PROPELLANT FEED CIRCUIT AND A COOLING METHOD
The invention relates to the aerospace field, and in particular to the field of vehicles propelled by rocket engines. In particular, the invention relates to a feed circuit ( 6 ) for feeding a rocket engine ( 2 ) at least with a first liquid propellant, the feed circuit including at least one buffer-tank ( 20 ) for said first liquid propellant and a first heat exchanger ( 18 ) that is incorporated in said buffer tank ( 20 ) and suitable for being connected to a cooling circuit ( 17 ) for cooling at least one heat source in order to cool said heat source by transferring heat to the first propellant.
1 . A feed circuit for feeding a rocket engine at least with a first liquid propellant, including at least one buffer tank for said first liquid propellant and a first heat exchanger incorporated in said buffer tank and suitable for being connected to a cooling circuit for cooling at least one source of heat.
2 . The feed circuit according to claim 1 , wherein said first liquid propellant is a cryogenic liquid.
3 . The feed circuit according to claim 2 , wherein said first liquid propellant is liquid hydrogen.
4 . The feed circuit according to claim 1 , including a pump upstream from said first heat exchanger.
5 . The feed circuit according to claim 1 , further including, downstream from said first heat exchanger, a branch passing through a second heat exchanger.
6 . An assembly comprising the feed circuit according to claim 5 and a tank for said first liquid propellant, said tank being connected to said feed circuit upstream from said first heat exchanger, and also to said branch downstream from said second heat exchanger.
7 . An assembly comprising the feed circuit according to claim 5 and a tank for a second liquid propellant, said second heat exchanger being incorporated in the tank.
8 . An assembly comprising the feed circuit according to claim 1 and a heat source provided with a cooling circuit connected to said first heat exchanger of the feed circuit.
9 . The assembly according to claim 8 , wherein said heat source is a fuel cell.
10 . A vehicle comprising a rocket engine with at least one feed circuit according to claim 1 , and a heat source provided with a cooling circuit connected to said first heat exchanger of the feed circuit.
11 . A method of cooling a heat source, in which a cooling circuit of said heat source transfers the heat generated by the heat source to a first liquid propellant of a rocket engine via a first heat exchanger incorporated in a buffer tank of a feed circuit for feeding said rocket engine at least with said first liquid propellant.