LOW COST ROCKET

Abstract

A low-cost rocket includes an atmospheric flight part and an exo-atmospheric flight part, and uses the atmospheric air part to ascend into the atmosphere through the use of propellers for the atmospheric portion of the flight. The atmospheric flight part separates from the exo-atmospheric flight part in the vicinity of the exo-atmosphere and the exo-atmospheric rocket is launched thereupon. The atmospheric flight part descends through the atmosphere using autorotation of the propellers and, if necessary, a soft landing can be affected by controlling the pitch of the propellers just prior to landing.

Claims

1. A low-cost rocket separately utilizing an atmosphere and an exo-atmosphere, rising means using an air during the atmosphere, after reaching the exo-atmosphere, separate the exo-atmospheric flight part and go to the exo-atmospheric by rocket, after separation, descending and landing using the air.

2. The low-cost rocket of claim 1 consists of an atmospheric flight part and an exo-atmospheric flight part, and ascends with propellers or jet engines which use air without using ground-launched rockets and their fuel; the atmospheric flight part and exo-atmospheric flight part separate in the vicinity of the exo-atmosphere and the rocket flies in the exo-atmosphere by means of the exo-atmospheric rocket; the atmospheric flight part uses the air of the atmosphere for autorotation of the propellers to descend; if needed, propeller pitch control is performed in the vicinity of the ground to control the descent to achieve a safe landing, facilitating repeated reuse of the atmospheric part.

3. By disposing the propellers of the atmospheric flight part of the low-cost rocket of claim 1 in a wide-legged position, the atmospheric flight part can ascend, descend, and land in a stable fashion, and the rocket can be launched vertically or at a predetermined angle into the exo-atmosphere.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0026] [1] Diagram of a disposable multistage rocket

[0027] [2] Diagram of the Space Shuttle

[0028] [3] Diagram of the Big Falcon Rocket

[0029] [4] Exterior view of the low-cost rocket of the present invention. (a) is a side view, (b) is a plan view, and (c) is a bottom view.

[0030] [5] Diagram illustrating the operation of the low-cost rocket of the present invention at time of launch and ascent

[0031] [6] Diagram illustrating the operation of the low-cost rocket of the present invention at time of landing

[0032] [7] Diagram illustrating another embodiment of the low-cost of the present invention at time of launch

[0033] The following embodiment of the present invention is described with reference to the drawings.

[0034] FIG. 4 is an external view of the low-cost rocket of the present invention (hereinafter, rocket 1). (a) is a side view, (b) is a plan view, and (c) is a bottom view.

[0035] In this diagram, the rocket 1 is comprised primarily of the rocket body 2 which is the exo-atmospheric flight part, and the atmospheric portion part 3 which is the atmospheric flight part.

[0036] The rocket body 2, for example, has a payload compartment at the top and a fuel and rocket engine compartment at the bottom, from which thrust is obtained outside the atmosphere by firing the rocket engine.

[0037] A liquid fuel or a solid fuel rocket engine can be used as the rocket engine 4.

[0038] The atmospheric portion part 3 is comprised of propellers 31 and the reciprocating engines or turboprop engines 32 that drive them, and this embodiment is illustrated with four pairs of propellers 31 and their drive engines 32.

[0039] However, there is no limit to the number of pairs installed, and the atmospheric portion part 3 can consist of a single pair, two pairs, three pairs, or even five or more pairs. The rocket body for exo-atmospheric use 2 and the atmospheric portion part 3 should have thrust sufficient to lift the vehicle to the vicinity of the exo-atmospheric boundary.

[0040] Each pair can be independently driven and controlled independently, for example, by radio remote control from a ground station.

[0041] The propellers 31 are rotated by the output of a drive engine 32, and the rotation of the propellers provides the thrust for ascent into the atmosphere.

[0042] Other engines such as reciprocating engines and turboprop engines, as well as jet engines, rocket engines, or the like can be added to the propeller engines 32.

[0043] A turboprop engine is a form of a gas turbine engine that uses most of its output energy to rotate the propeller and can also be provided with jets to add thrust.

[0044] Thus, when a turboprop engine is used as the propeller engine 32, the propellers 31 are rotated by the output of the propeller engine 32, and the atmospheric portion part 3 obtains propulsion solely from the rotational force of the propellers 31.

[0045] When a jet engine or a rocket engine is used as the engine 32 in part or in full, propulsion can be obtained by either or both of the engines 32 and the propellers 31.

[0046] As shown in FIG. 5, the low-cost rocket of the present invention 1 ascends using the propulsion of the atmospheric portion part from launch from the ground until it reaches space (in other words, the portion within the atmosphere), and in the vicinity of the exo-atmosphere, the atmospheric portion part 3 is jettisoned from the rocket body 2.

[0047] Subsequently, the rocket body 2 flies in the exo-atmosphere, which is to say in space, using the propulsion of the rocket engine 4.

[0048] On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 6, the atmospheric propulsion part 3 loses the rocket body 2, which descends through the atmosphere using air and propellers to land at a predetermined landing site (e.g., the original launch site or other landing site).

[0049] The descent of the atmospheric propulsion part 3 in the atmosphere can be achieved, for example, by maintaining the rotation of the propellers 31 below a certain RPM.

[0050] Moreover, the propellers 31 can be detached from the engine and rotated (spun) by means of the air passing through the propellers 31 from the bottom to the top, thus permitting the atmospheric propulsion part 3 to descend and land by means of autorotation.

[0051] Increasing the length and width of the propellers increases the their upward thrust and lift during autorotation. As shown in FIGS. 4, 5, and 6, the propeller and engine are placed in the atmospheric propulsion section with the legs fully extended around the rocket body 2. The propellers and engines are disposed in the atmospheric propulsion part as shown in FIGS. 4, 5, and 6, so that the propulsion part does not tilt and can ascend or descend stably. Autorotation allows the atmospheric propulsion part to descend and land gently while generating a constant lifting force.

[0052] Moreover, the atmospheric propulsion part 3 can be landed on earth by means of autorotation without consuming fuel.

[0053] Also, in the event of a malfunction, the atmospheric portion part 3 can descend and land by means of autorotation. When descending by autorotation, the propeller pitch can be varied using correcting levers to increase the lift to facilitate a soft landing near the ground.

[0054] The rocket 1 consists of the rocket body 2 and the atmospheric propulsion part 3 with a cost ratio of 80%:20%.

[0055] This allows 80% of the airframe to be reused, thus greatly reducing the cost of the rocket 1.

[0056] The landing site of the atmospheric propulsion part 3 can also be controlled by pitch control of the individual propellers' 31 RPM.

[0057] Thus, the atmospheric propulsion part 3 can be accurately landed at a predetermined landing site.

[0058] In addition, the reusable atmospheric propulsion part 3 will not be damaged by re-entry because it does not re-enter the atmosphere at high speed from space, and thus there is no need to incur costs to strengthen the body.

[0059] In addition, the low-cost rocket has many advantages, such as cost reduction, almost no fuel-related accidents, a smaller form factor, weight reduction, and ease of transport since the fuel required for ground launch and atmospheric flight is greatly reduced.

[0060] FIG. 7 shows the operation of the rocket 1 during launch and ascent when a jet engine or a rocket engine is used together as the engine 32.

[0061] In this case, too, the rocket 1 ascends into space by the propulsion of the atmospheric propulsion part 3 in the atmosphere from ground launch to space, whereupon the rocket body 2 separates from the atmospheric propulsion part 3 in the exo-atmosphere.

[0062] Specifically, the rocket 1 can ascend using one or both of the propulsive force of the engine part 32 and the propulsive force of the propellers 31.

[0063] When jet engines are rocket engines are employed in the atmospheric propulsion part 3 and the propellers are not used during the ascent phase, the propellers are pitched so as not to be aerodynamic until the atmospheric propulsion part 3 and the rocket body 2 are fired and separated, thereby reducing air resistance from the propellers during ascent. When descending, the propeller pitch is controlled by autorotation in the air, and the downward thrust of the jet or rocket engines may be used for descent.

[0064] Moreover, the present invention includes the use of the engines to rotate the propellers to affect a landing without the use of autorotation.

[0065] The “autorotation” referred to in the specification of the present invention will be explained precisely since as the inventor is the chair of the University of Tokyo's AV Using Research Association and the holder of a new record for a flight around Japan by helicopter.

[0066] “Autorotation” is an essential element of helicopter operation and is always the last step in a helicopter pilot's qualification examination. It is a method of maneuvering an aircraft to land safely on the ground without driving the rotor (propellers) in the event of an accident in which the engine stops in flight.

[0067] Specifically, the aircraft descends by disengaging the engine and rotor (propeller) clutch, thus permitting the rotor (propeller) to spin freely. Near the ground just before landing, the correcting pitch lever (the right-hand control stick) is raised to increase rotor (propeller) pitch to increase lift in order to affect a soft landing. The present invention uses a manual or wireless method. In this invention, the length, width, number, and arrangement of propellers shall be appropriate for “autorotation.”

[0068] Although “autorotation” [in Japanese] translates literally to “rotating automatically” [in English], “autorotation” does not mean “rotating automatically.” In other words, even if the turbine blades of a jet engine are rotated by means of the air, this is not “autorotation.” Thus, “autorotation” is not possible in a jet engine.

[0069] As described above, the rocket 1 of the present invention consists of an atmospheric flight part with an atmospheric propulsion part 3 and an exo-atmospheric flight part having a rocket body 2. The atmospheric flight part ascends in the atmosphere using air by means of the propellers of the atmospheric flight part, separates from the exo-atmospheric flight part, which is launched into space by the rocket 4, and the exo-atmospheric flight part descends and lands by means of autorotation of the propeller in air.

[0070] Thus, in the atmosphere in which air is present, the vehicle ascends and descends using propellers, etc., and outside of the atmosphere (in space) in the absence of air, the vehicle moves using rocket engines, etc., to efficiently obtain propulsive force, in this way eliminating the need for atmospheric flight rocket fuel and allowing the atmospheric flight portion to be used many times.

[0071] Moreover, there is a significant reduction in the weight, cost, and accidents of ground-launching an atmospheric flight of the rocket body 2. Also, since the rocket body does not need to reenter the atmosphere, a significant reduction in rocket 1 costs can be achieved because there is no need for heat-resistant parts and no risk of damage due to reentry. Also, there are significant cost reductions in launch costs because there would be virtually no launch problems.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

[0072] The present invention will significantly reduce the cost of rockets and their launches compared to every other conventional method, and will contribute dramatically to improvements in the aerospace industry.

EXPLANATION OF SYMBOLS

[0073] 1 Low-cost rocket of the present invention [0074] 2 Rockets for exo-atmosphere [0075] 3 Atmospheric propulsion part [0076] 31 Atmospheric ascent/descent propeller [0077] 32 Propeller drive engine [0078] 4 Exo-atmospheric rocket engine