Integral gas turbine, flywheel, generator, and method for hybrid operation thereof

• US 20130139515A1
• Filed: 05/29/2012
• Published: 06/06/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/27/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Daniel K. Schlab
• Original Assignee: Daniel K. Schlab
• Inventors: Schlak, Daniel Keith
• Granted Patent: US 9,540,998 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 60/772
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 15/02 Adaptations for driving vehicles, e.g. locomotives
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 15/10 Adaptations for driving, or combinations with, electric generators
• CPC Class Codes: F02C 3/00 Gas-turbine plants characterised by the use of combustion products as the working fluid generated by intermittent combustion F02C5/00
• 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: F02C 6/16 for storing compressed air
• CPC Class Codes: F02C 7/08 Heating air supply before combustion, e.g. by exhaust gases
• CPC Class Codes: F02C 7/36 Power transmission arrangements between the different shafts of the gas turbine plant, or between the gas-turbine plant and the power user F02C3/107 - F02C3/13 and F02C7/32 take precedence; couplings for transmitting rotation F16D; gearing in general F16H
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2220/90 in vehicles adapted for vertical or short take off and landing (v/stol vehicles)
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/16 Mechanical energy storage, e.g. flywheels or pressurised fluids
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 50/60 Efficient propulsion technologies, e.g. for aircraft

Abstract

A power plant incorporating attributes of a gas turbine engine, flywheel, and electrical generator (hereafter turbine/flywheel or TF) in a single compact unit, having a compressor arrayed with magnets which weight the periphery of the TF. Intermittent combustion periods accelerate the TF to a first rotational velocity, then combustion ceases, and the inlet/outlet of the TF are sealed, causing it to self-evacuate. Conductive coils surround the TF. Magnetic flux between the magnets and coils acts as a motor/generator, electrically powering a load, and absorbing electrical power therefrom via regenerative braking; power out decelerating the TF (now a flywheel), power in accelerating it. A pressure accumulator accepts the TF exhaust, and is pressurized by the combustion periods. Between combustion periods, exhaust in the accumulator expands in a small pump/motor that drives a generator, routing electricity to the TF to raise its rotational velocity.

Claims

1. A method for operating a machine comprising a prime mover, an accumulation device, and an expansion device, the method comprising:

directing gases from the prime mover to the accumulation device while combusting a fuel within or around the prime mover;

directing gases from said accumulation device to said expansion device; and

directing energy from said expansion device to said primer mover;

wherein said prime mover has associated therewith a rate of rotation and said rate of rotation increases while not combusting fuel within or around said prime mover due to said directing energy.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

mechanically coupling said prime mover to a shafted or geared system that operates in parallel with, alternatively to, or complementary to said expansion device.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein:

said prime mover communicates with a load and said communicating with a load can be accomplished selectively and omnidirectionally between said prime mover and said load.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein:

said directing of energy is accomplished electrically, magnetically, or electromagnetically.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein:

said directing of energy is accomplished along a bus in electrical communication with at least one rotor of said prime mover and a motor/generator coupled to one of said expansion device and said load.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

reducing a pressure within an internal area of the prime mover to less than 1 atmosphere;

7. The method of claim 1 wherein said prime mover comprises:

a gas inlet;

a gas outlet;

at least one gas compression stage or turbine stage;

a flow path leading from said inlet to said outlet through said at least one compression stage or turbine stage;

wherein at least one of said at least one compression stage and said at least one turbine stage comprises;

a plurality of circumferentially spaced vanes that affect gaseous flow through or around the prime mover;

a plurality of circumferentially spaced magnetic or electromagnetic elements;

wherein said prime mover communicates with a driven mechanical load in receipt of a force, said force derived from said prime mover and transmitted mechanically indirectly or directly, or electrically or electromagnetically or hydrostatically or pneumatically, from one of said magnetic elements or electromagnetic elements.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

regeneratively using deceleration of an element of the machine to accelerate said prime mover;

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

using deceleration of said prime mover to accelerate said element of the machine.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein said prime mover has a moment of inertia, and further comprising:

commencing combustion at said prime mover, ceasing combustion of said prime mover, and operating in a reduced pressure mode said prime mover during a rotational acceleration sequence that accelerates the prime mover to a flywheeling, or relatively high, rate of inertia about its moment of inertia while a pressure within said prime mover decreases to a substantially vacuous, or relatively low, level.

11. A method of operating an engine within or on a powered device, the engine having a combustion mode and a non combustion mode, the method comprising:

a first step of beginning said combustion mode of the engine thereby giving it a rotational or cyclic value;

upon reaching, as a result of said first step, a first rotational or cyclic value, a second step of reducing a pressure within an internal area of said engine to less than 1 atmosphere;

a third step subsequent to said first step or said second step or subsequent to said first step and said second step, said third step comprising increasing said rotational or cyclic value to a second rotational or cyclic value higher than said first rotational or cyclic value, wherein during said third step said pressure within an internal area of said engine remains at less than 1 atmosphere.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

regeneratively using deceleration of an element of said powered device to effect said increasing said rotational or cyclic value during said non combustion mode.

13. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

decreasing said rotational or cyclic value to accelerate an element of said powered device during said non combustion mode.

14. The method of claim 11 wherein:

said increasing said rotational or cyclic value during said third step is accomplished via electrical, magnetic, or electromagnetic means.

15. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

increasing or decreasing a rotation rate of at least one compression stage or at least one turbine stage by electrically influencing magnets circumferentially spaced around or spaced within said compression stage or said turbine stage.

16. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

passing gases through an everted flow path comprising at least one compression stage and at least one turbine stage, said at least one compressor stage disposed coaxially and radially inwardly of said at least one turbine stage, or said at least one turbine stage disposed coaxially and radially inwardly of said at least one compressor stage.

17. The method of claim 11 further wherein said engine comprises:

an air inlet and an exhaust outlet;

at least one gas compression stage or turbine stage;

a flow path leading from said inlet to said outlet through said at least one compression stage or turbine stage;

wherein at least one of said at least one compression stage and said at least one turbine stage comprises;

a plurality of circumferentially spaced vanes that affect gaseous flow through or around the engine and a plurality of circumferentially spaced magnetic or electromagnetic elements within or on said at least one gas compression stage or said at least one turbine stage;

wherein said engine communicates with a driven mechanical load in receipt of a force, transmitted mechanically indirectly or directly, or electrically or electromagnetically or hydrostatically or pneumatically, from one of said magnetic elements or electromagnetic elements.

18. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

coupling said engine to an auxiliary device;

causing combustion within or around said engine to directly drive said auxiliary device.

19. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

uncoupling said engine from an auxiliary device and subsequently repeating at least once said reducing a pressure within an internal area of said engine to less than 1 atmosphere.

20. The method of either of claim 11 wherein:

said powered device is a wheeled vehicle, an agricultural or construction vehicle, an aircraft, a watercraft, a hovercraft, or a submersible and said auxiliary device comprises an implement, the method further comprising directly driving said implement during a secondary combustion mode.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein said implement comprises at least one of the following:

an axle with wheels;

a power takeoff shaft;

a hydraulic pump;

a fluid impeller;

an electrical generator;

supplemental traction-wheel drive means;

a winch;

reduction and/or overdrive gearing;

a flight propeller;

drive wheels also driven electrically by an associated device.

22. The method of claim 11 wherein:

said powered device contains an auxiliary device and said method comprises coupling said engine to directly drive said auxiliary device, said engine comprises multiple rotors, each of said multiple rotors having a rotor speed, and wherein said auxiliary device has an idle or zero speed, wherein said coupling is accomplished by transferring rotational energy away from a first rotor toward a second rotor until the rotor speed of said first rotor is near or matched with said idle or zero speed of said auxiliary device, whereupon said auxiliary device is positively locked for rotation with said first rotor.

23. An engine of a machine, said engine comprising:

at least one compression stage;

at least one turbine stage;

an electrical, magnetic, or electromagnetic output drive connected to a physical load within or on said machine, wherein said engine is also within or on said machine and said engine is geometrically disparate from said physical load;

means for reducing a gaseous drag on at least one of said at least one compression stage and said at least one turbine stage;

non-combustion means for accelerating said at least one of said at least one compression stage and said at least one turbine stage.

24. An engine according to claim 23 further comprising:

an inlet and an outlet and a flow path leading from said inlet to said outlet through said at least one compression stage and at least one turbine stage;

wherein at least one of said at least one compression stage and said at least one turbine stage comprises;

a plurality of circumferentially spaced vanes that affect gaseous flow through or around the engine, wherein said means for reducing a drag reduces a pressure of an area through which said vanes pass;

a plurality of circumferentially spaced magnetic or electromagnetic elements within or on the at least one gas compression stage or turbine stage;

wherein said engine communicates with said load via a force, said force transmitted mechanically indirectly or directly, or electrically or electromagnetically or hydrostatically or pneumatically, from one of said magnetic elements or electromagnetic elements.

25. The engine according to claim 24 wherein:

said engine resides within or on a powered device, said engine having a combustion mode and a non combustion mode, said engine comprising;

means for beginning a combustion mode of said engine thereby giving said engine a rotational or cyclic value;

means for, upon reaching a first rotational or cyclic value, reducing a pressure within an internal area of said engine to less than 1 atmosphere;

means for increasing said rotational or cyclic value to a second rotational or cyclic value higher than said first rotational or cyclic value with said pressure reduced during said non-combustion mode.

26. The engine according to claim 23 further comprising:

a passage for conducting exhaust gases from said engine to an accumulation device while combusting within or around said engine, said combusting producing said exhaust gases, wherein an expansion device receives said exhaust gases from said accumulation device; and

apparatus for directing energy from the expansion device to said engine;

wherein said engine has associated therewith a rate of rotation and said rate of rotation increases while not combusting due to said directing energy.

27. An engine comprising:

a gas inlet;

a gas outlet;

at least one gas compression stage or turbine stage;

a flow path leading from said inlet to said outlet through said at least one compression stage or turbine stage;

wherein at least one of said at least one compression stage and said at least one turbine stage comprises;

a plurality of circumferentially spaced vanes that affect gaseous flow through or around the engine; and

a plurality of circumferentially spaced magnetic or electromagnetic elements within or on the at least one gas compression stage or turbine stage;

wherein said engine communicates with a driven mechanical load in receipt of a force, transmitted mechanically indirectly or directly, or electrically or electromagnetically or hydrostatically or pneumatically, from one of said magnetic elements or electromagnetic elements.

28. The engine of claim 27 further comprising:

an evacuation pump to assist in evacuation of the flow path.

29. The engine according to claim 27 further comprising:

conductive elements circumferentially regularly spaced and positioned radially outwardly of said at least one compression stage or at least one turbine stage for the creation or consumption of electrical energy.

30. The engine according to claim 27 wherein:

said engine comprises both said compressor stage and said turbine stage and said flow path is everted, resulting in said at least one compressor stage disposed coaxially and radially inwardly of said at least one turbine stage, or said at least one turbine stage disposed coaxially and radially inwardly of said at least one compressor stage.

31. The engine according to claim 27 further comprising:

an accumulation device for accepting exhaust from the at least one compression stage or turbine stage and delivering it to a device or said engine.

32. The engine according to claim 27 further comprising:

an expander disparate from said engine for rendering enthalpic energy from exhaust that has passed through said gas outlet.

33. The engine according to claim 27 further comprising:

means for transferring mechanically a direct force to an implement in a high-powered mode while said physical load is inactive.

34. The engine according to claim 27 further comprising:

apparatus for directing gases from the gas outlet to an accumulation device;

apparatus for directing gases from said accumulation device to an expansion device; and

apparatus for directing energy from said expansion device to said engine;

wherein said engine has associated therewith a rate of rotation and said rate of rotation increases while not combusting due to said directing energy.

35. The engine according to claim 27 wherein:

said magnets can transfer a maximum magnet torque and said engine propulsively drives a wheeled vehicle, a tracked vehicle, an aircraft, a watercraft, or a submersible with an implement that receives a higher torque than said maximum magnet torque.

36. The engine according to claim 35 wherein the implement comprises at least one of the following:

a power takeoff shaft;

a hydraulic pump;

a fluid impeller;

an electrical generator;

supplemental traction-wheel drive means;

a winch;

or other pulling device;

reduction gearing;

a flight propeller;

drive wheels also driven electrically by an associated device.

37. The engine according to claim 27 wherein:

said gas inlet is adjacent to and concentric with said gas outlet.

38. The engine according to claim 27 wherein:

one of said gas inlet and said gas outlet communicates with a centrifugal compressor that is adjacent to, integral with, or affixed to a centrifugal turbine, wherein said centrifugal compressor is concentric with said centrifugal turbine.

39. The engine according to claim 27 wherein:

said engine comprises seals and lands wherein said seals are normally biased away from said lands, but contact the lands when one or both of said at least one gas compression stage or turbine stage creates a pressure differential across said seal.

40. The engine according to claim 27 wherein:

the engine has at least two rotors, a first rotor rotatable relative to a second rotor;

wherein one and only one of said first rotor and said second rotor having a mechanical output.