HYPERSONIC CRYOGENIC AIR-JET ENGINE Russian patent published in 2002 - IPC

FIELD: air-jet engines. SUBSTANCE: hypersonic cryogenic air-jet engine is provided with two working ramjet loops-air-gas loop and steam turbine loop. Air-gas loop includes compressor, main combustion chamber, steam-and-gas heat exchanger, additional combustion chamber and reaction nozzle. Steam turbine loop includes pump for delivery of liquid cryogenic propellant, propellant passages of heat exchanger and steam turbine linked mechanically with compressor shaft; inlet of turbine is connected to propellant passages of heat exchanger and its outlet is connected to manifolds of main and auxiliary combustion chamber injectors through propellant regulator-distributor. Fitted additionally at inlet of air-and-gas loop is turbo- expander; propellant-and-air heat exchanger is mounted between turbo-expander and low-pressure compressor. Gas turbine is located after additional combustion chamber and is connected with low- pressure compressor and turbo-expander by means of common shaft. Steam-and-gas heat exchanger- regenerator is mounted after gas turbine. Inlet of propellant passages of propellant-and-air heat exchanger is connected to liquid cryogenic propellant delivery pump. Inlet of steam-and-gas heat exchanger regenerator is connected to outlet of propellant-and-air heat exchanger and to liquid cryogenic propellant delivery pump (through shut-off valve) and outlet is connected to inlet of propellant passages of steam-and-gas heat exchanger. EFFECT: increased specific thrust pulse in all modes of operation, including thrust-level variation at flight speeds up to Mach number 5 to 6 with hydrogen propellant. 1 dwg