GB847084A - Combustion chamber for a gas turbine or rocket motor - Google Patents

Abstract

847,084. Generating combustion products under pressure. ARMSTRONG SIDDELEY MOTORS Ltd. Nov. 7, 1957 [Nov. 9, 1956], No. 34268/56. Class 51 (1). [Also in Group XXVI] A combustion chamber operating with liquid fuel and an oxidizer for supplying a gas turbine or rocket motor, is provided at one end thereof with a chest for the oxidizer, the chest having an inner end wall which is concave to a combustion space and is formed from transversely curved annular louvre members which define outlets therebetween through which the oxidizer is discharged radially outwardly into the combustion space in the form of a toroidal annulus into which the fuel is delivered from fuel inlet means provided at radially outer positions in the combustion space. A rocket motor is shown in Fig. 1 and comprises an upstream tubular member 11 formed with alternate through and blind bores in which are received tubes 15 and 14 respectively, the tubes being disposed in side-by-side abutting relation to constitute the wall of the combustion chamber and propulsion nozzle. The tubes 14 are provided at their upstream ends with lateral openings 17 which communicate with a ring manifold 19 to which liquid oxidizer such as concentrated hydrogen peroxide is supplied through duct 30. The tubes 14 and 15 are interconnected at their downstream ends by a ring manifold 16, so that hydrogen peroxide supplied through the duct 30 flows through the tubes 14 to manifold 16 then in an upstream direction through the tubes 15 issuing into a space between the cover 12 which is secured to the tubular member 11, and a perforated frusto-conical member 26. A catalyst unit is disposed within the tubular member 11 and comprises a hollow tubular portion 24 formed integrally with spokes 22, a rim 21 and arcuate ribs 23 between the spokes. The frusto-conical member 26 is mounted on the portion 24 and catalyst elements 25 are disposed between the member 26 and the spokes 22. Hydrogen peroxide enters the catalyst unit through perforations in the member 26 and the decomposition products issue through spaces between the spokes 22 into a chest, the downstream wall of which is formed by overlapping annular louvre members 35, 36, 37, 38, the products discharging into the combustion space as indicated by the arrows. Liquid fuel is supplied through the bore 32 in the portion 24 and passes through a tube 33 to an annular manifold 34 from which it issues through nozzles 39 into the combustion space. In the rocket motor shown in Fig. 2, the oxidizer chest is disposed at the downstream side of the combustion space. The rocket motor comprises an outer casing 45 within which is disposed a domed member 51 having a tubular extension 52, a cover member 56 being secured at the lower end of the casing 45 and being secured at its inner periphery to the propulsion nozzle formed by inner and outer coaxial tubular members 60, 59. The catalyst unit 25a is disposed between the tubular extension 52 and an inner annular wall 66 which is secured to an extension of the inner wall 60 of the propulsion nozzle, the unit comprising a perforated inlet wall 26a and a spoked outlet member 21a, 22a, 23a similar to that of the first embodiment. Hydrogen peroxide is supplied partly through the inlet 70 and space between the casing 45 and inner member 51, 52 and partly through the inlet 71, 72 through the annular space between the walls 59, 60 of the propulsion nozzle, to the catalyst unit, the decomposition products finally issuing from the chest downstream of the member 21a, 22a, 23a through the spaces between the louvre members 35a, 36a, 37a as indicated by the arrows. Fuel supplied through duct 50 issues through nozzles 55 into the combustion space. In a third embodiment similar to Fig. 2, the whole of the hydrogen peroxide is supplied through the inlet 70 to the catalyst unit, but the fuel is supplied to the inlet 71 and flows through the annular space between the walls of the propulsion nozzle before being admitted to the fuel inlet 50 and nozzles 55. In Fig. 4 hydrogen peroxide flows through inlet 70, between the inner member 51, 52 and the outer casing 45, thence through say four tubes 78 to a ring manifold 79, between the inner and outer walls 82, 83 of the propulsion nozzle to the catalyst unit 25a, the decomposition products discharging into a chest and thence through the slots between the louvre members 35a, 36a, 37a into the combustion space. A portion of the decomposition products flows along the inner surface of the propulsion nozzle to provide film cooling thereof. Fuel is supplied through duct 50 and injected through nozzles 55,