| US 7,540,143 B1 | ||
| Boiler and pressure balls monopropellant thermal rocket engine | ||
| William D. Greene, Huntsville, Ala. (US) | ||
| Assigned to The United States of America as represented by the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Washington, D.C. (US) | ||
| Filed on Jun. 30, 2005, as Appl. No. 11/172,665. | ||
| Int. Cl. F03H 1/00 (2006.01) | ||
| U.S. Cl. 60—203.1 | 13 Claims |
| 1. An apparatus for a thermal rocket engine cycle, comprising:
a propellant tank;
a plurality of pressure balls for receiving fluid propellant discharged from the propellant tank,
each of said plurality of pressure balls in fluid communication with said propellant tank;
means for heating and thereby pressurizing the propellant prior to discharging the propellant from the respective pressure
ball, connected to said plurality of pressure balls;
a pressurization line for recycling to the propellant tank a heated portion of the propellant to maintain pressure in said
propellant tank;
means for heating the propellant discharged from the pressure balls; and
an exhaust nozzle for discharging propellant from said means for heating the propellant discharged from the pressure balls,
to create thrust;
wherein each of said plurality of pressure balls is provided with an inlet valve for passing therethrough propellant before
entering the respective pressure ball and an outlet valve for passing therethrough propellant after discharging from the respective
pressure ball, such that operation of the inlet valve and outlet valve, combined with the heating of the propellants in the
pressure balls achieves a pumping action of propellant fluid.
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