An injector for liquid fueled rocket engines wherein a generally flat core having a frustoconical dome attached to one side of the core to serve as a manifold for a first liquid, with the core having a generally circular configuration having an axis. The other side of the core has a plurality of concentric annular first slots and a plurality of annular concentric second slots alternating with the first slots, the second slots having a greater depth than said first slots. A bore extends through the core for inletting a second liquid into said core, the bore intersecting the second slots to feed the second liquid into the second slots. The core also has a plurality of first passageways leading from the manifold to the first annular slots for feeding the first liquid into said first slots. A faceplate brazed to said other side of the core is provided with apertures extending from the first and second slots through said face plate, these apertures being positioned to direct fuel and liquid oxygen into contact with each other in the combustion chamber. The first liquid may be liquid oxygen and the second liquid may be kerosene or liquid hydrogen

Cornelius, Charles S.

Myers, W. Neill

Shadoan, Michael David

Sparks, David L.

NASA Technical Reports Server

I11111 111ll Il1 Il11 III III III III Il11 III 1ll1111111 
US006116020A 
United States Patent [19] [ i l l  Patent Number: 6,116,020 
Cornelius et al. [45] Date of Patent: Sep. 12,2000 
[54] INJECTOR FOR LIQUID FUELED ROCKET 5,983,626 1111999 Stahn et al. ............................... 601258 
ENGINE 
Primary Examinerxharles  G. Freay 
Attorney, Agent, or FirmDober t  L. Broad, Jr. 
[75] Inventors: Charles S. Cornelius; W. Neil1 Myers, Assistant J, Torrente 
both of Huntsville; Michael David 
Shadoan, Madison; David L. Sparks, 
Huntsville, all of Ala. [571 ABSTRACT 
[73] Assignee: The United States of America as 
represented by the Administrator of 
the National Aeronautics and Space 
Administration, Washington, D.C. 
[21] Appl. No.: 09/168,341 
[22] Filed: Oct. 5, 1998 
[51] Int. C1.7 ........................................................ F02K 9/42 
[52] U.S.Cl. ................................................................ 60/258 
[58] Field of Search ............................. 601258, 257, 740; 
2391418, 558, 423 
~561 References Cited 
U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS 
3,479,819 1111969 Bogue ....................................... 601258 
3,748,852 711973 Cole et al. ............................ 601258 X 
4,644,745 211987 Wagner 
4,936,091 611990 Schoen 
5,603,213 211997 Sion et al. ................................ 601258 
5,771,579 611998 Farhangi et a1 601258 X 
An injector for liquid fueled rocket engines wherein a 
generally flat core having a frustoconical dome attached to 
one side of the core to serve as a manifold for a first liquid, 
with the core having a generally circular configuration 
having an axis. The other side of the core has a plurality of 
concentric annular first slots and a plurality of annular 
concentric second slots alternating with the first slots, the 
second slots having a greater depth than said first slots. A 
bore extends through the core for inletting a second liquid 
into said core, the bore intersecting the second slots to feed 
the second liquid into the second slots. The core also has a 
plurality of first passageways leading from the manifold to 
the first annular slots for feeding the first liquid into said first 
slots. A faceplate brazed to said other side of the core is 
provided with apertures extending from the first and second 
slots through said face plate, these apertures being posi- 
tioned to direct fuel and liquid oxygen into contact with each 
other in the combustion chamber. The first liquid may be 
liquid oxygen and the second liquid may be kerosene or 
liquid hydrogen. 
8 Claims, 3 Drawing Sheets 
F 
2 
https://ntrs.nasa.gov/search.jsp?R=20080004049 2019-08-30T02:07:42+00:00Z
U S .  Patent Sep. 12,2000 Sheet 1 of 3 6,116,020 
U S .  Patent Sep. 12,2000 Sheet 2 of 3 6,116,020 
U S .  Patent Sep. 12,2000 Sheet 3 of 3 6,116,020 
45 45 
FIG. 3 
6,116,020 
1 
INJECTOR FOR LIQUID FUELED ROCKET 
ENGINE 
ORIGIN OF THE INVENTION 
This invention was made by employees of the United 
States Government and may be manufactured and used by or 
for the Government for governmental purposes without the 
payment of any royalties. 
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
1. Field of the Invention 
This invention relates to injectors for rocket engines. 
2. Prior Art 
All liquid fueled rocket engines use some type of injector 
for injecting the liquid fuel and liquid oxygen into the 
engine's combustion chamber. Usually these injectors are 
very complex and require many parts. These injectors usu- 
ally require a number of weld joints, some of which cannot 
be inspected. The complexity of these injectors and the time 
required to manufacture the many parts making up the 
injector causes the injector to be very expensive. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
An injector for liquid fueled rocket engines wherein a 
generally flat core having a frustoconical dome attached to 
one side of the core to serve as a manifold for a first liquid, 
with the core having a generally circular configuration. The 
other side of the core has a plurality of concentric annular 
first slots and a plurality of concentric annular second slots 
alternating with the first slots, the second slots having a 
greater depth than said first slots. Abore extends through the 
core along a diameter of the core for inletting a second liquid 
into said core, the bore intersecting the second slots to feed 
the second liquid into the second slots. The core also has a 
plurality of first passageways leading from the manifold to 
the first annular slots for feeding the first liquid into said first 
slots. A faceplate brazed to said other side of the core is 
provided with apertures extending from the first and second 
slots through said face plate, these apertures being posi- 
tioned to direct the first and second liquids into contact with 
each other in the combustion chamber. The first liquid may 
be liquid oxygen and the second liquid may be kerosene or 
liquid hydrogen. 
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
FIG. 1 is a cross sectional view of the injector taken on 
line 1-1 of FIG. 2 showing the passageways through the 
injector core. 
FIG. 2 is a cross sectional view of the injector taken on 
line 2-2 of FIG. 1 showing the manner in which the fuel 
inlet bores intersect annular slots in the injector core. 
FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary view taken from the 
brazed side of the faceplate showing how the apertures in the 
faceplate direct liquid oxygen and kerosene or hydrogen into 
the combustion chamber below the faceplate. 
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE 
INVENTION 
Referring now in detail to the drawings, there is shown an 
injector 11 having a generally flat core 12 having on the 
upper side a frustoconical dome 13 which serves as a 
manifold 14 for liquid oxygen. After the dome is machined, 
a closeout piece 16 is welded to the top of the dome 13 by 
a weld 17. The upper side of the closeout piece 16 is 
2 
provided with bolt holes 18 for attaching the injector to a 
gimbal block (not shown). One side of the dome 13 is 
provided with an opening 21 for admitting liquid oxygen 
into the dome. 
The lower side of the core is provided with a plurality of 
concentric, annular first slots 22 and a plurality of 
concentric, annular second slots 23 alternating with the slots 
22. The second slots 23 have a greater depth than the slots 
22. As will be described below, liquid oxygen is fed into the 
The core 11 is provided with a pair of bores 27 and 28 
extending along diameters of the core 11, the bores inter- 
secting each other at 90". Fuel is fed into the bore 27 from 
fuel inlets 32 at opposite ends of the bore 27 while opposite 
ends of the bore 28 are closed by the use of plugs 33 (FIG. 
2). The bores intersect the deeper second slots 23 such that 
fuel flowing into the bores will flow from there into the 
second slots 23. The core 11 is also provided with a plurality 
of passageways 34 extending from the manifold 14 through 
2o the core to the first slots 22. Thus, liquid oxygen admitted to 
the manifold will flow into the first slots 22. 
Brazed to the lower side of the core is a faceplate 38 
(FIGS. 1 and 3) having a plurality of pairs of first apertures 
39 (FIG. 3) for feeding liquid oxygen from the first slots 22 
25 to the combustion chamber 40 below the faceplate, the 
combustion chamber 40 having an inner surface, and a 
plurality of pairs of second apertures 41 for feeding fuel 
from the second slots 23 to the combustion chamber. FIG. 3 
best shows the positioning of the apertures 39 and 41. From 
30 this figure it can be seen that the liquid oxygen apertures 39 
and fuel apertures 41 direct the liquids toward each other in 
the combustion chamber. This assures a thorough mixing of 
the liquids for better combustion. 
FIG. 3 also shows a plurality of fuel apertures 45 which 
direct the liquid fuel onto the surface 46 of the combustion 
chamber 40 for cooling this surface. These apertures are 
skewed as shown in FIG. 3 to direct streams of fuel along 
spiral paths along the surface 46. 
FIG. 1 also shows an acoustic cavity or pocket 49 in the 
lower surface of the core. The purpose of this cavity is to 
damp out combustion oscillations to enhance stability. Aper- 
tures 55 (FIG. 1) direct streams of fuel into the acoustic 
cavity for cooling purposes. 
Bolts (not shown) extend through holes in the periphery 
of the core 12 to secure the injector to the combustion 
chamber 40. 
In operation, liquid oxygen is fed into the injector 11 
through the opening 21 in the dome 13 and passes through 
50 the passageways 34 to the first slots 22. From the first slots 
22, the oxygen passes through apertures 39 (FIG. 3) in the 
faceplate 38 into the combustion chamber 40. Fuel 
(kerosene or liquid hydrogen) enters the injector through the 
inlets 32 and passes into the second slots 23, which interest 
5s the bores 27 and 28. The fuel then flows through the second 
slots 23 and then through apertures 41 in the faceplate 38 
into the combustion chamber 40. The oxygen from the 
apertures 39 forms a fanlike configuration, as does the fuel 
from the apertures 39. Both fan-like configurations attempt 
60 to occupy the same space, with the result that the streams are 
thoroughly mixed. 
5 
10 first slots 22 while liquid fuel is fed into the slots 23. 
35 
4o 
45 
What is claimed is: 
1. An injector for liquid fueled rocket engines, compris- 
65 a. a generally flat core having a frustoconical dome 
attached to one side of the core to serve as a manifold 
for a first liquid, said core having a generally circular 
ing: 
6,116,020 
3 4 
configuration, the other side of the core having a 
plurality of concentric annular first slots, said other side 
of the core also having a plurality of concentric annular 
slots having a greater depth than said first slots, said s 
core also having a bore extending along a diameter of 
the core for inletting a second liquid into said core, said 
bore intersecting the second slots to feed the second 
liquid into said second slots, said core also having a 
Plurality of first PassagewaYs leading from said one 10 
side of the core to the first annular slots for feeding the 
first liquid from the manifold into said first slots, and 
b. a faceplate brazed to said other side of the core and 
having a plurality of first and second apertures extend- 
ing from the first and second slots through said face- 15 
plate. 
7. The injector of claim 6 wherein the apertures are 
skewed to direct said portion of said second liquid along 
spiral Paths along said surface. 
second slots alternating with the first slots, said second 8. An injector for liquid rocket engines, comprising 
a. a generally flat core having a frustoconical dome 
attached to one side of the core to serve as a manifold 
for a first liquid, said core having a generally circular 
configuration, the other side of the core having a 
plurality of concentric annular first slots and a plurality 
of concentric annular second slots alternating with said 
first slots, said second slots having a greater depth than 
said first slots, said core having a pair of bores extend- 
ing through the core on diameters of said core for 
feeding a second liquid into said core, said bores 
intersecting said second slots for feeding a second 
liquid into said slots from the bores, said core having a 
plurality of passageways extending through the core 
from the manifold to said first slots to feed a first liquid 
into said first slots, said other side of said core having 
an acoustic cavity extending around the periphery 
thereof for damping combustion oscillations, 
b. a faceplate brazed to said other side of the core, said 
faceplate having a plurality of pairs of first apertures for 
directing the first liquid into converging first streams 
and a plurality of pairs for second apertures for direct- 
ing the second liquid into converging second streams, 
said first and second pairs of apertures being positioned 
such that said converging first streams converge with 
said second converging streams, and 
c, a combustion chamber secured to the and having 
an inner surface, said faceplate also having a plurality 
of apertures for directing a portion of the second liquid 
into contact with said inner surface, said apertures 
being skewed such that said portion flows in a spiral 
path along said surface. 
2. The injector of claim 1 wherein the core is provided 
with a second bore extending along a second diameter of the 
core, said diameters intersecting each other and being gen- 
erally perpendicular to each other. 
wherein pairs of the first 
apertures through the face plate are positioned to direct 
streams of said second liquid into contact with streams of 
liquids from said first apertures. 
core is provided with an acoustic cavity for damping com- 
bustion oscillations. 
5. The injector of claim 4 wherein the core is provided 
with apertures for directing a portion of the second liquid 
into said acoustic cavity. 
6. The injector of claim 1 wherein the core is attached to 
a combustion chamber having an inner surface, said core 
having a plurality of apertures positioned to direct a portion 
of the second liquid onto said surface for cooling said 
surface. * * * * *  
2o 
3, The injector of claim 
4. The injector of claim 1 wherein said other side of the 2s 
30 


Injector for liquid fueled rocket engine

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