US PATENT SUBCLASS 60 / 205
.~.~ By chemical reaction

Current as of: June, 1999
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60 /   HD   POWER PLANTS

200.1  DF  REACTION MOTOR (E.G., MOTIVE FLUID GENERATOR AND REACTION NOZZLE, ETC.) {28}
204  DF  .~ Method of operation {1}
205.~.~ By chemical reaction {7}
206  DF  .~.~.~> Utilizing indirect heat exchange
207  DF  .~.~.~> Utilizing plural reaction zones within a system
208  DF  .~.~.~> Injecting air into the reaction zone {1}
211  DF  .~.~.~> Injecting separate streams of fuel and oxidizer (e.g., hypergole, etc.) into the reaction zone {3}
217  DF  .~.~.~> Injecting mixture of fuel and oxidizer into the reaction zone
218  DF  .~.~.~> Decomposing a compound in the reaction zone
219  DF  .~.~.~> Using solid material in reaction zone {1}

DEFINITION

Classification: 60/205

(under subclass 204) Processes directed to producing thrust in a reaction motor by ejecting the products of chemical reaction of propellant material.

(1) Note. This and indented subclasses take (1) processes involving injecting propellant material into the reaction zone in one or more streams, reacting the material and expelling the reaction products to produce thrust; (2) processes involving reacting propellant material in the reaction chamber and expelling the reaction products to produce thrust.

(2) Note. The lines between this and indented subclasses and Class 44, Fuel and Related Compositions, Class 149, Explosive and Thermic Compositions or Charges, Class 208, Mineral Oils: Processes and Products, Class 260, Chemistry of Carbon Compounds, and Class 423, Chemistry of Inorganic Compounds and Class 585, Chemistry of Hydrocarbon Compounds, are as follows: (1) patent containing a propellant material claim and a claim to broadly creating propulsion by merely broadly reacting the propellant material are classified in the appropriate material class and cross-referenced to this and indented subclasses. (2) A patent containing only process claims which merely recite reacting a definite propellant material to broadly produce thrust are classified in this and indented subclasses.

(3) Note. The processes of this and indented subclass include operating the reaction motor in such media as water, air and vacuum.

SEE OR SEARCH CLASS

44, Fuel and Related Compositions, appropriate subclasses for a solid or liquid fuel composition. The lines between Class 44 and this class are: (1) A patent, containing a fuel composition claim and a claim to broadly creating propulsion by burning the fuel is classified in Class 44 and cross-referenced to this class. (2) A patent containing only process claims even if they merely recite burning a definite fuel to broadly produce thrust are classified in this class.

102, Ammunition and Explosives,

530+, for sky-rockets, subclasses 374+ for a projectile having a charge which discharges to propel the projectile after leaving the gun, subclasses 334 and 366+ for shells adapted to emit an incendiary or smoky substance during flight, subclass 458 for tracer shells and subclasses 283+ for inventions in the shape or structure of powder grains, sticks or bars of an explosive substance usually arranged for the purpose of modifying the rate or manner of burning or exploding.

114, Ships,

20.1+, for fish or automobile torpedoes, the power or propulsion being self-contained.

149, Explosive and Thermic Compositions or Charges, appropriate subclasses for propellant compositions containing a fuel and an oxidizer. The lines between Class 149 and this class are: in particular, see

109.2, for a collection of gas generation and propulsion methods using compositions not provided for elsewhere in the class, subclass 109.4 for a collection of monopropellant compounds, subclass 119 for a collection of oxidizer compounds and subclasses 120+ for a collection of high energy fuel compounds. (1) A patent containing a propellant composition claim and a claim to broadly creating propulsion by burning the propellant is classified in Class 149 and cross-referenced to this class. (2) A patent containing only process claims even if they merely recite burning a definite propellant to broadly produce thrust are classified in this class.

208, Mineral Oils: Processes and Products,

15+, for a petroleum fuel, such as gasoline, subclasses 22+ for an asphalt tar, pitch or resin mineral oil composition and subclass 39 for making, treating and recovery of asphalt, tar, pitch or resin.

252, Compositions,

186+, for oxidizing compositions.

440, Marine Propulsion,

45, for devices causing explosive jets of the nature of those used in air and gas engines used for propelling a vessel. 502, Catalyst, Solid Sorbent, or Support Therefor: Product or Process of Making, appropriate subclass for a catalyst composition or a process of making or regenerating it.

585, Chemistry of Hydrocarbon Compounds, for certain fuel compositions containing only hydro-carbons and processes for making them.

BIPROPELLANT

A reaction motor propellant consisting of two separate substances (usually liquid) fed into the reaction zone separately. One of the substances is a fuel (e.g., hydrazine); while the other is an oxidizer (e.g., fluorine).

CHEMICAL REACTION

The transformation of the molecules of one or more substances into other kinds of molecules.

FUEL

A single substance or a mixture of substances which react with another substance (called the oxidizer) to form at least one new substance in which at least a portion of the fuel forms at least a portion of the more positive (electron donor) portion of the new substance. e.g.

H2 + Cl2 ! 2HCl

Hydrogen is considered the fuel.

CH4 2O2 ! CO2 + 2H2O Methane is the fuel and oxygen in the

oxidizer.

BE + F2 ! BeF2

Beryllium is the fuel and fluorine in the oxidizer.

HYPERGOLE

A substance (fuel or oxidizer) which ignites spontaneously on contact with the other member of a hypergolic mixture. For example: aniline is hypergolic with nitric acid.

INJECTING

Forcing into the reaction zone one or more streams of material which enter into the action which produces thrust. Extruding a solid or semi-solid into the reaction zone, spraying a stream of finely divided particles into the reaction zone and jetting a liquid or gas into the reaction zone are illustrative but nonlimiting examples of the scope of the term.

METAL

The term includes a free metallic element (e.g., lithium), an alloy of two or more metals (e.g., 25% Na 75% K), and

intermetallic compound (e.g., A1Ni) or a mere mixture of particles of two or more metals.

MONOPROPELLANT A material which contains within itself all of the components which enter into the chemical change which occurs in producing thrust in a chemical reaction motor. A monopropellant may be a pure compound, such as hydrazine, or a mixture of two or more substances which react under the conditions of the reaction chamber.

MOTIVE FLUID

Used in this definition this term means a stream of moving particles, either gaseous or liquid, as it exists in the area in the motor where it is accelerated, pressurized or otherwise caused to become unstable up to and including the point where it exits the end of the ejecting means, e.g., nozzle, through which it is ejected into the ambient to cause thrust.

OXIDIZER

A substance (element or compound) which reacts with another substance to produce at least one new substance in which at least a portion of the oxidizer furnishes at least part of the more negative (electron acceptor) portion of the new substances. e.g.

BH3 + NH3 ! BN + 3H2

ammonia is considered the oxidizer

2LiH + F2 ! 2LiF + 2HF

fluorine is considered the oxidizer

CH4 + 2O2 ! CO2 + 2H2O

oxygen is the oxidizer

PROPELLANT The generic term for any or all of the components of the supply of materials which may be converted (by expansion, combustion or other means) into motive fluid.

REACTION ZONE

The space in which the propellant material undergoes chemical change to produce new substances and heat which heat raises the temperature of the new substances. The ejection of these heated substances from the reaction motor produces thrust or

propulsive force.