RU2454355C1 - Method of launching spaceships by reusable system and system for multiple launching of spaceships - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: transport.

SUBSTANCE: invention relates space engineering, particularly, to devices for reusable spaceship launchers. Proposed method comprises making runway with platform equipped with independent drive, aircraft with space rocket is secured on said runway, and platform with jib is mounted at runway center. Runway represents a ring of high-speed railway with platform made up of electric locomotive. Said platform may rotate around runway center. Main is secured on said jib. Winch is secured on said platform to be displaced radially by cable. Main is connected with cable and to aircraft engines. Container with cable and main laid therein is arranged on said platform. Circular ways with movable carriages are made inside runway and aligned therewith. Cable with main are laid on carriage prior to connection to aircraft. Platform and carriages are accelerated to aircraft take-off speed to start the engines, to take off and run aircraft up to preset altitude. Simultaneously, the length of cable with main is increased with the help of winch. Aircraft is accelerated to preset speed to launch spaceship. Then, aircraft descends on decreasing the length of cable with main. Aircraft is landed on platform moving on runway. Platform and carriages are stopped.

EFFECT: safe launching, increased payload.

4 cl, 7 dwg

Description

The invention relates to rocket and space technology and, in particular, to devices for launching space objects into space.

One of the most important characteristics of rocket systems for launching space objects into space is the cost-effectiveness of launching space objects, the indicator of which is the cost of putting 1 kg of payload into space, which currently amounts to 10 ... 40 thousand US $ [J. “Cosmonautics News” No. 3, 2009, p. 71]. Such a high cost makes it difficult to widely exploit outer space.

A significant reduction in the cost of launching one kilogram of payload into space (up to $ 2000 US) is supposed to be obtained with the help of a reusable aerospace system (MAKS) [Ibid., P. 72], but this estimated cost also remains prohibitive.

The known method of launching space objects into space using a reusable aerospace system (MAKS), consisting of an airplane and a rocket stage mounted on its fuselage, includes horizontal take-off, ascent to a predetermined height (~ 14 km) and acceleration to the maximum possible aircraft speed , vertical take-off and launch into space of a space stage equipped with rocket engines [J. “Cosmonautics News” No. 3, 2009, p. 72].

There is also known a device for the re-launching into space of space objects containing an airplane, on the fuselage of which a space stage equipped with rocket engines is fixed [Ibid.].

The method is implemented as follows. An airplane with a space-rocket stage mounted on its fuselage is displayed on the runway. The aircraft engines start. The aircraft accelerates, takes off, rises to a height of 13-14 km and accelerates to the estimated speed, upon reaching which rocket engines of the rocket and space stage are launched and it is sent to outer space. After disconnecting the space rocket, the plane goes to the runway.

When modern planes take off, to create enough lift for takeoff and landing, a large wing area is required, which depends on takeoff and landing speed (the higher the takeoff speed, the smaller the wing area is needed). Large wings have a large weight, which negatively affects the weight characteristics of the aircraft. So, for example, the take-off speed of an IL 76 airplane is approximately 270 km / h (see Internet). This speed is limited by the technical capabilities of the chassis, the need for an unjustified increase in engine power, etc., at the same time, the speed of railway trains can reach a speed of 560-580 km / h [Wikipedia. High-speed railway]. Low take-off and landing speeds of aircraft used to implement the known method, in this regard, are a disadvantage of the known method.

The disadvantages of this method should also include the presence on the plane of the chassis, which in flight becomes ballast. On an airplane, such as, for example, IL 76, the weight of the landing gear can be several tons. The presence of an airplane landing gear thereby worsens the economic performance of the known method.

When an airplane is flying, fuel is consumed not only for raising the space rocket stage and the aircraft, but also for raising the fuel and tanks stored on board the aircraft for its placement, which inevitably affects the cost of launching payload into space. This is also a disadvantage of the known method.

The technical problem solved by the invention is to develop methods and systems for the reusable launch of space objects into space, providing a lower cost of the launch of these objects into space.

This is achieved by the fact that in the method of repeatedly launching space objects into space using a system for repeatedly launching space objects into space, consisting of an aircraft equipped with, for example, air-screw engines, equipped with rocket and rocket engines equipped with rocket engines, including launching - a runway (runway), takeoff run of an aircraft along a runway, take-off and rise to a given height and acceleration to a given speed, launch of rocket engines of a rocket stage and its launch into space, as well as landing the aircraft on the runway, according to the invention, before the start of the aircraft, an annular runway is made, a platform equipped with an autonomous drive is installed on it, the chassis of the aircraft is dismantled and it is placed together with the space-rocket stage on the platform, the platform is accelerated to a speed sufficient for take-off of the aircraft, after which they start the aircraft’s engines, take off, lift the aircraft to a predetermined height, accelerate to a predetermined speed, launch the space-rocket stage, and after launching the space-rocket At the first stage, the aircraft is landing on the same platform, moving along the circular runway with the location and speed necessary for landing the aircraft, after which the platform is stopped. In addition, an annular runway and a platform equipped with an autonomous drive are performed similarly to a railway and a train moving along it, for example, an electric train.

This is also achieved by the fact that in the method of launching space objects into space using a reusable system consisting of a plane equipped with, for example, air-screw engines, a space-rocket stage equipped with rocket engines, including the production of a runway (runway) , takeoff run of an airplane along a runway, take-off and rise to a given height, acceleration to a given speed, launching rocket engines of a rocket stage, going out into space and landing an airplane according to the invention before launch m aircraft manufactured annular runway, then the center ring coaxial with the runway on the earth's surface is fixed rotatably with a raised platform above the ground the boom and secured at its end roller. A winch and a container with a cable laid in it and a trunk attached to it for supplying an energy carrier (for example, electricity or kerosene) to the aircraft are placed on the site. After that, the front end of the cable (together with the main line) is passed through the winch and the roller mounted on the boom (along with the main line) and brought to the runway, after which an airplane with a space-rocket stage fixed to it is installed on the runway, the front end of the cable is attached to the aircraft, and the front end of the main directly to the aircraft engines. Then they turn on the supply of energy to the aircraft’s engines, launch these engines, take off the aircraft and fly it along a circular path with a gradual increase to the specified dimensions of the cable length, trajectory diameter, and also the flight altitude. When the aircraft reaches the specified altitude and flight speed, rocket engines are launched and the rocket stage is sent into space, and the plane is directed along the circular path to the runway, gradually reducing the length of the front part of the cable and the main line, and landing on the runway. In addition, before joining the aircraft, the cable, it and the trunk are laid on movable bogies installed radially on the ring tracks located inside the runway, which are moved along the ring tracks synchronously with it until the aircraft takes off.

This is also achieved by the fact that in a system for multiple space launch of space objects, including a runway (runway), an aircraft mounted on it, with a rocket and space stage equipped with liquid rocket engines (LRE) mounted on its fuselage, according to the invention, a takeoff - The landing strip (runway) is made in the form of a ring with a platform mounted on it equipped with an independent drive, on which an airplane with a rocket and space stage mounted on it is laid with a dismantled chassis. In the center of the runway, it is coaxially mounted with it so that it can rotate around this center with a boom raised above the earth’s surface, a roller mounted on the end, and a winch placed on the platform and a container with a cable laid in it with a highway attached to it for feeding into aircraft engines energy carrier. The front end of the cable (together with the highway) is passed through a winch and a roller and mounted on an airplane. The rear end of the highway is connected through a channel made on the axis of the site to an energy source located on the ground (the channel and energy source are not shown in the figure).

To provide the aircraft with high takeoff and landing speed, the runway is made in the form of a high-speed railway, and the platform is made in the form of a train, for example, an electric train (electric locomotive).

The rear end of the line is connected (when, for example, kerosene is supplied) to a pump fixed on the site, the input of which through the channel on the site axis, in turn, is connected to a tank with liquid fuel installed below the earth's surface.

To prevent friction on the ground of the cable and highway, several circular tracks are made coaxially with the inside of the annular runway with trolleys mounted on them on the same radial line with autonomous drives on which the front parts of the cable and highway are laid.

To reduce the weight of the aircraft, the main line for supplying energy is connected directly to the engines of the aircraft, while the aircraft is made without fuel tanks.

To reduce the aerodynamic drag and weight of the cable and the trunk, as well as to reduce the cost of energy consumed when starting up, electric motors are used in the engines of the aircraft as drives for propulsors, for example, propellers.

In addition, to reduce aerodynamic drag and create lift, the cable and trunk are placed in a sheath with a cross section in the form of a cross section of an airplane wing with geometric parameters corresponding to the circumferential flight speed of each section. The shell is made of elastic porous material.

To prevent displacement of the platform (aircraft) in the radial direction under the influence of centrifugal forces, the forming runway is made at an angle to the horizontal and is inclined to the axis of symmetry of the runway.

Figure 1 shows a view of the system in plan. Figure 2 shows a view along arrow A (figure 1). Figure 3 shows a view in section 1-1 (figure 1). Figure 4 shows a plan view of the system in the case of supplying energy to the aircraft engines directly from the earth's surface. Figure 5 shows a view of this system in section 2-2. Figure 6 shows a view in section 3-3. Figure 7 shows a plan view of the system for the case when an aircraft is installed on the platform in the system and a trunk is connected to its engines to supply energy directly from the ground.

The system shown in FIGS. 1-7 contains an annular runway 1 on which a platform 2 is equipped with an autonomous drive. Platform 2 in this case performs the function of a chassis. To ensure high take-off and landing speed, the runway is made similar to a railway, and the platform that performs the function of the chassis is similar to an electric locomotive.

In this case, the aircraft 3 is fixed to the platform, and in turn, the space rocket stage 4 is attached to it. In this case, to reduce the mass of the aircraft, it is used without traditional wheeled chassis. In the center of the runway 1, a platform 5 is mounted coaxially with it for rotation, with an arrow 6 raised above the earth's surface and a roller 7 fixed at its end. The arrow is needed to raise the front of the cable with the trunk attached to it above the earth's surface (for moderate tension and warning friction on the ground). A winch 8 is mounted on the platform and a container 9 is installed. The winch is designed for the controlled supply (with a certain tension force) of the cable 10 with line 11 to the plane when the plane gains height and feeds them into container 9 when the plane returns to the runway. A cable 10 with a trunk 11 is attached to the container. The trunk is intended for supplying energy carriers to the aircraft engines with its help (electricity, hydrocarbon fuel, hydrogen, etc. can be used as the energy carrier on the aircraft). The cable 10 serves as a power element ensuring the integrity of the line 11. The energy carrier is transferred from fixed sources on the ground to the aircraft through a node 12 fixed on the site 5. If a liquid fuel is supplied to the aircraft, a pump can be used as node 12 (in the figures not shown is a channel made on the axis of the site through which liquid fuel is supplied to the pump and a container with this fuel). To reduce drag, the cable 10 and trunk 11 are placed in the shell 13 with a streamlined cross section and a profile similar to the profile of the wing of an aircraft. Such a profile creates a lifting force by means of which the sag of the cable 10 and the line 11 in flight is removed. Since the peripheral velocity of the shell is variable in length, its profile in each section must also correspond to this speed. To make the shell light and flexible, it can be made of durable porous material.

To reduce the tension of the cable in the area between the platform and the aircraft when it is on the ground, it, along with the highway, is laid on carts 14 equipped with autonomous drives, which are installed in a straight line between platform 5 and the plane on tracks 15 coaxially with the runway.

In the invention, the energy carrier is supplied via line 11 directly from the earth to the engines. In this embodiment, it is not necessary to install tanks and store fuel on the aircraft, which significantly reduces the flight mass of the aircraft and increases the efficiency of the system in question.

In the proposed method and the system implementing it, the runway is made in the form of a ring (infinite). In this case, the aircraft can scatter along it and land on it at any practically achievable maximum speed and for as long as necessary without fear that the runway will end. This will allow, thanks to the large take-off and landing speed, to minimize the area of the wings of the aircraft and, accordingly, their weight and the total weight of the aircraft, and due to the infinity of the runway, to increase flight safety.

The system works as follows.

On a runway 1 made in the form of a closed ring, a platform 2 is installed. A plane 3 is placed on platform 2 and the space-rocket stage 4 is fixed on it. The aircraft and space-rocket stage tanks are filled with fuel components. On a take-off command, the aircraft engines are started, and after they are ready to take off, they accelerate platform 2. When the platform reaches take-off speed, aircraft 3 is sent to climb. When the aircraft reaches the set speed and altitude, the space rocket is launched, and the plane is sent to runway 1. At the same time, platform 2 is accelerated to the landing speed set by the flight program and stabilized. The aircraft is placed in the air strictly above the platform and gently lower it onto the platform. After fixing it on the platform, the aircraft engines are turned off and the platform is gently stopped.

If used in an airplane system with fuel from the ground directly to the aircraft engines, the system operates as follows.

On a runway 1 made in the form of a closed ring (see FIG. 4), an airplane 3 is installed and a space rocket stage 4 is fixed on it. A cable 10 is attached to the aircraft and the highway 11 directly to the aircraft engines 3. The components of the rocket and space stage are filled with 4 components fuel. Upon a take-off command, pump 12 feeds energy carrier, such as kerosene, directly to the aircraft’s engines via the line 11, starts the engines and, after they are ready to take off, accelerate the aircraft 3. At the same time, the trucks 14 are launched simultaneously with the aircraft. When the aircraft reaches 3 take-off speed , it is lifted and guided along an annular path to climb with a gradual (smooth) increase in the radius of the flight path. At the same time, with the help of a winch 8, the length of the part of the cable 10 docked to the plane and the highway 11 attached to it are increased. When the plane 3 reaches the set flight speed and altitude, they launch the space-rocket stage 4, direct it into space, and direct the plane along a circular path to Runway 1, gradually decreasing the length of the cable 10 and highway 11 as the winch 8 decreases. Aircraft 3 is slowly lowered onto runway 1. The trucks 14 are placed under the cable in accordance with its projection on a horizontal plane. After the aircraft lands, it is stopped smoothly and carts 14 are simultaneously stopped with it.

Shown in figure 1, it is advisable to supplement the site for supplying fuel directly to the engines of the aircraft 3, as shown in figure 4. Such an embodiment of the system is shown in Fig.7. In this embodiment, the system operates similarly to the system shown in FIG. 4, except that plane 3 lands and takes off on a moving platform, as shown in FIG. 1, and not on the runway. This option provides the lowest possible cost of launching space objects into space.

The proposed method for the multiple launching of space objects into space and the system for its implementation provide a low cost of launching objects into space, and allow increasing the mass of payload that is brought into space with the same mass of the vehicle lifted into the air. This also increases the safety of launches.

Claims (4)

1. The method of re-launching space objects into space, including the creation of a runway landing platform (WFP) made in the form of a closed ring with an autonomous drive equipped on it, fixing it on an airplane platform with a dismantled landing gear and an attached space rocket stage, establishing in the center of the runway with the possibility of rotation around this center of the site with an arrow raised above the earth's surface, at the end of which a roller is mounted with a roller passed through it and connected to the engine the pit of the aircraft with a mains for supplying energy, characterized in that the annular runway is made in the form of a high-speed railway with a platform in the form of an electric locomotive, a winch is mounted on the platform installed in the center of the runway to move in the radial direction with its cable, a container with in it, with a cable and a highway attached to it for supplying energy to the aircraft and, in addition, ring tracks are created coaxially with the inside of the runway, with movable tracks installed on them on the same radial line trolleys, on which a cable with a trunk is laid before joining the aircraft, accelerate the platform and simultaneously the trolleys to a speed sufficient for take-off of the aircraft, start the aircraft’s engines, take off, raise the aircraft to a predetermined height, while simultaneously increasing the cable length with the attached winch to it by the mains, accelerate it to a predetermined speed, launch the space-rocket stage, and after launching the space-rocket stage, the aircraft is put into lower mode, while simultaneously decreasing with with the power of a winch, the length of the cable with the trunk attached to it, the plane is planted on a platform moving along an annular runway with the platform location and speed necessary for landing the plane, and the cable with the line is laid on carts moving synchronously with it, and after landing the plane and carts are stopped. 2. A system for re-launching space objects into space, including a take-off and landing runway (Runway) equipped with a closed-ring equipped platform equipped with an independent drive, with a plane laid on the platform with a dismantled landing gear and a space-rocket stage fixed to it, installed in the center of the runway with the possibility of rotation around this center with a platform with an arrow raised above the earth's surface, at the end of which a roller is mounted with a ma passed through it and attached to the aircraft a fuel supply line, characterized in that the runway is made in the form of a high-speed railway with a platform in the form of an electric locomotive, and a winch is placed on the site and a container is installed with a cable laid in it with a highway attached to it for supplying energy carriers to the aircraft engines, the front ends of which passed through the winch and roller and attached to the aircraft and, in addition, several ring tracks are made coaxially with the inside of the annular runway, with autonomous trolleys mounted on them on the same radial line bubbled drives, which are laid front of the cable and line. 3. The system according to claim 2, characterized in that the cable and the trunk are placed in a sheath with a cross section in the form of a cross section of an airplane wing with geometric parameters corresponding to the circumferential flight speed of each section. 4. The system according to claim 3, characterized in that the shell is made of elastic porous material.

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