JP4354125B2 - Spark plug for rocket engine ignition - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a rocket engine ignition plug used for ignition of a liquid rocket engine, and in particular, a failure of an electric circuit for supplying electric power to the ignition plug or an insulation failure of an anode electrode occurs, and a spark does not fly. The present invention relates to a rocket engine ignition plug that has redundancy so that it can be ignited by using an electric circuit or an anode electrode instead of these when an event occurs.
[0002]
[Prior art]
Conventionally, the ignition plug of the liquid rocket engine used in the first and second stage rockets of a space rocket or a large flying object is not particularly made to have redundancy.
FIG. 3 is a view showing a conventional rocket engine ignition plug (hereinafter simply referred to as an ignition plug), and FIG. 3 (a) is an arrow shown in FIG. 3 (b) showing a portion where the ignition plug is arranged. FIG. 3A and FIG. 3B are longitudinal sectional views taken along the arrow BB shown in FIG.
[0003]
In the figure, 1 is an anode electrode disposed in the axial direction at the axial center of a cylindrical ignition plug 8, and 2 is a cathode provided with an air gap 3 between the outer periphery of the anode electrode 1. Electrode 4 is a combustion chamber formed behind anode electrode 1 and cathode electrode 2, 5 is a fuel injection port provided through cathode electrode 2 and supplying fuel such as hydrogen to combustion chamber 4, and 6 is a figure. As shown in FIG. 3 (a), a notch portion is formed in the outer circumferential direction of the anode electrode 1 at an equal pitch, and the above-described six cathode electrodes 2 are formed between the drilled portions. It is an oxidant injection port for supplying an oxidant such as oxygen into the combustion chamber 4 via the.
[0004]
Since the ignition plug 8 used for ignition of a conventional rocket engine or the like has the above-described configuration, oxygen is injected from the oxidant injection port 7 and supplied to the combustion chamber 4 through the notch portion 6. When hydrogen is supplied toward the rear end portion of the anode electrode 1 in the combustion chamber 4 through the fuel injection port 5 provided through the cathode electrode 2 formed between the notches 6. 4 is supplied to the anode electrode 1 from the high voltage generation circuit 9 that raises the supplied 24V to 32V power shown in FIG.
[0005]
An air gap 3 is provided between the anode electrode 1 and the cathode electrode 2, the anode electrode 1 and the cathode electrode 2 are not electrically connected, and an air gap 3 with a narrow gap is set, and a spark is formed. Since the discharge is easily caused, a spark discharge is generated between the anode electrode 1 and the cathode electrode 2, and the mixture of oxygen and hydrogen is ignited by the discharge spark, and the rocket engine is ignited. A fire can be generated at the front end of the combustion chamber 4.
[0006]
Thus, the ignition plug 8 is a cathode electrode that concentrically forms the igniter body by providing the air gap 3 around the anode electrode 1 coaxially disposed in the axial center portion of the ignition plug 8. 2 is disposed, and a spark discharged from the anode electrode 1 toward the cathode electrode 2 ignites the oxidant composed of oxygen and the like at the front end of the combustion chamber 4 and the fuel composed of hydrogen and the like to generate a flame. As shown in FIG. 4, the ignition plug 8 has only one high voltage generation circuit 9 for each anode electrode, and has a plurality of functions separated and independent. Therefore, the system is operated by either one and the other is kept in a standby state, so that it does not have so-called redundancy. By destroying sometimes spark that will not fly generated between the anode electrode 1 and the cathode electrode 2.
[0007]
The fact that this spark does not fly means that the ignition plug 8 cannot be ignited, and the rocket engine has not started. At least, the rocket engine cannot be started based on a predetermined schedule, and the rocket engine is installed. It will have a significant impact on the mission achievement of the space rocket or the flying object.
[0008]
Also, if non-ignition occurs at the time of ignition of the first stage rocket engine of a space rocket launched from the ground, or at the time of launch of a liquid propelled flying vehicle, as described above, the mission achievement is seriously affected, In both cases, the reuse of the space rocket or the flying object is made possible by repairing or replacing the defective part of the anode electrode 1, the cathode electrode 2 or the high voltage generation circuit 9, but this non-ignition is not possible. Space rocket or flying vehicle body if it occurs when the second stage rocket is ignited when the first stage rocket is detached, or when the booster engine is separated after propulsion with solid fuel. Not only will loss occur, but in the case of space rockets, expensive satellites, etc. that are installed to achieve missions will also be lost. It becomes Rukoto, would suffer a huge loss.
[0009]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
In order to solve the problem caused by the fact that the above-mentioned conventional space rocket or flying object equipped with the ignition plug is not made redundant, the present invention provides the ignition plug with redundancy. By having the rocket engine equipped in the space rocket or the flying object, ensure that it is ignited regardless of whether the space rocket or the flying object is flying (flying) or stopped, It is an object of the present invention to provide a rocket engine ignition plug that can prevent loss of the fuselage and onboard equipment without causing a hesitation in achieving the mission.
[0010]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
For this reason, the ignition plug for ignition of the rocket engine of the present invention is the following means.
[0011]
(1) A slit is provided that divides the central portion in the axial direction to form a plurality of bodies, and the slit is filled with an insulating material that electrically insulates each other and is formed at an equal pitch in the outer circumferential direction. The fuel and oxidant supplied to the combustion chamber are ignited by discharging separately from the cathode electrode formed between the notches and through the air gap formed between the notches. An anode electrode capable of generating sparks for ignition was provided.
[0012]
The anode electrode is made of a material with a high melting point, such as platinum-rhodium, so that it can withstand high temperatures during discharge, and the mixed gas is ignited by one anode electrode, while the other anode electrodes are in operation. It is preferable that the anode electrode can be put into a standby state so that it can be immediately put into operation when a malfunction such as defective discharge occurs.
Also, the insulating material filled in the slits that are divided into a plurality of anode electrodes, preferably two that pass through the shaft center in the axial direction, is a ceramic that is excellent in high temperature resistance and that can reliably retain insulation even at high temperatures. Etc. are preferably used.
[0013]
(2) Highly connected to each of the anode electrodes divided into a plurality of bodies and capable of generating a discharge between the anode electrode and the cathode electrode with the power supplied at a low voltage of about 24 to 32V. A high voltage generation circuit for supplying a voltage to the connected anode electrode was provided.
[0014]
The interface connector for supplying low voltage power to the high voltage generating circuit can be attached to and detached from all the high voltage generating circuits provided corresponding to the plurality of anode electrodes at the same time. It is preferable to use a common power supply that can supply power simultaneously.
[0015]
Thus, since the ignition plug for rocket engine ignition according to the present invention has the above-mentioned means, when one of the plurality of anode electrodes is operated, an abnormality occurs in the high voltage generation circuit, or the anode electrode Even if problems such as broken insulation occur, other anode electrodes that are waiting are activated immediately, so that they have redundancy that can eliminate problems that occurred with conventional ignition plugs for rocket engine ignition Regardless of whether a space rocket equipped with a rocket engine or a flying object is flying (when flying) or launched from the ground, the rocket engine can be ignited reliably. There is no hesitation in completing the mission, and furthermore, loss of expensive aircraft and on-board equipment due to poor ignition. There, it can be to those rich in reliability.
[0016]
In order to make the ignition plug for rocket engine ignition redundant, a slit filled with an insulating material is provided at the center of the anode electrode, and the anode electrode is divided in the axial direction. It is only necessary to additionally install a high voltage generating circuit for supplying a high voltage to each anode electrode. Remodeling a conventional igniter rocket engine ignition spark plug with redundancy results in an increase in cost. Without being restricted by space, it can be easily performed with a simple operation.
[0017]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, an embodiment of a rocket engine ignition plug according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
In the figure, members that are the same as or similar to those shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 are given the same reference numerals, and descriptions thereof are omitted.
FIG. 1 is a detailed side view of an anode electrode as a first embodiment of a rocket engine ignition plug according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is a high voltage supply circuit for generating and supplying a high voltage to the anode electrode shown in FIG. FIG.
[0018]
As shown in FIG. 1, the anode electrode 11 of the ignition plug constituting the first embodiment of the rocket engine ignition plug of the present invention is made of a high melting point platinum-rhodium alloy, and the anode shown in FIG. Like the electrode 1, it is disposed in the axial direction at the axial center of the ignition plug 10, and is provided with a slit 12 in the center of the anode electrode 11.
Further, the slit 12 has high heat resistance, and a high voltage is loaded on the anode electrode 11, and as shown in FIG. 3, the cathode electrode 2 provided close to the outer circumferential direction of the anode electrode 11 at an equal pitch. The insulator 13 made of a ceramic that can prevent melting and desorption can be filled even when the anode electrode 11 is discharged toward the anode electrode 11, and the insulation of the anode electrode 11 separated by the slit 12 is maintained.
[0019]
The ignition plug 10 includes two high voltage generation circuits 9 similar to the high voltage generation circuit 9 shown in FIG. 4, and each high voltage generation circuit 9 is divided by a slit 12. Is connected to one of the anode electrodes 11.
However, the interface connector (not shown) that supplies power of 24 to 32 V to the two high voltage generation circuits 9 built in the ignition plug 10 is common to the two high voltage generation circuits 9 and the ignition plug is ignited. The shape of the portion attached to the main body is the same as that of the conventional ignition plug 8.
[0020]
Thus, the anode electrode 11 of the rocket engine ignition plug according to the present embodiment is formed as two independent electrodes having the slit 12 at the center of the conventional electrode.
In addition, the slit 12 that divides the anode electrode 11 into two independent electrodes is filled with an insulator 13 made of ceramic or the like, and the insulation between the anode electrodes arranged opposite to each other is also maintained.
[0021]
Note that the conventional ignition plug 8 in which one high voltage generation circuit 9 is joined to one anode electrode 1 does not have redundancy, so that only one high voltage generation circuit is added to one anode electrode 1. It is conceivable to provide redundancy by joining two high voltage generation circuits 9, but in this case, even if there is no abnormality in the high voltage generation circuit 9, the insulation of the anode electrode 1 portion is prevented. If broken, the igniter plug has the disadvantage of becoming inoperable.
[0022]
The ignition plug 10 of the present embodiment has two high voltage generation circuits 9 built in, and each of the high voltage generation circuits 9 is connected to one anode electrode, in other words, the high voltage generation circuit of the present embodiment. Since each circuit 9 has an independent anode electrode 11, even when the insulation of one anode electrode 11 is broken, the other anode electrode 11 is operated, so that it is possible to prevent the rocket engine from being unstarted.
Each of the two high voltage generation circuits 9 has an output monitor line (not shown). A signal from the output monitor line can confirm that a spark is flying from one of the anode electrodes 11. The other anode electrode 11 has a structure capable of confirming that it is in a standby state.
[0023]
In addition, the anode electrode 11 has a shape of the conventional anode electrode 1 that is half-cracked, and can be discharged independently. Further, the high voltage generation circuit 9 is also operated independently, and each of the anode electrodes 11 is independently high. The interface connector for supplying power to the high voltage generation circuit 9 is made common to the two high voltage generation circuits 9 and the ignition plug 10 is attached to the igniter body. The shape is also not changed from the conventional ignition plug 8.
[0024]
In this way, in the ignition plug 10 of the present embodiment, the slit 12 filled with the insulator 13 is provided in the center of the anode electrode 11, and the same high voltage as in the conventional case is provided in the ignition plug 10. Just by adding the generation circuit 9, the ignition plug can be made redundant, and the rocket engine installed in the space rocket or flying object can be used for space rocket or flying object flight (flying ) Can be ignited reliably regardless of when it is stopped or stopped, and does not hesitate to achieve missions such as space rockets, flying objects, etc. It is possible to reliably prevent the loss.
[0025]
Further, the work for providing the ignition plug 10 with redundancy requires only providing the slit 12 in the anode electrode 11 and filling the slit 12 with the insulator 13. Since it is only necessary to add a similar high voltage generation circuit 9, it is very easy to modify the conventional ignition plug 10 having no redundancy so as to have a redundancy, and can be applied to a space rocket or a flying object. The operation of the equipped rocket engine can be made extremely reliable.
[0026]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, the ignition plug for rocket engine ignition according to the present invention has a slit that is divided into a plurality of parts from the central portion, is filled with an insulating material in the slit, and is individually connected to the cathode electrode disposed on the outer periphery. A plurality of anode electrodes capable of generating sparks and individually connected to the divided anode electrodes, and the supplied low voltage power is set to a high voltage that can be discharged, and the high voltage supplied to each connected anode electrode A voltage generation circuit is provided.
[0027]
As a result, even if a malfunction occurs in one of the anode electrodes being operated and the high voltage generation circuit, it is possible to operate the other anode electrode that is on standby to have redundancy that can eliminate the malfunction. The rocket engine can be reliably ignited when flying, flying, or launching from the ground, and does not hesitate to achieve missions such as space rockets. Can be made reliable without causing any loss.
[0028]
In addition, in order to provide redundancy, the anode electrode is provided with a slit filled with an insulating material, the anode electrode is divided, and only a high voltage generating circuit for supplying a high voltage to each divided anode electrode is additionally provided. The conventional retrofit of a non-redundant rocket engine ignition spark plug with redundancy does not involve an increase in cost, and is a simple operation with no space constraints. Easy to implement.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a side view showing details of an anode electrode installation portion as a first embodiment of an ignition plug for rocket engine ignition according to the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the anode electrode shown in FIG. 1 and a high voltage generation circuit for supplying a high voltage thereto;
3 is a diagram showing details of an anode electrode installation portion of a conventional ignition plug for igniting a rocket engine, FIG. 3 (a) is a rear view taken along the line AA in FIG. 3 (b), and FIG. 3 (b). Is a longitudinal sectional view taken along the line BB in FIG.
4 is a block diagram showing an anode electrode shown in FIG. 3 and a high voltage generation circuit for supplying a high voltage thereto. FIG.
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Anode electrode 2 Cathode electrode 3 Air gap 4 Combustion chamber 5 Fuel injection port 6 Notch part 7 Oxidant injection port 8 Plug for ignition 9 High voltage generation circuit 10 Plug for ignition 11 Anode electrode 12 Slit 13 Insulator

Claims (1)

A high-voltage electric power is supplied to the anode electrode, and an oxidant supplied to the combustion chamber behind the two electrodes is a spark generated by a discharge between the anode electrode and the cathode electrode disposed on the outer periphery of the anode electrode, and A spark plug for igniting a rocket engine that ignites a mixed gas of fuel and generates a flame that ignites the rocket engine.In the spark plug for igniting the rocket engine, a slit filled with an insulating material is provided, and the anode electrode divided so as to be able to discharge individually, and A spark plug for igniting a rocket engine, comprising: a high voltage generating circuit that is individually connected to an anode electrode and that supplies the supplied power to the anode electrode connected to a high voltage.

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