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Patent Number

2,286,908

Application Date

8/7/1940

Issue Date

6/16/1942

Publication Date

6-16-1942

Country of Publication

United States

Description

This invention relates to aircraft which are propelled in normal flight by a rocket blast. It is well known that such propulsion is extremely inefficient at low aircraft speed, as under these conditions a large part of the kinetic energy of the blast is wasted, while only a comparatively small part reacts effectively to propel the craft. It has been proposed to increase the efficiency of such rocket craft at low speed by providing one or more turbine-driven propellers at the rear of the craft, and by driving the turbines by the direct action of the rocket blast. By using a sufficient number of expansion stages in the turbines, the energy of the gas can be quite largely transferred to the propellers and the gases will be discharged from the craft at low relative speed and with much reduced waste of energy. Such turbines and propellers, however, are most effective at relatively low aircraft speed and when operating in a relatively dense atmosphere. At higher speeds and in less dense atmosphere, the rocket blast should operate directly and in the usual manner, without interference by interposed turbine blades. In my prior Patent No. 1809271, I show means for displacing the turbines transversely of the aircraft and out of the path of the rocket blast but these parts are still retained on the craft. For long range flight, however, it is not desirable to thus permanently burden the craft with the weight of the turbine and propeller structure, which structure serves no useful purpose after the turbines cease to operate. It is the general object of my present invention to provide auxiliary turbines and propellers and supporting structure therefor, so designed and constructed that said auxiliary structure can be disengaged and discarded from the aircraft when a sufficient speed of the craft has been attained. I also provide improved means for releasing the auxiliary structure and for safely returning said structure to the ground.

Keywords

auxiliary rocket turbines, rockets and turbine engines, turbine engines, rocket propulsion

Disciplines

Aerospace Engineering | Mechanical Engineering | Propulsion and Power

Language

English

Format

application/pdf

Type

article

Auxiliary Turbine for Rocket Craft


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