42results about "Rocket type power plants" patented technology

A solar thermal powered aircraft powered by heat energy from the sun. A Rankine-Brayton hybrid cycle heat engine is carried by the aircraft body for producing power for a propulsion mechanism, such as a propeller or other mechanism for enabling sustained free flight. The Rankine-Brayton engine has a thermal battery, preferably containing a lithium-hydride and lithium mixture, operably connected to it so that heat is supplied from the thermal battery to a working fluid. A solar concentrator, such as reflective parabolic trough, is movably connected to an optically transparent section of the aircraft body for receiving and concentrating solar energy from within the aircraft. Concentrated solar energy is collected by a heat collection and transport conduit, and heat transported to the thermal battery. A solar tracker includes a heliostat for determining optimal alignment with the sun, and a drive motor actuating the solar concentrator into optimal alignment with the sun based on a determination by the heliostat.

A solar thermal powered aircraft powered by heat energy from the sun. A Rankine-Brayton hybrid cycle heat engine is carried by the aircraft body for producing power for a propulsion mechanism, such as a propeller or other mechanism for enabling sustained free flight. The Rankine-Brayton engine has a thermal battery, preferably containing a lithium-hydride and lithium mixture, operably connected to it so that heat is supplied from the thermal battery to a working fluid. A solar concentrator, such as reflective parabolic trough, is movably connected to an optically transparent section of the aircraft body for receiving and concentrating solar energy from within the aircraft. Concentrated solar energy is collected by a heat collection and transport conduit, and heat transported to the thermal battery. A solar tracker includes a heliostat for determining optimal alignment with the sun, and a drive motor actuating the solar concentrator into optimal alignment with the sun based on a determination by the heliostat.

A method is provided for reducing vulnerability to hostile detection of and aggression towards an aircraft. The method includes adapting an aircraft fuselage to form an armored payload bay, wherein the armored payload bay includes a pair of sidewalls and a bottom. The method additionally includes adapting wings of the aircraft to allow the aircraft to be transported within a larger aircraft. For example, the wings could have a fixed wing span that allows the aircraft to transported within a larger aircraft or the wings could be adapted to fold so that the aircraft can transported within a larger aircraft. The method further includes disposing at least one pulse ejector thrust augmentor (PETA) bank within each sidewall. Each PETA bank is oriented such that a thrust exhaust produced is directed down and away from a centerline of the payload bay. Still further, the method includes adapting the bottom of payload bay to allow ingress and egress of cargo.

A high altitude vehicle is brought to a desired altitude above sea-level prior to the transfer of fuel and / or oxidant from an airplane to the high altitude vehicle. The high altitude vehicle may be towed to the desired altitude by a tow airplane or may reach the desired altitude under its own power. At the desired altitude, the high altitude vehicle is connected to the tow airplane via a tow cable. Alternatively, the high altitude vehicle may be mechanically carried by the tow airplane. Fuel and / or oxidant is transferred to the high altitude vehicle from the tow airplane via respective fuel and / or oxidant lines. The high altitude vehicle then separates from the tow airplane and proceeds to high altitude under its own power. The high altitude vehicle weighs less and may have smaller wings than a comparable vehicle configured for self-powered, fully fueled flight from takeoff.

The invention relates to a novel Mars spacecraft combined propulsion system, and relates to the technical field of Mars exploration and Mars spacecraft power. The invention aims to solve the problem that the existing propulsion system needs to carry a large amount of fuel from the earth and cannot meet the full-phase flight mission of a Mars spacecraft. The output ends of an oxidant storage tank and a fuel storage tank are correspondingly connected with the input ends of an oxidant pump and a fuel pump respectively; flow regulating valves are arranged on a pipeline for connecting the oxidant storage tank with the oxidant pump and a pipeline for connecting the fuel storage tank with the fuel pump; the fuels in the oxidant storage tank and the fuel storage tank are delivered to a combustionchamber for combustion through the oxidant pump and the fuel pump respectively, and the tail end of the combustion chamber is connected with the head end of an exhaust nozzle. According to the novel Mars spacecraft combined propulsion system provided by the invention, a propellant required by a spacecraft can be directly prepared by utilizing available resources of Mars.

The present invention relates to a propulsion system for a vehicle. The propulsion system has an airframe integrated hydrocarbon fueled airbreathing engine, such as a ramjet or a scramjet. The propulsion system further has at least one rocket positioned so as to use the aft body contour of the vehicle directly for flow expansion. In a preferred embodiment, a plurality of rockets are arrayed across the width of the engine nozzle.

An apparatus and method for mitigating the shock front of an aerospace plane flying at hypersonic speeds. The invention employs supercooling driven by the cryogenic power of liquid hydrogen, regenerative evaporation of liquid hydrogen or liquid nitrogen and consequential isothermal compression, to usurp the shock front in totality at Mach 1.

A flight capable mobile platform adapted for covert deployment is provided. The mobile platform is additionally adapted to have a reduced vulnerability to hostile detection and aggression. The mobile platform includes a fuselage having a pair of sidewalls and a bottom. The sidewalls and bottom form an armored payload bay. The mobile platform additionally includes a pair of wings connected to the fuselage. The wings have a fixed wingspan constructed such that the mobile platform can be transported by a larger second mobile platform. This allows for the mobile platform to be aerial deployed from the larger second mobile platform. Each of the sidewalls include at least one pulse ejector thrust augmentor (PETA) bank that is canted outward. Therefore, thrust exhaust produced by each PETA bank is directed down and away from a centerline of the payload bay. Furthermore, the bottom of the mobile platform is adapted to allow ingress and egress of cargo, e.g. military troops, from the payload bay.

The present invention relates to a propulsion system for a vehicle. The propulsion system has an airframe integrated hydrocarbon fueled airbreathing engine, such as a ramjet or a scramjet. The propulsion system further has at least one rocket positioned so as to use the aft body contour of the vehicle directly for flow expansion. In a preferred embodiment, a plurality of rockets are arrayed across the width of the engine nozzle.

A high altitude vehicle is brought to a desired altitude above sea-level prior to the transfer of fuel and / or oxidant from an airplane to the high altitude vehicle. The high altitude vehicle may be towed to the desired altitude by a tow airplane or may reach the desired altitude under its own power. At the desired altitude, the high altitude vehicle is connected to the tow airplane via a tow cable. Alternatively, the high altitude vehicle may be mechanically carried by the tow airplane. Fuel and / or oxidant is transferred to the high altitude vehicle from the tow airplane via respective fuel and / or oxidant lines. The high altitude vehicle then separates from the tow airplane and proceeds to high altitude under its own power.

The invention relates to a device for reducing the aerodynamic drag of a vehicle (1) provided with at least one engine (2) including a gas ejection nozzle (3) protruding from the rear of the vehicle fuselage (4) and flaring away from the rear of the vehicle fuselage, characterised in that it comprises at least one member (5) for masking at least a portion of the nozzle, made of a resorptive material (6) that can be eliminated in the nozzle flow once the engine is operating. The invention also relates to a spacecraft including the same.

The embodiment of the invention provides an intercontinental quick arrival transportation system based on rocket power, which is characterized in that the intercontinental quick arrival transportation system adopts a two-stage wing lift type structure and comprises a boosting-stage aircraft and a load-stage aircraft, the booster-level aircraft and the load-level aircraft are powered by liquid rocket engines, and the intercontinental quick arrival transportation system adopts a mode of horizontal takeoff and landing on an airport runway. The boosting-stage aircraft is used for sending the load-stage aircraft to a preset height at a certain speed; the load-level aircraft is loaded with an effective load to carry out intercontinental flight tasks; and the boosting-stage aircraft and the load-stage aircraft independently execute tasks.

An aerospace vehicle that permits horizontal launch and subsequent orbital deployment of a second stage. The vehicle can be returned to Earth for subsequent re-use. Both land-based and water-based launch is disclosed. A rocket propulsion engine is located at the center of gravity of the vehicle and rotates to provide vertical and horizontal thrust.