A preliminary analysis has been made of a supersonic-combustion rocket engine concept using hydrogen and oxygen propellants. The ejector action of a separate small rocket motor is employed to pump the propellants to high stagnation pressures and supersonic velocities. Therefore complicated heavy turbopumps are eliminated and cooling problems of a sonic throat are reduced. The results of the study show that vacuum specific impulse levels as high as a conventional rocket having the same chamber pressure as the drive motor are possible. The supersonic-combustion rocket would be an attractive alternate for a high-altitude low-thrust conventional rocket operating with a pressure feed propellant system. It would also be a convenient technique for obtaining extremely high thrusts without the need for developing corresponding large turbopumps. (Author)
Analysis of a Supersonic-Combustion Rocket Concept
1972
28 pages
Report
No indication
English
Analysis of a supersonic-combustion rocket concept
NTRS | 1972
|NTIS | 1973
|NTRS | 1973
|NTIS | 1972
|Air-Augmented Supersonic Rocket Combustion Booster
Online Contents | 1996