INTEGRAL COMPOSITE ROCKET MOTOR DOME/NOZZLE STRUCTURE

• Main Authors: FACCIANO, ANDREW B, MOORE, ROBERT T, SINNOCK, KELLY J, CALDWELL, SCOTT T
• Format: Patent
• Language: English; French; German
• Published: 20.07.2016
• Subjects: AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING; BLASTING; COMBUSTION ENGINES; HEATING; HOT-GAS OR COMBUSTION-PRODUCT ENGINE PLANTS; INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASS B29C, RELATING TO PARTICULARARTICLES; INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASSES B29B, B29C OR B29D, RELATING TO MOULDING MATERIALS; JET-PROPULSION PLANTS; LIGHTING; MARINE PROPULSION OR STEERING; MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; RELATED EQUIPMENT; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDEDFOR; SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; TRANSPORTING; WEAPONS; WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE, IN GENERAL

An integral composite rocket motor nozzle. The novel nozzle includes a first layer of a first reinforcement material, a second layer of a second reinforcement material, and a common matrix material surrounding the first and second reinforcement materials such that the reinforcement materials and matrix material form a single integral composite structure. In an illustrative embodiment, the first reinforcement material includes graphite fibers for providing structural support, and the second reinforcement material includes glass or quartz fibers for providing thermal insulation on a first side of the first layer. The nozzle may also include a third layer of a third reinforcement material for providing thermal insulation on a second side of the first layer. In a preferred embodiment, the first layer is shaped to form an integrated dome and nozzle structure.