Jet propulsion power unit with non-metal components

摘要

A rocket engine has a combustion chamber and an expansion chamber interconnected by a nozzle. Both chambers and the nozzle are made of carbon fiber reinforced silicon carbide formed as a monolithic rocket engine body or formed in sections bonded to each other to also form such a monolithic rocket engine body. The rocket engine body is mounted in a support structure, preferably made of a metal. The rocket engine body sections are produced by mechanical machining of respective blanks made of C/SiC materials. Cooling channels and/or heat insulation structures are used for heat control. The insulation structures are preferably also made of C/SiC materials or of carbon fiber felts or of graphite film.