Plume exhaust management for VLS

摘要

A system is provided for directing a flow of gas, including a launching mechanism, a plenum, a layer of meltable material, and an open-ended uptake component. The launching mechanism is adapted to expel rocket exhaust gas. The plenum includes an upper portion having at least one fire resistant breachable plug. The upper portion is adjacent to the launching mechanism. The layer of meltable material is disposed on the upper portion. The heat generated by the gas melts the layer of meltable material. The open-ended uptake component operatively connects to the plenum. The plug moves onto a lower portion of the plenum due to force generated by the gas onto the plug, and the gas flows through the plenum and the uptake component to vent said gas in a controlled manner.