Acoustic protection on payload fairings of expendable launch vehicles

US5670758A · kind A · utility

Assignees

• Oerlikon Contraves AG · CH
• Dornier GmbH · DE

Inventors

• Ingo Borchers · Überlingen, DE
• Stephan T. Laemmlein · Markdorf, DE
• Peter Bartels · Tucson, US
• Achim Rausch · Markdorf, DE
• Markus Faust · Überlingen, DE
• Jan A. F. Coebergh · Männedorf, CH
• Klaus Koeble · Meckenbeuren, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Jun 21, 1995
• Grant date: Sep 23, 1997
• Expiry date: Jun 21, 2015

Classification

• Technology area (CPC B): Performing Operations; Transporting
• CPC primary: B64G1/228
• WIPO field: Transport
• WIPO sector: Mechanical engineering

Abstract

By means of this acoustic protection it is possible to protect the payloads of expandable launch vehicles effectively against noise emissions from the rocket propulsion system which result in damage of the payloads. For this purpose acoustic absorbers (8) tuned to a defined frequency range are provided and are arranged in foamed plastic mats (7) disposed on the insides (6) of the payload fairing (1). The acoustic absorbers (8) are composed of a cup-shaped lower part (12) and an upper part (13) having a horn (18). The horn (8) tapers in a curved-conical manner from a larger diameter (D.sub.m) to a smaller diameter (D.sub.t) and projects into the lower part (12) by a defined distance (a) from a bottom (14) thereof. Slits (21) for the dissipation of the directed flow energy occurring in the horn (18) are disposed in the wall of the horn in the area of the smaller diameter (D.sub.t).