GB2113628A - Position control means, particularly for rocket motors having angularly movable exhaust nozzles - Google Patents
Position control means, particularly for rocket motors having angularly movable exhaust nozzles Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- GB2113628A GB2113628A GB08201269A GB8201269A GB2113628A GB 2113628 A GB2113628 A GB 2113628A GB 08201269 A GB08201269 A GB 08201269A GB 8201269 A GB8201269 A GB 8201269A GB 2113628 A GB2113628 A GB 2113628A
- Authority
- GB
- United Kingdom
- Prior art keywords
- gimbal ring
- gimbal
- discs
- ring
- nozzle
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Granted
Links
Classifications
-
- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F02—COMBUSTION ENGINES; HOT-GAS OR COMBUSTION-PRODUCT ENGINE PLANTS
- F02K—JET-PROPULSION PLANTS
- F02K9/00—Rocket-engine plants, i.e. plants carrying both fuel and oxidant therefor; Control thereof
- F02K9/80—Rocket-engine plants, i.e. plants carrying both fuel and oxidant therefor; Control thereof characterised by thrust or thrust vector control
- F02K9/84—Rocket-engine plants, i.e. plants carrying both fuel and oxidant therefor; Control thereof characterised by thrust or thrust vector control using movable nozzles
Abstract
A gimbal assembly which is particularly applicable to the mounting of an angularly movable exhaust nozzle 7 of a rocket motor comprises a pair of diametrically opposite discs 32 mounted on bosses 35 on the nozzle 7, 14 and contained by plain bearings in bores 33 in a gimbal ring 31 which is similarly mounted by discs 36 in bores 37 in a stationary structure 8 carried by the rocket motor. The diameter of the discs is preferably as great as twice the diameter of the throat 13 of the nozzle so that the loading of the bearings is low and providing the possibility of utilising the discs for actuation. Thus in one construction the discs carry quadrant teeth and are acted upon by rack teeth on a double-acting hydraulic piston. In two alternative constructions, rams acting on the discs are used to produce movement of the nozzle. <IMAGE>
Description
SPECIFICATION
Position control means, particularly for rocket motors having angularly movable exhaust nozzles
This invention relates to position control means, and particularly but not exclusively to exhaust nozzle assemblies for rocket motors having angularly movable exhaust nozzles.
Rocket motors are provided with angularly movable exhaust nozzles whereby angular adjustment of the nozzle with respect to the motor changes the thrust vector of the exhaust gases and hence steers the rocket.
One particular construction of angularly movable exhaust nozzle is described in British patent specification No. 1376141 in which an assembly comprising the nozzle throat and the divergent part of the nozzle is gimballed on the remainder of the rocket motor by mounting means comprising support arms extending rearwardly from the end region of the rocket motor itself and carrying trunions which support a gimbal ring for angular motion about a yaw axis while the nozzle assembly carries two forwardly extending arms which are supported by trunions on the gimbal ring. The trunions are carried by ball bearings. Sealing between the nozzle assembly and the stationary part of the rocket is effected by two pairs of part-spherical surfaces all the spherical surfaces being concentric and one pair being located generally within the other pair.It is an object of the present invention to provide improvements in this construction.
The present invention is believed to reside in any one of the following features taken singly or in any compatible combination or in any one of the novel features to be described below with reference to a particular embodiment taken singly or in any compatible combination or in any compatible combination with one or more of the following features.
A gimbal assembly comprises gimbal means connecting two structures to provide universal angular adjustment therebetween. While neither of the two structures may be any more stationary than the other, in many applications one structure can clearly be described as the stationary structure and the other as the movable structure and for convenience such terminology will be used generally. The two structures may be two parts of a fluid flow duct, for example a fixed blast tube and an exhaust nozzle of a rocket motor. The gimbal means employs plain bearings. The gimbal means comprises a gimbal ring having a generally constant cross-section along its length. The gimbal ring is bounded at each end by radial faces. The gimbal ring is thus generally a right cylinder. The cylinder is generally square in external cross-section, with curved convex sides.The cylinder is approximately circular in internal cross-section. The bearings between the movable structure and the gimbal ring are formed by a pair of discs carried in bores in opposite sides of the bearing ring. The discs are connected to bosses on the exterior of the movable assembly which project generally radially from the assembly and at least the majority of which lie within the cylinder defined by the circumferential surfaces of the discs. Where the gimbal assembly mounts a rocket nozzle, the diameter of the discs is preferably greater than that of the throat of the nozzle, more preferably greater by a factor of at least one and a half or two. The gimbal ring is connected to the stationary structure similar means. Thus it is preferably connected by a pair of discs connected to bosses on the stationary structure.
Means is provided for producing relative rotation between each of the discs and the gimbal ring. In one arrangement, a part of at least one of the discs is formed with an arc of teeth to form what may be described as a quadrant and the gimbal ring carries a toothed element meshing with the teeth and an actuator to drive the toothed element. The toothed element may be a rack or a worm and the actuator may be a hydraulic, pneumatic or electric motor. Preferably, at least one of each pairs of discs is formed with an arc of teeth and the gimbal ring carries a toothed element and actuator for each arc. Power may be supplied to the or each actuator by a power line connected to one of the discs and where the or each actuator is hydraulic or pneumatic, passages for the pressurised fluid may extend within the gimbal ring.In a preferred arrangement, the or each actuator comprises a double-acting fluid-operated ram carrying rack teeth. Fluid may be transferred to the gimbal ring from a passage within the disc by a circumferential gallery in one of the cooperating surfaces of the ring and disc to which a passage in the other opens; there may be an
O-ring or other circumferential seal in one or other of the cooperating surfaces on each side of the gallery.
In another arrangement for producing relative rotation, two generally geometrically parallel linear actuators have one end connected to diametrically opposite points of one of the discs connected to the movable structure while their other ends are connected to the stationary structure. Actuation of the actuators by the same amount in the same direction will produce rotation of the movable structure relative to the stationary structure in one plane (e.g. a yaw plane) while differential actuation of the actuators will produce rotation of the movable structure relative to the stationary structure in an orthogonal plane (e.g. a pitch plane).
In a third arrangement, a linear actuator extends between the gimbal ring and the movable structure, while another linear actua tor extends between the gimbal ring and the stationary structure.
The invention may be carried into practice in various ways but one rocket motor incorporating a pair of exhaust nozzle assemblies embodying the invention will now be described by way of example, together with a number of modifications. The description will be with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which::
Figure 1 is a fragmentary view of the rear end portion of the rocket motor seen generally from the side, the lower part being in side elevation while the upper part is in section along the complex line l-Q-I in Fig. 2;
Figure 2 is in the lower part an end elevation of the rocket motor assembly viewed from the right in Fig. 1 and is in the upper part a section on the line ll-ll in Fig. 1;
Figure 3 is a fragmentary section on the line Ill-Ill in Fig. 1;
Figure 4 is a fragmentary section on the line IV-IV in Fig. 1;
Figure 5 is fragmentary side elevation similar to Fig. 1 showing one form of actuator means for a rocket nozzle;
Figure 6 is a cross-section on the plane
VI-VI in Fig. 5;
Figure 7 is a section on the plane VII-V,,II in
Fig. 6;;
Figure 8 is a view similar to Fig. 5 showing another form of actuator means;
Figure 9 is an end elevation of theactuator means shown in Fig. 8; and
Figure 10 is an isometric view of another rocket nozzle with actuator means.
The rocket motor shown in the drawings and in particular in Fig. 1 comprises a rocket motor case extending to the left in Fig. 1 and containing a cylindrical combustion chamber or propellant holder having an outer cylindrical wall 1 which extends rearwardly beyond the rear end wall of the combustion chamber (not visible in Fig. 1) and which is connected to a pair of discharge nozzles 2 by a pair of blast tubes 3 mounted in an end wall 4 extending across the rear end of the cylindrical wall 1. The rocket has four rear guidance fins 5 secured to the wall 1.
Each of the nozzles 2 comprises a forward stationary portion 6 which is fixed to the end wall 4 and a rearward adjustable portion 7 which is mounted on the forward portion for universal adjustment by a gimbal arrangement permitting vectoring of the thrust to provide guidance to the vehicle. The stationary portion 6 comprises a generally cylindrical structural element 8 which is secured by bolts 9 to the end wall 4 and an insulating liner 11 having an inwardly tapering or converging portion 1 2 leading towards the throat 1 3 of the nozzle.
The movable portion 7 of the nozzle comprises a generally double conical structural element 14 containing a throat element 1 5 of insulating material forming a second convergent portion 1 6 of the nozzle, the throat 1 3 and a first divergent portion 1 7 and a liner 1 8 defining a second divergent portion of the nozzle.
The element 1 5 has a convex part-spherical surface 20 which cooperates with a concave part-spherical surface 21 on the liner 11 while the element 14 of the adjustable portion 7 of the nozzle has a convex part-spherical surface 22 which cooperates with a concave partspherical surface 23 on the structural element 8, the two pairs of part-spherical surfaces forming a labyrinth resisting the escape of hot combustion gases from the nozzle. A lip seal 24 set in a groove 25 in the part-spherical surface 23 engages the part spherical surface 22 to make the seal more effective.
As has been mentioned, the adjustable portion of the nozzle is gimballed to the stationary portion and this is effected by means of a gimbal ring 31 which, as can be seen in Figs.
3 and 4, has an external shape which approximates to a square with convexly curved sides.
The nozzle is pivoted on the ring by means of a pair of discs 32 which rotate by means of plain bearings within bores 33 in opposite sides of the ring, each disc 32 being secured by screws 34 to an upstanding rib or elongated boss 35 on the outside of the element 1 4 of the nozzle. The gimbal ring 31 is pivoted to the stationary portion 6 of the nozzle by means of a pair of discs 36 which are received in cylindrical bores 37 in the other two sides of the gimbal ring 31. The discs 36 are connected by screws 38 to elongated bosses 39 on the outer surface of the element 8.
It will be seen that the diameters of the discs 32 and 36 are more than twice the diameter of the throat 1 3 of the nozzle. Accordingly the bearing surfaces between the discs and the gimbal ring are able easily to transfer the thrust loads produced by the nozzle. Moreover, the discs are sufficiently large to accommodate power means or connections for power means for rotating the discs relative to the gimbal ring to control the flight of the rocket. The gimbal construction described permits adjustments of the nozzles through large angles as indicated by the chain-dotted lines 41, 42 in Fig. 1.
Figs. 5, 6 and 7 show a vectored thrust rocket nozzle mounted in gimbal means similar to those described with reference to Figs.
1 to 4 but with internally arranged power actuation means for which purpose the gimbal ring and discs are somewhat modified.
Broadly speaking only those parts which differ from those described with reference to Figs. 1 to 4 will be described in any detail.
Each of the stationary discs 51, 52 is somewhat elongated compared with the equivalent structure shown in Figs. 1 to 4 and incorporates hydraulic fluid passages for the supply and return of hydraulic fluid through hydraulic control lines 53 and 54 for adjustment of the nozzle in yaw and 55, 56 for adjustment of the nozzle in pitch. Each pair of lines is connected through a control valve to a source of pressurised hydraulic fluid and an unpressurised reservoir.
The boss 52 is formed with quadrant teeth 57 which cooperate with cylindrical rack teeth 58 on a double acting piston 59 movable in a cylinder 61 formed in the gimbal ring 62.
One end of the cylinder 61 is connected by a passage 60 in the gimbal ring to an opening 63 in the bearing face of the gimbal ring opposite a circumferential gallery 64 in the bearing surface of the boss 52 which is located between a pair of circumferential 0rings located in grooves 65 and 66. The gallery 64 is connected with the line 55 by a bore 67 in the disc 52 communicating with bores 68 in a banjo coupling 69 to which the line 55 is connected. The cylinder 61 is similarly connected by a passage 70, a gallery 71 and bores 72 in the disc 52 and bores 73 in a banjo coupling 74 to the line 56. The gallery 71 is positioned between the O-ring in the groove 65 and an O-ring in a similar groove 75.It will be understood that if one of the lines 55 is placed under pressure and the other is connected to the reservoir the piston 59 will move in the cylinder 61 to rotate the gimbal ring relative to the fixed disc 52.
The gimbal ring includes a similar piston 76 which cooperates with quadrant teeth 77 on one of the other two discs 78, 79, the disc 51 having a cut-away portion 81 so that movement of the piston 76 does not produce rotation of the gimbal ring relative to the disc 51.
Thus it will be seen that hydraulic power to produce movement both in yaw and in pitch is delivered to the gimbal arrangement through the stationary discs 51 and 52 and hence the lines 53 to 56 can be rigid lines rather than flexible lines. Moreover with this construction the actuators are incorporated in the gimbal ring and the geometry of the actuators and the parts actuated thereby does not change during operation so that there is no cross-coupling between the yaw and the pitch controls. It will be appreciated that while hydraulic actuators have been described the racks could be operated by pneumatic means or electrical means. Alternatively or in addition the racks could be replaced by worms rotated by hydraulic, pneumatic or electrical means.
Another actuator system is shown in Figs. 8 and 9 and again only those parts which are relevant to the actuation will be described, the remainder of the construction being similar to that described with reference to Figs. 1 to 4.
In this arrangement one of the discs 101 connected to the movable nozzle 102 is connected by spherical bearings 103, 104 to a pair of double acting hydraulic actuators 105, 106, the other ends of which are connected by spherical bearings 107, 108 to the stationary part of the rocket motor. The actuators 105 and 106 are connected by lines not shown to hydraulic control means by which the two actuators can be operated simultaneously either in the same direction by the same amount or in opposite directions by the same amount or by a combination of these two movements. If the actuators are operated simultaneously by the same amount the nozzle will be rotated about the axis 109, e.g. the yaw axis, while if the actuators are operated by equal amounts in opposite directions the nozzle will be rotated about an axis 110 (for example the pitch axis) which is at right angles to the axis 109.Clearly combinations of these movements will produce movements of the nozzle 102 combining both yaw and pitch.
A third actuator arrangement is shown in
Fig. 10 in which the stationary disc 121 carries a stationary banjo fitting 1 22 and mounts a rotating hydraulic coupling 1 23 through which hydraulic fluid can be transferred from the banjo fitting 1 22 to a single acting cylinder 1 24 fixed to the gimbal ring 1 25. The banjo fitting is connected to a line 1 26 for the inlet and discharge of hydraulic fluid.A similar single acting hydraulic actuator 127 is mounted on the gimbal ring 125 on the opposite side to the actuator 1 24. Each of the two actuators 1 24 and 1 27 has a piston rod 1 28 which engages a beam or yoke 1 29 fixed to the nozzle cone. Thus if hydraulic fluid is supplied to one of the actuators 1 24 while the other is connected to drain the nozzle cone will be tilted about an axis perpendicular to the axis of the stationary discs 1 21. Rotation about an axis normal to this axis is effected by means of a double acting jack 131 which is connected at one end through a spherical bearing 1 32 to the housing of the actuator 1 24 and is connected at the other end 1 33 to the stationary part of the rocket motor. Again it will be appreciated that the hydraulic actuators can be replaced by pneumatic or electrical means.
Claims (20)
1. A gimbal assembly comprising a first structure (the stationary structure) and a second structure (the movable structure) and gimbal means therebetween, the gimbal means comprising a gimbal ring, first pivot means pivoting the gimbal ring on the first structure and second pivot means pivoting the movable structure on the gimbal ring, one of the pivot means comprising a pair of discs carried by one of the relatively pivoted elements and contained by plain bearing means in bores in the other of the relatively pivoted elements of the said one pivot means.
2. A gimbal assembly as claimed in Claim 1 in which the other of the pivot means comprises a pair of discs carried by one of the
relatively pivoted elements and contained by
plain bearing means in bores in the other of the relatively pivoted elements of the said other pivot means.
3. A gimbal assembly as claimed in Claim 2 in which the movable structure carries a pair of discs contained in bores in the gimbal ring and the gimbal ring contains a pair of discs contained in bores in the stationary structure.
4. A gimbal assembly as claimed in any of the preceding claims in which the gimbal ring
has a generally constant section along its length.
5. A gimbal assembly as claimed in any of the preceding claims in which the gimbal ring is bounded at each end by radial faces
6. A gimbal ring as claimed in Claim 4 or
Claim 5 in which the external cross-section of the gimbal ring is generally square with curved convex sides.
7. A gimbal ring as claimed in any of the preceding claims in which the movable structure comprises a rocket nozzle.
8. A gimbal ring as claimed in Claim 7 when appendant to Claim 3 or when appendant to any of Claims 4, 5 and 6 when appendant to Claim 3 in which the diameter of the discs is greater than that of the throat of the nozzle.
9. A gimbal ring as claimed in Claim 8 in which the diameter of the discs is greater than 13 < times the diameter of the throat of the nozzle.
10. A gimbal ring as claimed in Claim 8 in which the diameter of the discs is greater than twice the diameter of the throat of the nozzle.
11. A gimbal ring as claimed in any of the preceding claims which includes means for producing relative rotation between the or each pair of discs and the gimbal ring.
1 2. A gimbal ring as claimed in Claim 11 in which a part of at least one of the discs is formed with an arc of tooth and the gimbal ring carries a toothed element meshing with the tooth and an actuator to drive the toothed element.
1 3. A gimbal ring as claimed in Claim 1 2 in which the toothed element is a rack or a worm.
14. A gimbal ring as claimed in Claim 12 or Claim 1 3 in which the actuator is a hydraulic, pneumatic or electric motor.
1 5. A gimbal ring as claimed in Claim 1 2 or Claim 1 3 in which the actuator comprises a double-acting fluid operated rack carrying ram teeth.
1 6. A gimbal ring as claimed in Claim 1 5 in which the fluid is transferred to the gimbal ring from a disc attached to the stationary structure by a circumferential gallery in one of the cooperating surfaces of the ring and disc to which the passage in the other opens.
1 7. A gimbal ring as claimed in Claim 11 in which the means for producing relative rotation comprises two generally geometricaliy parallel linear actuators having one end connected to diametrically opposite points of one of the discs connected to the movable structure and having their other ends connected to the stationary structure.
18. A gimbal ring as claimed in Claim 11 in which the means for producing relative rotation comprises a linear actuator extending between the gimbal ring and the movable structure and a linear actuator extending between the gimbal ring and the stationary structure.
1 9. A gimbal assembly substantially as described herein with reference to Figs. 1 to 4 of the accompanying drawings.
20. A gimbal assembly as claimed in
Claim 1 9 including one of the actuator means described herein with reference to Figs. 5 to 7 or Figs. 8 and 9 or Fig. 10 of the accompanying drawings.
Priority Applications (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| GB08201269A GB2113628B (en) | 1982-01-18 | 1982-01-18 | Position control means particularly for rocket motors having angularly movable exhaust nozzles |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| GB08201269A GB2113628B (en) | 1982-01-18 | 1982-01-18 | Position control means particularly for rocket motors having angularly movable exhaust nozzles |
Publications (2)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| GB2113628A true GB2113628A (en) | 1983-08-10 |
| GB2113628B GB2113628B (en) | 1985-05-01 |
Family
ID=10527680
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| GB08201269A Expired GB2113628B (en) | 1982-01-18 | 1982-01-18 | Position control means particularly for rocket motors having angularly movable exhaust nozzles |
Country Status (1)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| GB (1) | GB2113628B (en) |
Cited By (3)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US4892253A (en) * | 1988-08-15 | 1990-01-09 | Versatron Corporation | Yoke nozzle actuation system |
| US5505408A (en) * | 1993-10-19 | 1996-04-09 | Versatron Corporation | Differential yoke-aerofin thrust vector control system |
| CN115853665A (en) * | 2022-07-28 | 2023-03-28 | 宁波天擎航天科技有限公司 | Small-size tactics is swing spray tube for guided missile |
-
1982
- 1982-01-18 GB GB08201269A patent/GB2113628B/en not_active Expired
Cited By (5)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US4892253A (en) * | 1988-08-15 | 1990-01-09 | Versatron Corporation | Yoke nozzle actuation system |
| US5505408A (en) * | 1993-10-19 | 1996-04-09 | Versatron Corporation | Differential yoke-aerofin thrust vector control system |
| US5630564A (en) * | 1993-10-19 | 1997-05-20 | Versatron Corporation | Differential yoke-aerofin thrust vector control system |
| CN115853665A (en) * | 2022-07-28 | 2023-03-28 | 宁波天擎航天科技有限公司 | Small-size tactics is swing spray tube for guided missile |
| CN115853665B (en) * | 2022-07-28 | 2023-12-22 | 宁波天擎航天科技有限公司 | Swing spray pipe for small tactical missile |
Also Published As
| Publication number | Publication date |
|---|---|
| GB2113628B (en) | 1985-05-01 |
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Legal Events
| Date | Code | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 732 | Registration of transactions, instruments or events in the register (sect. 32/1977) | ||
| PCNP | Patent ceased through non-payment of renewal fee |