GB2325706A - Intermittant combustion jet engine - Google Patents

Abstract

A Turbo-Pulse jet engine operates by a compressor 4, drawing in a combustible mixture through inlet 1. The mixture is passed to each of a plurality of combustion chambers 6 by valves 7 operated in sequence by a camwheel 9, where it is ignited by a spark timed from the camwheel. The expanding exhaust gases escape via a nozzle and the tailpipe imparting a thrust in the forward direction to the engine and turning the turbine, so rotating the main shaft, driving the camwheel and compressor. A cooling fan 22, is provided.

Description

TURBO-PULSE ENGINE This invention relates to a new type ofjet engine.

The thrust of turbine jet engines relies on being able to ingest and compress large quantities of air. To do this efficiently, they have to be machined to very tight tolerances, and have many components, which makes them expensive. An alternative is the pulse-jet engine, which is far simpler, but has the serious disadvantage of being extremely difficult to keep running when stationary.

The Turbo-Pulse engine overcomes both of these difficulties.

The Turbo-Puise engine uses a low value compressor to blow fuel/air mixture through an inlet valve into one of the combustion chambers at about 3 bar. The inlet valve then closes, and the mixture is ignited by an electrical discharge from a spark plug. The expanding gases are discharged through the rear nozzle and tailpipe, imparting a thrust to the engine in the opposite direction, and tuming the turbine as the) escape. The turbine drives the main shaft, and thereby the compressor and the camwheel which is geared down nominally five to one. The compressor draws more air into the engine, and the process repeats for the next combustion chamber, until after one revolution of the camwheel all the combustion chambers have been used and the cycle repeats.

The engine can have any (even) number of combustion chambers, fired singly or in pairs The engine uses at least one inlet valve in each of it's combustion chambers.

The inlet valves are opened from the carnwheel which is driven from the main shaft via suitable gearing.

The engine uses a low value compressor (which can be axial or centrifugal) to provide air flow under low pressure to the combustion chambers.

The exhaust gases are used to drive the turbine.

The air/fuel mixture is supplied by a suitable carburetor or fuel injection system.

The combustible mixture is ignited by means of an electrical discharge from a spark plug.

The firing of the spark plug is timed/regulated by the main shaft.

The main shaft can drive a large fan in place of (or as well as) the compressor to drive large quantities of air rearwards thus propelling the engine forwards.

The main shaft can be extended forward via suitable gearing to drive an aircraft propeller or other device.

As there will be negligible spool up time, this engine will be suitable for a variety of applications which the turbine jet engine cannot be used for. e.g.

automobile engines.

The operation of the Turbo-Pulse engine will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Fig. 1 shows the whole engine in cutaway form.

Fig. 2 shows the plenum chamber.

Fig. 3 shows sections of the plenum chamber.

Fig. 4 shows the induction cover.

Fig. 5 shows the rear frame and tail cone.

Fig. 6 shows the main shaft, rear plate, combustion chambers, and tailpipes.

Fig. 7 shows the compressor.

Fig. 8 shows the camwheel.

Fig. 9 shows the planet gears to drive the camwheel.

Fig. 10 shows inlet valve details.

Fig. 11 shows the turbine and cooling fan Fig. 12 shows the cooling and airflow shrouds.

The carburetor (or fuel injection system) and oil feeds are not shown.

The ignition system is not shown except for the pick-up heads, magnet, and spark plugs.

The starting system is not shown. The prototype will be started by holding an electrical starter to engage in the slot at the rear of the main shaft.

The engine comprises an inlet 1 in the induction cover 2 which holds the main shaft 10 front bearing 3. The main shaft is also supported on bearing 18 in the rear frame 19 and bearing 20 in the plenum chamber 5. A commercially available carburetor or fuel injection system (not shown) is mounted on the front of the inlet.

The compressor 4 drives the combustible mixture from the carburetor into the plenum chamber where it is allowed into each combustion chamber 6 either singly as in this prototype or in pairs (there can be any even number of combustion chambers, this prototype has four) through valve 7. The valves are opened by cam 8 on the camwheel 9 which is geared down nominally five to one from the main shaft by the Forman gears 11. After the valve closes, the magnetic pick-up 13 on the camwheel aligns with the appropriate hall effect sensor 14 mounted in hole 201 in the plenum chamber so producing a change of flux. The change of flux is amplified to produce a spark at the spark plug 12 which ignites the mixture. The expanding exhaust gases escape through the nozzle 15 into the tailpipe 16, imparting a thrust to the engine in the opposite direction, and turning the turbine 17 which drives the main shaft and thus the compressor and camwheel. The tail cone 21 smoothes out the exhaust flow. The cooling fan 22 draws air in under the front shroud 23, ducting it round the combustion chambers to exit past the tailpipes and under the rear shroud 24.

Claims (14)

1. An engine including a plurality of combustion chambers and a turbine, each of said combustion chambers connectable with a compressor which serves to introduce fuel/air mixture into the combustion chamber through an inlet valve, when open, said mixture ignited by an electrical discharge and the expanding gas discharged and directed to impart thrust and drive the turbine which in turn is connected to drive a shaft to which a cam is connected, said cam selectively connectable with each of the inlet valves connected to each of the combustion chambers so as to allow the selective opening and closing of said valves so that after one cycle of movement of the cam wheel, all of the combustion chambers will have been opened.

2. An engine according to claim 1, wherein one cycle of operation of the engine comprises repeated operation of the compressor to introduce fuel/air mixture into the combustion chamber which is open at that instant.

3. An engine according to claim 1 wherein one cycle of operation of the engine comprises repeated operation of the electrical discharge, turbine, shaft and cam.

4. An engine according to claim 1 wherein one cycle of operation of the engine comprises selective movement of the inlet valves connected to each of the combustion chambers between closed and open positions dependent upon the position of the cam relative thereto.

5. An engine according to claim 1 wherein the compressor and cam wheel are interconnected by a gearing arrangement which is at a ratio of 5 to 1.

6. An engine according to claim 1 wherein electrical discharge is created by a spark plug.

7. An engine according to claim 1 wherein an electrical discharge is caused by magnetic discharge.

8. An engine according to claim 1 wherein at least one inlet valve is provided for each of the combustion chambers provided.

9. An engine according to the preceding claim wherein each of the inlet valves is opened under influence from a cam wheel as it rotates so that, at any one instance, one of the inlet valves is under the influence of force applied by the cam wheel.

10. An engine according to claim 1 wherein the compressor uses a low value compressor to provide fuel/air flow under relatively low pressure into the particular combustion chamber in operation at that instant.

11. An engine according to claim 1 wherein the exhaust gasses from the combustion chamber in use at that instant are used to drive the turbine and hence the main shaft connected with the cam.

12. An engine according to the preceding claim wherein the air/fuel mixture is supplied and controlled by a carburettor or fuel injection system.

13. An engine according to any of the preceding claims wherein the main shaft is connected to a fan to drive large quantities of air rearwards thus propelling the engine forwards.

14. An engine as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.