An adaptive launch vehicle interstage duct separation device

Abstract

The application provides a self-adaptive launch vehicle stage separation device for stage guide pipe, which comprises a second joint, a spherical hinge joint, a lower pressing block, an upper pressing block, a pressing nut, a lower base, an upper base, a first joint and a sealing ring. The lower base is installed on a first stage end frame, the upper base is installed on a second stage end frame, and the first joint is installed in a mounting hole of the upper base. One end of the lower pressing block, the upper pressing block and the spherical hinge joint provided with a ball head is located in a mounting hole of the lower base. The pressing nut is installed on the lower base to limit the lower pressing block and the upper pressing block. The second joint, the spherical hinge joint and the first joint are provided with a central hole in the axial direction. When the first stage end frame and the second stage end frame are in a butt joint state, the first joint extends out of a mounting hole of the first stage end frame, is inserted into one end of the spherical hinge joint provided with a ball head, and is sealed by the sealing ring. The application realizes reliable sealing between stage guide pipes in a launch vehicle stage butt joint state and reliable separation between stage guide pipes when the launch vehicle stages are separated.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of liquid rocket pipeline connection technology, and specifically to a launch vehicle interstage conduit separation device. Background Technology

[0002] The launch platform's gas supply system typically connects to the liquid rocket via gas connectors, supplying it with different types and parameters of compressed gases. Currently, the gas supply connectors for the second stage of liquid rockets, commonly used both domestically and internationally, are connected to the launch platform via a lever mechanism. Before liftoff, the connector detaches and swings back to a safe range with the lever. The detachment of the gas connector and the reliability of the lever mechanism directly affect the success or failure of the rocket launch.

[0003] Centralized gas supply at the base of launch vehicles is a future development trend. While my country's aerospace industry has mastered the technology of power supply across stages after many years of development, breakthroughs in cross-stage gas and liquid supply technologies are more challenging. Cross-stage gas and liquid supply technologies can reduce the number of launch pad levers and improve launch reliability. Cross-stage gas supply ducts must be reliably sealed and reliably separate simultaneously with stage separation. Traditional duct connections use threaded tightening, which ensures sealing between ducts but cannot meet the requirements of inter-stage separation. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to provide an adaptive interstage duct separation device for launch vehicles to solve the problems of sealing and reliable separation of interstage gas supply pipelines in liquid rockets.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides an adaptive interstage duct separation device for launch vehicles, comprising a ball-joint duct assembly, a lower base, an upper base, a first connector, and a sealing ring;

[0006] The ball joint conduit assembly includes a second connector, a ball joint connector, a lower pressure block, an upper pressure block, and a clamping nut; one end of the ball joint connector with a ball head forms a ball joint structure with the lower pressure block and the upper pressure block, the clamping nut is fitted on the ball joint connector, and the other end of the ball joint connector is connected to the second connector;

[0007] The lower base is installed on the first-stage end frame, the upper base is installed on the second-stage end frame, and the first connector is installed in the mounting hole of the upper base; the lower pressure block, the upper pressure block, and the ball joint with the ball head at one end are located in the mounting hole of the lower base; the clamping nut is installed on the lower base to limit the lower pressure block and the upper pressure block; the second connector, the ball joint, and the first connector have a center hole along the axial direction; when the first-stage end frame and the second-stage end frame are in the mating state, the first connector extends out from the mounting hole of the first-stage end frame and inserts into the ball joint with the ball head at one end, and is sealed by a sealing ring.

[0008] Furthermore, the central hole of the clamping nut is a tapered hole.

[0009] Furthermore, the semi-cone angle θ of the center hole of the clamping nut ranges from 1° to 5°.

[0010] Furthermore, the lower pressure block and the upper pressure block have the same diameter, and there is a gap t between the lower pressure block and the inner wall of the mounting hole of the lower base.

[0011] Furthermore, the value of the gap t ranges from 3 to 5 mm.

[0012] Furthermore, when the first and second stages of the rocket separate, the separation force of the rocket body overcomes the friction between the first joint and the sealing ring, and the first joint is pulled out of the ball joint to achieve pipeline separation; when there is an angular deviation between the first and second stages of the rocket, the ball head of the ball joint rotates in the ball cup formed by the lower pressure block and the upper pressure block to ensure the separation of the first and second stages of the rocket.

[0013] The adaptive launch vehicle interstage duct separation device further includes another set of ball joint duct assemblies, wherein the ball joint structure consisting of the ball head end, the lower pressure block and the upper pressure block of the ball joint is installed in the mounting hole of the upper base and is limited by the clamping nut;

[0014] With the first-level end frame and the second-level end frame in a mating state, the two ends of the first connector are respectively inserted into the ball joint end of the upper base and the lower base, and the two ends are sealed with the ball joint through the sealing ring.

[0015] Furthermore, the lower pressure block and the upper pressure block have the same diameter, and there is a gap t between the lower pressure block and the inner wall of the mounting hole of the lower base, and between the lower pressure block and the inner wall of the mounting hole of the upper base.

[0016] Furthermore, the value of the gap t ranges from 3 to 5 mm.

[0017] Furthermore, the central hole of the clamping nut is a tapered hole, and the value of the half-cone angle θ of the central hole ranges from 1° to 5°.

[0018] The advantages of this invention compared to the prior art are:

[0019] The separation device of the present invention can realize the connection and sealing of the interstage conduits. Through the ball joint structure, radial sealing method and conical central hole of the compression nut, it can adapt to the initial installation deviation of the ball joint and the first joint and the position deviation during the interstage separation process, so as to realize the reliable sealing between the interstage conduits in the interstage docking state of the launch vehicle and the reliable separation between the interstage conduits during the interstage separation of the rocket. Attached Figure Description

[0020] Figure 1 This is a structural diagram of the docking state of the adaptive interstage duct separation device for a launch vehicle provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0021] Figure 2 A diagram illustrating the axial separation process of the adaptive interstage duct separation device for launch vehicles provided in this embodiment of the invention;

[0022] Figure 3 This is a diagram illustrating the tilt-angle separation process of the adaptive launch vehicle interstage duct separation device provided in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0023] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the interstage pipeline separation device for a dual-track redundant launch vehicle provided in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0024] Figure 5 This diagram illustrates the separation process of the inner tube of the dual-redundant interstage pipeline separation device for a launch vehicle, provided in an embodiment of the present invention, during the separation of the first stage.

[0025] Figure 6 This diagram illustrates the separation process of the inner tube of the dual-redundant interstage pipeline separation device for a launch vehicle, provided in an embodiment of the present invention, during the second-stage separation process. Detailed Implementation

[0026] To better illustrate the present invention, the following detailed description is provided in conjunction with the embodiments and accompanying drawings:

[0027] An adaptive launch vehicle interstage duct separation device includes a ball-joint duct assembly, a lower base 6, an upper base 7, a first connector 8, and a sealing ring 9;

[0028] The ball joint conduit assembly includes a second connector 1, a ball joint 2, a lower pressure block 3, an upper pressure block 4, and a clamping nut 5; one end of the ball joint 2 with a ball head forms a ball joint structure with the lower pressure block 3 and the upper pressure block 4, the clamping nut 5 is sleeved on the ball joint 2, and the other end of the ball joint 2 is connected to the second connector 1.

[0029] The lower base 6 is installed on the first-stage end frame 10, the upper base 7 is installed on the second-stage end frame 11, and the first connector 8 is installed in the mounting hole of the upper base 7; the lower pressure block 3, the upper pressure block 4, and the ball joint 2 with one end having a ball head are located in the mounting hole of the lower base 6; the clamping nut 5 is installed on the lower base 6 to limit the lower pressure block 3 and the upper pressure block 4; the second connector 1, the ball joint 2, and the first connector 8 have a central hole along the axial direction; when the first-stage end frame 10 and the second-stage end frame 11 are in the mating state, the first connector 8 extends out from the mounting hole of the first-stage end frame 10 and is inserted into the ball joint 2 with one end having a ball head, and is sealed by the sealing ring 9.

[0030] Example 1:

[0031] like Figure 1As shown, an adaptive interstage duct separation device for a launch vehicle includes a second connector 1, a ball joint connector 2, a lower pressure block 3, an upper pressure block 4, a clamping nut 5, a lower base 6, an upper base 7, a first connector 8, and a sealing ring 9. The lower base 6 is connected to the first-stage end frame, and the upper base 7 is connected to the second-stage end frame by screws. The first connector 8 is threadedly connected to the upper base 7. The ball joint connector 2, the lower pressure block 3, and the upper pressure block 4 form a ball joint structure, which is then connected to the lower pressure block 3 and the upper pressure block 4 by screws. After the clamping nut 5 is inserted into the ball joint connector 2, the ball joint connector 2 is welded to the second connector 1 to form an assembly. This assembly is fixed to the lower base 6 by the clamping nut 5 threadedly. The clamping nut 5 adopts a flared structure to accommodate the deflection of the ball joint connector. The sealing ring 9 is installed in a sealing groove inside the channel of the ball joint connector 2. The first connector 8 and the ball joint connector 2 adopt a radial sealing method to realize the connection and sealing of the interstage duct.

[0032] By designing a gap t between the lower base 6 and the lower pressure block 3 and the upper pressure block 4, the positional deviation between the lower base 6 and the upper base 7 after the first and second stages of the rocket docking is accommodated, thereby ensuring that the first joint 8 always remains aligned with the ball joint 2, and further ensuring the radial sealing performance after the first joint 8 is inserted into the ball joint 2. (The rocket's first and second stage docking state is as follows...) Figure 1 As shown. The value of the gap t ranges from 3 to 5 mm.

[0033] The expansion angle θ designed by the clamping nut 5 is used to accommodate the angular deviation during the separation of the first and second stages of the rocket. The value of θ ranges from 1° to 5°. During the separation of the first and second stages of the rocket, under normal conditions, the separation force of the rocket body overcomes the frictional force between the first joint 8 and the sealing ring 9. The first joint 8 is pulled out from the ball joint 2 to achieve pipeline separation. The separation state is as follows: Figure 2 As shown. When there is an angular deviation between the first and second stages of the rocket, the separation state is as follows. Figure 3 As shown, the present invention provides an interstage duct separation device that can adapt to angular deviations, thereby ensuring reliable separation between the first and second stages of a rocket.

[0034] Example 2:

[0035] The invention can be further designed as follows: Figure 4 The dual-redundant interstage conduit separation device shown in the invention adopts the ball joint structure provided by the present invention in both the first and second stages. The first connector 8 is modified into an inner tube form and inserted into the ball joint connectors of the first and second stages.

[0036] The adaptive launch vehicle interstage duct separation device also includes another set of ball joint duct assemblies, wherein the ball joint structure consisting of the ball end of the ball joint 2, the lower pressure block 3 and the upper pressure block 4 is installed in the mounting hole of the upper base 7 and is limited by the clamping nut 5;

[0037] With the first-level end frame 10 and the second-level end frame 11 in a mating state, the two ends of the first connector 8 are respectively inserted into the ball joint 2 ball head end in the upper base 7 and the lower base 6, and the two ends are respectively sealed with the ball joint 2 through the sealing ring 9.

[0038] The lower pressure block 3 and the upper pressure block 4 have the same diameter. There is a gap t between the lower pressure block 3 and the inner wall of the mounting hole of the lower base 6, and between the lower pressure block 3 and the inner wall of the mounting hole of the upper base 7. The value of the gap t is in the range of 3 to 5 mm.

[0039] The center holes of the clamping nuts 5 on both the upper and lower sides are tapered holes, and the half-cone angle θ of the center hole ranges from 1° to 5°.

[0040] The process of the inner tube separating with the first stage is as follows Figure 5 As shown, the inner tube undergoes the secondary separation process as follows: Figure 6 As shown in the diagram, this scheme ensures reliable separation of the first and second stages of the rocket by allowing any separation surface to detach.

[0041] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of the present invention, but the scope of protection of the present invention is not limited thereto. Any modifications or substitutions made to the present invention by those skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed herein should be covered within the scope of protection of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present invention should be determined by the scope of the claims.

[0042] The parts of this invention not described in detail are well-known to those skilled in the art.

Claims

1. An adaptive interstage duct separation device for launch vehicles, characterized in that, Includes a ball joint conduit assembly, a lower base (6), an upper base (7), a first connector (8), and a sealing ring (9); The ball joint conduit assembly includes a second connector (1), a ball joint connector (2), a lower pressure block (3), an upper pressure block (4), and a clamping nut (5); the ball joint connector (2) has a ball head at one end, which together with the lower pressure block (3) and the upper pressure block (4) forms a ball joint structure, and the clamping nut (5) is fitted on the ball joint connector (2), and the other end of the ball joint connector (2) is connected to the second connector (1); The lower base (6) is installed on the first-stage end frame (10), the upper base (7) is installed on the second-stage end frame (11), and the first connector (8) is installed in the mounting hole of the upper base (7); the lower pressure block (3), the upper pressure block (4), and the ball joint (2) are located in the mounting hole of the lower base (6); the clamping nut (5) is installed on the lower base (6) to limit the lower pressure block (3) and the upper pressure block (4); the second connector (1), the ball joint (2), and the first connector (8) have a central hole along the axial direction; when the first-stage end frame (10) and the second-stage end frame (11) are in the docking state, the first connector (8) extends out from the mounting hole of the first-stage end frame (10) and inserts into the ball joint (2) with the ball head, and is sealed by the sealing ring (9); The lower pressure block (3) and the upper pressure block (4) have the same diameter. There is a gap t between the lower pressure block (3) and the inner wall of the mounting hole of the lower base (6). The value of the gap t is 3~5mm. The adaptive launch vehicle interstage duct separation device further includes another set of ball joint duct assemblies, wherein the ball joint structure composed of the ball head end of the ball joint connector (2), the lower pressure block (3) and the upper pressure block (4) is installed in the mounting hole of the upper base (7) and limited by the clamping nut (5); when the first-stage end frame (10) and the second-stage end frame (11) are in the docking state, the two ends of the first connector (8) are respectively inserted into the ball head end of the ball joint connector (2) in the upper base (7) and the lower base (6), and the two ends are respectively sealed with the ball joint connector (2) by the sealing ring (9); the lower pressure block (3) and the upper pressure block (4) have the same diameter, and there is a gap t between the lower pressure block (3) and the inner wall of the mounting hole of the lower base (6) and between the lower pressure block (3) and the inner wall of the mounting hole of the upper base (7), and the value range of the gap t is 3~5mm; The center hole of the clamping nut (5) is a tapered hole; The half-cone angle θ of the center hole of the clamping nut (5) ranges from 1° to 5°; When the first and second stages of the rocket separate, the separation force of the rocket body overcomes the friction between the first joint (8) and the sealing ring (9), and the first joint (8) is pulled out from the ball joint (2) to achieve pipeline separation; when there is an angular deviation between the first and second stages of the rocket, the ball head of the ball joint (2) rotates in the ball bowl formed by the lower pressure block (3) and the upper pressure block (4) to ensure the separation of the first and second stages of the rocket; The center hole of the clamping nut (5) is a tapered hole, and the value range of the half-cone angle θ of the center hole is 1°~5°.

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