Method of assembling a rocket engine with a transition zone between the combustion chamber and the coolant system
View Patent ↗An improved engine construction, such as a rocket engine construction is provided. The engine construction comprises a combustion chamber, a smooth wall nozzle, and a transition zone between the chamber and the smooth wall nozzle. The transition zone has a coolant system which includes a manifold formed from a non-copper material through which a coolant flows. In a high heat transfer embodiment, the transition zone includes an additional manifold formed from a copper based material.
1. A method of assembling a rocket engine having a combustion chamber, a smooth wall nozzle, and a coolant system with a transition zone between said combustion chamber and said nozzle, the method comprising the steps of:
forming the transition zone by providing a first manifold having a plurality of holes and a plurality of grooves cut between adjacent ones of said holes for transitioning from gullies between external surfaces of said holes to a flat wall profile;
inserting braze performs into said holes;
inserting a plurality of tube assemblies into the holes; and
furnace brazing the tube assemblies to the first manifold.
2. A method according to claim 1 , wherein said providing step comprises providing a first manifold formed from a non-copper material.
3. A method according to claim 1 , wherein said providing step comprises providing a second manifold formed from a non-copper material and providing a first manifold formed from a copper based material and joining said first manifold to said second manifold.
4. A method according to claim 1 , further comprising welding said nozzle on said first manifold.
5. A method according to claim 1 , further comprising joining said combustion chamber to said coolant system.
6. A method for assembling a rocket engine having a combustion chamber, a smooth wall nozzle, and a coolant system with a transition zone between said combustion chamber and said nozzle, the method comprising the steps of:
forming the transition zone by providing a first manifold having a first set of holes and a second manifold having a second set of holes;
aligning said first manifold relative to said second manifold so that said first set of holes are aligned with said second set of holes;
inserting braze preforms into said first and second set of holes;
providing a plurality of tube assemblies with each of said tube assemblies having an internal ferrule with a free end;
inserting each said internal ferrule into a respective one of said first holes so that said internal ferrule passes through said first manifold and into a respective one of said second holes so that said free end terminates in said second manifold; and
brazing said internal ferrule to said first and second manifolds by melting said braze preforms.
7. The method according to claim 6 , wherein said first and second manifold providing step comprises providing a first manifold formed from a copper based material and a second manifold formed from a non-copper material.
8. The method according to claim 6 , wherein said second manifold providing step comprises providing a manifold formed from steel.
9. The method according to claim 6 , wherein said second manifold providing step comprises providing a manifold formed from a nickel based alloy containing greater than 50% by weight nickel.
10. The method according to claim 6 , wherein said tube assembly providing step comprises providing a tube assembly having a tiered configuration with a diameter near the free end being smaller than a diameter of the internal ferrule in the first manifold.
11. The method according to claim 6 , further comprising welding the smooth wall nozzle to seal coolant passages.
12. The method according to claim 6 , further comprising joining the combustion chamber to said coolant system.