Rocket engine assembly tooling and method

Abstract

The present application relates to the technical field of rocket assembly, and discloses a rocket engine assembly tool and an assembly method, the rocket engine assembly tool comprising a rolling frame vehicle and a rolling support body, the rolling support body having a central axis, the rolling support body being placed on the rolling frame vehicle along the central axis, the central axis being parallel to the ground, a rocket tail section being detachably fixed to the rolling support body, the axis of the rocket tail section coinciding with the central axis, a plurality of engine mounting positions on the rocket tail section comprising a central engine mounting position and a plurality of peripheral engine mounting positions, the central engine mounting position being used for assembling a central engine, the position of the central engine mounting position being unchanged with the rotation of the rolling support body, the plurality of peripheral engine mounting positions sequentially reaching preset assembly positions for each peripheral engine to be assembled with the rocket tail section at the preset assembly positions. The engine assembly efficiency is higher, and the assembly precision is higher.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of rocket assembly technology, and in particular to a rocket engine assembly tooling and assembly method. Background Technology

[0002] With the rapid development of commercial spaceflight, the pursuit of high thrust in reusable liquid rockets has shifted from the previous approach of developing high-thrust engines and adding boosters to a trend towards multiple engines operating in parallel. This increases payload capacity while reducing the development and manufacturing complexity of individual engines, offering advantages such as high thrust, high reliability, low launch cost, and high flexibility. However, operating multiple engines in parallel presents numerous challenges, significantly increasing assembly difficulty. The engines are arranged more closely together, and the number of electrical cables and pipelines multiplies, greatly increasing the difficulty of hoisting, assembly, and testing.

[0003] Therefore, there is an urgent need for a rocket engine assembly tooling and assembly method to solve the above problems. Summary of the Invention

[0004] Based on the above, the purpose of this invention is to provide a rocket engine assembly fixture and assembly method, which has high engine assembly efficiency and high assembly accuracy.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention adopts the following technical solution:

[0006] A rocket engine assembly fixture for assisting in the assembly of multiple rocket engines to various engine mounting positions on the tail section of a rocket, characterized in that the rocket engine assembly fixture comprises:

[0007] Rolling frame;

[0008] A rolling support body has a central axis. The rolling support body is rolled along the central axis and placed on a rolling carriage. The central axis is parallel to the ground. The rocket tail section is detachably fixed to the rolling support body. The axis of the rocket tail section coincides with the central axis. The multiple engine mounting positions on the rocket tail section include a central engine mounting position and multiple peripheral engine mounting positions. The central engine mounting position is used to assemble the central engine. As the rolling support body rotates, the position of the central engine mounting position remains unchanged. The multiple peripheral engine mounting positions sequentially reach preset assembly positions so that each peripheral engine can be docked and assembled with the rocket tail section at the preset assembly position.

[0009] As a preferred embodiment of rocket engine assembly tooling, the rolling support body includes a front frame and a rear frame spaced apart along the central axis. Both the front frame and the rear frame are annular structures. Multiple support rods are circumferentially connected between the front frame and the rear frame. The front frame and the rear frame are rolled on the rolling frame vehicle. The rocket tail section is detachably fixed to the rear frame.

[0010] As a preferred embodiment of rocket engine assembly tooling, the rear frame is provided with multiple first connectors spaced apart along the circumference, and the rocket tail section has multiple second connectors distributed along the circumference. The multiple second connectors correspond one-to-one with the multiple first connectors and are detachably connected.

[0011] As a preferred embodiment of rocket engine assembly tooling, the front frame is provided with an auxiliary positioning component, which includes multiple auxiliary positioning plates, each of which is directly opposite to one of the engine mounting positions.

[0012] As a preferred embodiment of rocket engine assembly tooling, a first connecting rod is connected between every two auxiliary positioning plates, and a second connecting rod is connected between at least one of the auxiliary positioning plates and the front frame.

[0013] As a preferred embodiment of rocket engine assembly tooling, the rolling support vehicle includes at least two arc-shaped frames spaced apart along a first direction. Each arc-shaped frame is equipped with at least two rollers. Each roller is rotatably mounted on the arc-shaped frame along its axis. The axis of the roller is parallel to the central axis. The rolling support body is supported on the plurality of rollers.

[0014] As a preferred embodiment of rocket engine assembly tooling, the rolling frame also includes multiple drive sources, each of which drives and connects to a specific set of rollers.

[0015] As a preferred embodiment of rocket engine assembly tooling, the rolling frame vehicle also includes a base frame, with each of the arc-shaped frames mounted on the base frame, and multiple wheels mounted on the bottom of the base frame.

[0016] As a preferred embodiment of rocket engine assembly tooling, each of the arc-shaped frames is positionally adjustable on the base frame along a second direction, which is perpendicular to the central axis and parallel to the ground.

[0017] A rocket engine assembly method, based on the rocket engine assembly fixture described in any of the above technical solutions, the method comprising the following steps:

[0018] S1: Fix the rocket tail section onto the rolling support body;

[0019] S2: Lay the central engine flat and hoist it to the central engine mounting position on the rocket tail section, then connect and fix the central engine to the rocket tail section;

[0020] S3: Rotate the rolling support body so that one of the peripheral engine mounting positions on the rocket tail section is located at the preset assembly position;

[0021] S4: Hoist one of the peripheral engines to the peripheral engine mounting position aligned with the preset assembly position, and connect and fix the peripheral engine to the rocket tail section;

[0022] S5: Repeat steps S3 and S4 above until all engines are assembled.

[0023] A method for assembling a rocket engine.

[0024] The beneficial effects of this invention are as follows:

[0025] This invention provides a rocket engine assembly fixture. By rolling a support body onto a rolling frame, the rocket tail section, fixedly connected to the support body, can rotate stably and reliably around its own axis. This allows multiple peripheral engine mounting positions on the rocket tail end to be sequentially rotated to fixed, preset assembly positions. This facilitates the sequential hoisting of multiple peripheral engines to their fixed positions for assembly with the rocket tail end, improving assembly accuracy and effectively overcoming assembly difficulties caused by space constraints. It also improves assembly efficiency and maintainability. Simultaneously, the power piping can be assembled during engine assembly. The rotatable adjustment of the rocket tail section helps reduce the assembly difficulty of the power piping and improves assembly efficiency.

[0026] The present invention also provides a rocket engine assembly method, which is simple and easy to implement, reduces the difficulty of engine assembly, and helps to improve assembly efficiency. Attached Figure Description

[0027] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention, the accompanying drawings used in the description of the embodiments of the present invention will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the accompanying drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on the content of the embodiments of the present invention and these drawings without creative effort.

[0028] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the rocket engine assembly tooling assisting engine assembly from one perspective, provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0029] Figure 2This is a schematic diagram of the rocket engine assembly tooling assisting engine assembly from another perspective, provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0030] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the rocket engine assembly fixture provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0031] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the roll-on frame vehicle from one perspective, provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0032] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the roll-on frame vehicle from another perspective, provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0033] Figure 6 This is a flowchart of a rocket engine assembly method provided in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0034] In the picture:

[0035] 1. Rolling frame; 11. Arc-shaped frame; 12. Roller; 13. Drive source; 14. Base frame; 15. Traveling wheel; 16. Screw; 17. Handwheel; 2. Rolling support body; 21. Front frame; 22. Rear frame; 23. Support rod; 24. First connector; 25. Second connector; 26. Auxiliary positioning plate; 27. First connecting rod; 28. Second connecting rod;

[0036] 100. Rocket tail section; 200. Central engine; 300. Peripheral engines. Detailed Implementation

[0037] The present invention will now be described in further detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative of the invention and not intended to limit it. Furthermore, it should be noted that, for ease of description, the accompanying drawings show only the parts relevant to the present invention, and not all of the structures.

[0038] In the description of this invention, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "connected," "linked," and "fixed" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention based on the specific circumstances.

[0039] In this invention, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, "above" or "below" the second feature can include direct contact between the first and second features, or contact between the first and second features through another feature between them. Furthermore, "above," "over," and "on top" of the second feature includes the first feature directly above or diagonally above the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is at a higher horizontal level than the second feature. "Below," "below," and "under" the second feature includes the first feature directly below or diagonally below the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is at a lower horizontal level than the second feature.

[0040] In the description of this embodiment, the terms "upper," "lower," "left," and "right," etc., refer to the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are used solely for ease of description and simplification of operation, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on the present invention. In the description of the present invention, unless otherwise stated, "a plurality of" means two or more. Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are merely used for descriptive distinction and have no special meaning.

[0041] like Figures 1 to 5As shown, this embodiment provides a rocket engine assembly fixture, which assists in assembling multiple engines one by one to multiple engine mounting positions on the rocket tail section 100. The rocket tail section has a central engine mounting position and multiple peripheral engine mounting positions spaced around the central engine mounting position. The central engine 200 is used for assembly, and the peripheral engine mounting positions are used for assembly of peripheral engines 300. Specifically, the rocket engine assembly fixture includes a rolling carriage 1 and a rolling support 2. The rolling support 2 has a central axis and rolls along the central axis on the rolling carriage 1. The central axis is parallel to the ground. The rocket tail section 100 is detachably fixed to the rolling support 2, and the axis of the rocket tail section 100 coincides with the central axis. As the rolling support 2 rotates, the position of the central engine mounting position remains unchanged, and the multiple peripheral engine mounting positions sequentially reach preset assembly positions, allowing each peripheral engine 300 to dock and assemble with the rocket tail section 100 at the preset assembly position. Compared to existing technologies that vertically hoist engines, where each engine is hoisted at a different position during assembly, affecting alignment accuracy and potentially causing interference between assembled and upcoming engines, the rocket engine assembly fixture provided in this embodiment utilizes a rolling support 2 mounted on a rolling carriage 1. This allows the rocket tail section 100, fixedly connected to the rolling support 2, to rotate stably and reliably around its own axis. This enables multiple peripheral engine mounting positions on the rocket tail end to be sequentially rotated to fixed, preset assembly positions, facilitating the sequential hoisting of multiple peripheral engines 300 to their fixed positions for assembly with the rocket tail end. This improves assembly accuracy and effectively overcomes assembly difficulties caused by space constraints, enhancing assembly efficiency and maintainability. Furthermore, the assembly of the power piping can be performed simultaneously with engine assembly. The rotatable adjustment of the rocket tail section 100 reduces the difficulty of assembling the power piping and improves assembly efficiency. The preferred assembly position is the highest point that the peripheral engine mounting position can reach during the entire rotation process. That is, each peripheral engine 300 is assembled at a fixed highest point, so that each peripheral engine 300 has sufficient assembly space during assembly, reducing assembly difficulty and improving assembly efficiency.

[0042] More specifically, such as Figures 1 to 3As shown, the rolling support 2 includes a front frame 21 and a rear frame 22 spaced apart along the central axis. Both the front frame 21 and the rear frame 22 are annular structures. Multiple support rods 23 are circumferentially connected between the front frame 21 and the rear frame 22. The front frame 21 and the rear frame 22 are rolled and placed on the rolling frame 1. The rocket tail section 100 is detachably fixed to the rear frame 22. The annular frame structure of the front frame 21 and the rear frame 22 not only ensures stable rolling support on the rolling frame 1 to drive the rocket tail section 100 to roll stably, but also facilitates the hoisting of the engine between the front frame 21 and the rear frame 22 for alignment and assembly with the rocket tail section 100. It also facilitates the hoisting of the central engine 200 to pass between the front frame 21 and the rear frame 22. The number of support rods 23 can be, for example, three, four, or five, depending on actual needs, to ensure the structural stability and strength of the rolling support 2.

[0043] In this embodiment, a plurality of first connectors 24 are spaced apart circumferentially on the rear frame 22, and a plurality of second connectors 25 are distributed circumferentially on the rocket tail section 100. The plurality of second connectors 25 correspond one-to-one with the plurality of first connectors 24 and are detachably connected. Before assembly, the rocket tail section 100 is placed in the rear frame 22, and the plurality of second connectors 25 correspond one-to-one with the plurality of first connectors 24. Then, the first connectors 24 and the second connectors 25 are connected one by one to achieve a fixed connection between the rocket tail section 100 and the rear frame 22, that is, the rocket tail section 100 rolls with the rolling support 2. After the engine is assembled, the connection between the first connectors 24 and the second connectors 25 is removed, and the rocket tail section 100 can be removed from the rear frame 22.

[0044] Preferably, the rear frame 22 includes multiple arc-shaped segments that are detachably connected. These arc-shaped segments connect to form a ring-shaped rear frame 22. The detachable connection of the multiple arc-shaped segments facilitates the smooth detachment of the rocket tail section 100 from the rear frame 22 after the engine is assembled on it. For example, the rear frame 22 consists of two semi-circular segments that are detachably connected. After the engine is assembled, the connection between the first connecting piece 24 and the second connecting piece 25, as well as the connection between the two semi-circular segments, can be removed to smoothly detach the rocket tail section 100 from the rear frame 22.

[0045] For example, the first connector 24 is a connector seat, and the second connector 25 is a connector lug. The connector seat and the connector lug are fixedly connected by bolts, which facilitates disassembly and assembly and provides high structural stability. Of course, in other embodiments, the first connector 24 and the second connector 25 can also be other types, such as both being threaded holes.

[0046] To further improve the alignment accuracy of the engine, an auxiliary positioning component is provided in the front frame 21. The auxiliary positioning component includes multiple auxiliary positioning plates 26, which are aligned one-to-one with multiple engine mounting positions. During engine assembly, the engine is hoisted between the front frame 21 and the rear frame 22 until both ends of the engine are aligned with the preset assembly positions and the auxiliary positioning plates 26 aligned with the preset assembly positions, respectively. This ensures that the engine's spatial position is more accurate and reliable, which helps to improve assembly accuracy.

[0047] Preferably, a first connecting rod 27 connects every two auxiliary positioning plates 26, and a second connecting rod 28 connects at least one auxiliary positioning plate 26 to the front frame 21. The first connecting rod 27 and the second connecting rod 28 ensure that the multiple auxiliary positioning plates 26 are stably connected in the front frame 21. For example, the multiple auxiliary positioning plates 26 include a central auxiliary positioning plate 26 and multiple peripheral auxiliary positioning plates 26. The central auxiliary positioning plate 26 corresponds to the central engine mounting position, and the multiple peripheral auxiliary positioning plates 26 correspond to multiple peripheral engine mounting positions. Each peripheral auxiliary positioning plate 26 is connected to the front frame 21 by a second connecting rod 28 to ensure the structural stability of the auxiliary positioning components.

[0048] Furthermore, such as Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown, the rolling frame 1 includes at least two arc-shaped frame bodies 11 spaced apart along a first direction. Each arc-shaped frame body 11 is equipped with at least two rollers 12. Each roller 12 is rotatably mounted on the arc-shaped frame body 11 along its axis, and the axis of the roller 12 is parallel to the central axis. The rolling support body 2 is supported on the multiple rollers 12. The inner edge curvature of the arc-shaped frame body 11 is adapted to the curvature of the front frame 21 and the rear frame 22. The rolling of the rollers 12 drives the front frame 21 and the rear frame 22 supported on them to rotate. The structure is simple and the cost is low.

[0049] In this embodiment, the rolling frame also includes multiple drive sources 13, each drive source 13 driving one roller 12 in a one-to-one correspondence. For example, the drive source 13 is a motor, which is mounted on the side of the arc-shaped frame 11 and drives the roller 12 to achieve automatic rolling, saving time and effort. Preferably, the rocket engine assembly fixture also includes a controller, which is electrically connected to the multiple drive sources 13 and is used to control the simultaneous start and stop of the multiple drive sources 13 to ensure the rotational synchronization of the multiple rollers 12, that is, to ensure the rolling stability of the rolling support 2.

[0050] Specifically, the roll-on carriage 1 also includes a base frame 14, with each arc-shaped frame 11 mounted on the base frame 14, and multiple wheels 15 mounted on the bottom of the base frame 14. The wheels 15 facilitate the movement of the rocket engine assembly fixture, making it easy to transport or adjust the position of the rocket engine assembly fixture.

[0051] Optionally, each arc-shaped frame 11 is positionally adjustable on the base frame 14 along a second direction, which is perpendicular to the central axis and parallel to the ground. This improves the flexibility of the rocket engine assembly tooling.

[0052] For example, the base frame 14 includes two spaced-apart support plates, each support plate having two first connecting plates, and each arc-shaped frame 11 having a second connecting plate at both ends. The two second connecting plates correspond one-to-one with the two first connecting plates and are connected by screws 16. The lengths of the two screws 16 extend along a second direction, and rotating the screws 16 adjusts the position of the arc-shaped frame 11 on the support plates. Preferably, a handwheel 17 is provided at the end of the screw 16 to facilitate applying force to rotate the screw 16.

[0053] like Figures 1 to 6 As shown, this embodiment also provides a rocket engine assembly method. Based on the above-mentioned rocket engine assembly fixture, the method includes the following steps:

[0054] S1: Fix the rocket tail section 100 onto the rolling support body 2;

[0055] At this time, the axis of the rocket tail section 100 is parallel to the ground and coincides with the central axis of the rolling support 2. That is, when the rolling support 2 rotates, it drives the rocket tail section 100 to rotate along its own axis, so that each peripheral engine mounting position on the rocket tail section 100 can be rotated to the highest point.

[0056] S2: Lay the center engine 200 flat and hoist it to the center engine mounting position of the rocket tail section 100, and then connect and fix the center engine 200 to the rocket tail section 100.

[0057] S3: Rotate the rolling support 2 so that one of the outer engine mounting positions on the rocket tail section 100 is in the preset assembly position;

[0058] Preferably, the preset assembly position is the highest position that the peripheral engine mounting position can reach during rotation, which facilitates the assembly operation.

[0059] S4: Hoist an outer engine 300 to the outer engine mounting position aligned with the preset assembly position, and connect and fix the outer engine 300 to the rocket tail section 100;

[0060] Among them, the power pipeline assembly can be carried out simultaneously when assembling each peripheral engine 300, saving assembly time. In addition, the rotation setting of the rocket tail section 100 makes it easy to adjust the position during the power pipeline assembly, reducing the assembly difficulty.

[0061] S5: Repeat steps S3 and S4 above until all engines are assembled.

[0062] The assembly of multiple peripheral engines 300 can be achieved simply by hoisting each peripheral engine 300 to the same position, which saves hoisting space and allows for horizontal assembly at the top, resulting in a larger effective space during assembly, reducing operational difficulty and improving assembly efficiency.

[0063] Note that the above description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present invention and the technical principles employed. Those skilled in the art will understand that the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments described herein, and various obvious changes, readjustments, and substitutions can be made without departing from the scope of protection of the present invention. Therefore, although the present invention has been described in detail through the above embodiments, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and may include many other equivalent embodiments without departing from the concept of the present invention, the scope of which is determined by the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A rocket engine assembly fixture for assisting in the assembly of multiple rocket engines to various engine mounting positions on the tail section of a rocket, characterized in that, The rocket engine assembly fixture includes: Rolling frame; A rolling support body has a central axis. The rolling support body is rolled along the central axis and placed on the rolling frame vehicle. The central axis is parallel to the ground. The axis of the rocket tail section coincides with the central axis. The multiple engine mounting positions on the rocket tail section include a central engine mounting position and multiple peripheral engine mounting positions. The central engine mounting position is used to assemble the central engine. As the rolling support body rotates, the position of the central engine mounting position remains unchanged. The multiple peripheral engine mounting positions sequentially reach preset assembly positions so that each peripheral engine can be docked and assembled with the rocket tail section at the preset assembly position. The rolling support includes a front frame and a rear frame spaced apart along the central axis. Both the front frame and the rear frame are ring-shaped. Multiple support rods are circumferentially connected between the front frame and the rear frame. The front frame and the rear frame are rolled on the rolling frame vehicle. The rocket tail section is detachably fixed to the rear frame. The rear frame is provided with a plurality of first connectors spaced apart along the circumference, and the rocket tail section has a plurality of second connectors distributed along the circumference. The plurality of second connectors correspond one-to-one with the plurality of first connectors and are detachably connected. The front frame is provided with an auxiliary positioning component, which includes multiple auxiliary positioning plates, and the multiple auxiliary positioning plates are directly opposite to the multiple engine mounting positions. A first connecting rod is connected between every two auxiliary positioning plates, and a second connecting rod is connected between at least one of the auxiliary positioning plates and the front frame; The rolling frame includes at least two arc-shaped frames spaced apart along a first direction. Each arc-shaped frame is equipped with at least two rollers. Each roller is rotatably mounted on the arc-shaped frame along its axis. The axis of the roller is parallel to the central axis. The rolling support is supported on the plurality of rollers.

2. The rocket engine assembly fixture according to claim 1, characterized in that, The rolling frame also includes multiple drive sources, each of which drives and connects to a specific set of rollers.

3. The rocket engine assembly fixture according to claim 1, characterized in that, The rolling frame also includes a base frame, with each of the arc-shaped frames mounted on the base frame, and multiple wheels mounted on the bottom of the base frame.

4. The rocket engine assembly fixture according to claim 3, characterized in that, Each of the arc-shaped frames is adjustable in position on the base frame along a second direction, which is perpendicular to the central axis and parallel to the ground.

5. A rocket engine assembly method, based on the rocket engine assembly tooling described in any one of claims 1-4, characterized in that, The method includes the following steps: S1: Fix the rocket tail section onto the rolling support body; S2: Lay the central engine flat and hoist it to the central engine mounting position on the rocket tail section, then connect and fix the central engine to the rocket tail section; S3: Rotate the rolling support body so that one of the peripheral engine mounting positions on the rocket tail section is located at the preset assembly position; S4: Hoist one of the peripheral engines to the peripheral engine mounting position aligned with the preset assembly position, and connect and fix the peripheral engine to the rocket tail section; S5: Repeat steps S3 and S4 above until all engines are assembled.

Images