Three component injector for kerosene-oxygen rocket engine

1. An injector assembly for a rocket engine, the injector assembly comprising:

a faceplate positioned adjacent to a combustion chamber that defines an engine centerline;

a first set of holes defined in the faceplate;

a first set of injector elements, wherein the first set of injector elements is arranged to correspond with the first set of holes defined in the faceplate such that each injector element is positioned to extend into one of the first set of holes, and wherein an annular fluid outlet is formed between each injector element and each hole in the faceplate for delivering a first fluid to the combustion chamber;

a first injector manifold, wherein each injector of the first set of injector elements is connected in fluid communication with the first injector manifold for delivering a second fluid to the combustion chamber;

a second set of holes defined in the faceplate;

a second set of injector elements, wherein the second set of injector elements is arranged to correspond with the second set of holes defined in the faceplate such that each injector element is positioned to extend into one of the second set of holes, and wherein an annular fluid outlet is formed between each injector element and each hole in the faceplate for delivering the first fluid to the combustion chamber; and

a second injector manifold, wherein each injector of the second set of injector elements is connected in fluid communication with the second injector manifold for delivering a third fluid to the combustion chamber.

2. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first and second injector manifolds each comprise a radially disposed manifold arm

3. The assembly of claim 2 , wherein the manifold arm of the first injector manifold is axially offset from the manifold arm of the second injector assembly.

4. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first fluid is an oxidizer.

5. The assembly of claim 4 , wherein the oxidizer comprises gaseous oxygen.

6. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the second fluid is a fuel in liquid state.

7. The assembly of claim 6 , wherein the third fluid comprises the fuel in a supercritical state.

8. The assembly of claim 6 , wherein the third fluid comprises the fuel in an endothermically converted state.

9. The assembly of claim 6 , wherein the fuel comprises kerosene.

10. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein each injector element of the first set has a length L 1 and each injector element of the second set has a length L 2 , and wherein L 1 is not equal to L 2 .

11. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first set of injector elements is interspersed azimuthally with the second set of injector elements.

12. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the faceplate comprises a porous web of material.

13. A rocket engine system comprising:

a combustion chamber defining a centerline axis;

an oxidizer supply;

a first fuel delivery circuit connected to a fuel supply;

a second fuel delivery circuit connected to the fuel supply;

an injector assembly positioned at the combustion chamber, the injector assembly comprising:

a faceplate having a plurality of openings therethrough;

a first injector element connected to the first fuel delivery circuit and extending into one of the openings in the faceplate; and

a second injector element connected to the second fuel delivery circuit and extending into another of the openings in the faceplate;

annular oxidizer outlets formed at the openings in the faceplate and connected to the oxidizer supply to deliver oxidizer to the combustion chamber; and

a fuel conversion subsystem integrated with the second fuel delivery circuit for changing a physical state of fuel such that converted fuel behaves like a gas.

14. The system of claim 13 and further comprising:

a first injector supply manifold connected between the first fuel delivery circuit and the first injector element;

a third injector element connected to the first injector supply manifold;

a second injector supply manifold connected between the second fuel delivery circuit and the second injector element; and

a fourth injector element connected to the second injector supply manifold.

15. The system of claim 13 and further comprising:

an oxygen-rich preburner, wherein the oxidizer from the oxidizer supply passes through the preburner to generate a gaseous oxygen oxidizer product for combustion in the combustion chamber.

16. The system of claim 13 , wherein the faceplate comprises a web of porous metallic material.

17. The system of claim 13 , wherein a plane is defined in the combustion chamber perpendicular to the centerline axis, and wherein the first injector element and the second injector element are arranged such that fuels delivered to the combustion chamber do not all burn in the plane.

18. The system of claim 13 , wherein the oxidizer is gaseous oxygen.

19. A rocket engine system comprising:

a combustion chamber defining a centerline axis;

an oxidizer supply;

a first fuel delivery circuit connected to a fuel supply;

a second fuel delivery circuit connected to the fuel supply;

an injector assembly positioned at the combustion chamber, the injector assembly comprising:

a faceplate having a plurality of openings therethrough;

a first injector element connected to the first fuel delivery circuit and extending into one of the openings in the faceplate; and

a second injector element connected to the second fuel delivery circuit and extending into another of the openings in the faceplate;

annular oxidizer outlets formed at the openings in the faceplate and connected to the oxidizer supply to deliver oxidizer to the combustion chamber; and

a fuel conversion subsystem integrated with the second fuel delivery circuit for changing a physical state of fuel such that convened fuel behaves like a gas, wherein the first fuel delivery circuit delivers a hydrocarbon fuel in a liquid form to the combustion chamber, and wherein the second fuel delivery circuit delivers the hydrocarbon fuel at least partially in a supercritical state to the combustion chamber.