Low Cost Lightweight Hot Gas Valve/Nozzle for Divert and Axial Thrusters

"A unique hot gas valve/nozzle concept promises low cost and lightweight for divert and axial thrusters. Key requirements for divert and attitude control (DAC) systems on kinetic kill vehicles (KVV's) are lightweight, low volume and cost, high impulse withminimal power requirements. Current hot gas valves for DAC's employ exotic materials such as rhenium to prevent ablation and erosion that severely impacts the effectiveness of the overall system. However, the high cost, long lead times, and high densityof rhenium warrants further development efforts for realizing a low cost and lightweight system. The proposed concept employs a unique approach of manipulating the hot gas flow path to reduce heat transfer to the valve and nozzle material. This reductionin heat transfer allows the opportunity for lower cost and lighter weight to be utilized. In addition, the concept minimizes actuation requirements resulting in low power needs, which translates into smaller battery weight and volume on the vehicle. Theproposed concept affords the opportunity to use lower cost and lighter weight materials for proportional divert and axial thrusters for interceptor applications. This technology could be used in all types of rocket applications, including liquid, gel andsolid propulsion systems. Specific areas include thrusters for station keeping of satellites in orbit, divert and attitude control systems for interceptors (miniature KKV's) and ax