Ignition system

Claim 1

An ignition system for liquid propellant comprising: a first chamber; a piston having a head disposed in said first chamber and dividing said first chamber into an ignition chamber and a liquid propellant supply chamber; means for admitting gas into said ignition chamber; unidirectional flow valve means for admitting liquid into said supply chamber and for blocking loss of liquid therefrom; means for providing under pressure a predetermined quantity of liquid propellant through said unidirectional flow valve means into said supply chamber, whereby said liquid propellant causes translation of said head of said piston in a first direction to enlarge the volume of said supply chamber and to decrease the volume of said ignition chamber, to compress and thereby heat the gas; first means effective upon the translation of said head to a predetermined minimal volume of said ignition chamber for passing an initial quantity of liquid propellant from said supply chamber into said ignition chamber for ignition by the therein compressed and heated gas, whereby the ignited liquid propellant provides an increase in gas pressure in said ignition chamber and causes translation of said head of said piston in a second direction opposite to said first direction to enlarge the volume of said ignition chamber and to decrease the volume of said supply chamber; and second means effective upon the translation of said head in said second direction to progressively pass the remaining quantity of liquid propellant from said supply chamber to said ignition chamber during the course of movement in said second direction of said head.