Rotary ramjet engine

• US 20040020185A1
• Filed: 04/16/2003
• Published: 02/05/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/16/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Societe de Commercialisation de Produits de La Recherche Appliquee-Socpra-Sciences et Genie SEC
• Original Assignee: Societe de Commercialisation de Produits de La Recherche Appliquee-Socpra-Sciences et Genie SEC
• Inventors: Brouillette, Martin, Plante, Jean-Sebastien
• Granted Patent: US 7,337,606 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 60/39.35
• CPC Class Codes: F02C 3/16 the combustion chambers being formed at least partly in the turbine rotor or in an other rotating part of the plant
• CPC Class Codes: F02C 5/04 the combustion chambers being formed at least partly in the turbine rotor
• CPC Class Codes: F02K 7/10 characterised by having ram-action compression, i.e. aero-thermo-dynamic-ducts or ram-jet engines
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 50/60 Efficient propulsion technologies, e.g. for aircraft

Abstract

An engine for providing rotary power about an output shaft with a high power-to-weight ratio includes a plurality of flow guiding blades mounted on the inner surface of an annular thruster base. The flow guiding blades cooperate with the peripheral surface of a rotor for forming a plurality of ramjet-like thrusters. The configuration of the flow guiding blades allows for optimization of the number of thrusters. The centrifugal forces generated by the rotating components is compensated by an annular reinforcement wall made with high strength materials allowing for downsizing of the rotor and associated components.

Claims

1. A rotary engine for producing an output power about an output shaft, said output shaft extending substantially along a shaft axis, said engine comprising:

a thruster disposed for rotary motion along a substantially circular thruster path positioned in a rotary plane substantially perpendicular to said shaft axis, said thruster being capable of generating a thruster torque about said shaft axis, said thruster generating a thruster centrifugal force acting thereon when rotating along said thruster path;

a thruster-to-shaft coupling means operatively coupled to both said thruster and said output shaft for transmitting said thruster torque to said output shaft;

an independent centrifugal force compensating means operatively coupled to said thruster for reacting to said centrifugal force and compensating for the latter so as to maintain said thruster in said thruster path when said thruster is rotated in said rotary plane;

whereby said thruster-to-shaft coupling means and said centrifugal force compensating means are allowed to perform their respective force transmitting and compensating function substantially independently from each other so as to substantially reduce the need for said thruster-to-shaft coupling means to react to and compensate for said centrifugal force.

2. An engine as recited in claim 1, wherein said thruster-to-shaft coupling means includes:

a mechanical coupling component configured and sized for extending substantially radially between said output shaft and said thruster;

a coupling component-to-thruster attachment means for attaching said mechanical coupling component to said thruster;

a coupling component-to-shaft attachment means for attaching said coupling component to said output shaft.

3. An engine as recited in claim 2, wherein said thruster-to-shaft coupling means allows said thruster and said mechanical coupling component to expand and retract substantially radially substantially independently from each other.

4. An engine as recited in claim 2, wherein:

said mechanical coupling component defines a radially innermost located coupling component inner edge and a radially outermost located coupling component outer edge;

said coupling component-to-shaft attachment means allowing said shaft to be attached to said mechanical coupling component substantially adjacent to said coupling component inner edge;

said coupling component-to-thruster attachment means allowing said thruster to be attached to said mechanical coupling component substantially adjacent to said coupling component outer edge;

said coupling component-to-thruster attachment means allowing said mechanical coupling component and said thruster to rotate solidarly with each other while allowing for a relative radial movement between said coupling component outer edge and said thruster.

5. An engine as recited in claim 4, wherein said coupling component-to-thruster attachment means includes an inter-engaging tongue and groove combination extending between said coupling component outer edge and said thruster, said tongue and groove combination being configured and sized for maintaining said tongue in operational contact with said groove while allowing relative movement between said tongue and said groove in a substantially radial direction and preventing relative movement between said tongue and said groove in other directions.

6. An engine as recited in claim 5, wherein said tongue extends substantially radially from said coupling component outer edge and said groove is formed in part of said thruster.

7. An engine as recited in claim 5, wherein said tongue has a substantially parallelepiped-shaped tongue configuration and wherein said groove has a substantially complimentary parallelepiped shaped groove configuration.

8. An engine as recited in claim 2, wherein said mechanical coupling component includes a generally disc-shaped rotor defining a pair of opposed rotor side surfaces and a radially outermost rotor peripheral surface, said rotor defining a rotor rotational axis, said rotor rotational axis being in a substantially collinear relationship relative to said shaft axis, said rotor being rotatable about said rotor rotational axis.

9. An engine as recited in claim 8, wherein said coupling component-to-thruster attachment means includes:

a tongue extending integrally and substantially radially from said rotor peripheral surface;

a groove formed in part of said thruster, said tongue and groove being configured and sized for maintaining said tongue in operational contact with said groove while allowing relative movement between said tongue and said groove in a substantially radial direction and preventing relative movement between said tongue and said groove in other directions.

10. An engine as recited in claim 8, wherein said rotor side surfaces are configured to reduce aerodynamical drag thereon when said rotor is rotated about said rotor rotational axis.

11. An engine as recited in claim 8, wherein the cross-sectional configuration of said rotor is dividable into a pair of rotor cross-section half portions, said rotor cross-section half portions being substantially symmetrically configured and positioned relative to said rotor rotational axis, each of said rotor cross-section half portions defining a half portion proximal region and an integrally extending half portion distal region located respectively radially proximally and distally relative to said rotor rotational axis, said half portion proximal region having a substantially frusto-triangular configuration tapering radially outwardly and said half portion distal region having a substantially rectangular configuration.

12. An engine as recited in claim 8 further comprising a vacuum creating means fluidly coupled to said engine for creating at least a partial vacuum substantially adjacent at least a portion of at least one of said rotor side surfaces.

13. An engine as recited in claim 8, wherein:

said rotor peripheral surface defines a rotor peripheral surface axial length in a direction substantially parallel to said rotor rotational axis;

said thruster defines a thruster axial length in a direction substantially parallel to said shaft axis;

said thruster axial length being greater than said rotor peripheral surface axial length.

14. An engine as recited in claim 8, wherein said rotor is provided with a rotor cooling channel extending at least partially therethrough, said rotor cooling channel defining a rotor cooling channel outlet end for discharging a cooling fluid substantially adjacent said rotor peripheral surface.

15. An engine as recited in claim 14 further comprising a thruster cooling channel extending at least partially through said thruster, said thruster cooling channel defining a thruster cooling channel inlet end and a thruster cooling channel outlet end, said thruster cooling channel inlet end being in fluid communication with said rotor cooling channel outlet end and said thruster cooling channel outlet end being located adjacent said centrifugal force compensating means for discharging said cooling fluid adjacent an interface between said thruster and said centrifugal force compensating means.

16. An engine as recited in claim 14, wherein said rotor cooling channel defines a rotor cooling channel inlet end located substantially adjacent said rotor rotational axis, said rotor inlet end being in fluid communication with the external environment adjacent said rotor rotational axis, said rotor cooling channel extending substantially radially between said rotor cooling channel inlet and outlet ends;

whereby said rotor cooling channel allows a cooling fluid in the external environment adjacent said rotor cooling channel to be centrifugally pumped through said rotor cooling channel and discharged through said rotor cooling channel outlet end when said rotor is rotated about said rotor rotational axis.

17. An engine as recited in claim 16, wherein:

said output shaft has a shaft cooling channel extending substantially longitudinally and at least partially therethrough, said shaft cooling channel being in fluid communication with a radially disposed shaft fluid discharge aperture;

said rotor has a substantially centrally located shaft receiving aperture extending therethrough, said shaft receiving aperture being configured and sized for substantially fittingly receiving said output shaft;

said rotor cooling channel inlet end leads into said shaft receiving aperture and is positionable in fluid communication with said shaft fluid aperture;

whereby upon said rotor being rotated about said rotor rotational axis, said cooling fluid is pumped centrifugally through said shaft and rotor cooling channels.

18. An engine as recited in claim 8, wherein said rotor is made out of a carbon/carbon composite material coated with a substantially oxidation resistant coating.

19. An engine as recited in claim 18, wherein said oxidation resistant coating includes silicium carbide and tetra-ethyl-ortho-silicate.

20. An engine as recited in claim 1, wherein said centrifugal force compensating means includes a reinforcement wall, said reinforcement wall having a substantially annular-shaped configuration, said reinforcement wall being configured and sized so as to be positioned radially outwardly relative to said thruster and in abutting contact with the latter about a reinforcement wall-to-thruster interface.

21. An engine as recited in claim 20, wherein said reinforcement wall is made out of a one-dimensional carbon-based composite material.

22. An engine as recited in claim 21 further comprising a cooling means for cooling said reinforcement wall.

23. An engine as recited in claim 21, wherein said one-dimensional oriented carbon-based composite material includes a matrix made of epoxy.

24. An engine as recited in claim 21, wherein said one-dimensional carbon-based composite material includes a matrix made of a polyimide.

25. An engine as recited in claim 20, wherein said reinforcement wall is made out of coiled carbon fibers.

26. An engine as recited in claim 1 comprising a plurality of thrusters, said thrusters being disposed substantially symmetrically relative to said shaft axis for rotary motion along said common substantially circular thruster path positioned in said common rotary plane substantially perpendicular to said shaft axis, each of said thrusters being capable of generating a corresponding thruster torque about said shaft axis, each of said thrusters generating thereon a corresponding thruster centrifugal force when rotating along said thruster path;

said thruster-to-shaft coupling means being operatively coupled to each of said thrusters and said output shaft for transmitting said thruster torques to said output shaft;

said independent centrifugal force compensating means being operatively coupled to said thrusters for reacting to said centrifugal force and compensating for the latter so as to maintain said thrusters in said thruster path when said thrusters are rotated in said rotary plane;

whereby said thruster-to-shaft coupling means and said centrifugal force compensating means are allowed to perform their respective force transmitting and compensating means substantially independently from each other so as to substantially reduce the need for said thruster-to-shaft coupling means to react to and compensate for said centrifugal force.

27. An engine as recited in claim 26 further comprising a thruster-to-thruster coupling means extending between adjacent thrusters for mechanically coupling together said plurality of thrusters and for maintaining said thrusters in a predetermined spaced relationship relative to each other.

28. An engine as recited in claim 27, wherein said thruster-to-thruster coupling means includes a substantially annular-shaped thruster base, each of said thrusters extending from said thruster base.

29. An engine as recited in claim 28, wherein said thruster base defines a radially inwardly located thruster base inner surface and an opposed radially outwardly located thruster base outer surface, said thrusters extending inwardly from said thruster base inner surface.

30. An engine as recited in claim 29, wherein said centrifugal force compensating means includes a reinforcement wall, said reinforcement wall having a substantially annular-shaped configuration, said reinforcement wall defining a radially inwardly located reinforcement wall inner surface and an opposed radially outwardly located reinforcement wall outer surface, said reinforcement wall being configured and sized that at least a portion of said reinforcement wall inner surface contacts at least a portion of said thruster base outer surface about a reinforcement wall-to-thruster interface.

31. An engine as recited in claim 28, wherein:

said thruster-to-shaft coupling means includes a generally disc-shaped rotor defining a pair of opposed rotor side surfaces and a radially outermost rotor peripheral surface, said rotor peripheral surface defining a rotor peripheral surface axial length in a direction substantially parallel to said rotor rotational axis;

said thruster base defines a thruster base axial length in a direction substantially parallel to said shaft axis;

said thruster base axial length being greater than said rotor peripheral surface axial length.

32. An engine as recited in claim 1, wherein said thruster is a shock wave compression thruster.

33. An engine as recited in claim 32, wherein said thruster is a ramjet thruster.

34. A rotary engine for producing an output power about an output shaft using a combustible fluid, said output shaft extending substantially along a shaft axis, said engine comprising:

a casing having a substantially cylindrical casing inner wall;

a substantially cylindrical thruster base defining a thruster base axis, said thruster base axis extending in a substantially collinear relationship relative to said shaft axis, said thruster base being disposed for rotary motion relative to said casing inner wall in a rotary plane substantially perpendicular to said thruster base axis, said thruster base defining a radially outwardly located thruster base outer surface and an opposed radially inwardly located thruster base inner surface, said thruster base extending between a circumferential thruster base intake peripheral edge and an axially opposed circumferential thruster base exhaust peripheral edge;

said thruster base and said casing inner wall being in a substantially concentric relationship relative to each other so as to define a casing inner wall-to-thruster base radial spacing therebetween;

at least one pair of flow guiding blades extending from said thruster base towards said casing inner wall, said flow guiding blades being configured, sized and spaced relative to each other so as to define together with portions of said thruster base and casing inner wall extending therebetween a ramjet thruster;

a thruster-to-shaft coupling means for operatively coupling said ramjet thruster and said output shaft.

35. An engine as recited in claim 34, wherein said casing inner wall is substantially concentrically positioned relative to said thruster base inner surface;

said at least one pair of flow guiding blades extending substantially radially inwardly from said thruster base inner surface towards said casing inner wall.

36. An engine as recited in claim 34, wherein each of said flow guiding blades defines a radially outwardly located blade contacting edge in contact with said thruster base and a radially opposed blade spaced edge positioned in a radially inwardly spaced relationship relative to said thruster base;

said blade spaced edge being spaced from said casing inner wall by a blade-to-inner wall running clearance.

37. An engine as recited in claim 34, wherein said ramjet thruster includes an inlet aperture for receiving said combustible fluid, said inlet aperture leading flow-wise into a convergent inlet diffuser having a flow-wise decreasing effective diffuser cross-sectional area, said inlet diffuser leading flow-wise into a combustion chamber, said combustion chamber leading flow-wise into a divergent exhaust nozzle having a flow-wise increasing effective diffuser cross-sectional area and said exhaust nozzle leading flow-wise to an exhaust aperture;

said inlet diffuser being provided with a bleeding means for bleeding a bleedable portion of said combustible fluid from said inlet diffuser.

38. An engine as recited in claim 37, wherein said inlet diffuser is an internal perforated diffuser, said bleeding means including bleeding apertures extending through said thruster base in the region of said inlet diffuser, said bleeding apertures being configured, positioned and sized for allowing an outflow volume of bleedable fluid therethrough, said outflow volume of bleedable fluid being inversely commensurable with the speed of flow of said combustible fluid in said inlet diffuser.

39. An engine as recited in claim 34, wherein said casing inner wall is substantially concentrically positioned relative to said thruster base inner surface;

said thruster base inner surface having a plurality of flow guiding blades extending therefrom towards said casing inner wall for defining a corresponding plurality of ramjet thrusters therebetween.

40. An engine as recited in claim 39, wherein each of said ramjet thrusters defines a corresponding ramjet channel extending therethrough,

said ramjet channel being generally angled relative to the tangential direction towards the radial direction;

said ramjet channel having substantially the configuration of the mirror image of a substantially deployed “

S”

shape wherein the “

S”

shape is substantially deployed substantially along the tangential direction.

41. An engine as recited in claim 39, wherein each of said ramjet thrusters allows exhaust therefrom of combustion products resulting from the combustion of said combustible fluid;

each of said ramjet thruster including an inlet aperture for receiving said combustible fluid, said inlet aperture leading flow-wise into a convergent inlet diffuser having a flow-wise decreasing effective diffuser cross-sectional area, said inlet diffuser leading flow-wise into a combustion chamber, said combustion chamber leading flow-wise into a divergent exhaust nozzle having a flow-wise increasing effective nozzle cross-sectional area and said exhaust nozzle leading flow-wise to an exhaust aperture.

42. An engine as recited in claim 41, wherein said inlet diffuser defines a substantially rectilinear extrados and a substantially concave intrados both merging towards each other for forming a diffuser throat;

said exhaust nozzle defining a substantially rectilinear intrados and an opposed substantially concave extrados, both emanating from a nozzle throat, said combustion chamber having a substantially biconcave configuration between said diffuser and nozzle throat;

said extrados of said inlet diffuser being angled from the tangential direction towards the radial direction by an inlet extrados angle;

said intrados of said exhaust nozzle being angled from the tangential direction towards the radial direction by an exhaust intrados angle;

whereby said combustible fluid penetrates into each of said ramjet thrusters with an average flow direction substantially parallel to said extrados of said inlet diffuser and said combustion products are ejected from each of said thrusters with an average flow direction substantially parallel to said intrados of said exhaust nozzle, said substantially concave intrados and extrados respectively of said inlet diffuser and exhaust nozzle being respectively adapted to act as compression and expansion ramps for respectively decelerating and accelerating the fluids flowing adjacent thereto.

43. An engine as recited in claim 42, wherein said inlet extrados angle has a value of from about 8 to about 20 degrees.

44. An engine as recited in claim 42, wherein said exhaust intrados angle has a value of from about 8 to about 20 degrees.

45. An engine as recited in claim 42, wherein said inlet extrados angle has a value of from about 8 to about 20 degrees and said exhaust intrados angle has a value of from about 8 to about 20 degrees.

46. An engine as recited in claim 41, wherein each of said flow guiding blades defines a radially outwardly located blade contacting edge in contact with said thruster base and a radially opposed blade spaced edge positioned in a radially inwardly spaced relationship relative to said thruster base;

said blade spaced edge being spaced from said casing inner wall by a blade-to-inner wall running clearance;

each of said flow guiding blades defining a guiding blade radial size between said blade contacting and spaced edges, said guiding blade radial size being greater in the region of said exhaust nozzle then in the region of said inlet diffuser so as to provide a having a flow-wise bi-dimensionally increasing effective nozzle cross-sectional area.

47. An engine as recited in claim 41 further comprising at least one flame holding protrusion protruding from said thruster base within said combustion chamber.

48. An engine as recited in claim 41 further comprising bleeding apertures extending through said thruster base in the region of said inlet diffuser, said bleeding apertures being configured, positioned and sized for allowing an outflow volume of bleedable fluid therethrough, said bleeding apertures being configured, positioned and sized so that said outflow volume of bleedable fluid is inversely commensurable with the speed of flow of said combustible fluid in said inlet diffuser.

49. An engine as recited in claim 48 further comprising a set of bleeding flow guiding ribs extending substantially radially from said thruster base outer surface for guiding said bleeding flow towards said thruster base intake peripheral edge.

50. An engine as recited in claim 49, wherein said casing also includes a substantially annular flow partitioning wall for separating the flow of combustible fluid drawn towards said inlet apertures from the outflow of bleedable fluid flowing out of said bleeding flow guiding ribs, said flow partitioning wall extending substantially axially from a position substantially adjacent said thruster base intake peripheral edge to a position located substantially away from said inlet apertures.

51. An engine as recited in claim 41 further comprising a cooling means for cooling said engine adjacent said thruster base outer surface.

52. An engine as recited in claim 51, wherein said cooling means includes a cooling channel extending through said thruster base from a cooling channel inlet positioned radially inwardly relative to said thruster base.

53. A rotary engine for producing an output power about an output shaft using a combustible fluid combustible into a product of combustion, said output shaft extending substantially along a rotational axis, said engine comprising:

a stationary casing;

a rotor rotatably mounted to said casing for rotation relative thereto about said rotational axis;

a plurality of flow guiding blades extending substantially radially from a rotatable blade base coupled to said rotor for rotation solidarly therewith;

said flow guiding blades cooperating with said casing and said blade base for forming a plurality of ramjet thrusters allowing shock wave induced combustion therein of said combustible fluid;

said ramjet thrusters being configured so that said product of combustion flows out of said ramjet thrusters with an exhaust velocity having a tangential component.

54. An engine as recited in claim 53, wherein said blade base includes the outer peripheral surface of said rotor and wherein said flow guiding blades substantially radially outwardly towards said casing.

55. An engine as recited in claim 54, wherein each of said ramjet thrusters defines a corresponding inlet diffuser leading flow-wise into a combustion chamber, said combustion chamber leading flow-wise into an exhaust nozzle;

at least one of said inlet diffuser being provided with a bleeding means for allowing bleeding of a bleedable portion of said combustible fluid upon the initiation of the rotation of said rotor.

56. An engine as recited in claim 55, wherein said bleeding means includes a bleeding channel in fluid communication with said inlet diffuser and a variable geometry valve for selectively allowing and restraining the flow of said bleedable portion of said combustible fluid from said inlet diffuser to said bleeding channel.

57. An engine as recited in claim 56, wherein said variable geometry valve includes a valve seat positioned between said inlet diffuser and said bleeding channel and a sleeve valve displaceable substantially axially between a valve open and a valve closed configuration for respectively allowing and preventing the flow of said bleedable portion of said combustible fluid through said valve seat.

58. An engine as recited in claim 53, wherein said blade base includes an annular reinforcement wall positioned radially outwardly relative to said rotor, said flow guiding blades extending substantially radially inwardly from said reinforcement wall towards said casing.

59. An engine as recited in claim 58, wherein each of said ramjet thrusters defines a corresponding inlet diffuser leading flow-wise into a combustion chamber, said combustion chamber leading flow-wise into an exhaust nozzle;

at least one of said inlet diffuser being provided with a bleeding means for allowing bleeding of a bleedable portion of said combustible fluid upon the initiation of the rotation of said rotor.

60. An engine as recited in claim 59, wherein said bleeding means includes said inlet diffuser being a perforated diffuser provided with bleeding apertures extending therethrough.

61. An engine as recited in claim 53, wherein said blade base defines a blade base inlet edge and an axially opposed blade base exhaust edge, each of said flow guiding blades being configured so as to extend substantially from said blade base inner and outer edge respectively at a blade inner and outer angle relative to the latter.

62. An engine as recited in claim 61, wherein each of said flow guiding blades is configured so as to optimize the number of ramjet thrusters circumferentially positionable about said blade base taking into consideration said blade inner and outer angles.

63. A rotary engine for producing an output power about an output shaft, said output shaft extending substantially along a shaft axis, said engine comprising:

a thruster disposed for rotary motion along a substantially circular thruster path positioned in a rotary plane substantially perpendicular to said shaft axis, said thruster being capable of generating a thruster torque about said shaft axis, said thruster generating a thruster centrifugal force acting thereon when rotating along said thruster path;

a thruster-to-shaft coupler operatively coupled to both said thruster and said output shaft for transmitting said thruster torque to said output shaft;

an independent centrifugal force compensator operatively coupled to said thruster for reacting to said centrifugal force and compensating for the latter so as to maintain said thruster in said thruster path when said thruster is rotated in said rotary plane;

whereby said thruster-to-shaft coupler and said centrifugal force compensator are separate from each other so as to substantially reduce the need for said thruster-to-shaft coupler to react to and compensate for said centrifugal force.

64. A rotary engine for producing an output power about an output shaft using a combustible fluid, said output shaft extending substantially along a shaft axis, said engine comprising:

a casing having a substantially cylindrical casing inner wall;

a substantially cylindrical thruster base defining a thruster base axis, said thruster base axis extending in a substantially collinear relationship relative to said shaft axis, said thruster base being disposed for rotary motion relative to said casing inner wall in a rotary plane substantially perpendicular to said thruster base axis, said thruster base defining a radially outwardly located thruster base outer surface and an opposed radially inwardly located thruster base inner surface, said thruster base extending between a circumferential thruster base intake peripheral edge and an axially opposed circumferential thruster base exhaust peripheral edge;

said thruster base and said casing inner wall being in a substantially concentric relationship relative to each other so as to define a casing inner wall-to-thruster base radial spacing therebetween;

at least one pair of flow guiding blades extending from said thruster base towards said casing inner wall, said flow guiding blades being configured, sized and spaced relative to each other so as to define together with portions of said thruster base and casing inner wall extending therebetween a ramjet thruster;

a thruster-to-shaft coupler for operatively coupling said ramjet thruster and said output shaft.