburner and turbopump unit (TPU) integrated into the structure of the combustion chamber is described. An initial propellant mixture is combusted in a preburner combustion chamber formed as an annulus around a main combustion chamber, the combustion products from the preburner driving the turbine of the TPU and subsequently injected into the main combustion chamber for secondary combustion along with additional propellants, generating thrust through a supersonic nozzle. The preburner inner cylindrical wall is shared with the outer cylindrical wall of the engine's main combustion chamber and the turbine is axially aligned with the main combustion chamber. Liquid propellants supplied to the engine are utilized for regenerative cooling of the combustion chamber and preburner, where the liquid propellants are gasified in cooling manifolds before injection into the preburner and main combustion chamber.

Devices and methods of rocket propulsion are disclosed. In one aspect, a staged combustion liquid rocket engine with preburner and turbopump unit (TPU) integrated into the structure of the combustion chamber is described. An initial propellant mixture is combusted in a preburner combustion chamber formed as an annulus around a main combustion chamber, the combustion products from the preburner driving the turbine of the TPU and subsequently injected into the main combustion chamber for secondary combustion along with additional propellants, generating thrust through a supersonic nozzle. The preburner inner cylindrical wall is shared with the outer cylindrical wall of the engine's main combustion chamber and the turbine is axially aligned with the main combustion chamber. Liquid propellants supplied to the engine are utilized for regenerative cooling of the combustion chamber and preburner, where the liquid propellants are gasified in cooling manifolds before injection into the preburner and main combustion chamber.

Rocket propulsion systems and associated methods are disclosed. A representative system includes a combustion chamber having an inwardly-facing chamber wall enclosing a combustion zone. The chamber has a generally spherical shape and is exposed to the combustion zone. A propellant injector is coupled to the combustion chamber and has at least one fuel injector nozzle positioned to direct a flow of cooling fuel radially outwardly along the inwardly-facing chamber wall. In addition to or in lieu of the foregoing features, the injector can include an oxidizer piston and a fuel piston that deliver oxidizer and fuel, respectively, to the combustion chamber, in a sequenced manner so that the oxidizer is introduced prior to the fuel.

According to one contemplated embodiment of the rocket engine invention, water is first pumped from a water tank through a rocket nozzle cooling heat exchanger wherein it is evaporated into said superheated steam. A generator supplies electricity to an electrolyzer that electrolyzes superheated steam into gaseous hydrogen and gaseous oxygen. The gaseous hydrogen and gaseous oxygen is employed for forming an annular curtain of secondary combustion in a divergent rocket engine. The secondary combustion gas surrounds a central thrust of combustion gas produced in an upstream combustion chamber by a primary injection of hydrogen/oxygen supplied from a liquid hydrogen tank and liquid oxygen tank. The rocket liquid hydrogen tank and liquid oxygen tank are pressurized by gaseous hydrogen and gaseous oxygen generated by the electrolyzer.

According to one contemplated embodiment of the rocket engine invention, water is first pumped from a water tank through a rocket nozzle cooling heat exchanger wherein it is evaporated into said superheated steam. A generator supplies electricity to an electrolyzer that electrolyzes superheated steam into gaseous hydrogen and gaseous oxygen. The gaseous hydrogen and gaseous oxygen is employed for forming an annular curtain of secondary combustion in a divergent rocket engine. The secondary combustion gas surrounds a central thrust of combustion gas produced in an upstream combustion chamber by a primary injection of hydrogen/oxygen supplied from a liquid hydrogen tank and liquid oxygen tank. The rocket liquid hydrogen tank and liquid oxygen tank are pressurized by gaseous hydrogen and gaseous oxygen generated by the electrolyzer.

The present disclosure comprises a thrust augmentation device for liquid rocket engines that will enable higher thrust throttling when launch vehicles require the additional thrust and be turned off when the additional thrust is no longer required. The present disclosure provide a higher mission-average engine specific impulse (Isp) performance by offering a greater nozzle exit area ratio and option of MR-shift in main combustion chamber. The present disclosure retains the technology advancements made in historical rocket engine development where cost and technical challenges were great, that is in the turbopump and main injector/combustion chamber, and take advantage of engine component that is least developed and understood, the nozzle section by providing a secondary propellant injection port and combustion zone to optimize liquid rocket engine performance required by launch vehicles.

The present disclosure comprises a thrust augmentation device for liquid rocket engines that will enable higher thrust throttling when launch vehicles require the additional thrust and be turned off when the additional thrust is no longer required. The present disclosure provide a higher mission-average engine specific impulse (Isp) performance by offering a greater nozzle exit area ratio and option of MR-shift in main combustion chamber. The present disclosure retains the technology advancements made in historical rocket engine development where cost and technical challenges were great, that is in the turbopump and main injector/combustion chamber, and take advantage of engine component that is least developed and understood, the nozzle section by providing a secondary propellant injection port and combustion zone to optimize liquid rocket engine performance required by launch vehicles.

Devices and methods of rocket propulsion are disclosed. In one aspect, a staged combustion liquid rocket engine with preburner and turbopump unit (TPU) integrated into the structure of the combustion chamber is described. An initial propellant mixture is combusted in a preburner combustion chamber formed as an annulus around a main combustion chamber, the combustion products from the preburner driving the turbine of the TPU and subsequently injected into the main combustion chamber for secondary combustion along with additional propellants, generating thrust through a supersonic nozzle. The preburner inner cylindrical wall is shared with the outer cylindrical wall of the engine's main combustion chamber and the turbine is axially aligned with the main combustion chamber. Liquid propellants supplied to the engine are utilized for regenerative cooling of the combustion chamber and preburner, where the liquid propellants are gasified in cooling manifolds before injection into the preburner and main combustion chamber.

Devices and methods of rocket propulsion are disclosed. In one aspect, a staged combustion liquid rocket engine with preburner and turbopump unit (TPU) integrated into the structure of the combustion chamber is described. An initial propellant mixture is combusted in a preburner combustion chamber formed as an annulus around a main combustion chamber, the combustion products from the preburner driving the turbine of the TPU and subsequently injected into the main combustion chamber for secondary combustion along with additional propellants, generating thrust through a supersonic nozzle. The preburner inner cylindrical wall is shared with the outer cylindrical wall of the engine's main combustion chamber and the turbine is axially aligned with the main combustion chamber. Liquid propellants supplied to the engine are utilized for regenerative cooling of the combustion chamber and preburner, where the liquid propellants are gasified in cooling manifolds before injection into the preburner and main combustion chamber.

Devices and methods of rocket propulsion are disclosed. In one aspect, a staged combustion liquid rocket engine with preburner and turbopump unit (TPU) integrated into the structure of the combustion chamber is described. An initial propellant mixture is combusted in a preburner combustion chamber formed as an annulus around a main combustion chamber, the combustion products from the preburner driving the turbine of the TPU and subsequently injected into the main combustion chamber for secondary combustion along with additional propellants, generating thrust through a supersonic nozzle. The preburner inner cylindrical wall is shared with the outer cylindrical wall of the engine's main combustion chamber and the turbine is axially aligned with the main combustion chamber. Liquid propellants supplied to the engine are utilized for regenerative cooling of the combustion chamber and preburner, where the liquid propellants are gasified in cooling manifolds before injection into the preburner and main combustion chamber.