Annular Combustion Chamber for Missile Ejection Thrust
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing missile designs face issues with ejection engines falling to the ground after ignition, causing detectability, injury risks, and efficiency losses due to inclined nozzles, which result in reduced performance, increased weight, and complexity.
Innovation Solution
The integration of an annular combustion chamber within the aircraft engine, where the exhaust engine is connected and generates thrust during flight, eliminating the need for inclined nozzles and allowing the ejection engine to fly with the aircraft engine, thereby reducing power losses and simplifying the design.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the exhaust engine is separated from the aircraft engine, then the ejection engine can be expelled after ignition, but the ejection engine falls to the ground causing detectability and injury risks
Solution Approach 1:
The exhaust engine is merged with the aircraft engine by integrating it into the same pressure tube, eliminating the separation that caused ejection problems. The exhaust engine remains coupled to the aircraft engine throughout flight, preventing the ejection issue while maintaining its function of providing initial thrust.
Solution Approach 2:
The exhaust engine is nested within the pressure tube structure, with both engines sharing the same containment space. This nesting arrangement allows the exhaust engine to remain integrated with the aircraft engine while providing its thrust function, preventing ejection and associated hazards.
2Device complexity
If inclined nozzles are used to direct exhaust jet laterally, then the ejection engine can be separated, but power losses occur due to outward-directed propulsion component
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of directing the exhaust jet laterally outward as in conventional designs, the invention inverts the approach by integrating the exhaust engine to provide thrust in the same axial direction as the aircraft engine, eliminating the outward-directed propulsion component and associated power losses.
Solution Approach 2:
The exhaust engine and aircraft engine are merged in their thrust production, both directing force along the same axial line. This combination eliminates the need for inclined nozzles and the resulting energy losses from lateral discharge.
3Ease of operation
If four angled nozzles are used inside the missile, then lateral exhaust discharge is achieved, but additional space requirements reduce performance
Solution Approach 1:
The invention inverts the conventional approach of using angled nozzles for lateral discharge by integrating the exhaust engine to discharge thrust axially in the same direction as the aircraft engine, eliminating the need for four angled nozzles and the associated space requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
By merging the exhaust engine and aircraft engine into a integrated thrust system, the design eliminates the need for multiple angled nozzles, freeing up space and improving missile performance without sacrificing exhaust discharge capability.
4Productivity
If the ejection engine is expelled from the launching device, then the launch function is completed, but the propellant emits large amounts of heat energy causing injuries and detectability
Solution Approach 1:
The exhaust engine is merged with the aircraft engine system, preventing ejection after ignition. This integration ensures the propellant remains contained with the aircraft engine, eliminating the harmful heat energy emission and detectability issues associated with ejection while maintaining the launch function.
Solution Approach 2:
The exhaust engine is nested within the pressure tube structure with the aircraft engine, keeping the propellant contained throughout flight. This nesting prevents ejection and the associated heat energy emission problems while completing the launch function.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This configuration prevents ejection engines from falling to the ground, reduces thermal detectability, minimizes mass and complexity, and enhances performance by eliminating power losses associated with inclined nozzles, resulting in a more efficient and compact missile design.
Implementation Method 1
an annular combustion chamber (20) in which a propellant charge (21) is arranged, by means of which, during a start-up phase of the aircraft engine, thrust is generated for accelerating the aircraft engine
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
AI summary
Missile (30) comprising a flight engine (3), with at least one combustion chamber (1) of the flight engine (3) and with at least one exhaust thruster (2) for generating a starting thrust of the flight engine (3) during a starting phase. The exhaust thruster (2) comprises an annular combustion chamber (20).