A fixture for a rocket engine nozzle

Abstract

This invention provides a fixing device for rocket engine nozzles, including a ring frame. Several connecting arms are evenly distributed around the center of the ring frame at its lower end. A support arm is provided at the upper end of the ring frame corresponding to each connecting arm. Each connecting arm includes an integrally formed docking portion and a connecting portion. The docking portion is vertically arranged, and the connecting portion extends outward from the ring frame, with a connecting corner piece installed at its free end. The docking portion is fixed to the ring frame by a connecting assembly. The support arm includes a fixing frame, with an arc-shaped support plate at one end extending outward from the ring frame. The support plate is inclined, gradually tilting towards the center of the ring frame from bottom to top, and has a heat insulation structure on its outer side. The ring frame includes a paper honeycomb core material, with a carbon fiber composite panel covering the outer wall of the paper honeycomb core material. This invention effectively achieves lightweight and high specific stiffness, integrating structural load-bearing and thermal protection, avoiding the weight increase caused by external heat insulation devices.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of aerospace engine technology, and in particular relates to a fixing device for rocket engine nozzles. Background Technology

[0002] Traditional rocket nozzle fixing devices mostly employ metal structures, such as titanium alloys and steel. While these offer high structural strength, they suffer from drawbacks including heavy weight, high coefficient of thermal expansion, and high manufacturing costs. Although composite material structures are increasingly being adopted, their connection reliability is insufficient, and they are prone to delamination failure under high-temperature environments. Furthermore, existing sandwich structures often use metal honeycomb or aramid honeycomb core materials, which are costly and struggle to balance lightweight design with thermal protection requirements. Therefore, there is an urgent need for a lightweight, high-specific-strength, high-temperature-resistant nozzle fixing device with reliable connections. Summary of the Invention

[0003] In view of this, the present invention aims to overcome the deficiencies in the prior art and proposes a fixing device for rocket engine nozzles.

[0004] To achieve the above objectives, the technical solution created by this invention is implemented as follows:

[0005] A fixing device for a rocket engine nozzle includes a ring frame with several connecting arms at the lower end of the ring frame. Each connecting arm is evenly distributed around the center of the ring frame, and a support arm is provided at the upper end of the ring frame corresponding to each connecting arm. Each connecting arm includes an integrally formed docking part and a connecting part. The docking part is arranged vertically, and the connecting part extends outward from the ring frame. A connecting corner piece is installed at the free end of the connecting part. The docking part is fixed to the ring frame by a connecting assembly. The support arm includes a fixing frame, and an arc-shaped support plate is provided at one end of the fixing frame that extends outward from the ring frame. The support plate is arranged at an angle, gradually tilting towards the center of the ring frame from bottom to top, and a heat insulation structure is provided on the outside of the support plate. The ring frame includes a paper honeycomb core material, and a carbon fiber composite panel is covered on the outer wall of the paper honeycomb core material.

[0006] Furthermore, the connecting assembly includes an L-shaped connecting piece, on one side of which is a horizontal connecting member that connects to the mating part, and on the other side of which is a vertical connecting member that connects to the ring frame.

[0007] Furthermore, 5-7 connecting arms are evenly distributed on the ring frame.

[0008] Furthermore, the connecting arm is provided with several hollow holes.

[0009] Furthermore, a hollow hole is provided on both the docking part and the connecting part of the connecting arm.

[0010] Furthermore, the heat insulation structure includes a ceramic fiber heat insulation layer on the support plate.

[0011] Furthermore, the ceramic limiting and heat insulation layer is adhesively fixed to the support plate.

[0012] Furthermore, the lengths of each support arm extending outward from the ring frame are the same.

[0013] Compared with existing technologies, the present invention has the following advantages:

[0014] This invention creates a low-cost paper honeycomb structure to replace traditional metal or aramid honeycomb structures, combined with carbon fiber panels to achieve lightweight and high specific stiffness. Furthermore, an L-shaped aluminum alloy connector fixes the connecting arm to the ring frame, solving the stress concentration problem at the interface between the composite material and the dissimilar metal material. Additionally, a bushing is pre-embedded at the connection point, effectively improving the shear strength. Moreover, a ceramic fiber insulation layer is applied to the outer surface of the support plate in contact with the workpiece, integrating structural load-bearing and thermal protection, avoiding the weight increase caused by external insulation devices. Attached Figure Description

[0015] The accompanying drawings, which form part of this invention, are used to provide a further understanding of the invention. The illustrative embodiments and descriptions of the invention are used to explain the invention and do not constitute an undue limitation of the invention. In the drawings:

[0016] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the structure created by this invention;

[0017] Figure 2 for Figure 1 Top view;

[0018] Figure 3 A three-dimensional structural schematic diagram created for this invention;

[0019] Figure 4 This provides a three-dimensional structural schematic diagram from another perspective for the present invention.

[0020] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram showing the installation positions of the support arm and connecting arm in this invention.

[0021] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the connecting arm in this invention;

[0022] Figure 7 for Figure 6 Structural cross-sectional view along the AA direction;

[0023] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the application of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0024] It should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, the embodiments and features described in the present invention can be combined with each other.

[0025] In the description of this invention, it should be understood that the terms "center," "longitudinal," "lateral," "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "inner," and "outer," etc., indicating orientations or positional relationships based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, are only for the convenience of describing this invention 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, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation on this invention. Furthermore, the terms "first," "second," etc., are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of indicated technical features. Thus, features defined with "first," "second," etc., may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature. In the description of this invention, unless otherwise stated, "a plurality of" means two or more.

[0026] In the description of this invention, it should be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," and "linking" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; 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; and they can refer to the internal connection of two components. Those skilled in the art will understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention based on the specific circumstances.

[0027] The invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0028] A mounting device for rocket engine nozzles, such as Figures 1 to 8 As shown, the device includes a ring frame 1, with several connecting arms 2 at the lower end of the ring frame. Each connecting arm is evenly distributed around the center of the ring frame. For example, 5-7 connecting arms are evenly distributed on the ring frame, and each connecting arm has several perforated holes 3 to reduce weight. Typically, each connecting arm has a perforated hole at both its mating and connecting portions. Furthermore, a support arm 4 is provided at the upper end of the ring frame corresponding to each connecting arm.

[0029] The connecting arm includes an integrally formed mating part 5 and a connecting part 6. The mating part is vertically arranged, and the connecting part extends outward from the ring frame. A connecting corner piece 7 is installed at the free end of the connecting part. Typically, the connecting corner piece includes two L-shaped pieces symmetrically arranged on both sides of the connecting part. To improve the structural strength and shear resistance at the joint between the connecting corner piece and the connecting part, a bushing can be pre-embedded on the connecting part at the corresponding connection position. The connecting corner piece is then fixed to the connecting part by bolts inserted into the pre-embedded bushing.

[0030] In addition, the connecting parts of each support arm extend outward from the ring frame by the same length, ensuring that the outer surface of each support plate is tangent to a circumscribed circle, such as... Figure 8 As shown, the rocket engine nozzle 16 can be fitted onto the outside of the support plate, and each support plate can effectively support the workpiece, so that the workpiece is subjected to uniform force and has good stability.

[0031] The connecting part is fixed to the ring frame by a connecting component 8; the support arm includes a fixing frame 9, and an arc-shaped support plate 10 is provided at one end of the fixing frame extending out of the ring frame; the support plate is arranged at an angle, gradually tilting towards the center of the ring frame from bottom to top, and a heat insulation structure is provided on the outside of the support plate to provide heat insulation. Typically, the heat insulation structure includes a ceramic fiber heat insulation layer on the support plate. The ceramic limiting heat insulation layer can be glued to the support plate. In an optional embodiment, the fixing frame is fixed to the ring frame by bolts. In order to improve the structural strength and shear resistance of the joint between the fixing frame and the ring frame, a bushing can be pre-embedded at the corresponding connection position on the ring frame, and the fixing frame is fixed to the ring frame by bolts passing through the pre-embedded bushing.

[0032] This invention improves thermal insulation by adding a ceramic fiber insulation layer (1-2 mm thick) to the nozzle contact area and bonding it to the carbon fiber panel surface using high-temperature resistant silicone. This allows the layer to withstand temperatures up to 1200℃. For example, the panel is formed from T800 grade carbon fiber prepreg (epoxy resin matrix) in an autoclave. The layers are staggered with 0° and 90° fiber orientations, with each layer being 0.15 mm thick and the total thickness 1.2-2.0 mm. The panel is bonded to the paper honeycomb core material with epoxy adhesive, forming a sandwich structure.

[0033] To further reduce weight, the ring frame includes a paper honeycomb core material 11, with a carbon fiber composite panel 12 covering the outer wall of the paper honeycomb core material. The connecting arms and support plates can adopt the same structural form as the ring frame, i.e., the main body uses a paper honeycomb core material, with a carbon fiber composite panel covering the outer wall of the paper honeycomb core material. It should be noted that the paper honeycomb core material of the ring frame, connecting arms, and support plates undergoes flame-retardant treatment; for example, the paper honeycomb core material is impregnated and cured with phenolic resin to form a core layer structure with high specific stiffness and low thermal conductivity. The ring frame, connecting arms, and support plates have high structural strength, are lightweight, heat-resistant, and low-cost.

[0034] Each side of the mating section is provided with 3-5 sets of connecting components. The connecting components include an L-shaped connecting piece 12, with a horizontal connecting member 13 on one side for connecting to the mating section and a vertical connecting member 14 on the other side for connecting to the ring frame. Preferably, to improve the structural strength and shear resistance of the joint between the L-shaped connecting piece and the mating section, a bushing can be pre-embedded at the corresponding connection position on the mating section. The L-shaped connecting piece is fixed to the mating section by bolts passing through the pre-embedded bushing 15, and the L-shaped connecting piece is fixed to the ring frame by bolts passing through the pre-embedded bushing in the ring frame. For example, the thickness is 2-3 mm, and the surface is anodized. By using the L-shaped connecting piece to simultaneously fit the mating section and the lower surface of the ring frame, and fixing it with the connecting members, a secure fixation between the connecting arm and the ring frame is ensured, resulting in good joint stability.

[0035] This invention creates a low-cost paper honeycomb structure to replace traditional metal or aramid honeycomb structures, combined with carbon fiber panels to achieve lightweighting, resulting in significant weight reduction compared to metal structures. It also boasts high specific stiffness. L-shaped aluminum alloy connecting pieces secure the connecting arms to the ring frame, resolving the stress concentration issue at the interface between the composite material and the dissimilar metal material. Furthermore, pre-embedded bushings at the joints effectively enhance the shear strength. Additionally, a ceramic fiber insulation layer is applied to the outer surface of the support plate in contact with the workpiece, integrating structural load-bearing and thermal protection, avoiding the weight increase caused by external insulation devices.

[0036] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A fixture for a rocket engine nozzle, the fixture comprising: The device includes a ring frame, with several connecting arms at the lower end of the ring frame. Each connecting arm is evenly distributed around the center of the ring frame, and a support arm is provided at the upper end of the ring frame corresponding to each connecting arm. Each connecting arm includes an integrally formed docking part and a connecting part. The docking part is arranged vertically, and the connecting part extends outward from the ring frame. A connecting corner piece is installed at the free end of the connecting part, and the docking part is fixed to the ring frame by a connecting component. The support arm includes a fixing frame, and an arc-shaped support plate is provided at one end of the fixing frame that extends outward from the ring frame. The support plate is arranged at an angle, gradually tilting towards the center of the ring frame from bottom to top, and a heat insulation structure is provided on the outside of the support plate. The ring frame includes a paper honeycomb core material, and the outer wall of the paper honeycomb core material is covered with a carbon fiber composite panel.

2. A fixture for a rocket engine nozzle as defined in claim 1, wherein: The connecting assembly includes an L-shaped connecting piece, with a horizontal connecting member on one side that connects to the mating part, and a vertical connecting member on the other side that connects to the ring frame.

3. A fixture for a rocket engine nozzle as defined in claim 2, wherein: Five to seven connecting arms are evenly distributed on the ring frame.

4. A fixture for a rocket engine nozzle as defined in Claim 1, wherein: The connecting arm has several hollowed-out holes.

5. A fixture for a rocket engine nozzle as defined in claim 4, wherein: The connecting arm has a hollow hole on both the docking part and the connecting part.

6. A fixture for a rocket engine nozzle as defined in claim 1, wherein: The thermal insulation structure includes a ceramic fiber thermal insulation layer on a support plate.

7. A fixture for a rocket engine nozzle as defined in claim 6, wherein: The ceramic fiber insulation layer is glued and fixed to the support plate.

8. A fixing device for a rocket engine nozzle according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that: The length of each support arm extending out of the ring frame is the same.

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