Hybrid propulsive engine including at least one independently rotatable compressor stator

• US 8,549,833 B2
• Filed: 10/30/2009
• Issued: 10/08/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/08/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Enterprise Science Fund, LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: The Invention Science Fund I, L.L.C. (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Hyde, Roderick A., Ishikawa, Muriel Y., Jung, Edward K. Y., Kare, Jordin T., Myhrvold, Nathan P., Tegreene, Clarence T., Weaver, Thomas A., Wood, Lowell L. Jr., Wood, Victoria Y. H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wongwian, Phutthiwat
• Application Number:
  US12/590,044
• Publication Number:
  US 20100107651A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,439 Days
• Field of Search: 602/04, 602/261, 60786-788, 608/02, 608/05, 60/392.3, 415/149.1, 415/149.2, 415/159, 415/199.4, 290/52, 244/53.A, 244/53.R, 244/60
• US Class Current: 60/204
• CPC Class Codes: F02C 6/00 Plural gas-turbine plants; Combinations of gas-turbine plants with other apparatus; Adaptations of gas-turbine plants for special use
• CPC Class Codes: F02C 6/18 using the waste heat of gas-turbine plants outside the plants themselves, e.g. gas-turbine power heat plants using waste heat as source of energy for refrigeration plants F25B27/02; using the waste heat of a gasturbine for steam generation or in a steam cycle see F01K23/10
• CPC Class Codes: F02K 3/06 with front fan
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2220/31 in steam turbines
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2220/324 to drive unshrouded, low solidity propeller
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2220/325 to drive unshrouded, high solidity propeller
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2220/76 an electrical generator
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 7/1823 structurally associated with turbines or similar engines
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 50/60 Efficient propulsion technologies, e.g. for aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 70/50 Measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions related to the propulsion system

Abstract

A hybrid propulsive technique, comprising providing a flow of a working fluid through at least a portion of an at least one jet engine. The hybrid propulsive technique comprises extracting energy from the working fluid that is at least partially converted into electrical power, and converting at least a portion of the electrical power to a torque. The hybrid propulsive technique also comprises rotating an at least one independently rotatable compressor stator at least partially responsive to the converting the at least a portion of the electrical power to the torque.

Claims

1. A hybrid propulsive engine, comprising:

an at least one jet engine associated with a working fluid passing there through, the at least one jet engine including an at least one compressor section having an at least one independently rotatable compressor stator rotates about a central axis of the jet engine;

an at least one energy extraction mechanism configured to extract energy from the working fluid, and at least partially convert that energy to electrical power;

an at least one torque conversion mechanism configured to convert at least a portion of the electrical power to torque; and

wherein the at least one independently rotatable compressor stator is selectively rotatably driven at least partially responsively to the at least one torque conversion mechanism configured to convert the at least the portion of the electrical power to torque.

2. The hybrid propulsive engine of claim 1, wherein the at least one energy extraction mechanism comprises an at least one electric generator.

3. The hybrid propulsive engine of claim 1, wherein the at least one torque conversion mechanism comprises at least one electric motor.

4. The hybrid propulsive engine of claim 1, wherein the at least one energy extraction mechanism includes at least one electrical energy extraction mechanism configured to extract energy from rotation of an at least one turbine rotational element.

5. The hybrid propulsive engine of claim 1, wherein the at least one independently rotatable compressor stator is configured for independently controllable rotation relative to an at least one turbine rotational element.

6. The hybrid propulsive engine of claim 1, wherein the at least one independently rotatable compressor stator is configured for independently controllable rotation relative to an at least one compressor rotor.

7. The hybrid propulsive engine of claim 1, wherein the at least one energy extraction mechanism includes at least one heat engine configured to extract at least some heat from the working fluid that is at least partially applied to an at least one heat receptive fluid.

8. The hybrid propulsive engine of claim 1, wherein the at least one energy extraction mechanism comprises an at least one thermoelectric heat engine configured to extract heat energy from the working fluid.

9. The hybrid propulsive engine of claim 1, wherein the at least one energy extraction mechanism comprises an at least one magnetohydrodynamic device configured to extract kinetic energy from a flow of the working fluid.

10. The hybrid propulsive engine of claim 1, wherein the at least one jet engine includes an at least one turbojet.

11. The hybrid propulsive engine of claim 1, wherein the at least one jet engine includes an at least one substantially axial-flow jet engine.

12. The hybrid propulsive engine of claim 1, wherein the at least one jet engine includes an at least one ramjet jet engine.

13. The hybrid propulsive engine of claim 1, wherein the at least one jet engine includes an at least one externally heated jet engine.

14. The hybrid propulsive engine of claim 1, wherein the at least one jet engine includes an at least one combustion driven jet engine.

15. The hybrid propulsive engine of claim 1, wherein the at least one energy extraction mechanism comprises at least one heat engine configured to extract at least some heat from the working fluid that is at least partially applied to a heat receptive fluid, wherein the at least one energy extraction mechanism comprises a Rankine Cycle energy extraction mechanism configured to extract electrical power from the working fluid.

16. The hybrid propulsive engine of claim 1, further comprising at least one secondary source of electrical energy configured to supply energy to the at least one torque conversion mechanism.

17. The hybrid propulsive engine of claim 1, further comprising a hybrid propulsive engine starter configured to rotate at least a portion of the at least one jet engine at a sufficient rotational velocity to enhance starting the hybrid propulsive engine.

18. The hybrid propulsive engine of claim 1, further comprising a hybrid propulsive engine starter configured to rotate at least a portion of the at least one independently rotatable compressor stator at a sufficient rotational velocity to enhance starting the hybrid propulsive engine.

19. The hybrid propulsive engine of claim 1, wherein at least some of the working fluid passes through the at least one independently rotatable compressor stator.

20. The hybrid propulsive engine of claim 1, wherein the at least one independently rotatable compressor stator is configured to be powered for a controllable rotation in a first direction or alternately in a second direction that is reversed from the first direction.

21. The hybrid propulsive engine of claim 1, wherein the at least one independently rotatable compressor stator is configured to be variably powered for a variable speed rotation.

22. The hybrid propulsive engine of claim 1, that is applied to an aircraft.

23. The hybrid propulsive engine of claim 1, that is applied to a boat or ship.

24. The hybrid propulsive engine of claim 1, that is applied to a hovercraft.

25. The hybrid propulsive engine of claim 1, that is applied to a land vehicle.

26. The hybrid propulsive engine of claim 1, further comprising a control circuit to allow a user to control a suitable rotational velocity of the at least one independently rotatable compressor stator based at least partially on a user input indicating a desired flight condition.

27. The hybrid propulsive engine of claim 1, further comprising a control circuit to allow a user to control a suitable rotational velocity of the at least one independently rotatable compressor stator based at least partially on a sensed flight parameter.

28. A hybrid propulsive method, comprising:

providing a flow of a working fluid through at least a portion of an at least one jet engine, wherein the at least one jet engine includes an at least one compressor section having an at least one independently rotatable compressor stator that rotates about a central axis of the jet engine;

extracting energy at least partially in the form of electrical power from the working fluid;

converting at least a portion of the electrical power to torque; and

rotating the at least one independently rotatable compressor stator at least partially responsive to the converting the at least a portion of the electrical power to torque.

29. A hybrid propulsive method, comprising:

providing a flow of a working fluid through at least a portion of an at least one jet engine;

extracting energy from the working fluid that is at least partially converted into an electrical power;

converting at least a portion of the electrical power to a torque; and

rotating an at least one independently rotatable compressor stator about a central axis of the jet engine at least partially responsive to the converting the at least a portion of the electrical power to the torque.

30. The hybrid propulsive method of claim 29, further comprising:

stopping a rotation of the at least one jet engine; and

restarting the rotation of the at least one jet engine at least partially using the torque used to rotate the at least one independently rotatable compressor stator.

31. The hybrid propulsive method of claim 29, further comprising:

starting a rotational operation of the at least one jet engine at least partially responsive to the rotating the at least one independently rotatable compressor stator.

32. A hybrid propulsive method, comprising:

providing a flow of a working fluid through at least a portion of an at least one jet engine, wherein the at least one jet engine includes an at least one compressor section, wherein the at least one compressor section includes at least one compressor stage, and wherein the at least one compressor stage includes an at least one compressor rotor and an at least one independently rotatable compressor stator;

extracting energy at least partially in the form of electrical power from the working fluid;

converting at least a portion of the electrical power to torque; and

rotating the at least one independently rotatable compressor stator about a central axis of the jet engine at least partially responsive to the converting the at least a portion of the electrical power to torque.

33. The hybrid propulsive method of claim 32, wherein the extracting energy at least partially in the form of electrical power from the working fluid is at least partially performed with an at least one energy extraction mechanism.

34. The hybrid propulsive method of claim 32, wherein the extracting energy at least partially in the form of electrical power from the working fluid is at least partially performed with an at least one electric generator.

35. The hybrid propulsive method of claim 32, wherein the converting at least a portion of the electrical power to torque is at least partially performed using at least one torque conversion mechanism.

36. The hybrid propulsive method of claim 32, wherein the converting at least a portion of the electrical power to torque is at least partially performed using at least one electric motor.

37. The hybrid propulsive method of claim 32, further comprising extracting energy from motion of the working fluid within the at least one jet engine using an at least one turbine rotational element.

38. The hybrid propulsive method of claim 32, wherein the extracting energy at least partially in the form of electrical power from the working fluid involves, at least partially, extracting heat energy from an at least one heat receptive fluid.

39. The hybrid propulsive method of claim 32, wherein the extracting energy at least partially in the form of electrical power from the working fluid comprises extracting heat energy from the working fluid with an at least one thermoelectric heat engine.

40. The hybrid propulsive method of claim 32, wherein the extracting energy at least partially in the form of electrical power from the working fluid comprises extracting kinetic energy from the working fluid involving an at least one magnetohydrodynamic device.

41. The hybrid propulsive method of claim 32, further comprising supplying energy to at least partially perform the converting at least a portion of the electrical power to torque.

42. The hybrid propulsive method of claim 32, wherein the extracting energy at least partially in the form of electrical power from the working fluid at least partially responsive to the working fluid being applied to an at least one turbine rotational element to rotate the at least one turbine rotational element.

43. The hybrid propulsive method of claim 32, further comprising controllably powering the at least one independently rotatable compressor stator for a controllable rotation in a first direction or alternately in a second direction that is reversed from the first direction.

44. A hybrid propulsive method, comprising:

providing a flow of a working fluid through at least a portion of an at least one jet engine;

extracting electrical energy from a working fluid passing through a portion of a jet engine that is at least partially converted into an electrical power; and

rotating at least one independently rotatable compressor stator about a central of the jet engine at least partially responsive to the extracted electrical energy.

45. The hybrid propulsive method of claim 44, further comprising:

stopping a rotation of the at least one jet engine; and

restarting the rotation of the at least one jet engine at least partially using the torque used to rotate the at least one independently rotatable compressor stator.

46. The hybrid propulsive method of claim 44, further comprising:

starting a rotational operation of the at least one jet engine at least partially responsive to the rotating the at least one independently rotatable compressor stator.