GAS TURBINE ENGINE AND PULSE DETONATION COMBUSTION SYSTEM

• US 20120324860A1
• Filed: 12/24/2011
• Published: 12/27/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Masayoshi Shimo, Philip H. Snyder
• Original Assignee: Masayoshi Shimo, Philip H. Snyder
• Inventors: Snyder, Philip H., Shimo, Masayoshi
• Granted Patent: US 8,683,780 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 60/39.76
• CPC Class Codes: F02C 3/165 the combustion chamber contributes to the driving force by creating reactive thrust
• CPC Class Codes: F02C 5/02 characterised by the arrangement of the combustion chamber in the chamber in the plant combustion chambers per se F23R
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2240/127 Vortex generators, turbulators, or the like, for mixing by creating turbulence F05D2260/2212
• CPC Class Codes: F23C 15/00 Apparatus in which combustion takes place in pulses influenced by acoustic resonance in a gas mass for generating combustion products of high pressure or high velocity F23R7/00; starting devices F23D11/42
• CPC Class Codes: F23R 7/00 Intermittent or explosive combustion chambers
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 20/16 Combined cycle power plant [CCPP], or combined cycle gas turbine [CCGT]

Abstract

One embodiment of the present invention is a unique pulse detonation combustion system. Another embodiment is a unique gas turbine engine. Other embodiments include apparatuses, systems, devices, hardware, methods, and combinations for pulse detonation combustion systems, gas turbine engines, and other machines and engines. Further embodiments, forms, features, aspects, benefits, and advantages of the present application shall become apparent from the description and figures provided herewith.

Claims

1. A pulse detonation combustion system, comprising:

an inlet section having a first flame accelerator;

a fuel supply line in fluid communication with the inlet section;

an oxidizer supply line in fluid communication with the inlet section;

a vortex generator having an inlet face and an outlet face, wherein the vortex generator is in fluid communication with the inlet section;

an igniter coupled to the vortex generator and positioned between the inlet face and the outlet face of the vortex generator, wherein the igniter is operative to initiate deflagration combustion of fuel and oxidizer received from the fuel supply line and the oxidizer supply line;

a detonation chamber having a second flame accelerator, wherein the detonation chamber is in fluid communication with the inlet section via the vortex generator; and

a discharge opening in fluid communication with the detonation chamber and operative to discharge combustion products,

wherein the inlet section, the first flame accelerator, the vortex generator and the second flame accelerator are operative to initiate a deflagration to detonation transition.

2. The pulse detonation combustion system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first flame accelerator and the second flame accelerator are structured to have a directionally-dependent drag coefficient.

3. The pulse detonation combustion system of claim 2, wherein both the first flame accelerator and the second flame accelerator are structured to have directionally-dependent drag coefficients.

4. The pulse detonation combustion system of claim 3, wherein the directionally-dependent drag coefficients have increased drag in directions extending away from the vortex generator.

5. The pulse detonation combustion system of claim 1, further comprising a converging-diverging nozzle in fluid communication with the detonation chamber.

6. A gas turbine engine, comprising:

a compressor;

a turbine; and

a pulse detonation combustion system fluidly disposed between the compressor and the turbine, including;

a fuel supply line;

an oxidizer supply line separate from the fuel supply line;

an inlet section in communication with the fuel supply line and the oxidizer supply line;

a vortex generator having an inlet face and an outlet face, wherein the vortex generator is in fluid communication with the inlet section;

an igniter coupled to the vortex generator and positioned between the inlet face and the outlet face of the vortex generator, wherein the igniter is operative to initiate deflagration combustion of fuel and oxidizer received from the fuel supply line and the oxidizer supply line;

a detonation chamber in fluid communication with inlet section via the vortex generator;

a flame accelerator having a directionally-dependent drag coefficient; and

a discharge opening in fluid communication with the detonation chamber and operative to discharge combustion products,

wherein the inlet section, the vortex generator and the flame accelerator are operative to initiate a deflagration to detonation transition.

7. The gas turbine engine of claim 6, wherein a volume of the inlet section is tuned to achieve a desired detonation cycle time.

8. The gas turbine engine of claim 6, further comprising a converging-diverging nozzle in fluid communication with the detonation chamber.

9. The gas turbine engine of claim 6, wherein the flame accelerator is structured to amplify a precursor shock wave strength.

10. The gas turbine engine of claim 6, wherein the flame accelerator is structured to perform turbulent mixing of the fuel and the oxidizer.

11. The gas turbine engine of claim 6, wherein the pulse detonation combustion system is configured to control fuel and oxidizer supply timing without the use of a mechanical valve.

12. The gas turbine engine of claim 6, wherein the vortex generator includes a recirculation zone for mixing fuel and oxidizer.

13. The gas turbine engine of claim 6, wherein the flame accelerator is positioned in the detonation chamber.

14. The gas turbine engine of claim 6, wherein the flame accelerator is positioned in the inlet section.

15. The gas turbine engine of claim 6, further comprising an other flame accelerator positioned in the detonation chamber.

16. A pulse detonation combustion system, comprising:

an inlet section in communication with an fuel supply and an oxidizer supply;

a detonation chamber in fluid communication with the inlet section;

an igniter in fluid communication with the inlet section and the detonation chamber; and

a flame accelerator disposed in the inlet section and/or the detonation chamber, wherein the flame accelerator is configured with a directionally-dependent drag coefficient.