RU2321527C1 - Device for quick separation of spacecraft or rocket pod parts - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: coupling and uncoupling of space object parts.

SUBSTANCE: proposed device has body 1 with part 24 of lesser diameter and part 25 of larger diameter. Sleeve 2 consisting of hollow rod 3 and piston 4 is mounted in this body. Additional piston 6 with rod 20 is arranged inside piston 4. Attachment piece 17 mounted on rod 3 has the same diameter as part 24 of body. In initial state, frame 16 of object parts connected by means of attachment piece 17 and part 24 are clamped in between body butt 23 and nut 18. Piston 4 of sleeve has passages 5. Operation of charge 13 causes sets additional piston 6 together with rod 20 in motion and breaks neck 15 of rod 3. Motion of piston 6 gives access for gaseous products formed during operation of charge 13 to passages 5, thus throttling the gas. After break of neck 15, sleeve 2 moving as a unit till rest against nut 32 disengages its rod from attachment piece 17 and coupling between separable parts of object is removed. As a result, "smooth" joint is formed ensuring impactless separation of object parts.

EFFECT: reduction of impact pulse transmitted to structure of object in taking-up lateral loads till separation of object parts, avoidance of spurious twist of parts.

3 cl, 4 dwg

Description

The invention relates to units and systems for docking and separating spacecraft and rocket blocks and can be used to quickly separate parts of an object that is a spacecraft or rocket block (hereinafter referred to as the object).

A pyrotechnic mechanism for separating parts of an object is known, comprising a housing in which a piston is located that carries a rod connected by a pin being cut to a sleeve connected by a ball retainer to the housing. When applying pressure to the piston, he pushes the rod and opens the ball lock (USSR copyright certificate No. 576443, publ. 10/15/1977).

In this design, in the process of opening, local shock pulses arise, which adversely affect the equipment located in close proximity to the separation plane.

Another known device for connecting the shared parts of an object comprises a housing in which a chamber with pyro-cartridges, a sleeve, a rod and bushings with supporting collars are installed (Kolesnikov K.S., Kozlov V.I., Kokushkin V.V. Dynamics of separation of aircraft stages. M .: Mechanical Engineering, 1977, p.20, Fig. 1.14). When applying pressure, the sleeve, moving in the case, comes off the supporting flanges of the threaded inserts, opening the joint between the elements of the parts of the object to be separated.

In this device, the screw-in of the rod occurs in the threaded part of several inserts, which makes it impossible to provide the necessary tightening torque for the joint. In addition, when the joint opens, a mechanical impulse is communicated to the parts to be separated. This can be critical for devices and component parts located in close proximity to the separation plane, and reduces the reliability of their work.

It is also known a device for connecting subject to separation of the parts of the object according to the patent of the Russian Federation No. 2144892 (publ. 27.01.2000).

This device contains a cylindrical body in the form of two parts, one of which has a smaller and the other has a larger diameter, a working charge with means for putting it into action, a membrane, a rod and a sleeve. The working charge with the means for bringing it into action (squib) and the membrane are installed in the part of the housing having a larger diameter. The membrane faces one side of the squib, and the other side to the cavity in the housing having a hemispherical surface that serves as a limiting support during deformation of the membrane. From the side of this cavity, the membrane is connected with the stem with its central part. The peripheral part of the membrane is hermetically connected to the housing along the edges of the cavity. The body with its part having a larger diameter rests on the frame of one of the parts of the object to be disconnected and is connected to it by screws, and with its part having a smaller diameter, it enters the sleeve. Through the central hole of this part of the housing, said rod extends. In addition, in this part of the housing there are grooves in which the indicated liners are placed with supporting flanges facing the stem side. The latter has annular grooves and next to them are supporting collars on which the supporting collars of the liners rest. The liners on the side facing the inner surface of the liner have protrusions included in the corresponding hollows of the liner. Before the separation of the parts of the object, the sleeve is located in the through hole of the frames of these parts and ensures that the frames are pressed against each other by means of a nut screwed on the liner shank.

The membrane is deformed under the pressure of gaseous products formed during the operation of the working charge. In this case, a sub-damped movement of the rod occurs. The supporting flanges of the liners sink into the annular grooves of the rod, freeing the sleeve that tightens the frames of the parts of the object to be separated.

This known device is the closest to the offer.

In this known device, compared with the previous one, a reduction in shock loads is achieved due to a smoother stem movement due to the presence of a membrane.

However, this decrease is only partial, since at the initial moment the pressure of gaseous products, reaching several hundred atmospheres, affects not only the membrane, but also in the opposite direction - on the device body. Under the influence of a pressure pulse, the body tends to move, but it is rigidly connected with the frame of one of the shared parts of the object, so the shock pressure pulse propagates further along the structure of the object. In addition, in the process of separation, the liners that sink into the annular grooves of the rod are not fixed in this position, therefore, when the sleeve exits, it is possible to engage their threaded surfaces, i.e. A “smooth” joint is not formed upon separation. Further, the sleeve is located in the through holes of the frames of the parts to be divided, therefore, during separation, strictly parallel divergence of the frames is necessary so that the sleeve does not jam in the frame. This is practically impossible to ensure, since the object usually has a residual angular velocity during separation, and when the force connection between the parts to be separated is removed, they each begin to rotate relative to their own center of mass, i.e. relative to each other. This device cannot absorb transverse load without installing special pins, from which it is necessary to remove the parts to be separated during separation. As a result of this, the possibility arises of uneven descent from the pins and obtaining by the shared parts an additional parasitic angular velocity. Finally, after the separation of the parts of the object, the released liner shank with the nut screwed on it gets the opportunity to move inside one of the divided parts of the object and can cause damage to its equipment.

The technical solution according to the invention is aimed at achieving a technical result, which consists in eliminating the above disadvantages, namely:

- in reducing the magnitude of the shock pulse propagating at the time of separation according to the design of the object;

- in ensuring the "smoothness" of the joint when separating the parts of the object and the ability to perceive lateral loads before the separation of the object;

- in the exclusion of spurious twist shared parts of the object.

Below, when setting out the essence of the proposed invention and describing particular cases of its implementation, other types of achieved technical result will be named.

To achieve the technical result, the device according to the invention for separating the elements of an object representing a spacecraft or a rocket block, like the above known closest to it, contains a cylindrical body having a part with a smaller diameter and a part with a large diameter, a sleeve and the rod, as well as the working charge with a means to bring it into action.

Unlike the closest known in the device according to the invention, the sleeve has a part with a smaller diameter and part with a larger diameter, the rod is made as part of the sleeve with a smaller diameter, which is the hollow rod of the sleeve, and the other part of the sleeve having a larger diameter is a hollow piston of the sleeve . Said hollow liner rod and hollow liner piston are respectively disposed in the central holes of the smaller and larger diameters of the housing with the possibility of limited displacement in the axial direction, the hollow liner rod extends beyond the housing with the smaller diameter. In addition, the device is equipped with an additional piston located inside the hollow piston of the liner and having a rod located inside the hollow rod of the liner, as well as a nozzle mounted on the part of the hollow rod of the liner extending beyond the part of the housing with a smaller diameter and having the same external diameter with it. A part of the hollow sleeve of the sleeve extending beyond the part of the body with a smaller diameter has an annular groove outside that forms the neck of the hollow stem of the sleeve. The nozzle on the inside has a threaded connection with a part of the hollow core of the sleeve between its end and the neck, and on the outside there is a thread for a nut designed to clamp between it and the part of the case having a smaller diameter, frames of the parts of the object to be separated. The working charge with the means for bringing it into action is installed inside the hollow piston of the sleeve from the side of the additional piston opposite to the hollow rod of the additional piston. In the wall of the hollow liner piston, channels are made having inlet openings on the inner cylindrical surface of the hollow liner piston and outlet openings on the outer end surface of the hollow liner piston on the side of the hollow liner rod. Moreover, the additional piston is made and installed with the possibility of blocking the access of gaseous products of operation of the working charge to the inlet openings of these channels in the initial state of the device and providing said access during its movement under the pressure of these products.

On the rod of the additional piston between it and the end face of the inner side of the hollow rod of the sleeve can be placed shock absorbing element.

In addition, the proposed device can be equipped with a cap-catcher with a shock absorbing element located in it, and the cap-catcher has a flange with holes for bolting with the frame of one of the shared parts of the specified object from the side of the said nut mounted on the end of the nozzle. Part of a cylindrical body with a large diameter at the junction with a part having a smaller diameter can be made with a flange with holes for bolting to the frame of another of the parts to be separated.

In the proposed design, the separation of the parts of the object occurs as a result of rupture of the neck of the hollow sleeve of the sleeve under the influence of internal force in the moving system of the hollow piston of the sleeve - the hollow rod of the sleeve - an additional piston created by the pressure of the gaseous products of the actuation of the working charge simultaneously on the additional piston and on the piston of the sleeve.

The channels in the wall of the hollow piston of the sleeve provide automatic throttling of the detonation products and reduce the force effect on the additional piston and its rod after rupture of the neck of the hollow rod of the sleeve, as well as the connection of the pressure of the gaseous products of operation of the working charge on the piston of the sleeve through the said channels. This principle of action, due to the proposed design of the device, provides a significant reduction in the magnitude of the shock pulse propagating over the structure of the object.

The presence of a shock-absorbing element mounted on the rod of an additional piston between it and the end face of the hollow core of the sleeve contributes to a smoother flow of this process.

With the described execution of the sleeve and the housing, the relative position of their parts and the separation principle stipulated by the proposed design, there is no need to use elements for the mutual fixation of the device parts, similar to the inserts of the closest known device, which are able to enter spurious engagement with other parts during the separation process. Due to this, the "smoothness" of the joint is achieved when separating the parts of the object.

Due to the fact that the power element of the device is involved in the connection of the frames - the housing, which, with its smaller part, together with the nozzle, which is actually a continuation of this part, enters the openings of the connected frames, the proposed design provides the perception of lateral load. This eliminates the need to use any additional elements to perceive the transverse load. This prevents the possibility of spurious twisting of the shared parts of the object, since factors that can cause it are excluded.

Due to the presence of an additionally introduced cap-catcher with a shock-absorbing element located in it and the presence of this cap and flange housing with bolt holes with frames, the possibility of free movement of the device elements inside the parts of the object after their separation is excluded.

The invention is illustrated by drawings, which depict:

- figure 1 - the proposed device in a state preceding the separation of the parts of the object, using a detonating working charge and an electric detonator as a means to bring it into action;

- figure 2 is the same, in a state after separation;

- figure 3 - the proposed device in a state preceding the separation of the parts of the object, using a squib containing a working charge with a means to bring it into action;

- figure 4 is the same, in a state after separation.

When performing the illustrated figure 1 and figure 2, the proposed device for the rapid separation of the parts of the object, which is a spacecraft or a rocket unit, contains a cylindrical body 1 having a part 24 with a smaller diameter (left in Fig.1, 2) and part 25 with a large diameter (right in Fig.1, 2). In the housing 1 there is a sleeve 2, also having a part 3 with a smaller diameter — the hollow core of the sleeve and part 4 with a larger diameter — the hollow piston of the sleeve. The indicated parts (hollow rod 3 of sleeve 2 and hollow piston 4 of sleeve 2) are placed in parts 24 and 25 of housing 1, respectively, with smaller and larger diameters with the possibility of limited movement of sleeve 2 as a whole in the axial direction. This restriction is ensured by the fact that in the extreme left position shown in FIG. 1, the piston 4 of the liner abuts against the inner end 31 of the housing part 1 having a larger diameter, and in the extreme right position shown in FIG. 2, into the union nut 32 having a threaded connection with the same part of the housing 1. The hollow stem 3 of the sleeve 2 extends beyond the portion 24 of the housing 1 with a smaller diameter (to the left in FIGS. 1, 2) and has an annular groove forming a refined calibrated neck 15 of the hollow stem 3 of the sleeve. On the left side of FIGS. 1, 2 of the part of the hollow rod 3 of the sleeve extending beyond the part 24 of the housing 1 with a smaller diameter, a nozzle 17 is installed having the same outer diameter with the indicated part 24 of the housing 1. The nozzle 17 is connected with the part of the hollow rod 3 of the sleeve between its end and the neck 15 with its inner side by means of a threaded connection 19, and from the outer side has a thread 21 for installing the nut 18.

The connection of the frames 16 of the parts of the object to be divided is ensured by the fact that the part 24 of the housing 1, having a smaller diameter, and the nozzle 17, which is a continuation of this part, pass through the coaxial holes of these frames. As a result, the frames 16 are sandwiched between the nut 18 and the end surface 23 of the housing portion 24 having a larger diameter.

An additional piston 6 with a rod 20 is installed inside the hollow piston 4 of the sleeve. The rod 20 of the additional piston 6 is for the most part placed inside the hollow rod 3 of the sleeve. On the rod 20 of the additional piston, a shock-absorbing element 7 is placed between it and the end face 26 of the inner side of the hollow rod 3 of the sleeve 7. On the side of the additional piston 6, opposite the rod 20 of the additional piston, a working charge is placed inside the hollow piston 4 of the sleeve with the means for actuating it. The means for bringing the working charge into action is an electric detonator or a detonation translator, the nozzle adapter 9 of which is installed using a threaded connection 8. The working charge in this case is the transfer charge 12 (in the channel 11) and the charge 13 from elastic explosive (in a cylindrical groove 10). On the right side of the drawing, the end of the fitting-adapter 9 has a threaded hole 14 for docking with an electric detonator 22 or a knock translator.

In the wall of the hollow piston 4 of the liner, through channels 5 are made, having inlet openings on the inner cylindrical surface of the hollow piston 4 of the liner and outlet openings on the outer end surface of the hollow piston of the liner from the side of the hollow rod 3 of the liner. An additional piston 6 with a rod 20 is made and installed with the ability to open access of gaseous detonation products that occur when the working charge is triggered to the inlets of these channels during their movement under the pressure of these products in the direction opposite to the fitting 9 (i.e., left Figure 1). This condition can be fulfilled in a variety of ways by selecting the thickness of the additional piston 6 (i.e., its size in the direction of the centerline 27 of the device, see FIGS. 1, 2) and / or the initial position and distance of possible movement. For example, in the case shown in FIG. 1, the additional piston 6 has a dimension in the longitudinal direction that exceeds the size of the inlet openings of the channels 5 and is set so that in the initial state of the device (i.e., before the working charge is activated) it overlaps with its cylindrical surface these holes, and as a result of moving to the left after the operation of the working charge, it opens the access of gaseous detonation products to these holes. In another case, the additional piston 6 may have a dimension in the longitudinal direction at which it is in the initial state of the device completely to the right of the inlet channels 5.

The proposed device is used and operates as follows.

The initial state before separation corresponds to that shown in FIG. 1 and described above, and the frames 16 of the parts to be divided are pressed against each other. This prevents their mutual movement in the direction of the longitudinal axis 27 of the device. The mutual movement of the parts of the object in the transverse direction, orthogonal to the longitudinal axis 27 of the device, is prevented by the part 24 of the housing 1 having a smaller diameter and the nozzle 17 extending through the holes of the frames and having the same diameter as the part 24 of the housing 1. The specified housing part and the nozzle are power elements that successfully perceive lateral loads.

When a command is sent to separate the parts of the object, the detonation pulse from the detonator or translator initiates a transition charge 12 of the device, which in turn initiates a charge 13. The gaseous detonation products of the latter act on an additional piston 6, the movement of which together with its rod 20 leads to rupture of the calibrated neck 15 hollow rod 3 sleeves (Figure 1). The additional piston 6 stops, deforming the shock absorber 7 and abutting through it against the end face 26 of the inner side of the hollow rod 3 of the sleeve. When moving the additional piston 6 to the position shown in FIG. 2, the access of detonation products to the channels 5 in the wall of the hollow piston 4 of the sleeve opens. As a result, there is an automatic throttling of gaseous gaseous detonation products, which reduces the pressure in the space between the additional piston 6 and the adapter fitting 9, in the cylindrical groove 10 of which a charge 10 of an elastic explosive was located (Figure 1). Gaseous detonation products exiting through the channels 5 begin to act on the piston 4 of the liner and move it together with the rod 3 of the liner to the right up to the stop of the piston 4 of the liner in the union nut 32 (see Figure 2). As a result, the sleeve 2, moving as a whole to the right of Figure 1, takes its stem 3 out of engagement with the nozzle 17. Thereby, the force connection between the two shared parts of the object is removed.

Thus, the proposed device provides a “smooth” joint that does not prevent shockless separation of the parts of the object and does not cause spurious twisting of the parts of the object after separation, since:

- separation of the parts of the object as a result of rupture of the neck of the hollow core of the sleeve occurs under the influence of internal force in the moving system of the hollow piston of the sleeve - the hollow stem of the sleeve - an additional piston, thereby reducing the magnitude of the impact on the parts of the object;

- additional circumstances contributing to shock-free separation are automatic throttling of detonation products and damping of the additional piston 2 by the shock-absorbing element 7;

- the design of the device does not contain elements that in the process of separation could enter into spurious gearing with other parts;

- there are no reasons for the occurrence of spurious twisting of the parts of the object after separation, which could occur when using additional elements that perceive lateral loads; such elements are not necessary, since lateral loads are successfully perceived by the power elements of the device itself.

Parts of the device located on the left and right with respect to the neck 15 of the hollow core of the sleeve after rupture of the specified neck and separation of the parts of the object cannot freely move inside these parts (connected respectively in the left and right frames 16). On the right, this movement is prevented by the presence of a flange 28 of the housing 1, bolted 29 to the right frame 16, and to the left, the presence of a catching cap 33 with a shock absorber 34 mounted on the left frame 16 using the flange 40 and bolts 30. The housing 1 and all associated with him, the elements of the indicated right side of the device after separation are kept from free movement by bolts 29, and the ability to move the elements of the specified left side of the device (which separated the left part of the nozzle 17 with the nut 18) by the space inside the catcher cap 3 3 with a shock-absorbing element 34. The greatest impact that can be exerted on parts of the object when they are separated is the effect of the separated left part of the nozzle 17 with nut 18, damped by the shock-absorbing element 34.

The main difference of the proposed device when it is executed, illustrated in Figs. 3, 4, is the use of a squib as a working charge and means for putting it into action. Pyro cartridge 41 having a working charge 43 and means for bringing it into action (igniter 42 and incandescent bridge 44), as in the case discussed in detail above, is placed (Figs. 3, 4) from the side of the additional piston 6, opposite the rod 20 of the additional piston, inside the hollow piston 4 sleeves using the union adapter 9.

The remaining designations in Figs. 3, 4 fully correspond to the designations in Figs. 1, 2. Another difference of this embodiment of the proposed device is the implementation of the second of the above methods for controlling the access of gaseous products arising from the operation of the charge to the channels 5. For of this, the additional piston 6 in FIG. 3 has a longitudinal dimension smaller than that in FIGS. 1 and 2, such that it is in the initial position to the right of the inlet openings of the channels 5. Therefore, gaseous products with working charge working can access the channels 5 only after moving the additional piston to the left to the position shown in Fig. 4.

The operation of the proposed device in the case illustrated by FIGS. 3 and 4 also does not practically differ from that described above, with the exception of differences in the physics of the processes of detonation of an explosive in the working charge of the device of FIGS. 1, 2 and combustion of a substance of the working charge in the squib of the device of FIG. .3, 4.

When using a detonating working charge, the pressure level during rupture of the neck can reach higher values than in the case of using a squib. Therefore, the choice of one or another working charge with the appropriate means of bringing it into action depends on the masses of the separated parts of the object, affecting the values of the axial transverse loads perceived by the device.

Claims (3)

1. A device for the rapid separation of the elements of an object representing a spacecraft or a rocket block containing a cylindrical body having a part with a smaller diameter and a part with a large diameter, a sleeve and a rod, as well as a working charge with means for putting it into action, characterized in that the sleeve has a part with a smaller diameter, made in the form of a hollow rod of the sleeve, and a part with a larger diameter, made in the form of a hollow piston of the sleeve, and the specified hollow rod and hollow piston are placed in the Central holes x parts of the housing, respectively, with smaller and larger diameters and have the possibility of limited movement in the axial direction, and the hollow rod of the sleeve extends beyond the part of the body with a smaller diameter, while the device is equipped with an additional piston located inside the hollow piston of the sleeve and having a rod located inside hollow core of the sleeve, as well as a nozzle mounted on the part of the hollow stem of the sleeve that extends beyond the part of the body with a smaller diameter and having the same diameter with this part of the body, and hour The hollow core of the sleeve extending beyond the part of the housing with a smaller diameter has a neck in the form of an annular groove made on the outside, the nozzle is connected on the inside by a thread with a part of the hollow stem of the sleeve between its end and the neck, and on the outside has a thread for a nut designed for pressing the frames to be separated parts of the object to the part of the housing having a smaller diameter, while the working charge with the means for bringing it into action is placed inside the hollow piston of the sleeve from the side of the additional piston, channels opposite the stem of the additional piston, in the wall of the hollow piston of the sleeve there are channels having inlet openings on the inner cylindrical surface of the hollow piston of the sleeve and outlet openings on the outer end surface of the hollow piston of the sleeve from the side of the hollow core of the sleeve, the additional piston being made and installed with the possibility of overlapping access gaseous products of the operation of the working charge to the inlets of these channels in the initial state of the specified device and providing access x gaseous products to the inlets of these channels during the movement of the additional piston under the pressure of these gaseous products. 2. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that on the rod of the additional piston between this piston and the inner end of the hollow rod of the sleeve there is a shock-absorbing element. 3. The device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that it is equipped with a catcher cap with a shock-absorbing element located in it, and the catcher cap has a flange with holes for bolting to the frame of one of the shared parts of the object from the side of the specified nut, and part a cylindrical body with a large diameter in the place of its connection with the part having a smaller diameter, is made with a flange with holes for bolting with the frame of another shared part.

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