Combo Turbofan Jet and Restartable Rocket

Votes: 1
Views: 760

When it comes to taking cargo into space the current method is to take the cargo, put it on the top of a large rocket and launch it. Launching a rocket is expensive, tens of million of dollars. The reason for the use of rockets is that they can work in space as they include both the fuel and oxidizer. If you look at a fighter jet engine like the F404 turbofan jet engine, with some small modifications it can be converted into a liquid fuel rocket and still operate like a turbofan jet engine. The key to making this work is the ability to seal the front end of the combustion chamber so that the expanding gases can only go out the back end of the engine creating thrust. With some clever plumbing of the fuel delivery system it might be possible to use the same injectors in the combustion chamber. By controlling the flow of the rocket fuel it should be possible to have the rocket turn on and off and on again. This would make it possible to fly an aircraft to the space station or to a satellite for repair without the need of a specific rocket launch just a specialized plane. And with a judicial amount of rocket fuel the plane can use the rocket engine to slow the plane down to about mach 1 when entering the atmosphere thus negating the need for special high temp materials on it surfaces. Once the plane reaches a height where the turbofan will operate the engine switches from rocket to turbofan allowing the operator to fly with power (which has less issues than a glide only).

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  • ABOUT THE ENTRANT

  • Name:
    Mike Lacroix
  • Type of entry:
    individual
  • Patent status:
    none