Electric pump pressure type variable thrust liquid rocket engine

Abstract

The utility model discloses an electric pump pressure type variable thrust liquid rocket engine, which relates to the field of rocket engines, and comprises a power supply, a controller, a generator, a fuel pump, a fuel pump motor, an oxygen pump, an oxygen pump motor, a thrust chamber, a turbine and an oxygen-enriched pre-combustion chamber, an outlet pipe is connected to the oxygen pump, the oxygen-enriched pre-combustion chamber is connected with the fuel pump auxiliary path and the outlet pipe, and the turbine and the oxygen-enriched pre-combustion chamber are coaxially connected to the thrust chamber. The engine has the advantages that the oxygen pump motor and the fuel pump motor directly drive the oxygen pump and the fuel pump to pump liquid oxygen and fuel to the thrust chamber, compared with a traditional pumping type engine, the engine pumps the liquid oxygen and the fuel respectively, explosion caused by leakage and mixing of the liquid oxygen and the fuel along a shaft is avoided, the requirement for sealing is lowered, and the service life of the engine is prolonged. A nitrogen blow-off gas isolation oxidant, fuel and related pipelines are canceled, so that the processing and manufacturing cost of the engine is reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of rocket engines, and in particular to an electric pump-pressurized variable thrust liquid rocket engine. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, full-flow staged combustion systems are complex in structure and technically challenging, resulting in high R&D and manufacturing costs. In the staged combustion cycle of traditional pump-fed liquid rocket engines, a coaxial turbopump design is used to deliver liquid oxygen and fuel, pumping propellant into the thrust chamber for combustion to generate thrust. Traditional turbopump systems are relatively complex, including dual cryogenic pumps and a coaxial high-temperature turbine. The oxidizer, fuel, and high-temperature combustion gases must be isolated coaxially, increasing the difficulty of design, manufacturing, and maintenance. Furthermore, the output fuel-oxidizer mixture ratio is fixed; changes in rotational speed cause deviations in the mixture ratio, limiting the thrust adjustment range. Adjusting the thrust affects the entire system's operation, failing to meet the high-precision, wide-range thrust adjustment requirements of reusable rocket variable-thrust engines. Additionally, the gas after the turbine is directly discharged into the outside air, and the released high-temperature gas causes impulse loss, which increases with the turbopump power. The presence of the gas generator, various valves, and pipelines in traditional pump-fed liquid rocket engines further complicates the engine structure and increases the difficulty of adjusting engine thrust. Utility Model Content

[0003] The purpose of this invention is to provide an electric pump-driven variable thrust liquid rocket engine to solve the above-mentioned problems.

[0004] This utility model achieves the above objectives through the following technical solutions:

[0005] An electric pump-pressurized variable thrust liquid rocket engine includes a power supply, a controller, a generator, a fuel pump, a fuel pump motor, an oxygen pump, an oxygen pump motor, a thrust chamber, a turbine, and an oxygen-enriched pre-combustion chamber. The fuel pump is connected to a main fuel pump circuit and a secondary fuel pump circuit. The thrust chamber is connected to the main fuel pump circuit. The oxygen pump is connected to an outlet pipe. The oxygen-enriched pre-combustion chamber is connected to both the secondary fuel pump circuit and the outlet pipe. The turbine and the oxygen-enriched pre-combustion chamber are coaxially connected to the thrust chamber. The generator is coaxially connected to the turbine. The fuel pump and the fuel pump motor are coaxially connected. The oxygen pump and the oxygen pump motor are coaxially connected. Both the fuel pump motor and the oxygen pump motor are electrically connected to the controller. The power supply is electrically connected to the controller.

[0006] Preferably, the power supply voltage is not lower than AC1200V.

[0007] Preferably, the fuel pump is a permanent magnet synchronous motor.

[0008] Preferably, the oxygen pump is a permanent magnet synchronous motor.

[0009] The beneficial effects are as follows: This engine directly drives the oxygen pump and fuel pump to pump liquid oxygen and fuel into the thrust chamber via the oxygen pump motor and fuel pump motor. Compared with traditional pump-pressurized engines, pumping liquid oxygen and fuel separately avoids leakage and mixing along the shaft, which could lead to an explosion. This reduces the requirements for sealing and eliminates the need for nitrogen purging gas to isolate the oxidizer and fuel, as well as related pipelines, thereby reducing engine manufacturing costs. Simultaneously, the controller adjusts the speed of the oxygen pump motor and fuel pump motor, thereby regulating the propellant flow rate and head, simplifying the adjustment components such as the liquid oxygen main and auxiliary valves, methane main and auxiliary valves, and cavitation pipes in traditional engines, making the engine system more concise. Compared to traditional engines… The conventional turbopump-driven engine allows for more precise motor adjustment, reducing the difficulty of adjusting engine thrust. Furthermore, the motor speed can be increased to over 20,000 rpm compared to the turbine, which helps reduce pump size and thus the overall engine size and weight. By controlling the speeds of the two motors separately, the pump efficiency can be superior to that of traditional liquid rocket engines when deviating from the rated design point. Compared to existing liquid rocket engines, this engine can directly drive the pump to rotate via the motor during multiple starts. Combined with oxygen-enriched staged combustion to drive the turbine and generator, multiple starts can be achieved, reducing the impact of power supply "dead weight" on the engine's thrust-to-weight ratio and facilitating reuse.

[0010] The additional technical features and advantages of this utility model will become more apparent from the following description, or may be learned through specific practice of this utility model. Attached Figure Description

[0011] The accompanying drawings are provided to further illustrate the present invention and form part of the specification. They are used together with the following detailed description to explain the present invention, but do not constitute a limitation thereof. In the drawings:

[0012] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an electric pump-driven variable thrust liquid rocket engine as described in this utility model.

[0013] The reference numerals in the attached diagram are explained as follows: 1. Power supply; 2. Controller; 3. Generator; 4. Fuel pump; 41. Fuel pump main circuit; 42. Fuel pump auxiliary circuit; 5. Fuel pump motor; 6. Oxygen pump; 61. Outlet pipe; 7. Oxygen pump motor; 8. Thrust chamber; 9. Turbine; 10. Oxygen-enriched pre-combustion chamber. Detailed Implementation

[0014] The technical solutions of the present utility model will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings of the embodiments of the present utility model. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present utility model, and not all embodiments.

[0015] In the description of this utility model, it should be understood that the terms "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing this utility model and simplifying the description, 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 this utility model.

[0016] The present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings:

[0017] like Figure 1 As shown, an electric pump-pressurized variable thrust liquid rocket engine includes a power supply 1, a controller 2, a generator 3, a fuel pump 4, a fuel pump motor 5, an oxygen pump 6, an oxygen pump motor 7, a thrust chamber 8, a turbine 9, and an oxygen-enriched pre-combustion chamber 10.

[0018] Fuel pump 4 is connected to a main fuel pump line 41 and a secondary fuel pump line 42. Thrust chamber 8 is connected to the main fuel pump line 41. Fuel flows through the cooling and regeneration pipe of thrust chamber 8, cooling it before entering the combustion chamber. Oxygen pump 6 is connected to an outlet pipe 61. Oxygen-enriched pre-combustion chamber 10 is connected to the secondary fuel pump line 42 and the outlet pipe 61, supplying liquid oxygen and fuel to the oxygen-enriched pre-combustion chamber 10. Turbine 9 and oxygen-enriched pre-combustion chamber 10 are coaxially connected to thrust chamber 8. Gas flowing from the outlet of turbine 9 enters the combustion chamber of thrust chamber 8. Generator 3 is coaxially connected to turbine 9. When turbine 9 is running, the shaft of turbine 9 drives the rotor of generator 3 to rotate, thereby generating electricity. Power supply 1 is connected to controller 2 via a three-phase cable. Fuel pump 4 is coaxially connected to fuel pump motor 5. Fuel pump 4 is a permanent magnet synchronous motor, which can be steplessly adjusted according to the instructions of controller 2. The speed changes the head and flow rate of fuel pump 4. Fuel pump 4 is used to boost the pumping of liquid methane. The liquid methane leaking from fuel pump 4 is used to cool fuel pump motor 5. Oxygen pump 6 is coaxially connected to oxygen pump motor 7. Oxygen pump 6 is a permanent magnet synchronous motor. Its speed can be steplessly adjusted according to the instructions of controller 2 to change the head and flow rate of oxygen pump 6. Oxygen pump 6 is used to boost the pumping of liquid oxygen. The liquid oxygen leaking from oxygen pump 6 is used to cool oxygen pump motor 7. Both fuel pump motor 5 and oxygen pump motor 7 are connected to controller 2 via a three-phase cable. Power supply 1 is connected to controller 2 via a three-phase cable. Controller 2 is used to distribute the power from power supply 1 to oxygen pump motor 7 and fuel pump motor 5 during startup. When the engine is running normally, it distributes the power generated by generator 3 to power supply 1, oxygen pump motor 7 and fuel pump motor 5. When the engine is in variable thrust condition, it adjusts the speed of oxygen pump motor 7 and fuel pump motor 5.

[0019] The voltage of power supply 1 is not lower than AC1200V. Power supply 1 can be a lithium battery, solid-state battery or supercapacitor. When the engine starts, power supply 1 releases electricity to provide power to oxygen pump motor 7 and fuel pump motor 5. After the engine is running stably, the generator 3 generates electricity to charge power supply 1.

[0020] The working principle of this engine:

[0021] Engine start-up: Powered by power supply 1, the fuel pump motor 5 and oxygen pump motor 7 are driven to work. Liquid methane enters the oxygen-enriched pre-combustion chamber 10 and the thrust chamber 8 respectively through fuel pump 4. Liquid oxygen is pressurized by oxygen pump 6 and enters the oxygen-enriched pre-combustion chamber 10. The liquid oxygen and liquid methane entering the oxygen-enriched pre-combustion chamber 10 are ignited by electric ignition. The combustion gas produced drives the turbine 9. The oxygen-enriched gas passing through the turbine 9 mixes with the methane flowing through the cooling and regeneration pipeline of the thrust chamber 8 and then the mixture is ignited in the combustion chamber of the thrust chamber 8 using the residual heat of the gas, and the engine starts.

[0022] Engine Operation: After the engine starts, turbine 9 drives generator 3 to generate electricity. The electricity is split into three paths by controller 2: one path is transmitted to power source 1, which charges the generator to prepare for subsequent restarts; another path is transmitted to oxygen pump motor 7, which drives oxygen pump 6 to supply liquid oxygen to oxygen-enriched pre-combustion chamber 10; and the third path is transmitted to fuel pump motor 5, which drives fuel pump 4 to supply fuel to thrust chamber 8 and oxygen-enriched pre-combustion chamber 10. The fuel flowing into thrust chamber 8 first flows through the cooling and regeneration pipeline of thrust chamber 8 to cool it. Then, the fuel enters the combustion chamber of thrust chamber 8 and mixes with oxygen-enriched gas. All the liquid oxygen passes through oxygen-enriched pre-combustion chamber 10 and mixes with some methane for combustion, producing oxygen-enriched gas that drives turbine 9. The oxygen-enriched gas from turbine 9 and the methane that absorbs heat to cool thrust chamber 8 enter thrust chamber 8 and burn in the combustion chamber to produce high-temperature gas, which is then expanded and discharged through the nozzle of thrust chamber 8 to generate thrust.

[0023] Engine operating condition adjustment: By controlling the speed of fuel pump motor 5 and oxygen pump motor 7 respectively through controller 2, the head and flow rate of oxygen pump 6 and fuel pump 4 are controlled respectively to keep the pump efficiency in the optimal range.

[0024] This engine directly drives oxygen pump 6 and fuel pump 4 to pump liquid oxygen and fuel into thrust chamber 8 via oxygen pump motor 7 and fuel pump motor 5. Compared to traditional pump-driven engines, turbine 9 operates at a lower temperature, resulting in a longer turbine lifespan and reduced engine manufacturing costs. The controller 2 regulates the speeds of oxygen pump motor 7 and fuel pump motor 5, ensuring that the efficiency of oxygen pump 6 and fuel pump 4 is superior to that of traditional liquid rocket engines when deviating from their rated design points. This engine system is simple, with lower initial manufacturing and maintenance costs, and is more easily reusable.

[0025] The oxygen pump motor 7 and fuel pump motor 5 drive the oxygen pump 6 and fuel pump 4 to pressurize and supply liquid oxygen and liquid methane into the oxygen-enriched pre-combustion chamber 10 and the thrust chamber 8, isolating the coaxial liquid oxygen and fuel. The controller 2 adjusts the speed of the oxygen pump motor 7 and fuel pump motor 5, changing the flow rate and head of the liquid oxygen and liquid methane, achieving stepless adjustment of engine thrust and mixture ratio. This eliminates the need for main and auxiliary valves and discharge pipelines, simplifying the engine system and reducing manufacturing and maintenance difficulties. Oxygen-enriched staged combustion drives the turbine 9 to power the generator 3, providing electricity to the oxygen pump motor 7, fuel pump motor 5, and power source 1 during operation, reducing the weight of power source 1. The oxygen-enriched gas passing through the turbine 9 enters the combustion chamber of the thrust chamber 8 and combusts again with methane, then expands and is discharged through the nozzle of the thrust chamber 8, allowing the gas passing through the turbine 9 to be reused. Compared to traditional turbopump-pressurized liquid rocket engines, this results in higher specific impulse and efficiency.

[0026] The foregoing has shown and described the basic principles, main features, and advantages of this utility model. Those skilled in the art should understand that this utility model is not limited to the above embodiments. The embodiments and descriptions in the specification are merely illustrative of the principles of this utility model. Various changes and modifications can be made to this utility model without departing from its spirit and scope, and all such changes and modifications fall within the scope of the claimed utility model.

Claims

1. An electrically pumped pressure-fed variable thrust liquid rocket engine characterized by: The system includes a power supply (1), a controller (2), a generator (3), a fuel pump (4), a fuel pump motor (5), an oxygen pump (6), an oxygen pump motor (7), a thrust chamber (8), a turbine (9), and an oxygen-enriched pre-combustion chamber (10). The fuel pump (4) is connected to a main fuel pump line (41) and a secondary fuel pump line (42). The thrust chamber (8) is connected to the main fuel pump line (41). The oxygen pump (6) is connected to an outlet pipe (61). The oxygen-enriched pre-combustion chamber (10) is connected to the secondary fuel pump line (42). 42) and the outlet pipe (61) are connected. The turbine (9) and the oxygen-enriched pre-combustion chamber (10) are coaxially connected to the thrust chamber (8). The generator (3) is coaxially connected to the turbine (9). The fuel pump (4) is coaxially connected to the fuel pump motor (5). The oxygen pump (6) is coaxially connected to the oxygen pump motor (7). The fuel pump motor (5) and the oxygen pump motor (7) are both electrically connected to the controller (2). The power supply (1) is electrically connected to the controller (2).

2. A pump-fed variable thrust liquid rocket engine of the electrically driven type according to claim 1, characterized in that: The voltage of the power supply (1) is not lower than AC1200V.

3. An electrically pumped pressure-fed variable thrust liquid rocket engine according to claim 1, wherein: The fuel pump (4) is a permanent magnet synchronous motor.

4. An electrically pumped pressure-fed variable thrust liquid rocket engine according to claim 1, wherein: The oxygen pump (6) is a permanent magnet synchronous motor.

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