POLYOXYMETHYLENE AS STRUCTURAL SUPPORT MEMBER AND PROPELLANT

• Main Authors: JOSHI PRAKASH B, STARRETT W. DAVID, UPSCHULTE BERNARD L, GREEN B. DAVID, GELB ALAN H, LESTER DEAN M, WALLACE INGVAR A
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 24.12.2009
• Subjects: AIRCRAFT; AMMUNITION; AVIATION; BLASTING; CHEMISTRY; COMBUSTION ENGINES; COSMONAUTICS; EXPLOSIVE CHARGES, e.g. FOR BLASTING, FIREWORKS, AMMUNITION; EXPLOSIVES; EXPLOSIVES OR THERMIC COMPOSITIONS; GAS-ATTACK COMPOSITIONS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERATION OF GAS FOR BLASTING OR PROPULSION (CHEMICAL PART); HEATING; HOT-GAS OR COMBUSTION-PRODUCT ENGINE PLANTS; JET-PROPULSION PLANTS; LIGHTING; MANUFACTURE THEREOF; MATCHES; MEANS FOR GENERATING SMOKE OR MIST; MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; MECHANICAL METAL-WORKING WITHOUT ESSENTIALLY REMOVINGMATERIAL; METALLURGY; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; PUNCHING METAL; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS; TRANSPORTING; USE OF SINGLE SUBSTANCES AS EXPLOSIVES; VEHICLES OR EQUIPMENT THEREFOR; WEAPONS; WORKING OR PROCESSING OF SHEET METAL OR METAL TUBES, RODS ORPROFILES WITHOUT ESSENTIALLY REMOVING MATERIAL

A vehicle includes at least one polyoxymethylene structural support member. The polyoxymethylene structural support member includes a polyoxymethylene component that is a propellant that provides thrust to the vehicle upon pyrolysis or combustion of the polyoxymethylene component of the product of pyrolysis of the polyoxymethylene component. The vehicle can be a satellite or other type of spacecraft.