Safe propulsion system for missile divert thrusters and attitude control thrusters and method for use of same

摘要

A propulsion system for use with a missile or like aerial projectile is disclosed which is suitable for use to operate the divert thrusters and the attitude control thrusters of such a missile while using non- toxic propellants which are entirely non-reactive during storage, transportation, and handling. In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, highly refined liquid hydrocarbon fuel and oxygen gas are used as the propellants, with a relatively small amount of the liquid hydrocarbon fuel and a relatively large amount of the oxygen gas being combusted in an oxygen heater to produce a hot oxygen gas containing only small amounts of the products of combustion. The liquid hydrocarbon fuel and the hot oxygen gas are burned in divert thrusters, and, optionally, in attitude control thrusters to produce thrust. The attitude control thrusters can instead alternately use either (cold) oxygen gas from the oxygen gas storage tanks, or hot oxygen gas from the oxygen heater to produce thrust in operation as jets.