US3143856A - Directional control means for rockets or the like - Google Patents

Description

g- 11, 1964 G. F. HAUSMANN 3,143,855

DIRECTIONAL CONTROL MEANS FOR ROCKETS OR THE LIKE Original Filed June 8, 1961 ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,143,856 DIRECTIONAL CONTROL MEANS FOR ROCKETS OR THE LIKE George F. Hausmann, Glastonbury, Conm, assignor to United Aircraft Corporation, East Hartford, Conn, a corporation of Delaware Continuation of application Ser. No. 115,696, June 8, 1961. This application July 30, 1963, Ser. No. 298,791

10 Claims. (Cl. 6035.54)

This application is a continuation of my previous application Serial No. 115,696, filed June 8, 1961, and now abandoned, for Directional Control Means for Rockets or the Like.

This invention relates to a bistable fluid operated valve and nozzle arrangement usable for rocket steering or the like and of the type shown and described in the copending application of Charles Edward Kepler and Robert E. Olson, Serial No. 117,067, entitled Vehicle Steering Means and filed June 14, 1961.

It is the general object of the present invention to improve the thrust efiiciency of at least one nozzle in a valve and nozzle arrangement of the type mentioned.

A more specific object of the invention involves the provision of an expansion surface in combination with a valve and nozzle arrangement of the type referred to, the said surface being acted on by a fluid jet emitted from an exhaust nozzle in the nozzle arrangement in such manner that the thrust provided by the jet is increased.

The drawing shows a preferred embodiment of the invention and such embodiment will be described, but it will be understood that various changes may be made from the construction disclosed, and that the drawing and description are not to be construed as defining or limiting the scope of the invention, the claims forming a part of this specification being relied upon for that purpose.

The single figure of the drawing is a schematic illustration of a valve, nozzle arrangement, and expansion surface constituting a presently preferred embodiment of the invention.

Referring particularly to the drawing, it will be observed that a bistable fluid operated valve indicated generally at 10 comprises a housing means 12 which defines an inlet passageway indicated generally at 14. Also defined by and within the housing means 12 and by a splitter panel 16 are first and second branch passageways 18 and 28. The branch passageways 18 and 20 communicate with the inlet passageway 14 at their inlet ends and they also communicate, at their discharge or exhaust ends, with first and second exhaust nozzles 22 and 24.

The inlet passageway 14 of the valve 10 may be supplied with hot gases or other high pressure fluid from a suitable source not shown, but which may conveniently comprise a combustion chamber in a rocket carrying the valve. Fluid flow at sonic or supersonic velocity is provided for by a short converging section 26 and a diverging section 38 in the valve.

A switching or operating means in the valve 10 comprises first and second switching jets emitted selectively from first and secondopposed control nozzles 28 and 30. Thecontrol nozzles 28 and 30 are shown as being formed integrally with the aforesaid housing means 12 and they have associatedsupply passageways 32 and 34. Thepassageways 32 and 34 are connectible with a source of fluid at high pressure through a control means, not shown, but which is adapted to cause first and second switching jets to be emitted selectively from thenozzles 28 and 30 respectively. The switching jets issue from the nozzles '28 and 30 in a direction transverse to the direction of flow of the fluid stream through the inlet passageway 14. Additionally, it is to be observed that the said inlet passageway is stepped outwardly or sharply divergent at a section 36 immediately adjacent the mouths of thenozzles 28 and 30. The sharply divergent or outwardly stepped section 36 of the inlet passageway contributes to the effective operation of the switching jets in the mannot explained in the aforementioned copending application.

With the inlet passageway and control nozzle arrangement described, a switching jet issuing from the first nozzle 28 will cause the sonic or supersonic main flow stream passing through the inlet passageway to enter and pass through the first branch passageway 18 and the exhaust nozzle 22. There will be substantially no fluid flow through the second branch passageway 20 and such condition will exist even in the absence of a continuing switching jet from the nozzle 28. Thus, a switching jet in the form of a pulse of short duration is effective to switch flow from the second branch passageway 20 to the first branch passageway 18. Conversely, a switching jet in the form of a pulse emitted by thesecond control nozzle 30 will serve to switch flow from the first branch passageway 18 to the second branch passageway 20 and the exhaust nozzle 24. There will be substantially no flow through the first branch passageway 18 and flow will be maintained wholly within the second passageway 20 even in the absence of a continuing jet from thecontrol nozzle 30.

The bistable characteristics of the valve 10 obtain so long as the pressure ratio between the branch passageways 18 and 20 is maintained below a maximum limit. As explained in the aforementioned copending application, atmospheric pressure change is rendered ineffective in the branch passageways 18 and 20 and in the region adjacent the switching jets by the provision of exhaust nozzles which provide for selectively emitted exhaust jets with an angular relationship such that the mouth of an inactive exhaust nozzle is always crossed and blocked by a jet from an active nozzle. This effectively extends the range of operation of the valve as is also explained in the said copending application.

As shown, the first and second exhaust nozzles 22 and 24 are disposed in adjacent relationship and they are angularly arranged with respect to each other to provide for the abovementioned crossing and blocking relationship of their jets. In addition, and in accordance with the invention an expansion surface is provided in operative association with at least one of the exhaust nozzles and a fluid jet emitted thereby. A shallow concave expansion surface 46 shown is operatively associated with the first exhaust nozzle 22 and with a fiuid jet emitted by said nozzle. The surface 46 is so constructed and arranged that the jet from the nozzle 22 reacts on the surface in such manner that its thrust is increased.

While the invention is not so limited, the exhaust nozzle and expansion surface arrangement shown is adapted for use of the jet emitted by the nozzle 24 for direction controlling purposes and for use of the jet emitted by the nozzle 22 merely as an energy conservation means. That is, thrust provided by the jet emitted from the nozzle 22 is utilized to add an increment of axial thrust to a vehicle carrying the valve and nozzle arrangement and to avoid wasting available energy.

Observing that an arrow 62 represents the main thrust axis of a vehicle carrying the valve and nozzle arrangement, it will be seen that a jet emitted from the nozzle 24 is directed laterally with respect to said axis for steering or direction controlling purposes. Further, it will be seen that the nozzle 22 is arranged so that a fluid jet emitted therefrom is initially directed angularly rearwardly and laterally with respect to the thrust axis 62, and is then turned or redirected by the expansion surface 46 substantially into parallelism with the said thrust axis, arrows 6d, 60 representing the modified or redirected course of the jet.

Now, it will be apparent that other forms of expansion surfaces may be utilized to improve thrust efficiency in the manner described and the use of such other forms is within the scope of the invention. However, a maximum improvement in thrust efficiency of a jet emitted from the nozzle 22 is obtained in the embodiment of the invention shown with the expansion surface 45 and, accordingly, the said surface is presently preferred. Similarly, it will be apparent that it is within the scope of the invention to provide for crossing and blocking jets neither of which is adapted to provide for axial thrust and either or both of which may have an associated expansion surface for improved thrust efiiciency.

It is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the specific embodiment herein illustrated and described but may be used in other ways without departure from its spirit as defined by the following claims.

I claim:

1. In a fluid operated valve and nozzle arrangement; the combination of means defining a longitudinally extending inlet fluid passageway and first and second branch fluid passageways communicating with said inlet passageway, first and second opposed transversely extending control nozzles including means to selectively emit first and second control fluid jets to said inlet passageway respectively to direct a fluid stream from said inlet passageway to said first or second branch passageways, first and second exhaust nozzles communicating respectively with said first and second branch passageways to emit first and second thrust producing exhaust jets as determined by said control jets, said exhaust nozzles being arranged angularly with respect to each other so that the jet emitted from each nozzle crosses and blocks the mouth of the other nozzle, and means defining an expansion surface in operative association with at least one of said exhaust nozzles so as to be acted on by a jet emitted from said nozzle in such manner that the thrust produced by the jet is increased.

2. In a fluid operated valve and nozzle arrangement; the combination of means defining a longitudinally extending inlet fluid passageway and first and second branch fluid passageways communicating with said inlet passageway, first and second opposed transversely extending control nozzles including means to selectively emit first and second control fluid jets to said inlet passageway respectively to direct a fiuid stream from said inlet passageway to said first or second branch passageways, first and second exhaust nozzles communicating respectively with said first and second branch passageways to emit first and second thrust producing exhaust jets as determined by said control jets, said exhaust nozzles being arranged angularly with res ect to each other so that the jet emitted from each nozzle crosses and blocks the mouth of the other nozzle, and means defining a shallow concave expansion surface in operative association with at least one of said exhaust nozzles and serving to turn at least a portion of a jet emitted by said nozzle in such manner that the thrust produced by the jet is increased.

3. In a fluid operated valve and nozzle arrangement usable on rockets and the like; the combination of means defining a longitudinally extending inlet fluid passageway and first and second branch fluid passageways communicating with said inlet passageway, first and second transversely extending opposed control nozzles including means to selectively emit first and second control fluid jets to said inlet passageway respectively to direct a fluid stream from said inlet passageway to said first or second branch passageways, adjacent first and second exhaust nozzles communicating respectively with said first and second branch passageways to emit first and second thrust producing exhaust jets as determined by said control jets, said first and second exhaust nozzles being arranged angularly with respect to each other so that the jet emitted from each nozzle crosses and blocks the mouth of the other nozzle and so that one jet issues laterally with respect to a thrust axis and so that the other jet issues generally along said thrust axis, and means defining an expansion surface for turning at least a portion of said other jet in such manner that the thrust produced thereby is increased.

4. The combination as set forth in claim 3 wherein said expansion surface is so shaped that said other jet is turned substantially into parallelism with said thrust axis.

5. The combination as set forth in claim 3 wherein said one jet issues substantially at right angles with respect to said thrust axis and wherein said other jet issues angularly rearwardly and laterally with respect to said axis.

6. The combination as set forth inclaim 5 wherein said expansion surface is of shallow concave configuration and serves to turn said other jet substantially into parallelism with said thrust axis.

7. In a fluid operated valve and nozzle arrangement; the combination of means defining a longitudinally extending inlet fluid passageway and first and second branch fluid passageways communicating with said inlet passageway, first and second opposed transversely extending control nozzles including means to selectively emit first and second control fluid jets to said inlet passageway respectively to direct a fluid stream from said inlet passageway to said first or second branch passageways, first and second exhaust nozzles communicating respectively with said first and second branch passageways to emit first and second thrust producing exhaust jets as determined by said control jets, said exhaust nozzles being arranged angularly with respect to each other, and means defining an expansion surface in operative association with at least one of said exhaust nozzles so as to be acted on by a jet emitted from said nozzle in such manner that the thrust produced by the jet is increased.

8. In a fluid operated valve and nozzle arrangement; the combination of means defining a longitudinally extending inlet fluid passageway and first and second branch fluid passageways communicating with said inlet passageway, first and second opposed transversely extending control nozzles including means to selectively emit first and second control fluid jets to said inlet passageway respectively to direct a fluid stream from said inlet passageway to said first or second branch passageways, first and second exhaust nozzles communicating respectively with said first and second branch passageways to emit first and second thrust producing exhaust jets as determined by said control jets, said exhaust nozzles being arranged angularly with respect to each other so that the jet from at least one of said exhaust nozzles crosses and blocks the mouth of the other exhaust nozzle, and means defining an expansion surface in operative association with at least one of said exhaust nozzles so as to be acted on by a jet emitted from said nozzle in such manner that the thrust produced by the jet is increased.

9. A fluid operated valve and nozzle arrangement including means defining a fluid inlet passageway, first and second branch fluid passageways communicating with the discharge end of said fluid inlet passageway, first and second opposed control means for selectively injecting first and second opposed control jets into said fluid inlet passageway to selectively direct a fluid stream in said inlet passageway to one or the other of said first and second branch fluid passageways, first and second discharge means connected respectively to said first and second branch passageways to emit first and second fluid streams as determined by said opposed control means. said first and second, discharge means being arranged angularly with respect to each other, and means downstream of at least one of said discharge means forming an expansion surface for the stream from said one discharge means.

10. A valve and nozzle arrangement including means defining a fluid inlet passageway, first and second branch fluid passageways communicating with the discharge end of said fluid inlet passageway, control means for selectively directing a fluid stream in said inlet passageway to one or the other of said first and second branch fluid passageways, first and second discharge means connected respectively to said first and second branch passageways to emit first and second fluid streams as determined by said control means, said first and second discharge means being arranged angularly with respect to each other, and means downstream of at least one of said discharge means forming an expansion surface for the stream from said one discharge means.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,005,533 Wadey Oct. 24, 1961

Claims (1)

10. A VALVE AND NOZZLE ARRANGEMENT INCLUDING MEANS DEFINING A FLUID INLET PASSAGEWAY, FIRST AND SECOND BRANCH FLUID PASSAGEWAYS COMMUNICATING WITH THE DISCHARGE END OF SAID FLUID INLET PASSAGEWAY, CONTROL MEANS FOR SELECTIVELY DIRECTING A FLUID STREAM IN SAID INLET PASSAGEWAY TO ONE OR THE OTHER OF SAID FIRST AND SECOND BRANCH FLUID PASSAGEWAYS, FIRST AND SECOND DISCHARGE MEANS CONNECTED RESPECTIVELY TO SAID FIRST AND SECOND BRANCH PASSAGEWAYS TO EMIT FIRST AND SECOND FLUID STREAMS AS DETERMINED BY SAID CONTROL MEANS, SAID FIRST AND SECOND DISCHARGE MEANS BEING ARRANGED ANGULARLY WITH RESPECT TO EACH OTHER, AND MEANS DOWNSTREAM OF AT LEAST ONE OF SAID DISCHARGE MEANS FORMING AN EXPANSION SURFACE FOR THE STREAM FROM SAID ONE DISCHARGE MEANS.

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