US2516462A - Double jacket means for feeding two liquids to a rotating combustion chamber - Google Patents

Description

2 sheets-sheet i GODDARD ,l La@ 3l v R. H. DOUBLE JACKET MEANS FOR FEEDING TWO LIQUIDS TO A ROTATING COMBUSTION CHAMBER July 25, 1950 Filved oct. 17, 194s mill so L51 muy u8 H. GODDARD 2,516,462- DoUBLE JACKET MEANS EoR EEEDING Two LIQUIDS To A RoTATING coMBUsTIoN CHAMBER Filed Oct. 17, 1946 July 25, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 E g,101 as V @HUA , VEN 0 AQM' m www Patented July 25.1950

DOUBLE JACKET MEANS FEEDING TWO LIQUIDS T A' ROTATING COMBUSTION CHAMBER Robert H. Goddard, deceased, late of Annapolis, Md., by Esther C. Goddard, executrix, Paxton, Mass., assigner of one-half to The Daniel and Florence Guggenheim Foundation, New York, N. Y., a corporation oi' New York Application October 17, 1946, Serial No. 703,881

3 Claims. (Cl. Gib-35.6)

i This invention relates to combustion chambers having open discharge nozzles and adapted for use in rockets and rocket craft. The invention relates more particularly to combustion chambers mounted to rotate about a longitudinal axis during the operation of the chamber.

It is the general object of the invention to improve and simplify the construction shown in the prior Goddard application, which is now Patent No. 2,479,829 issued August 23, 1949.

Another feature of the invention relates to the provision of improved sealing means for the combustion liquid connections.

The invention further relates to arrangements and combinations of parts which will be hereinafter described and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

Preferred forms of the invention are shown in the drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a front elevation, partly in section, of the improved combustion chamber;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged partial sectional front elevation of the improved sealing means;

Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of a portion of a sealing disc;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view of certain parts shown inFig. l;

Fig. 5 is a partialsectional end view, taken alongthe line 5-5 in Fig. l;

Fig. 6 is a sectional front elevation of a' modified sealing construction;

Fig. l is a side elevation oi' a sealing disc;

Fig. 8 is a partial perspective view of a modified disc construction; and

Fig. 9 is a transverse section of a portion of the sealing disc shown in Fig. 8.

Referring to Fig. 1, a rotatable combustion chamber C and nozzle N are shown mounted in bearings l0 and il and provided with a thrust bearing I2. The chamber C is in the form of reversed cones I5 and It, abutting at their largest diameters and provided with axially extending cooling vanes la (Fig. 5) on their outer surfaces. Corresponding vanes I9 are provided for the nozzle N.

The conical portion I6 of the rotating chamber C is provided with inner and outer jacket casings 22 and 24 which define inner and outer jacket spaces S and S. The jacket casings 22 and 2t are extended along the shaft 25 which supports that end of the chamber C which is opposite to the nozzle N. Longitudinally extending vanes 2i and 21 corresponding to the vanes Ilv are provided in the jacket spaces S and S' and asso- 2 ciated partitions 28 and 29 are provided in the jacket space portions alongside the shaft 25.

At their upper ends, the jacket casings 22 and 2| are joined to the chamber wall I6 as shown in Fig. 4, and spray openings 30 and 3| are provided. The inner jacket space S preferablysupplies fuel through the openings 3| in sprays substantially parallel to the axis of the chamber, and the outer jacketed space S' supplies an oxidizing I5 is not reenforced by the pressure of the combustion liquids in the jacket spaces S and S.

Special provision is made for supplying the combustion liquids to the jacket spaces S and S and for preventing leakage from the rotating parts. Y

The liquid fuel is fed under pressure through a pipe 40 (Fig. l) to an annular passage or volute 4l surrounding a. stationary sealing housing 42 which is provided with inwardly extending fixed inner and outer annular discs or partitions 43 and 44 (Fig. 2). Sealing discs 50, 5l, 52 and 53 are mounted within the housing 42 and rotate with the shaft 25. The discs 50, 5| and 52 are mounted on the shaft 25 and the disc 53 is mounted on the inner jacket casing 22.

Each of the rotating Vdiscs is provided with outwardly spiralling ribs 60 best shown in Fig. 3, and these ribs rotate with relatively close clearances adjacent the stationary partitions 43 and M. The disc 52 (Fig. 2) is provided with a series of ports or openings 62 through which liquid entering the housing 42 from the volute 4| through an annular slot 53a can flow axially into the inner jacket space S.

The outwardly spiralling ribs 60 on the rotating discs 5l and 52 largely prevent leakage from the feeding area between the inner fixed partitions 43. The outer discs 50 and 53 provide supplementary sealing for any liquid which may pass the discs 5| and sz and such nquid is drained off through a discharge pipe (Fig. 1).

A similar housing l0 is provided for the oxidizing liquid and receives said liquid through a feed pipe 1| (Fig. 1). Leakage Ais discharged through a pipe 12. Three rotating ribbed discs M in the housing 'I0 are mounted 'on the inner jacket casing 22 and one disc 15 on the outer housing 1l. The outer disc 'I4 has openings 'Ila (Fig. 2) into 3 the outer jacket space s'. The construction and operation is as previously described.

With this construction, combustion liquids may be delivered under pressure but without wasteful leakage through the jacket spaces 8 and 8' and the use of stuffing boxes or other mechanical packing is avoided,

Angularly disposed compressed air nozzles II (Fig. 1) may coact with the external vanes Il to start rotation of the combustion chamber, and rotation may be maintained by suitable means, which, however, forms-no part of the present invention.

The partitions 2l and 2l (Fig. 2) strengthen and support the cylindrical portions of the jacket casings 22 and 24 and deilne passages along which the combustion liquids ilow to the conical jacket spaces S and S'.

Having been thus described, the invention is not to be limites te the details herein disclosed, otherwise than as set forth in the claims, but what is claimed is:

1. A rotating combustion chamber having two opposed conical portions both coaxial with the axis of rotation of said chamber and abutting at their sections of greatest diameter, an axial discharge nozzle for one conical portion, a coaxial double jacket substantially enclosing the other conical portion and having inner and outer jacket spaces, means to feed separate combustion liquids to said inner and outer jacket spaces, and associated spray openings from said Jacket spaces to said combustion chamber.

2. A rotating combustionl chamber having opposed conical portions, a discharge nozzle for one Q conical portion, a double jacket for the other A modified sealing construction is shown in Fig. 6, in which a fixed housing 90 surrounds the shaft 8| which supports a rotating combustion chamber, not shown. A feed pipe I2 delivers liquid under pressure to the `housing l0, which housing is provided with enlarged sealing portions I3 and 94 at each side thereof.

A disc 95 is mounted on the shaft 9| and rotates in the housing portion 93, and a similar disc 96 rotates in the housing portion $4. Each disc l and 9i is provided with radial varies lill on its outer face, which vanes rotate with limited clearance relative to the periphery and to the outside end wall of each housing 93 and $4. The inner side walls of the housings are provided with fixed radial vanes IUI which extend adjacent the inside faces of the rotating discs 95 and 96. The

'disc 95 has a plurality of ports or openings il:

adjacent the shaft 9|, so that liquid from the housing. may ow through the disc $5 to the jacket space S2 between the shaft ll and an inner jacket casing |04. Fig. 7 shows a side eievation of the rotating disc $6 with its radially extending vanes |00.

In Fig. 8, a similar disc H0 is shown, provided with vanes H2. The vanes Ill are tapered to provide relatively narrow points adjacent the fixed housing. The viscous drag of the liquid'at highA speed rotation is thereby reduced. The vanes H2 are preferably provided with fillets at their bases `as shown in Fig. 9 for increased strength.

It will be understood that the feeding and sealing structure shown in Fig. 6 may be duplicated as in Fig. 1. i

p to feed a second liquid to an outer jacket space,

conical portion having innerand outer jacket spaces. means to feed separate combustion liquids to said inner and outer jacket spaces. and associated spray openings from said jacket spaces to said combustion chamber, said openings being substantially atl the points of greatest radius of said jacket spaces.

3. A rotating combustion chamber having opposed conical portions, a discharge nozzle for one conical portion, a double jacket for the other conical portion having inner and outer jacket spaces, means to feed separate combustion liquids to said inner and outer `jacket spaces, and associated spray openings from said jacket spaces to said combustion chamber, said openings being substantially at the points of greatest radius of said jacket spaces but being substantially spaced y inward from the point of greatest radius of the combustion chamber.

ESTHER. C. GODDARD,

Number Name Date 2,127,865 Goddard Aug. 23,- 1938 2,407,852 Smith Sept. 17,1946

. FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date Austria Mar. 26. 1901

Images