MAIN STREAM LIQUID-FUEL ROCKET ENGINE CONSTRUCTION AND METHOD OF STARTING A LIQUID-FUEL ROCKET ENGINE

摘要

A method of starting a liquid-fuel rocket engine of the so-called "main stream" construction which has at least one precombustion chamber, a main combustion chamber and a turbine located in the flow path of the gases between the two combustion chambers which is operated to drive the propellant component pumps and using at least one ignition chamber comprises, directing propellant components into the ignition chamber and igniting them to produce gases, preferably oxygen-rich gases, directing the produced gases to the precombustion chamber for flow therethrough and through the turbine and main combustion chamber to preheat them and to run the turbine to drive the propellant component pumps, and after the pumps come up to an operating speed, discharging the propellant components to said precombustion chamber and said main combustion chamber to produce propellant gases in the preheated main combustion chamber. The apparatus which is employed includes valve controls, such as throttle valves, for regulating the supply of the components to the ignition chamber and for shutting off the ignition chamber from operation. The arrangement is such that the ignition chamber can be operated subsequently for the reignition of the rocket engine if desired.