Design World

  • Home
  • Technologies
    • ELECTRONICS • ELECTRICAL
    • Fastening • joining
    • FLUID POWER
    • LINEAR MOTION
    • MOTION CONTROL
    • SENSORS
    • TEST & MEASUREMENT
    • Factory automation
    • Warehouse automation
    • DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION
  • Learn
    • Tech Toolboxes
    • Learning center
    • eBooks • Tech Tips
    • Podcasts
    • Videos
    • Webinars • general engineering
    • Webinars • Automated warehousing
    • Voices
  • LEAP Awards
  • 2025 Leadership
    • 2024 Winners
    • 2023 Winners
    • 2022 Winners
    • 2021 Winners
  • Design Guides
  • Resources
    • Subscribe
    • 3D Cad Models
      • PARTsolutions
      • TraceParts
    • Digital Issues
      • Design World
      • EE World
    • Educational Assets
    • Engineering diversity
    • Trends
  • Supplier Listings
  • Advertise
  • Subscribe

Rocket Engine Patent Reflects Vision in Orbit Attempts

By Nancy Owano | October 1, 2018

A rocket engine is making some noise with two pieces of good news. Reduced cost. Reduced complexity.

The concept that bears the description of “Enhanced Liquid Oxygen-Propylene Rocket Engine” has found its way into a patent awarded to Arizona-based launch company, Vector.

The patent discussion stated that “various difficulties arise when using liquid propellants, such as injector erosion, chamber heat build-up, and potential for leaks in couplings and connections among the various piping and components of the engines.”

What’s the big deal about the patent? The press announcement answered. “Vector is the first and only launch provider to utilize propylene fuel and liquid oxygen (LOX) in an operational launch system.”

The Arizona Daily Star said Vector was awarded a patent on September 11 for its “enhanced liquid oxygen-propylene rocket engine,” including a rocket-propellant injector made with 3-D metal printing and optimized to use propylene.

Liquid oxygen and propylene is an alternative propellant technology. But why mess with a good thing? What was wrong with the kind of fuel that had powered the first stage of rockets? Eric Berger is the senior space editor at Ars Technica. Berger helped explain why scientists were motivated to explore.

“For a long time, Rocket Propellant-1, or RP-1, reigned supreme as the fuel of choice for the first stage of rockets. This highly refined form of kerosene, which was derived from jet fuel, powered the Saturn, Delta, Atlas, and Soyuz rockets throughout the 20th century. It even served as fuel for modern rockets like the Falcon 9.”

Berger said what was nice is that a lot of fuel could be packed into a relatively small tank. It was not efficient, however. Enter propylene. “The researchers found that using liquid oxygen with propylene, a hydrocarbon gas, provided the ideal combination of combustion efficiency and energy density,” said David Wichner, reporting Thursday in the Arizona Daily Star.

Berger in Ars Technica wrote that “a long-time rocket scientist named John Garvey” believed in propylene as a viable fuel for rockets. “After Garvey co-founded Vector in late 2015 along with Jim Cantrell and Eric Besnard, he got a chance to put his propylene fuel into action for a real orbital rocket.”

The propylene fuel allows the engine design to avoid the use of turbopumps, used to increase the fuel pressure in many rocket engines.

Why is this positioned as not only carrying reduced cost but also reduced complexity? How so?

“When chilled, the propylene gas can be stored under pressure in a tank and fed to the engine directly, with much smaller fuel tanks and without fuel pumps normally used in rocket engines,” CTO Eric Besnard said, in Arizona Daily Star. Also, 3-D metal printing allows designers to build in features such as curved holes that would otherwise call for multiple parts.

What’s next?

“The company is still working toward a maiden launch of its Vector-R rocket this year, from a launch site in Alaska,” Berger wrote.

Arizona Daily Star said the company was moving toward a date later this year. Wichner reported that “The timing of the company’s first orbital launch, from Kodiak, Alaska, was “still up in the air” but Jim Cantrell, CEO, said he expected liftoff between late October and late December.

Vector is a microsatellite launch company. The company site has an ambitious statement about its “BIG vision to reshape the multi-billion launch market and combines dedicated low-cost micro satellites launch (Vector Launch) AND software defined satellites (Galactic Sky) to dramatically increase access and speed to orbit.”

The patent application was first filed in October 2016. According to the patent discussion, “the design and components used for rocket engines can vary considerably based upon the fuel and oxidizer selections. These components can include propellant tanks, feed lines, pumps, propellant injection components, and combustion chambers, among other components.”

Garvey, President of Launch Services, Vector, commented. “We’ve been incrementally testing this critical technology for several years in a series of flight test projects and are happy to see the patent awarded.”

You Might Also Like


Filed Under: Rapid prototyping

 

LEARNING CENTER

Design World Learning Center
“dw
EXPAND YOUR KNOWLEDGE AND STAY CONNECTED
Get the latest info on technologies, tools and strategies for Design Engineering Professionals.
Motor University

Design World Digital Edition

cover

Browse the most current issue of Design World and back issues in an easy to use high quality format. Clip, share and download with the leading design engineering magazine today.

EDABoard the Forum for Electronics

Top global problem solving EE forum covering Microcontrollers, DSP, Networking, Analog and Digital Design, RF, Power Electronics, PCB Routing and much more

EDABoard: Forum for electronics

Sponsored Content

  • Sustainability, Innovation and Safety, Central to Our Approach
  • Why off-highway is the sweet spot for AC electrification technology
  • Looking to 2025: Past Success Guides Future Achievements
  • North American Companies Seek Stronger Ties with Italian OEMs
  • Adapt and Evolve
  • Sustainable Practices for a Sustainable World
View More >>
Engineering Exchange

The Engineering Exchange is a global educational networking community for engineers.

Connect, share, and learn today »

Design World
  • About us
  • Contact
  • Manage your Design World Subscription
  • Subscribe
  • Design World Digital Network
  • Control Engineering
  • Consulting-Specifying Engineer
  • Plant Engineering
  • Engineering White Papers
  • Leap Awards

Copyright © 2025 WTWH Media LLC. All Rights Reserved. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of WTWH Media
Privacy Policy | Advertising | About Us

Search Design World

  • Home
  • Technologies
    • ELECTRONICS • ELECTRICAL
    • Fastening • joining
    • FLUID POWER
    • LINEAR MOTION
    • MOTION CONTROL
    • SENSORS
    • TEST & MEASUREMENT
    • Factory automation
    • Warehouse automation
    • DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION
  • Learn
    • Tech Toolboxes
    • Learning center
    • eBooks • Tech Tips
    • Podcasts
    • Videos
    • Webinars • general engineering
    • Webinars • Automated warehousing
    • Voices
  • LEAP Awards
  • 2025 Leadership
    • 2024 Winners
    • 2023 Winners
    • 2022 Winners
    • 2021 Winners
  • Design Guides
  • Resources
    • Subscribe
    • 3D Cad Models
      • PARTsolutions
      • TraceParts
    • Digital Issues
      • Design World
      • EE World
    • Educational Assets
    • Engineering diversity
    • Trends
  • Supplier Listings
  • Advertise
  • Subscribe
We use cookies to personalize content and ads, to provide social media features, and to analyze our traffic. We share information about your use of our site with our social media, advertising, and analytics partners who may combine it with other information you’ve provided to them or that they’ve collected from your use of their services. You consent to our cookies if you continue to use this website.OkNoRead more