GB2174146A

GB2174146A - Device for improving combustion in jet engines

Info

Publication number: GB2174146A
Application number: GB08510526A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Koichi Wakuta
Original assignee: JOHOKU KIGYO KK
Current assignee: JOHOKU KIGYO KK
Priority date: 1985-04-25
Filing date: 1985-04-25
Publication date: 1986-10-29
Also published as: GB8510526D0; GB2174146B

Abstract

A device for improving combustion of liquid fuel in a jet engine (1) includes a permanent magnet assembly (8) installed in a fuel pipe which supplies the combustion chamber (4) of the jet engine with liquid fuel. The magnet assembly has a yoke (9) surrounding a permanent magnet for producing a strong magnetic field that acts upon the fuel as it flows through the yoke via passages formed in the permanent magnet. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Device for improving combustion in jet engines Background of the invention Field of the invention This invention relates to a device for improving the combustion of fuel in a jet engine mounted on an aircraft.

Description of the prior art In general, a jet engine consumes fuel at a high rate, making it difficult for an aircraft propelled by such an engine to fly continuously over long distances. There is thus a need to extend continuous flying distance with the same amount of jet fuel through achieving higher fuel efficiency by improving the combustion of the fuel.

It has been attempted to improve fuel combustion by subjecting the fuel to a magnetic field produced by a magnet placed inside the fuel tank or by a strong magnet installed externally of the fuel pipe.

These attempts have shown almost no success in improving jet engine fuel consumption by reason of the fact that the field acting upon the fuel exhibits a flux density which is too low. Examples of such prior art are to be found in the specifications of U.S.P.

Nos. 2,926,276,4,414,951, 4,308,844,3,349,354, 3,989,017,4,050,426, and in the specification of Canada Patent No. 1,092,917.

Summary of the invention An object of the present invention is to provide a device for improving the combustion of fuel in a jet engine to extend the continuous flying distance of an aircraft on which the jet engine is mounted.

According to the present invention, the foregoing object is attained by providing a device installed in a pipe supplying liquid fuel to a combustion chamber of a jet engine for improving the combustion of the liquid fuel in the jet engine. The device comprises a permanent magnet assembly having a generally cylindrical yoke installed in the fuel supply pipe, and a plate-shaped permanent magnet fitted securely inside the yoke for generating a magnetic field. The permanent magnet has fuel flow passages extending longitudinally of the yoke for allowing passage of the liquid fuel therethrough. In the course of flowing through the yoke, the liquid fuel is acted upon by the magnetic field immediately before delivery to the combustion chamber of the jet engine.The device further includes a guide member provided in the yoke at each end face of the permanent magnet for guiding the liquid fuel through the yoke. To subject the liquid fuel to a strong magnetic field, the permanent magnet is made of a material capable of producing a flux density of from 4000 to 10,000 gauss, and the arrangement is such that the field acts upon the liquid fuel in a direction substantially at right angles to the direction of fuel flow through the yoke.

The device of the foregoing construction subjects the fuel to the strong magnetic field in an effective manner by being installed directly in the path of fuel flow rather than at a location outside the fuel supply pipe. Moreover, by being installed slightly upstream of the combustion chamber, the device subjects the fuel to the magnetic field just before the fuel is fed into the chamber. This arrangement improves the combustion of the fuel in the combustion chamber.

The improved combustion raises fuel economy and therefore makes it possible for an aircraft equipped with a jet engine having the device to fly a longer distance without a corresponding increase in fuel consumption.

Other features and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference characters designate the same or similar parts throughout the figures thereof.

Brief description ofthe drawings Figure 1 is a schematic view showing a jet engine provided with an embodiment of the combustion improving device according to the present invention; Figure 2 is a sectional view of a permanent magnet included in the device shown in Figure 1; and Figure 3 is a section taken along line Ill-Ill of Figure 2.

Description of the preferred embodiment A preferred embodiment of a device for improving the combustion of fuel in a jet engine will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

A shown in Figure 1, a jet engine 1 to which the device of the present invention is applied includes a casing 2 accommodating an axial-flow compressor 3 at the front or intake end. The casing 2 defines a combustion chamber 4 in which jet engine fuel in liquid form fed into the chamber from a fuel tank, not shown, by way of a plurality of fuel pipes 5 is mixed and combusted. The casing 2 also accommodates near the back end thereof a turbine 6 for driving the compressor 3 and forms a jet nozzle 7 at its rearmost end. Combustion gases produced by combustion of the fuel in the chamber 4 are ejected rearwardly of the chamber 4 and drive the turbine 6 into rotation, the latter in turn driving the axial-flow compressor 3.

The combustion gases are expelled at high velocity from the rear of the nozzle 7 at the back end of the casing 2, thereby providing the aircraft with forward thrust.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention, a permanent magnet assembly 8 is installed in each of the fuel pipes 5 or in fuel pipes, not shown, that supply these pipes 5 with the liquid fuel from the fuel tank, also not shown. As depicted in the sectional views of Figures 2 and 3, the permanent magnet assembly 8 includes a generally cylindrical, hollow yoke 9, a plate-shaped permanent magnet 10 fitted securely inside the yoke 9, the magnet 10 being formed to include longitudinally extending fuel flow passages 11 in both sides thereof, and a guide member 12 provided at each of the two end faces of the permanent magnet 10 for guiding the flow of liquid fuel through the yoke 9. Each guide member 12 has a base portion affixed to the respective end face of the magnet 10 and a gradually diminishing width that terminates in a distal end portion.Thus each guide member 12 has a generally trapezoidal or triangular shape when viewed in horizontal section.

The yoke 9 has left and right end portions connected by suitable means to respective pipes 5a, 5b, which constitute the fuel pipeS. By making such a connection, the permanent magnet assembly 8 is installed in the fuel pipe 5.

The yoke 9 consists of a magnetically permeable metal such as iron. The permanent magnet 10 is made of a material, such as iron incorporating samarium, neodymium or the like, that is capable of providing a magnetic flux of 4000 to 10000 gauss.

The arrangement is such that the magnetic field produced by the permanent 10 is generally perpendicular to the fuel flow passages 9. The pipes 5a, 5b consist of a magnetically permeable material.

In operation, liquid fuel from the fuel tank is fed into the combustion chamber 4 of the jet engine 1 via the fuel pipes 5. In the course of flowing through each fuel pipe, the liquid fuel passes through the fuel flow passages 9 of the permanent magnet 10 in the respective permanent magnet assembly 8. In doing so, the fuel is acted upon by the magnetic field having a flux density of 4000 to 10000 gauss generated substantially at right angles to the direction of fuel flow by the permanent magnet 10. The liquid fuel subjected to such a strong field is burned in the combustion chamber4 upon exiting from the magnet assembly 8. Thus, as the liquid fuel flows through the magnet assembly 8 at an appropriate flow velocity, the fuel is acted upon by the strong field received from the permanent magnet 10 over a very short distance, and a very short time thereafter the fuel is fed into the combustion chamber 4. Such an arrangement promotes the chemical reaction of the liquid fuel in an effective manner and, hence, results in improved combustion of the fuel. Tests have shown that fuel economy can be raised by about 10% by virtue of improved combustion efficiency.

As many apparently widely different embodiments of the present invention can be made without departing from the spirit and scope thereof, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the specific embodiments thereof except as defined in the appended claims.

Claims

1. A device installed in a pipe supplying liquid fuel to a combustion chamber of a jet engine for improving the combustion of the liquid fuel in the jet engine, said device comprising a permanent magnet assembly having a generally cylindrical, hollow yoke installed in said pipe, and a plate-shaped permanent magnet fitted securely inside said yoke for generating a magnetic field, said permanent magnet being formed to include a fuel flow passage extending longitudinally of said yoke for allowing passage of the liquid fuel therethrough, the liquid fuel being acted upon by the magnetic field.

2. The device according to claim 1, further comprising first and second guide members provided in said yoke at first and second end faces, respectively, of said permanent magnet for guiding the liquid fuel through said yoke.

3. The device according to claim 2, wherein each said guide member has a base portion affixed to the respective end face of said permanent magnet and a gradually diminishing width that terminates in a distal end portion.

4. The device according to claim 1, wherein said permanent magnet generates the magnetic field generally at right angles to a direction in which the liquid fuel flows through said yoke.

5. The device according to claim 1, wherein said yoke consists of a magnetically permeable metal.

6. The device according to claim 5, wherein said magnetically permeable metal is iron.

7. The device according to claim 1, wherein said permanent magnet is made of a material which produces a magnetic flux of 4000 to 10,000 gauss.

8. The device according to claim 7, wherein said material is iron containing samarium.

9. The device according to claim 7, wherein said material is iron containing neodymium.

10. A device substantially as hereinbefore set forth with reference to, and/or illustrated in the accompanying drawings.