SPACECRAFT POWER PLANT (VERSIONS) AND METHOD OF ITS OPERATION Russian patent published in 2013 - IPC B64G1/40 

FIELD: transport.

SUBSTANCE: invention relates to rocketry. Proposed power plant comprises cryogenic tank with shield-vacuum insulation, flow control valve, feed pipeline, engine combustion chamber and cryogenic tank intake including cryogenic tank lower bottom, capillary accumulator with heat exchanger under screen separator and throttling device. Engine combustion chamber has two-way start-shutoff valve to allow release of evaporated cryogenic fluid before engine start outside spacecraft and to feed said fluid in operation and after engine start into combustion chamber. In compliance with first version, engine comprises the channel to communicated heat exchanger outlet with chamber between flow control valve and booster pump that freezes constantly the engine before start and between starts. In compliance with second version, engine comprises pipeline with displacement compensator communicating heat exchanger outlet with feed pipeline downstream of booster pump. Method of engine operation comprises cryogenic fluid fee from accumulator into heat exchanger via throttling device and cooling said fluid in accumulator with the help of heat exchanger. Before regular engine start, feed pipeline is communicated with booster pipeline. Then, at regular start and at standard engine operation, engine feed pipeline is communicated with combustion chamber to communicated said pipeline after engine operation termination to booster pump tool engine down to the next start.

EFFECT: decreased weight of power plant, higher reliability.

3 cl, 2 dwg