RU2233990C2 - Oxygen-kerosene liquid-propellant rocket engine with heat module, heat module and method of production of sootless gas in heat module - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: rocketry.

SUBSTANCE: proposed oxygen-kerosene liquid-propellant rocket engine with heat module includes engine chamber and turbopumps set whose turbine is connected with regenerative cooling duct. Gas generator and turbine working medium heater are made in form of common heat module including housing at inlet of which mixing head is installed, reaction chamber arranged inside housing and outlet branch pipe connected with main line of oxidizer pump. Heat exchange elements connected with main line to deliver working medium to turbine of turbopumps set are installed lengthwise reaction chamber. Excess fuel afterburning belts are made lengthwise heat module housing being connected with reaction chamber and with pressure main line of oxidizer pump. Outlet of reaction chamber is connected with outlet main line of oxidizer pump. Distance between excess fuel afterburning belts is chosen to provide temperature of combustion products at end of each combustion stage being not lower than temperature of beginning of soot formation. Method of production of sootless high-temperature gas is based on combustion of hydrocarbon fuel with liquid oxygen in reaction chamber.

EFFECT: improved reliability and overall dimensions and mass characteristics of liquid propellant rocket engine.

12 cl, 4 dwg

Description

Technical field

This invention relates to the field of rocket technology and, in particular, to liquid-propellant rocket engines in which a turbogas for driving a turbopump unit is obtained due to the heat removed in the cooling chamber of the chamber.

State of the art

The present invention is a further improvement of the technical solution protected by RF patent No. 2155273, MKI F 02 K 9/64 of 02/27/2000.

In the invention according to patent No. 2155273, a liquid-propellant rocket engine with a closed loop drive of a turbine of a turbopump unit is described, in which, in order to increase the working pressure in the engine chamber, a heat exchanger-heater is installed in the line connecting the outlet of the regenerative cooling path of the chamber and the inlet of the turbine is the gas produced in the gas generator using standard fuel components, while the outlet from the gas generator is connected to the output line of the oxidizer pump. In addition, a distinctive feature of this invention is the use of ammonia as a cooler of the engine chamber and the working fluid of the turbine of a turbopump unit.

In the invention according to patent 2155273 for heating the working fluid of a turbine, a gas generator is provided that produces gas with an excess of oxidizing agent. This technical solution is taken as a prototype of the invention of an oxygen-kerosene liquid propellant rocket engine.

However, the creation of a gas generator that provides high-temperature heating of the working fluid of the turbine and allows subsequent discharge of gas into the main oxygen line of the engine is quite problematic, since the use of a gas generator with an excess of oxidizer is fraught with the danger of ignition of the elements of the flowing part of the hot oxidizing gas, and the use of a gas generator with an excess of fuel (kerosene ) due to the formation of soot in gas generation products, it is unacceptable for reasons of fire and explosion safety main oxygen line.

Known gas generator, consisting of a housing, inside of which there is a reaction chamber, a mixing head with fuel supply pipes and an outlet pipe. The combustion process in such a gas generator occurs with an excess of fuel and is accompanied by a large emission of soot. This gas generator was used, for example, in a liquid-propellant rocket engine to drive a turbine of a turbopump unit with the discharge of spent turbogas into the environment (see V.P. Glushko, Album "Designs of rocket engine" 2.3, Military Publishing of the USSR Ministry of Defense, M., 1969, p.146 , 157). This decision is taken as an analogue of the invention - a thermal module.

Also known is a sootless gas generator with an excess of fuel (see, for example, RF patent No. 2108477, MKI F 02 K 9/52, 04/10/98). The gas generator runs on three-component fuel by alternately burning kerosene and hydrogen in oxygen, while oxygen with a part of kerosene is burned at a temperature above the temperature of carbon formation, and the remaining part of kerosene is fed behind the high-temperature combustion zone, after which the combustion products are ballasted with hydrogen until the temperature of the working fluid is obtained. Using hydrogen allows you to bind free carbon with hydrogen, followed by the formation of gaseous methane. This technical solution is taken as a prototype of the invention - a thermal module.

The use of the specified sootless gas generator in an oxygen-kerosene liquid rocket engine naturally leads to a complication of the engine design due to the introduction of a third component, hydrogen.

Using ammonia as a closed loop working fluid does not allow raising its temperature to the maximum possible value (≈750-900 ° С), because leads to unacceptable decomposition of ammonia, the deterioration of the condensation process, which is equivalent to an increase in the heat exchange surface of the condenser.

Disclosure of invention

The objective of the invention was to develop a fundamentally new carbon-free gas generator and introduce it into the circuit diagram of a closed-loop oxygen-kerosene liquid propellant rocket engine turbine pump turbine unit, to create a turbine working fluid with improved thermodynamic parameters, as well as to improve the fuel component supply and start-up system engine.

The technical result due to the use of new solutions in the liquid-propellant rocket engine scheme is to increase the main characteristics of the liquid-propellant rocket engine, to increase its reliability and overall mass parameters.

The problem is solved due to the fact that in an oxygen-kerosene liquid jet engine with a thermal module containing an engine chamber with a housing, a regenerative cooling duct and a mixing head, a turbopump unit with a turbine, on the shaft of which there are fuel and oxidizer pumps, the outputs of which are connected to the mixing head of the chamber, while the turbine of the turbopump unit is connected to the regenerative cooling path, which, together with the turbine working fluid heater, condenser, is installed inserted into the output line of the oxidizer pump, and a circulation pump are included in the closed loop of the turbine working fluid, the specified heater being connected to the outlet of the gas generator, the mixing head of which is connected to the output lines of the oxidizer and fuel pumps, and the gas outlet from the heater is connected to the output line of the oxidizer pump, a gas generator and a heater of the turbine working fluid are made in the form of a single thermal module, which is a casing at the outlet of which a mixing a head with collectors for supplying oxidizer and excess fuel, with a reaction chamber located inside the housing and an outlet pipe that is connected to the pressure line of the oxidizer pump, while heat exchange elements are installed inside the reaction chamber along its entire length, connected to the line for supplying the working fluid to the turbine pump turbine moreover, along the length of the housing of the thermal module there are made belts of afterburning of excess fuel, which are connected to the reaction chamber and to the pressure line of the pump la.

Other differences of the invention are:

- in a closed circuit between the inlet to the circulation pump and the outlet of the condenser, a receiver is installed;

- a bypass pipeline with a controlled valve is installed on the oxygen line into the bypass of the condenser;

- the circulation pump is driven by an autonomous turbine included in the specified circuit at the turbine outlet of the turbopump assembly;

- between the inlet and outlet of the circulation pump turbine a bypass line is installed, equipped with a regulatory body;

- the circulation pump is equipped with an additional autonomous drive;

- a water-ammonia mixture (up to 35% wt. ammonia) is used as a closed loop working fluid.

In addition, in a thermal module comprising a housing, a mixing head with nozzles for supplying liquid hydrocarbon fuel and a liquid oxidizer, a reaction chamber and a nozzle for removing hot gases from the reaction chamber, additionally, heat exchange elements connected to the closed loop of the turbine working medium are installed inside the reaction chamber, and annular belts of the phased introduction of a liquid oxidizer into the reaction chamber are made in the housing of the thermal module, while the distance between these belts is selected based on so that at the end of each cascade of combustion the temperature of the combustion products is not lower than the temperature at which soot begins to form.

An additional difference of the thermal module is that its body is made in one piece with the heat exchange elements.

The indicated design of the thermal module implements a method for producing soot-free high-temperature gas, based on the combustion of hydrocarbon fuel with liquid oxygen in the reaction chamber, this process being carried out by successive stages of oxidizer introduction, and at the beginning of each stage, the temperature of the combustion products is ensured by introducing the oxidizer to the maximum allowable temperature for the walls of the reaction chamber, and then cool them to temperatures that exclude the formation of soot, and in the last helmet In addition to this combustion process, a stoichiometric ratio of the resulting combustion products is created. In addition, in this process, liquid kerosene is used as the hydrocarbon fuel, and liquid oxygen is used as the oxidizing agent.

Brief Description of the Drawings

The essence of the invention is illustrated in figures 1, 2, 3 and 4.

Figure 1 presents a schematic diagram of a liquid propellant rocket engine.

Figure 2 presents one of the variants of the structural scheme of the thermal module, and figure 3 - its cross section.

Figure 4 presents a graph of cascade combustion of kerosene in oxygen in a thermal module.

An example implementation of the invention

The circuit diagram of a liquid propellant rocket engine (Fig. 1) includes a chamber 1, a turbopump unit 2, a thermal module 3, a closed loop of a turbine drive of a turbopump unit 4, fuel high-pressure lines of the oxidizer 5 and fuel 6.

Kerosene is used as fuel, and liquid oxygen is used as an oxidizing agent.

The chamber 1 comprises a housing 7, a mixing head 8, a cylindrical combustion chamber 9, a supersonic nozzle 10. The housing 7 is made with regenerative cooling channels 11. A slit curtain 12 is made in the cylindrical part of the combustion chamber, which is connected to the manifold 13, through which fuel is supplied for wall cooling of the internal surface of the combustion chamber.

The turbopump unit 2 consists of a turbine 14, a centrifugal oxidizer pump 15 having a first 16 and a second 17 stages, and a centrifugal fuel pump 18. A turbine 14, an oxidizer pump 15, and a fuel pump 18 are mounted on one shaft 19.

The thermal module 3 includes a housing 20, a mixing head 21, a reaction chamber 22, heat exchange elements 23 located inside the reaction chamber along its entire length, and an afterburning belt 24. The mixing head 21 is through a pipe 25 and a line in which a throttle 26 and a start-off are installed in series valve 27, connected to the pressure line 6 of the fuel pump 18. The second stage 17 of the oxidizer pump 15 through the start-off valve 28 and the corrector-stabilizer 29 is connected to the pipe 30 for supplying the oxidizer and the collector 31, from which the oxidizer Erez pipes 32 and nozzles 33 is fed into a secondary combustion zone 24.

The closed loop of the turbine drive of the turbopump unit 4 includes a circulation pump 34 connected in series with each other, a regenerative cooling (heating) path 11 of the chamber 1, heat exchange elements 23, a turbine pump unit 2 turbine 14, a circulation pump turbine 35, and a condenser 36 installed in the pressure head line 5 of the first stage 16 of the oxidizer pump 15, and the receiver 37 filling the condensed working fluid of the THA turbine 14 and the circulation pump turbine 46.

The output pipe 38 of the thermal module is connected to the oxidizer supply line 5 to the mixing head 8 of the chamber 1. A start-off valve 39 is installed in this line.

Fuel from the output of the fuel pump 18 through line 40 with a start-off valve 41 is supplied to the manifold 13, and from it into the slit curtain 12 of the combustion chamber 9. In addition, fuel is supplied to the mixing head 8 of the chamber from the output of the fuel pump 18 through the line 42, the throttle 43 regulation of the mass ratio of the components of the fuel in the main mode and the start-off valve 44.

The thrust of the engine is controlled by changing the operating mode of the circulation pump 34 using the bypass choke 45 and by changing the power of the thermal module using the regulatory body 26 and the corrector-stabilizer 29 interlocked with it.

To start the engine, a starting gas turbine 46 is provided in the circuit, located on one shaft 47 of the circulation pump 34.

In addition, to prevent freezing of the working fluid of the closed loop in the capacitor at the initial stage of engine starting, a bypass of the working fluid is provided in the bypass of the condenser along line 48 using valve 49.

The use of a thermal module in this liquid-propellant rocket engine circuit allows, on the one hand, to warm the working fluid of the turbine of a turbopump assembly to the value required by the energy matching of the engine parameters, and on the other hand, cascading the fuel in a cascade way, it is possible to obtain carbon-free gas by taking heat from gas generation products (at the output of the thermal module) for entering it into the main stream of the oxidizing agent.

Structurally, the thermal module is presented in figure 2, and its cross section is shown in figure 3.

The thermal module consists of a power casing 20, in which channels 50 are made for the flow of the working fluid of the turbine 19 (closed-circuit working fluid) supplied through the pipe 51. The output of these channels is connected to the collector cavity 52 through the openings 53. The collector cavity 52 is in communication with the output pipe 54. The thermal module has a mixing head 21 of the first cascade of fuel combustion and nozzles for supplying fuel 25 and oxidizer 30, respectively. On the input side of the working fluid of the turbine 19 into the thermal module, a heat-exchange element 55 is placed. It is (Fig. 3) an annular body with an inner 56 and an outer 57 ribbed shells. The inner end portion of the specified heat-exchange element is placed in the cavity of the reaction chamber 58, in which the nozzle 24 of the input of the oxidizing agent of the second stage of fuel afterburning is installed. The exit of gaseous products of combustion is through the pipe 59.

The heat exchange element 55 as well as the housing 20, has nozzles for supply 60 and outlet 61 of the coolant. All inlet and outlet nozzles can be connected by common inlet and outlet manifolds (not shown).

To ensure complete combustion without the formation of solid carbon in the first cascade, all kerosene with a part of oxygen is burned at a temperature of 2600 ° C (Fig. 4), acceptable for the cooling walls of the reaction chamber and heat exchange elements. The necessary heating of the working fluid (curve D) of the closed circuit is accompanied by the corresponding cooling of high-temperature combustion products (curve B). Moreover, their cooling is carried out to a temperature not lower than the temperature of soot formation - ~ 1000 ° C. After the process is completed, an additional portion of the liquid oxidizer is again introduced into the reaction chamber in the first stage, while the temperature of the combustion products again rises and the heating-cooling cycle is repeated. This process is carried out in stages until a stoichiometric ratio of hydrocarbon fuel in the oxidizer is reached at the output of the thermal module.

As a result, the required heating of the working fluid of the turbine pump turbine drive unit (500 ... 800 ° C) is ensured, and, on the other hand, the particleless conversion of combustion products containing excess fuel in the first stage of the process into gas of stoichiometric composition at the outlet of the thermal module with temperature ~ 1000 ° C, which allows the organization of its input in order to utilize the oxidizer in the main stream.

Device operation

Before starting the engine, fill the cavities of the fuel pumps 18 and oxidizer 15 (16 and 17) to the shut-off valves 41 and 44 installed in the fuel lines for supplying fuel to the combustion chamber 9, to the shut-off valves 27 and 28 installed in the fuel and oxidizer supply lines to thermal module 22, and to the start-off valves 39 and 49 installed in the line for supplying the oxidizer to chamber 1. (To supply the thermal module of the oxidizer in the proposed scheme, the use of the booster stage 17 of pump 15 is provided). In addition, a closed loop 4 is filled with a working fluid — water-ammonia solution.

On command to start the engine, gas is supplied to the starting turbine 46 of forced spin-up of the circulation pump 34, and the working fluid begins to circulate in a closed loop.

Then, in a certain time sequence specified by the sequence of commands when starting the engine, commands are issued to open the shut-off valves. When commands are issued to open the shut-off valves of the fuel 27 and the oxidizing agent 28 of the thermal module 20, the fuel components enter the reaction chamber 22, where they are ignited by means of ignition (the ignition system is not shown in the diagram, chemical, electrical, and other systems can be used as such). Moreover, the supply of the oxidizing agent to the afterburning stages of the thermal module is dosed by the jets 33 installed in the supply lines 32. The resulting gas generation products begin heating the working fluid in the heat exchange elements 23 and through the pipe 65 (Fig. 2) enter the main oxidizing pipe 5.

Then commands are issued to open the shut-off valves of the fuel 41 and 44 and the oxidizer 49 of the combustion chamber 9. (Opening the valve 41 provides the supply of fuel to the slit curtain 12 of the internal cooling of the combustion chamber 9). The fuel components entering the combustion chamber are also ignited by means of ignition, which further increases the heating of the working fluid passing through the regenerative cooling path 11 of chamber 1. As a result, the power of turbines 35 and 14 increases, the speed of the oxidizer pumps 16, 17, fuel 18 and circulation pumps increase pump 34.

With increasing temperature of the working fluid of the closed loop, the valve of the oxidizer 49 is closed with the simultaneous opening of the valve 39, which ensures the flow of oxygen as a refrigerant through the path of the condenser 36, and the latter comes into operation. The indicated sequence of actuating valves 49 and 39 eliminates the possibility of hypothermia and freezing of the working fluid in the path of the condenser 36 at the initial stage of engine starting, and before the start of the working process, the water-ammonia mixture contained in the receiver 37 is carried out in the power supply capacitor of the circulation pump 34.

As the module 20 enters the thermal mode, the gas supply to the forced spin-up of the turbine 46 is stopped and its revolutions are further increased, as are the revolutions of the turbopump unit 19 in the “self-pickup” mode. The engine enters stationary mode, determined by the initial setting of the main regulatory bodies - 45, 26 and 43.

When the engine is in the main mode, it regulates its thrust and the mass ratio of the consumption of fuel components (K _m ).

The executive bodies of the engine traction control system are the inductor 45, which is installed in the bypass of a part of the working fluid of the closed loop into the bypass of the turbine 35, and the inductor 26 acting simultaneously with it in the trunk of the fuel supply to the heat module 20, as well as the corrector-stabilizer 29 in the oxidizer supply line maintaining the constancy of the mass ratio of the flow rates of the fuel components (i.e., the temperature of the hot gas) in the thermal module. So, in case of forcing the engine, “throttle” of the throttle 45 is produced, as a result of which the flow rate through the turbine 35 increases, the speed and flow rate through the circulation pump 34 increase, i.e. working fluid flow in a closed loop.

Simultaneously with the “cover” of the inductor 45, the “inductor” 26 is “opened”, which increases the fuel consumption in the thermal module 20, while the corrector-stabilizer 29 automatically increases the consumption of the oxidizer in the thermal module. As a result of the indicated interaction between the throttle 45, throttle 26 and the corrector-stabilizer 29, an increased flow rate of the working fluid at an almost constant temperature arrives at the turbine drive 14, which leads to an increase in the speed of the turbopump assembly 19, an increase in the consumption of fuel components in the combustion chamber, i.e. to force the engine. When throttle the engine, the relationship of these Executive bodies remains similar, but the opposite direction.

The regulation of K _{m is} carried out by changing the hydraulic resistance of the path for supplying fuel to the combustion chamber 9 with the help of a throttle 43. Here, to increase K _m , the throttle is “covered” and, to decrease K _m , it is “opened”.

Industrial applicability

The invention is intended for use in liquid rocket engines, the heating of the turbine of the turbine pump unit of which is due to the heat removed in the cooling path of the chamber and additionally generated in a thermal module operating on an oxygen-kerosene fuel composition.

Preliminary calculations confirmed the prospects of creating engines of this class, because their application can improve reliability and efficiency, as well as improve mass performance.

Claims (11)

1. An oxygen-kerosene liquid rocket engine with a thermal module, comprising an engine chamber with a housing, a regenerative cooling path and a mixing head, a turbopump unit with a turbine, on the shaft of which are installed fuel and oxidizer pumps, the outlets of which are connected to the mixing head of the chamber, the turbine being the turbopump unit is connected to the regenerative cooling path, which, together with the turbine heater, a condenser installed in the pump output line, oxidize I, and a circulation pump are included in a closed circuit of the working fluid of the turbine, and the specified heater is connected to the outlet of the gas generator, the mixing head of which is connected to the output lines of the oxidizer and fuel pumps, and the gas outlet from the heater is connected to the output line of the oxidizer pump, characterized in that the gas generator and the turbine working fluid heater is made in the form of a single thermal module, which is a housing, at the input of which a mixing head with collectors two oxidizer and excess fuel with a reaction chamber located inside the housing and an outlet pipe, which is connected to the pressure line of the oxidizer pump, while inside the reaction chamber heat exchange elements are installed along its entire length, connected to the supply line of the working fluid to the turbine of the turbopump unit, and along the length the case of the thermal module is made afterburning of excess fuel, which are connected to the reaction chamber and to the pressure line of the oxidizer pump, while the exit from the reaction the ion chamber is connected to the output line of the oxidizer pump. 2. The liquid rocket engine according to claim 1, characterized in that in a closed circuit, between the inlet to the circulation pump and the output of the condenser, a receiver is installed. 3. The liquid propellant rocket engine according to claim 1, characterized in that a bypass pipe with a controlled valve is installed in the bypass of the capacitor on the oxygen line. 4. The liquid rocket engine according to claim 1, characterized in that the circulation pump is an autonomous turbine included in the specified circuit at the turbine output of the turbopump assembly. 5. The liquid rocket engine according to claim 1, characterized in that between the inlet and outlet of the turbine of the circulation pump there is a bypass line equipped with a regulatory body. 6. The liquid rocket engine according to claim 1, characterized in that the circulation pump is equipped with an additional standalone drive. 7. The liquid rocket engine according to claim 1, characterized in that a water-ammonia mixture (up to 35 wt.% Ammonia) is used as a closed loop working medium. 8. A method of producing a carbon-free high-temperature gas based on the combustion of hydrocarbon fuel with liquid oxygen in the reaction chamber, characterized in that the fuel is burned by successive stages of the oxidizer inlet, while at the beginning of each stage, the temperature of the combustion products is ensured by the temperature of the combustion products, which is the maximum allowable the walls of the reaction chamber, and then cool them to temperatures that exclude the formation of soot, moreover, in the last stage of this combustion process create a stoichiometric ratio of combustion products formed. 9. The method according to claim 8, characterized in that liquid kerosene is used as the hydrocarbon fuel, and liquid oxygen is used as the oxidizing agent. 10. A heat module comprising a housing, a mixing head with nozzles for supplying liquid hydrocarbon fuel and a liquid oxidizer, a reaction chamber and a nozzle for removing hot gases from the reaction chamber, characterized in that heat exchanging elements are installed inside the reaction chamber connected to a closed loop of the turbine body, and in the casing of the thermal module, annular belts of the phased introduction of a liquid oxidizer into the reaction chamber are made, while the distance between these belts is selected based on the fact that s at the end of each stage of combustion combustion temperature does not fall below the onset temperature of soot. 11. The thermal module according to claim 9, characterized in that its body is made in one piece with heat-exchange elements.

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