Rocket fuel supply system

Claim 1

A system for supplying powdered fuel and powdered oxidizer materials in fluidized state to a point of use, which comprises in combination: tank means including a pair of generally cylindrical axially aligned chambers for separately storing said powdered fuel and powdered oxidizer materials, each said chamber being axially bounded by manifold means defining a plurality of material outlet openings from said chamber and a plurality of inlet openings arranged immediately adjacent said outlet openings and by movable means arranged remotely from said manifold means and movable theretowards for progressively reducing the storage capacity of said chamber as material is discharged therefrom through said outlet openings; fluid means for controlling movement of said movable means towards said manifold means and for supplying fluidizing gas to said inlet openings of each said chambers, said fluid means including a source of gas under pressure and gas conduit means, said gas conduit means being arranged to extend concentrically within and axially of said chambers and communicating serially with said movable means and manifold means of a first of said chambers and said movable means and manifold means of a second of said chambers; and material conduit means for separately placing said outlet openings of each of said chambers in flow communication with said point of use and including valve means for separately controlling flow of said materials through said conduit means, said material conduit means associated with said second chamber passing from said tank means to said point of use, said material conduit means associated with said first chamber first passing concentrically relative to said gas conduit means of said second chamber serially through said movable means and manifold means thereof and then passing from said tank means to said point of use, and said valve means being arranged in that portion of said material conduit means passing from said tank means.

Claim 2

A system for supplying powdered fuel and powdered oxidizer materials in fluidized state to a point of use, which comprises in combination: tank means including a pair of generally cylindrical axially aligned chambers for separately storing said powdered fuel and powdered oxidizer materials, each said chamber being axially bounded by manifold means defining a plurality of material outlet openings from said chamber and a plurality of inlet openings arranged immediately adjacent said outlet openings and by movable means arranged remotely from said manifold means and movable theretowards for progressively reducing the storage capacity of said chamber as material is discharged therefrom through said outlet openings; fluid means for controlling movement of said movable means towards said manifold means and for supplying fluidizing gas to said inlet openings of each said chambers, said fluid means including a source of gas under pressure and gas conduit means, said gas conduit means being arranged to extend concentrically within and axially of said chambers and communicating serially with said movable means and manifold means of a first of said chambers and said movable means and manifold means of a second of said chambers; and material conduit means for separately placing said outlet openings of each of said chambers in flow communication with said point of use and including valve means for separately controlling flow of said materials through said conduit means, said material conduit means associated with said second chamber passing from said tank means to said point of use, said material conduit means associated with said first chamber first passing concentrically relative to said gas conduit means of said second chamber serially through said movable means and manifold means thereof and then passing from said tank means to said point of use, and said valve means being arranged in that portion of said material conduit means passing from said tank means.

Claim 3

A system for supplying a powdered charge in a fluidized state to a point of use, which comprises in combination: a tank means for storing said powdered charge, said tank means including manifold means defining a plurality of outlets from said tank means and a plurality of inlet arranged immediately adjacent said outlets, and movable means arranged remotely from said manifold means and movable theretowards for progressively reducing the charge storage capacity of said tank means as charge is discharged therefrom through said outlet openings, said manifold means including a pair of plate members, one of said plate members being arranged in a facing relationship to said movable means and defining said outlet openings and said inlet openings, said one plate member having portions extending therefrom into engagement with the other of said plate members, whereBy said plate members and said portions cooperate to define fluidizing gas channels communicating with said inlet openings and charge feed channels communicating with said outlet openings, and said one plate member and said portions thereof are porous, whereby to define said inlet openings and permit passage of said fluidizing gas from said fluidizing gas channels across said portions into said charge feed channels; conduit means for placing said charge feed channels in flow communication with said point of use; and fluid means for controlling movement of said movable means towards said manifold means and for supplying fluidizing gas to said fluidizing gas channels.

Claim 4

A system for supplying a powdered charge in a fluidized state to a point of use, which comprises in combination: a tank means for storing said powdered charge, said tank means including manifold means defining a plurality of outlets from said tank means and a plurality of inlet arranged immediately adjacent said outlets, and movable means arranged remotely from said manifold means and movable theretowards for progressively reducing the charge storage capacity of said tank means as charge is discharged therefrom through said outlet openings, said manifold means including a pair of plate members, one of said plate members being arranged in a facing relationship to said movable means and defining said outlet openings and said inlet openings, said one plate member having portions extending therefrom into engagement with the other of said plate members, whereBy said plate members and said portions cooperate to define fluidizing gas channels communicating with said inlet openings and charge feed channels communicating with said outlet openings, and said one plate member and said portions thereof are porous, whereby to define said inlet openings and permit passage of said fluidizing gas from said fluidizing gas channels across said portions into said charge feed channels; conduit means for placing said charge feed channels in flow communication with said point of use; and fluid means for controlling movement of said movable means towards said manifold means and for supplying fluidizing gas to said fluidizing gas channels.

Claim 5

A system for supplying a powdered charge in a fluidized state to a point of use, which comprises in combination: tank means for storing said powdered charge, said tank means including a cylindrical side wall, manifold means and movable means, said manifold means and said movable means closing opposite ends of said cylindrical side wall, said manifold means including a pair of plate members having facing surface portions thereof arranged in abutting relationship to define a plurality of alternately arranged radially extending fluidizing gas channels and charge feed channels, said fluidizing gas channels being disposed in radially outer communication, said charge feed channels being arranged in radially inner communication, one of said plate members being arranged in a facing relationship to said movable means and defining a concave surface through which extend a plurality of charge outlet openings communicating with said charge feed channels and a plurality of fluidizing gas inlet openings arranged immediately adjacent said outlet openings and communicating with said fluidizing gas channels, and said movable means being movable towards said concave surface for progressively reducing the charge storage capacity of said tank as charge is discharged therefrom through said outlet openings; conduit means extending through the other of said plate members for placing said charge feed channels in flow communication with said point of use; and fluid means for controlling movement of said movable means towards said manifold means and for supplying fluidizing gas to said fluidizing gas channels.

Claim 6

A system for supplying a powdered charge in a fluidized state to a point of use, which comprises in combination: tank means for storing said powdered charge, said tank means including a cylindrical side wall, manifold means and movable means, said manifold means and said movable means closing opposite ends of said cylindrical side wall, said manifold means including a pair of plate members having facing surface portions thereof arranged in abutting relationship to define a plurality of alternately arranged radially extending fluidizing gas channels and charge feed channels, said fluidizing gas channels being disposed in radially outer communication, said charge feed channels being arranged in radially inner communication, one of said plate members being arranged in a facing relationship to said movable means and defining a concave surface through which extend a plurality of charge outlet openings communicating with said charge feed channels and a plurality of fluidizing gas inlet openings arranged immediately adjacent said outlet openings and communicating with said fluidizing gas channels, and said movable means being movable towards said concave surface for progressively reducing the charge storage capacity of said tank as charge is discharged therefrom through said outlet openings; conduit means extending through the other of said plate members for placing said charge feed channels in flow communication with said point of use; and fluid means for controlling movement of said movable means towards said manifold means and for supplying fluidizing gas to said fluidizing gas channels.

Claim 7

A system for supplying a powdered charge in a fluidized state to a point of use, which comprises in combination; tank means including a generally cylindrical chamber for storing said powdered charge, said chamber being axially bounded by manifold means and movable means, said manifold means defining a concave surface, through which extend a plurality of charge outlet openings from said chamber and a plurality of inlet openings for introducing charge fluidizing gas into said chamber immediately adjacent said outlet openings, said outlet openings being arranged in a pattern permitting substantially uniform discharge therethrough, and said movable means being movable towards the concave surface for progressively reducing the storage capacity of said chamber as said charge is discharged therefrom through said outlet openings; fluid means for controlling movement of said movable means towards said manifold means and for supplying fluidizing gas to said manifold means for distribution to said inlet openings, said fluid means including a source of gas under pressure and a gas conduit means, said gas conduit means being arranged to extend concentrically within and axially of said chamber for placing said source in communication serially with said movable means and said manifold means, said conduit means additionally functioning to guide said movable means during movement thereof towards said manifold means; and charge conduit means for placing said outlet openings in flow communication with said point of use.

Claim 8

A system for supplying a powdered charge in a fluidized state to a point of use, which comprises in combination; tank means including a generally cylindrical chamber for storing said powdered charge, said chamber being axially bounded by manifold means and movable means, said manifold means defining a concave surface, through which extend a plurality of charge outlet openings from said chamber and a plurality of inlet openings for introducing charge fluidizing gas into said chamber immediately adjacent said outlet openings, said outlet openings being arranged in a pattern permitting substantially uniform discharge therethrough, and said movable means being movable towards the concave surface for progressively reducing the storage capacity of said chamber as said charge is discharged therefrom through said outlet openings; fluid means for controlling movement of said movable means towards said manifold means and for supplying fluidizing gas to said manifold means for distribution to said inlet openings, said fluid means including a source of gas under pressure and a gas conduit means, said gas conduit means being arranged to extend concentrically within and axially of said chamber for placing said source in communication serially with said movable means and said manifold means, said conduit means additionally functioning to guide said movable means during movement thereof towards said manifold means; and charge conduit means for placing said outlet openings in flow communication with said point of use.