LIQUID PROPELLANT CHEMICAL ROCKET ENGINE REACTOR THERMAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

• Main Authors: CROW, Benjamin, ANFLO, Kjell
• Format: Patent
• Language: English; French; German
• Published: 21.02.2018
• Subjects: BLASTING; COMBUSTION APPARATUS; COMBUSTION ENGINES; COMBUSTION PROCESSES; GENERATING COMBUSTION PRODUCTS OF HIGH PRESSURE OR HIGHVELOCITY, e.g. GAS-TURBINE COMBUSTION CHAMBERS; HEATING; HOT-GAS OR COMBUSTION-PRODUCT ENGINE PLANTS; JET-PROPULSION PLANTS; LIGHTING; MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; WEAPONS

The present invention relates to a liquid propellant chemical rocket engine reactor Thermal Management System (TMS), which system comprises a reactor comprising a thermally conductive reactor housing, a heat bed, and a catalyst bed, which system further comprises an injector configured to spray the propellant in the form of a cone towards a portion of the circumference of the inner surface of the reactor housing, and an electrical heater located on the outside or inside of the reactor housing for heating said portion of the inner surface of the reactor housing. The invention also relates to a rocket engine comprising the reactor Thermal Management System, a spacecraft comprising the engine, as well as to a method of decomposing a liquid propellant, which can be carried out using the inventive reactor Thermal Management System, wherein vaporization of the propellant is accomplished by bringing the propellant into close proximity to, or to imping on, a portion of the circumference of said inner reactor surface adjacent to the injector.