A DEVICE FOR FEEDING A ROCKET ENGINE PROPULSION CHAMBER WITH PROPELLANT
A feed device ( 20 ) for feeding propellant to at least one rocket engine propulsion chamber ( 19 ) of a propulsion assembly ( 21 ) comprises a main propellant tank ( 1, 2 ), and a main feed pipe ( 3, 4 ) extending between the main tank ( 1, 2 ) and the propulsion chamber ( 19 ) and having a main feed valve (VAH, VAO) placed thereon. The feed device further comprises an auxiliary tank ( 11, 12 ) for said propellant and an auxiliary feed pipe ( 13, 14 ) provided with an auxiliary feed valve (VH 1 , VO 1 ) connecting the auxiliary tank ( 11, 12 ) to the main feed pipe ( 3, 4 ) downstream from the main feed valve (VAH, VAO).
1 . A feed device for feeding at least one rocket engine propulsion chamber with propellant, the feed device comprising a main propellant tank, a main feed pipe extending from the main tank for feeding the propulsion chamber, and having a main feed valve placed thereon, the feed device further comprising an auxiliary tank for said propellant and an auxiliary feed pipe provided with an auxiliary feed valve connecting the auxiliary tank to the main feed pipe downstream from the main feed valve, wherein the auxiliary tank is situated inside the main tank.
2 . A feed device according to claim 1 , wherein the auxiliary tank is connected by a filler pipe to the main feed pipe upstream from the main feed valve, and the filler pipe includes a filler valve.
3 . A feed device according to claim 1 , further including a pressurizer pipe for pressurizing the auxiliary tank connecting the auxiliary tank to a main pressurizer pipe.
4 . A feed device according to claim 1 , wherein the capacity of the auxiliary tank is less than the capacity of the main tank.
5 . A feed device according to claim 4 , wherein the capacity of the auxiliary tank is less than 5% of the capacity of the main tank.
6 . A feed device according to claim 1 , for feeding the propulsion chamber with a cryogenic propellant.
7 . A propulsion assembly comprising at least one rocket engine propulsion chamber and a feed device according to claim 1 for feeding the propulsion chamber with at least one propellant.
8 . A method of feeding at least one rocket engine propulsion chamber with at least one propellant, the method being characterized in that it comprises:
closing a main feed valve to stop the flow of propellant in a main feed pipe extending from a main propellant tank to the propulsion chamber; and
opening an auxiliary feed valve for enabling propellant to flow from an auxiliary tank situated inside the main tank to the propulsion chamber, the auxiliary tank being connected to the main feed pipe downstream from the main feed valve via an auxiliary feed pipe provided with said auxiliary feed valve.
9 . A feed method according to claim 8 , further including pressurizing the auxiliary tank before and/or after opening the auxiliary feed valve.