ROTARY PULSE DETONATION ENGINE

• US 20140338348A1
• Filed: 12/17/2012
• Published: 11/20/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/16/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Daniel Guy Pomerleau
• Original Assignee: Daniel Guy Pomerleau
• Inventors: Pomerleau, Daniel Guy, Hicks, Andrew Richard
• Application Number:
  US14/365,626
• Publication Number:
  US 20140338348A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 60/761
• CPC Class Codes: F01C 1/22 of internal-axis type with equidirectional movement of co-operating members at the points of engagement, or with one of the co-operating members being stationary, the inner member having more teeth or tooth- equivalents than the outer member
• CPC Class Codes: F02C 3/085 the turbine being of the radial-flow type (radial-radial) F02C3/05 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F02C 3/14 characterised by the arrangement of the combustion chamber in the plant combustion chambers per se F23R; F02C3/205 takes precedence
• 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 5/06 the working fluid being generated in an internal-combustion gas generated of the positive-displacement type having essentially no mechanical power output internal-combustion engines with prolonged expansion using exhaust gas turbines F02B
• CPC Class Codes: F02K 7/06 with combustion chambers having valves
• CPC Class Codes: F02K 9/97 Rocket nozzles thrust or thrust vector control F02K9/80
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2220/80 in supersonic vehicles excluding hypersonic vehicles or ram, scram or rocket propulsion
• CPC Class Codes: F23R 7/00 Intermittent or explosive combustion chambers

Abstract

This invention relates to devices for discharging high pressure exhaust, and in particular to pulse detonation engines. More specifically, the invention describes a rotary pulse detonation engine having a rotary valve system. The rotary valve includes a generally-triangular rotor having rotor tips within a rotor chamber having trochoid inner end surfaces and side surfaces. The rotor defines three working chambers defined by the rotor tips contacting the rotor surfaces. In operation, the rotor tips move in a circumferential direction around the rotor chamber as the rotor spins. During operation, each of the working chambers will sequentially pass through an intake interval, compression interval, expansion interval, and an exhaust interval to create and detonate compressed fuel air mixtures for effective release to an exhaust chamber and nozzle thereby creating a pulsed detonation sequence.

Claims

1. A pulse detonation engine comprising:

a rotor operatively contained within an oval chamber, the rotor having at least three rotor tips and a corresponding number of rotor surfaces between each rotor tip, the rotor rotatable within the oval chamber such that each rotor tip is engaged with the oval chamber as the rotor rotates within the oval chamber;

wherein the rotor tips and rotor surfaces define at least three progressing chambers within the oval chamber;

an eccentric lobe on a shaft operatively engaged with the rotor for biasing the rotor tips against the oval chamber;

a fixed gear on the oval chamber for engagement with a corresponding inner gear on the rotor for defining the rotation path of the rotor within the oval chamber;

a fuel injection system operatively connected to the oval chamber;

an oxidizer inlet system adjacent the fuel injection system within the oval chamber;

an ignition system within the oval chamber; and

an exhaust port;

wherein as the rotor is rotated within the oval chamber, fuel and air are successively mixed, compressed and detonated wherein the resulting detonation force is ejected from the exhaust port.

2. A pulse detonation engine as is in claim 1 wherein the exhaust port is configured to a gear or fan driven turbofan.

3. A pulse detonation engine as is in claim 1 wherein the exhaust port is configured to a ballistics barrel for providing a high velocity charge to a shell.

4. The use of a pulse detonation engine as in claim 1 as a combustor within a jet engine.

5. In a jet engine having a combustion chamber, turbine and compression stages and an exhaust nozzle, the improvement comprising a rotary pulse detonation engine (RPDE) operatively configured to the combustion chamber for directing detonation exhaust from the rotary pulse detonation engine against turbine blades of the turbine stage.

6. The jet engine as in claim 5 further comprising a supercharger operatively connected to the RPDE for increasing air flow into the RPDE.

11. The jet engine as in claim 5 further comprising an afterburner.

7. In a jet engine having a combustion chamber, turbine and compression stages and an exhaust nozzle, the improvement comprising a rotary pulse detonation engine (RPDE) operatively configured to the combustion chamber for directing detonation exhaust from the RPDE to the exhaust nozzle.

8. The jet engine as in claim 7 further comprising a supercharger operatively connected to the RPDE for increasing air flow into the RPDE.

9. The jet engine as in claim 8 further comprising an afterburner.

10. A hybrid jet and rocket engine comprising:

a combustion chamber, turbine and compression stages and an exhaust nozzle,

a rotary pulse detonation engine (RPDE) operatively configured to the combustion chamber for directing detonation exhaust from the RPDE to the combustion chamber during a jet engine mode of operation and to the exhaust nozzle during a rocket mode of operation; and

,

an intake manifold having a valve system selectively operable to direct atmospheric air to the RPDE during the jet engine mode of operation and to direct cryogenic oxidizer to the RPDE during the rocket mode of operation.