RU2376216C2 - Spaceship engine module - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: aerospace engineering.

SUBSTANCE: proposed engine module consists of two bulkheads, tanks with pole elements for fuel components, high-pressure cylinders, orbit orientation and correction rocket engines, and ACS units. Tank top pole elements are rigidly jointed to upper bulkhead. Bottom pole elements make supports for entire engine module and interact with appropriate supports of spaceship, boost unit or stage.

EFFECT: reduced weight.

5 cl, 5 dwg

Description

The invention relates to rocket and space technology, namely, to the design of propulsion systems for space purposes, as well as to the design of upper stages, designed to bring the payload to the calculated orbit and correct this orbit.

Known rocket booster block containing an oxidizer tank, with a suspension rod truss, a toroidal fuel tank with a supporting rod truss for interfacing with a launch vehicle. The tanks are interconnected by a power structure, which is the upper frame with the oxidizer tank and the lower frame with the fuel tank. Both frames are interconnected by stringers. Moreover, the rod trusses of the oxidizer tank suspension and the payload are supported by the upper frame, and the lower frame interacts with the fuel tank arms and the supporting rod farm (RF patent No. 21553779, IPC B64G 1/00, 1/16, 1/40, publ. 20.04. 2001, bull. No. 11).

A disadvantage of the known design is that the frame of the propulsion system (DE) carries a power load from the total mass of all elements of the DE when exposed to linear accelerations of up to 10 g or more and shock up to 1000 g. Therefore, the frame should ensure the integrity and performance of the entire structure, taking into account the full loads, while it will have a large mass and a large number of power elements: frames, stringers, stiffeners.

Known engine module "Mark II" (Journal of Spacecraft and Rockets, 1982, V.19, No. 5, p. 423-429), consisting of a frame made of frames connected by stringers with stiffeners. On the frame between the end elements of the frames installed tanks connected rod elements with the frame. Automation and control units are fixed on the lower frame of the frame. Four blocks of control engines and correction motors are mounted on external elements attached to the lower frame.

This design is essentially a prototype of the proposed solution, but has the same disadvantages as the analogue, namely, the frame carries the full power load from all elements of the remote control. At the same time, in order to ensure the structural strength, it is necessary to set the cross sections of the frame's power elements, taking into account the maximum possible load of the motor module, including its main components (tanks, engines, cylinders, etc.), taking into account the safety factor of about 1.5.

The task of the invention is to reduce weight by eliminating the frame from the composition of the remote control and, additionally, improving the layout.

The proposed propulsion module of a spacecraft consists of at least two frames, tanks with pole elements for fuel components, high-pressure cylinders, rocket engines, automation and control units. According to the invention, it is proposed that the upper pole elements of the tanks be rigidly connected to the upper frame, while the lower pole elements are the supports of the entire propulsion module, interacting with the corresponding supports, for example, a launch vehicle, an acceleration unit or a spacecraft.

In a preferred embodiment, the module design of the axis of the tanks are inclined to the longitudinal axis of the module, and the upper frame serves as a support for the payload.

Strength and stability of the entire structure can be increased by organizing the connection of the tanks to each other through brackets or damping elements, for example, washers made of rubber or other material.

Additional module assemblies, such as high-pressure cylinders, can be installed in the peripheral zone between the tanks with fuel components and connected to the frames and tanks through intermediate fasteners, such as brackets or couplers.

Automation and control units can be located in the area between tanks and frames, i.e. inside the module.

Rocket engines for controlling the motion of a spacecraft can be located on any fastening elements, or remote control units, for example, on the supports of the propulsion module.

The proposed remote control is shown in the drawings. Figure 1 shows a section of the remote control with four tanks for fuel components along the plane of symmetry. Figure 2 is a top view of this remote control. Figure 3 shows the section of the remote control with stringers connecting the lower and upper frames. Figure 4 shows a section of the remote control asymmetric circuit with three tanks for fuel components. Figure 5 is a top view of this remote control.

The proposed remote control (figure 1, figure 2 and figure 3) consists of a minimum of three tanks 1 for storing fuel components. The tanks are evenly spaced around the longitudinal axis of the remote control and are fixed to the upper pole elements 2, for example, the neck, on the upper frame 3, which is a power support, for example, for a payload (not shown), and rigidly connecting the upper pole elements of the tanks to each other, the lower frame 4, located coaxially with the upper frame in the equatorial zone of the tanks or below it and rigidly connected to the tanks through the bracket 5 (figure 1) or stringers 6 (figure 3) with the upper frame, the lower supports 7 of the entire engine module, w 8 containers, for example, with necks, for example, with necks, on the one hand, and with corresponding supports (not shown) of the spacecraft on the other, high-pressure cylinders 9 located in the peripheral zone of the tanks and connected by connecting 10, 11 and damping 12 elements with tanks and (or) supports for the remote control, automation units and remote control units 13 located in the area between the frames and tanks, corrective (at least one) engines 14 installed on the lower frame in the area of the longitudinal axis of the remote control, and orient engines stations and stabilization 15 located on the fastening elements, for example, the lower supports 7 of the motor module. For reliable fixation of high-pressure cylinders, tanks and additional units can be used connecting elements 11, damping pads 12, connecting elements (tie straps) 10, etc.

The main difference of the proposed propulsion module is that it does not have a power frame, because the power load when exposed to mechanical loads in the process of putting into orbit and other influences on the design of the remote control is distributed between the tanks, the upper frame 3, rigidly fixing the upper zones of the tanks through their pole elements 2, and the body elements of the spacecraft, fixing the lower zones of the containers through the supports of the engine module.

In the present invention, there is a redistribution of external power loads between the structural nodes that perform the role of the frame (shell of the tanks 1, the frame 3 and 4), which significantly reduces the mass of the remote control.

The upper frame 3 is used for additional purposes, namely as a power support of the payload, and the lower frame 4 is used to install at least one correction engine.

To increase the power stability and structural strength of the remote control as a whole, the axis of the tanks should be positioned obliquely to the longitudinal axis of the remote control, and between the tanks should be installed connecting 11 and damping 12 elements, for example, brackets and rubber washers, respectively, on the one hand uniting the tanks into a single power unit, and on the other, damping power loads between the tanks.

So, when the engine module is operating under the conditions of minimal force impact of external loads, for example, during an autonomous flight of the engine module with a payload in the conditions of zero gravity of outer space, the rigidity of the whole structure is ensured by the upper and lower frames. In this case, it is sufficient to install damping elements between the tanks, for example rubber washers.

On the other hand, when the propulsion module is operated under the influence of large power loads, for example, to ensure the operability of the structure during the descent of the device from orbit in the planet’s atmosphere to increase the rigidity of the entire structure, the tanks can be additionally interconnected by brackets located on the surface of the tanks.

The zone between the tanks and the frames is used to place almost all the remote control units and assemblies, which ensures the installation of all the remote control units on the frame before installing the tanks and in this way significantly increases the manufacturability of the remote control assembly as a whole.

High pressure cylinders 9 are located in the peripheral zone of the tanks. Moreover, their fastening is carried out through connecting and intermediate, for example, ties 10, fastening elements with tanks or frames or supports. In addition, the orientation and stabilization engines can easily be placed in any zone of the remote control, for example, on supports 7.

The design of the remote control module allows multiple reassembly, for example, when replacing one of the units, or multiple use of the remote control with the replacement of single-use units.

The required coordinates of the center of mass of the remote control are adjusted by simply moving the tanks and changing their angle of inclination in the mount with the upper frame during assembly of the module, which eliminates the use of spurious masses when centering and adjusting the remote control and its elements.

Essentially, the remote control module is multi-module and allows for multi-tank, multi-cylinder assembly for using the remote control in a spacecraft with different fuel reserves by installing the required number of tanks and cylinders with the same assembly technology and without changing the pneumohydraulic diagram of the remaining units and systems located between the tanks and frames. This provides a high level of unification and survivability, which significantly reduces the range of nodes used and optimizes the production of remote control for spacecraft for various purposes.

Claims (5)

1. The propulsion module of a spacecraft, consisting of at least two frames, tanks with pole elements for fuel components, high-pressure cylinders, rocket engines for orientation and orbit correction, automation and control units, characterized in that the upper pole elements of the tanks are rigidly connected to the upper the frame, and the lower pole elements are the supports of the entire propulsion module, interacting with the corresponding supports of the spacecraft, upper stage or stage. 2. The engine module according to claim 1, characterized in that the axis of the tanks are inclined to the longitudinal axis of the module, and the upper frame is a power support, for example, for a payload. 3. The engine module according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the tanks are in contact with each other through connecting elements, such as brackets and (or) damping washers. 4. The engine module according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the high-pressure cylinders are installed in the peripheral zone of the tanks and interact with them and the frames through connecting fasteners, for example screeds. 5. The engine module according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the components and assemblies of the propulsion system, as well as automation and control units, are located in the zone between the tanks and the frames.

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