US3570249A

US3570249A - Method of operating a rocket combustion chamber and combustion chamber system for performing the method

Info

Publication number: US3570249A
Application number: US853157A
Authority: US
Inventors: Werner Baum; German Munding
Original assignee: Messerschmitt Bolkow Blohm AG
Current assignee: Airbus Defence and Space GmbH
Priority date: 1968-08-24
Filing date: 1969-08-26
Publication date: 1971-03-16
Anticipated expiration: 1988-03-16
Also published as: DE1751962C2; DE1751962B1

Abstract

A METHOD OF OPERATING A ROCKET COMBUSTION CHAMBER WITH HYPERGOLIC PROPELLANTS, INCLUDING AT LEAST ONE LIQUID FUEL, OR AT LEAST ONE LIQUID OXIDIZER, COMRISES UTILIZING JET PUMPS TO SUPPLY THE PROPELLANTS TO THE COMBUSTION CHAMBER. THE JET PUMPS ARE OPERATED BY THE CATALYTIC DECOMPOSITION PRODUCTS OF MONERGOLS, THESE DECOMPOSITION PRODUCTS TAKING PART IN THE COMBUSTION CHAMBER REACTION. A PROPELLANT SUPPLY SYSTEM AND A COMBUSTION CHAMBER SYSTEM ARE PROVIDED FOR PERFORMING THE METHOD. A SOLID FUEL OR A SOLID OXIDIZER MAY BE USED, IN A KNOWN MANNER, IN PLACE OF THE LIQUID FUEL OR LIQUID OXIDIZER.

Description

March 16, 1971 w. BAUM ET AL 3,570,249

METHOD OF OPERATING A ROCKET COMBUSTION CHAMBER AND COMBUSTION CHAMBER SYSTEM FOR PERFORMING THE METHOD Filed Aug. 26, 1969 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fig.1

INVENTORS Werner Baum German Munchng March 16, 1971 w, BAUM ET AL 3,570,249

METHOD OF OPERATING A ROCKET COMBUSTION CHAMBER AND UIVJHL IIONv CHAMBER SYSTEM FOR PERFORMING THE METHOD Filed Aug. 26, 1969 4 Shoots-Shoot :3

INVENTORS Werner Baum German Munding March 16, 1971 w. BAUM ET'AL 3,570,249

METHOD OF OPERATING A ROCKET COMBUSTION CHAMBER AND COMBUSTION CHAMBER SYSTEM FOR PERFORMING THE METHOD Filed Aug. 26, 1969 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTORS Werner Ba um German Mundmg March 16, 1971 w, M ETAL 3,570,249

METHOD OF OPERATING A ROOKET COMBUSTION CHAMBER AND COMBUSTION CHAMBER SYSTEM FOR PERFORMING THE METHOD Filed Aug. 26, 1969 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 mvrsmops Werner Ba m German Mundmg United States Patent Oihce 3,570,249 METHOD OF OPERATING A ROCKET COMBUS- TION CHAMBER AND COMBUSTION CHAMBER SYSTEM FOR PERFORMING THE METHOD Werner Baum, Frankenbach, and German Munding, Bad

Friedrichshall, Germany, assignors t Messerschmitt- Bolkow-Blohm Gesellschaft mit beschrankter Haftung, Munich, Germany Filed Aug. 26, 1969, Ser. No. 853,157 Int. Cl. F02k 9/02 U.S. Cl. 60259 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A method of operating a rocket combustion chamber with hypergolic propellants, including at least one liquid fuel, or at least one liquid oxidizer, comprises utilizing jet pumps to supply the propellants to the combustion chamber. The jet pumps are operated by the catalytic decomposition products of monergols, these decomposition products taking part in the combustion chamber reaction. A propellant supply system and a combustion chamber system are provided for performing the method. A solid fuel or a solid oxidizer may be used, in a known manner, in place of the liquid fuel or liquid oxidizer.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Liquid fuel rocket engines are complicated and expensive to design and manufacture. The propellant system, meaning the storage of the propellant inside the missile, feeding of the propellant to the combustion chamber and introduction of the propellant into the latter, account for a considerable portion of the production costs. The liquid propellants are stored in containers and introduced into the combustion chamber directly by means of pressure gas, or indirectly with the interposition of displacer pistons or by centrifugal pumps, through the injection system.

Feeding arrangements using pressure gas require not only voluminous fittings, but also thick-walled containers and pipes, and these requirements lead to functionally complicated and susceptible systems, as well as systems which are diflicult to construct. Feeding of propellants with centrifugal pumps likewise presents difficulties in many respects, because the pumps, in order to save weight, are designed for maximum output and, in addition, are technologically highly stressed by the chemical aggressiveness of the propellants. Furthermore, the pump bearings, which are very difiicult to design, and their cooling and protection against reaction gases, also play an important role. Additionally, power losses, in the form of the unavoidable residual energies still contained in the exhaust gases of the turbine appear in the rocket process, due to the pump driving turbines running on induction current, as a rule.

An additional disadvantage is that these centrifugal pumps, running at high speed, cause relatively high gyroscopic couples in adjustments of the flight position, and these must be taken into consideration.

In rocket engines having a pump feed, which are provided for disconnection and re-ignition, for space missiles, the exact determination of the operating points, such as the starting point and the end of operation, is extremely difiicult, due to the inertia of the rotating masses of the pumps.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to the operation of rocket combustion chambers with hypergolic propellants and, more particularly, to a novel and improved method of operat- 3,570,249 Patented Mar. 16, 1971 ing a rocket combustion chamber with hypergolic propellants and to a novel and improved propellant supply system and combustion chamber system for performing the method.

The objective of the invention is to eliminate the disadvantages of known rocket combustion chamber operations and to provide a method for the operation of a rocket combustion chamber, as well as a propellant system and a combustion chamber system for performing the method, which are simple to design and manufacture, inexpensive, safe, and light-weight.

In accordance with the invention, these problems are solved by feeding the liquid propellants into the combus tion chambers by means of jet pumps operated from one or several monergols by means of decomposition gases obtained by catalytic decomposition of the monergols, the decomposition products taking part in the combustion chamber reaction process.

In carrying out the invention, in one case, an oxidizer monergol is provided for feeding the fuel liquid propellant and a fuel monergol is provided for feeding the oxidizer liquid propellant. The decomposition gases of these monergols enter into a particularly hypergolic preliminary reaction with the fuel and oxidizer, respectively, which are fed by the decomposition gases. The preliminary reaction mixtures of fuel and oxidizer are then fed to the combustion chamber, after they have been prepared thermally independently of each other, and react with each other fully in the combustion chamber or, at the earliest, during entrance into the combustion chamber.

In accordance with a further feature of the invention, a fuel monergol is provided for feeding the fuel liquid propellant and an oxidizer monergol is provided for feeding the oxidizer liquid propellant. In this embodiment of the invention, the fuel-decomposition gas mixture and the oxidizer-decomposition gas mixture are fed separately to the combustion chamber and react with each other only in the latter or at the earliest during entrance into the combustion chamber.

A further feature of the invention is the production of an additional feeding effect for the liquid propellants, from their respective containers to the jet pumps, through their static underpressure in their containers, by the pressure, particularly only by a partial pressure of the decomposition-gases produced in the catalysts. More specifically, with hypergolity between the oxidizer monergol and the fuel, as well as between the fuel monergol and the oxidizer, the static pressure feed of the fuels by the decomposition gases of the fuel monergol and the static pressure feed of the oxidizers by the decomposition gases of the oxidizer monergol are used.

The invention method and apparatus has numerous advantages including the ability to use thin-walled propellant containers and propellant pipes, since the propel lants proper are fed only by the underpressure or negative pressure of the jet pumps, or additionally only by a low container pressure, produced by the decomposition gases. Compared to the amounts of propellants, only very small amounts of monergol are required and only these very small amounts require a higher, but not too high, gas pressure for feeding thereof to the catalysts. The jet pumps are mechanically simple and inexpensive units, as far as design and manufacture are concerned, and which work extremely safely due to their ruggedness. The conversion of the monergols in the catalysts to decomposition gases represents a practically loss-free and Wear-free energy release and production, which convert the jet pumps, in effect, to heavy duty conveyer machines with a high unit power in the ratio between the starting product, namely the monergol, and the propellants to be fed, regarding the masses of the two starting products monergol and propellant by the high chemical-mechanicaldynamic translation of the monergol into decomposition gases in the catalyst.

Last but not least, the intensive thermal preparation of the propellants by the transfer of heat from the decomposition gases to the propellants, and by internal heat generation by the preliminary reaction between the decomposition gases and the propellants, to the fuel pumps for the following main reaction process in the combustion chamber proper, also plays a favorable role, particularly insofar as the length of the combustion chamber is reduced. A decisive feature of the present invention resides in the application of these monergols, whose decomposition gases take part actively, after the jet pump operation, in the combustion chamber process by reaction with the propellant components, thus increasing the overall efficiency of the system or resulting in higher efficiency.

In accordance with the further feature of the invention, separate spin chambers, having tangential openings for the individual jet pumps, are arranged in advance of the combustion chamber for the introduction of the preliminary fuel-decomposition gas mixture and the oxidizerdecomposition gas mixture into the combustion chamber. With this arrangement, a considerable extension of the preparation zone is attained, for the preliminary propellant reaction mixtures and propellant decomposition gas mixtures, by the production of a spin current. In addition, a stratified charge is prepared for the combustion chamber proper, in the sense that the specifically heavier and therefore colder portions of the charge are centrifuged radially outwardly toward the combustion chamber wall and perform there the cooling of the combustion chamber wall or contribute to the cooling of the latter.

In order to enhance this tendency, the individual spin chambers, in accordance with the invention, are arranged axially in series, and the individual preliminary propellant reaction mixtures or propellant decomposition gas mixtures are introduced into the individual spin chambers and distributed over the latter with respect to the specific gravity of their propellants, in the sense that the preliminary propellant reaction mixture or the propellant decomposition gas mixture with the propellant having the higher specific gravity, compared to the preliminary propellant reaction mixture or propellant decomposition gasmixture with the propellant having a lower specific gravity, is introduced into the following or subsequent spin chamber. It is further proposed to provide a device by which the spin current of the preliminary propellant reaction mixture or of the propellant decomposition gasmixture of the preceding or first spin chamber is applied to the spin current issuing from the following spin chamber, bridging the following spin chamber.

In order to increase the tendency to enforce a stratified charge in the combustion chamber, it is furthermore possible, when feeding the fuel by means of oxidizer decomposition gases, to operate the jet pump, for feeding the oxidizer, also with oxidizer decomposition gases, in order to obtain higher specific gravities for the radially outer spin current or oxidizer-decomposition gas mixture.

In accordance vsn'th a further feature of the invention, there is arranged, downstream of each jet pump, a diffusor opening into the combustion chamber or into the respective spin chamber, in order to transform flow energy into pressure of the order of the combustion chamber pressure. In order to make the combustion chamber as a whole more compact, it is possible, in accordance with the invention, to design the twist chambers at the same time to form diffusors.

An object of the invention is to provide a method of operating a rocket combustion chamber with hypergolic propellants and free of the disadvantages of known arrangements.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved propellant system and combustion chamber system for a rocket engine using hypergolic propellants.

A further object of the invention is to provide such a method and system in which liquid propellants are de livered into combustion chambers by means of jet pumps.

Another object of the invention is to provide such a method and system in which the jet pumps are operated by one or several monergols, by means of decomposition gases obtained by catalytic decomposition, the decomposition gases also taking part in the combustion chamber reaction process.

A further object of the invention is to provide such a system in which only thin-walled propellant containers and propellant pipes are needed.

Another object of the invention is to provide such a method in which, compared to the amounts of the propellants, only very small amounts of monergol are required.

A further object of the invention is to provide such a method and system including the utilization of separate spin chambers, with tangential openings for individual jet pumps, in advance of the combustion chamber for the introduction of the reaction components into the combus' tion chamber.

Another object of the invention is to provide such a method and system in which a diffusor is arranged between each jet pump and a combustion chamber or spin chamber to transfer flow energy into pressure of the order of the combustion chamber pressure.

For an understanding of the principles of the invention, reference is made to the following description of typical embodiments thereof as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a somewhat diagrammatic illustration of a propellant-combustion chamber system of a rocket engine, embodying the invention;

FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1 illustrating another embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 3 is a somewhat diagrammatic elevation view illustrating a combustion chamber provided with spin chambers, and the adjoining jet pumps, in accordance with the embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 1, but on an enlarged scale;

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 3 but related to the embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view on the line VV of FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 is a sectional view on the line VI-VI of FIG. 4;

FIG. 7 is a transverse sectional view of an auxiilary combustion chamber designed to function as a diffusor;

FIG. 8 is a perspective view, partly broken away, of the auxiliary combustion chamber shown in FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is an elevation view of a combustion chamber, without spin chambers, having two jet pumps connected directly to it; and

FIG. 10 is a view similar to FIG. 9 but illustrating a plurality of jet pumps connected directly to the combustion chamber.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring first to FIGS. 1, 3 and 5, the propellant-combustion chamber system illustrated therein comprises a fuel container 1, an oxidizer container 2, a fuel monergol container 3, an oxidizer monergol container 4, a fuel monergol catalyst 5, an oxidizer monergol catalyst 6, a fuel feed jet pump 7 with a diffuser 8, an oxidizer feed jet pump 9 with a diffusor 10, a combustion chamber 11 with thrust nozzle 12, a first or leading spin chamber 13 and a subsequent spin chamber 14. A fuel feed pipe 15 connects fuel container 1 to jet pump 7, and an oxidzer feed pipe 16 connects oxidizer container 2 to jet pump 9.

Fuel monergol container 3 is connected by a fuel monergol feed pipe 17 with fuel monergol catalyst 5, which, in turn, is connected by a decomposition gas pipe 18 to jet pump 9. Oxidizer monergol container 14 is connected,

by an oxidizer monergol feed pipe 19, with catalyst 6 which, in turn, is connected by a decomposition gas pipe 20 to jet pump 7.

In the embodiment of FIG. 1, a feed pressure pipe or line 21, which is designed inside container 2 as a cooling coil 21a, extends from decomposition gas pipe 20 to oxidizer container 3 in order to reduce the temperature of the decomposition gases. Another feed pipe pressure pipe 22. again designed inside container 1 as a cooling coil 220, extends from decomposition gas pipe 18 to fuel container 1.

Valves

23 and 24 connect

pressure gas sources

25 and 26, respectively, to monergol

containers

3 and 4, respectively, to effect feeding of the monergols to their

respective catalysts

5 and 6.

As best seen in FIG. 5,

diffusors

8 and 10 of

jet pump

7 and 9, respectively, open tangentially into

spin chambers

13 and 14, respectively, and the latter have

respective outlets

27 and 28, as best seen in FIG. 3, of which outlet 28 has a larger area than outlet 27.

The embodiment of the invention shown in FIGS. 1, 3 and 5 operates in a manner which will now be described. After opening

valves

23 and 24, the liquid fuel monergol, stored in container 3', and which may be, for example, N H and the oxidizer monergol stored in container 4, and which may be, for example, H 0 are forced through

feed lines

17 and 19 to their

respective catalysts

5 and 6, where they are decomposed into decomposition gases N NH and H O+O. The decomposition gases operate the respective jet pumps 7 and 9 which aspirate the liquid fuel, for example, kerosene, and liquid oxidizer, for example, N 0 from the respective containers of the latter.

If the feed pressure, or the negative pressure or suction produced in jet pumps 7 and 9, is not sufiicient to overcome the pressure head caused by the arrangement of the two containers 1 and 2, the feed of the two propellants from their

containers

3 and 4 to

jet pumps

7 and 9 is effected by the static pressure of the decomposition gases, which can be reduced and adjusted by throttles in the

feed pressure pipes

21 and 22. A hypergolic preliminary reaction between the reactive portions of the decomposition gases and the fuel and oxidizer propellants takes place in or downstream of the jet pumps. The preliminary propellant-reaction mixtures, with a great excess of propellants, produced in jet pumps 7 and 9, are brought, in

diffusors

8 and 10, to the combustion chamber pressure, and introduced tangentially into the

spin chambers

13 and 14 in which the preliminary reactions are completed.

In

spin chambers

13 and 14, there are formed spin currents in which the media are centrifuged according to their specific gravity, so that the liquid portions fiow radially to the outside and the gaseous portions radially to the inside. The spin currents continue in the

outlets

27 and 28, the inner dimensions of outlet 28 being so dimensioned, with respect to the inner dimensions of outlet 37, that the spin current issuing from outlet 27 strikes in the range of outlet 28 against the spin current rotating inside the latter. Since the preliminary oxidizer reaction mixture is heavier than the preliminary fuel reaction mixture, the Stratified charge is substantially maintained on the wall of combustion chamber '11, the cooler preliminary oxidizer reaction mixture and the mainly cooler oxidizer, respectively, cooling the combustion chamber in front of the extremely hot flame core which represents the end result of the reactions of all propellant-decomposition gas components involved in the combustion chamber process in the form of a known return flow region in the center of the combustion chamber 11.

The embodiment of the invention shown in FIGS. 2, 4 and 6 represents a variation of the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1, 3 and 5. In this variation, and by means of jet pump 7a, feed of the liquid fuel is effected by fuel decomposition gases, so that no preliminary reaction occurs in or downstream of jet pump 7a but only a thermal workup of the liquid fuel by the heat of the decomposition gases. The same holds true for the oxidizer side. Here the liquid oxidizer is supplied, through jet pump 9a, by oxidizer de- 6 composition gases, so that no preliminary reaction occurs in or downstream of jet pump 9a but only a thermal workup of the liquid oxidizer. The chemical reaction between the individual propellant-decomposition gas mixtures occur only in the combustion chamber 11 proper.

As shown in FIG. 1, a branch pipe 19a extends from oxidizer monergol feed pipe 19 to catalyst 5, so that, in this case, catalyst 5 is also supplied with oxidizer monergol, thus saving the fuel monergol, and no preliminary reaction takes place in or downstream of jet pump 9. This provision has the effect, for combustion chamber 11, that the radially outer or bottom layer for cooling the combustion chamber wall, is increased, because the portion of liquid remains greater. In order to avoid direct contact between the fuel and the oxygen monergol decomposition gases in the fuel container, an elastic partition can be installed.

As indicated in FIGS. 5 and 6, two or more jet pumps 7 or 7a can be connected to auxiliary combustion chamber 13, and two or more jet pumps 9 or 9a can be connected to auxiliary combustion chamber 14.

Referring to FIGS. 7 and 8, and utilizing spin chamber 13 as an example, the

spin chambers

13 and 14 can be designed to function, at the same time, as diffusors. Jet pump 9 is connected directly to auxiliary combustion chamber 13 and, from this connection, a spiral partition extends to outlet 27. In addition, the bottom of spin chamber 13 can slope downwardly in order to increase the efficiency of the diffusor.

In the arrangement shown in FIG. 9, two

jet pumps

7 and 9, or 7a and 9a, are connected directly to combustion chamber 11, or connected through diffusors to the combustion chamber, and these jet pumps are arranged in impinging relation. As illustrated in FIG. 10, several pairs of jet pumps 7 and 9, or 7a and 9a, are connected to combustion chamber 11 in impinging relation, either directly or through diffusors.

Within the scope of the invention, it is possible to use, instead of the liquid fuel or fuels, at least one solid fuel, for example in the form of a combustion chamber lining, together with the liquid oxidizer and a liquid fuel or oxidizer-monergol, or instead of the liquid oxidizer or oxidizers, at least one solid oxidizer in combination with a liquid fuel and a liquid fuel or oxidizer monergol.

While specific embodiments of the invention have been shown and described in detail to illustrate the application of the principles of the invention, it will be understood that the invention may be embodied otherwise without departing from such principles.

What is claimed is:

1. A method of operating a rocket combustion chamber with hypergolic propellants including at least one component selected from the class consisting of liquid fuels and liquid oxidizers, said method comprising the steps of connecting jet pumps, discharging into the combustion chamber, to supplies of hypergolic propellants; catalytically decomposing at least one monergol to form decomposition products taking part in the combustion chamber reaction; and supplying the decomposition products to the jet pumps as the pump operating fluids to aspirate the hypergolic propellants into the jet pumps.

2. A method of operating a rocket combustion chamber, as claimed in claim 1, including the step of using an oxidizer monergol to provide the decomposition products for aspirating the fuel liquid propellant and using a fuel monergol to provide the decomposition products for aspirating the oxidizer liquid propellant; the decomposition gases of the oxidizer monergol undergoing a hypergolic preliminary reaction with the fuel liquid propellant, and the decomposition gases of the fuel monergol undergoing a hypergolic preliminary reaction with the oxidizer liquid propellant; and feeding the preliminary reaction mixtures separately to the combustion chamber for complete reaction not earlier than during entrance into the combustion chamber.

3. A method of operating a rocket combustion chamber, as claimed in claim 1, including the step of utilizing a fuel monergol to provide the decomposition products for aspirating the fuel liquid propellant, and utilizing an oxidizer monergol for providing the decomposition products for aspirating the oxidizer liquid propellant; and feeding the fuel-decomposition gas mixture and the oxidizer-decomposition mixture separately to the combustion chamber for a complete reaction with each other not earlier than during entrance into the combustion chamber.

4. A method of operating a rocket combustion chamber, as claimed in claim 1, including the step of using an oxidizer monergol to provide the decomposition products for aspirating the fuel liquid propellant, and using an oxidizer monergol for providing the decomposition products for aspirating the oxidizer liquid propellant; the decomposition gases forming, with the fuel propellant, a preliminary fuel-reaction mixture and, with the oxidizer, an oxidizer-decomposition gas mixture; and feeding said preliminary fuel-reaction mixture and said oxidizer-decomposition gas mixture separately to the combustion chamber for complete reaction not earlier than during entrance into the combustion chamber.

5. A method of operating a rocket combustion chamber, as claimed in claim 1, including utilizing the partial pressure of the decomposition gases produced by the catalytic decomposition of monergols to increase the static pressure on the liquid propellants to effect an additional feeding effect for the liquid propellants.

6. A method of operating a rocket combustion chamber, as claimed in claim 5, including the step of increasing the static pressure on the fuel liquid propellant by the partial pressure of the decomposition gases of a fuel monergol; and increasing the partial pressure on the oxidizer liquid propellant by the partial pressure of the decomposition gases of an oxidizer monergol.

7. A method of operating a rocket combustion chamber, as claimed in claim 1, in which said hypergolic propellants include at least one component selected from the class consisting of solid fuels and solid oxidizers.

8. A propellant and combustion chamber system for a rocket engine operated with hypergolic propellants comprising, in combination, a combustion chamber; jet pumps, discharging into said combustion chamber, and connected to supplies of hypergolic propellants; catalyst means connected to a supply of at least one monergol and operable to decompose the monergol to form decomposition products taking part in the combustion chamber reaction; and means connecting said catalyst means to said jet pumps to supply the decomposition products to said jet pumps as the pump operating fluids to aspirate the hypergolic propellants into said jet pumps.

9. A propellant and combustion chamber system for rocket engines, as claimed in claim 8, including a first container containing a fuel propellant; a second container containing an oxidizer propellant; said jet pumps including a first jet pump connected to said first container and a second jet pump connected to said second container; at third container containing a fuel monergol; a fourth container containing an oxidizer monergol; said catalyst means comprising respective catalysts each connecting one of said third and fourth containers to a selected one of said first and second jet pumps.

10. A propellant and combustion chamber system for rocket engines, as claimed in claim 9, including separate spin chambers discharging into said combustion chamber; said first jet pump discharging tangentially into one of said spin chambers and said second jet jump discharging tangentially into the other of said spin chambers; whereby the individual preliminary fuel-decomposition gas mixture and oxidizer-decomposition gas mixture are introduced separately into said combustion chamber through the respective spin chambers.

11. A propellant and combustion chamber system for rocket engines, as claimed in claim 10, in which said spin chambers are arranged coaxially in series; and means operable to direct the spin current issuing from the leading spin chamber on the spin current issuing from the succeeding spin chamber, bridging the succeeding spin chamber.

12. A propellant and combustion chamber system for rocket engines, as claimed in claim 11, in which each spin chamber has a circular cross section outlet; the outlet of the succeeding spin chamber having a larger diameter than the outlet of the leading spin chamber so that the spin current issuing from the leading spin chamber strikes against the spin current of the succeeding spin chamber only in the range of the outlet of the latter.

13. A propellant and combustion chamber system for rocket engines, as claimed in claim 12, in which each of said spin chamber outlets is cylindrical.

14. A propellant and combustion chamber system for rocket engines, as claimed in claim 12, in which each of said spin chamber outlets is conical.

15. A propellant and combustion chamber system for rocket engines, as claimed in claim 11, in which the respective propellant-decomposition product mixtures are introduced into the respective spin chambers distributed over the latter in accordance with the specific gravity of the respective propellants, in a manner such that the propellant-decomposition gas mixture containing a propellant with the higher specific gravity is introduced into said succeeding spin chamber.

16. A propellant and combustion chamber system for rocket engines, as claimed in claim 8, including respective diffusors connected between each jet pump and said combustion chamber to convert flow energy into combustion chamber pressure.

17. A propellant and combustion chamber system for rocket engines, as claimed in claim 10, including respective diffusors eaoh connecting a respective jet pump to a respective spin chamber in order to convert fiow energy into combustion chamber pressure.

18. A propellant and combustion chamber system for rocket engines, as claimed in claim 10, in which each of said spin chambers is designed as a ditfusor to convert flow energy into combustion chamber pressure.

19. A propellant and combustion chamber system for rocket engines, as claimed in claim 18, in which each of said spin chambers includes a spiral partition extending from the respective jet pump discharge to the spin chamber outlet.

20. A propellant and combustion chamber system for rocket engines, as claimed in claim 19, in which the bottom wall of each spin chamber is inclined from the respective jet pump discharge to the respective outlet.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,704,438 3/ 1955 Sheets 60-39.48 3,170,290 2/ 1965 Webb 60-39.48 3,170,295 2/1965 Dryden 60-259 3,200,583 8/1965 Sobey 60259 3,272,770 9/ 1966 Lundahl 60-215 3,336,750 8/1967 Beckman 6039.48 3,372,543 3/1968 Baker -5 60--39.74 3,426,534 2/1969 Murphy 60240 DOUGLAS HART, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R.