US1442876A - Internal-combustion turbine - Google Patents

Description

Jan. 23, 1923. 1,442,876

E. B. HARTMAN. INTERNAL COMBUSTION TURBINE.

FILED J m 20, 1920. 3 SHEETSSHEET I LOWPRESSIME WATER SUPPLY .45 war/1mm 1% AIR 221m:

/ @FRESS RE WTER PUMP FUEL 01L PUMP N I N TURBINE. 1920.

E. B. HARTMA lNTERNAL USTIO FILED 20 Jan. 23, 1923.

3 SHEETS'SHEET 2 Jan. 23, 1923.

E. B. HARTMAN |NTERNAL COMBUSTION TURBINE.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3 Fl LED JAN. 20. 1920.

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Patented Jan. I 23, 1923.

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INTERNAL-COMBUSTION TURBINE.

Application filed January 20, 1920. Serial No. 352,680.

To (1/ 1.0/1 0m 1' 2 may concern 7 Be it known that I, Ennis l3. llARTMAN, a citizen of the United States, and resident of New London, county of New London, and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements .in Internal- (oinbust-ion Turbines, of which the follow ing is a specification, the particular novel features of my invention being more fully pointed out in the annexed claims.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in'which Figure 1 is a. longitudinal vertical section through the turbine.

Figure 2 is a face view of the tilting block in the direction of the arrow 2 in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a transverse section through the turbine on the line 3-3 in Figure 1 seen in the direction of the arrows.

Figure lis a transverse section through the turbine on the line 4-4 in Figure 1 seen in the direction of the arrows 44, and

Figure 5 is a transverse section on the same line on which the section Figure 4 is taken but seen in the direction of the arrows 55.

This invention relates in general to that class of internal combustion prime movers in which the combustible mixture of fuel and air is suitably ignited, and in which the expanding combustion gases are conducted through turbine nozzles against the blades or buckets of a turbine to operate in a manner similar to that in which steam turbines are operated.

The particular novel features of my invention relate to the manner in which the combustion air is compressed by a separate compressor, and in which the fuel is subsequently injected into the compressed air in a'separate compartment.

Moreover, they relate to the injection of water into a chest heated by the combustion of the mixture, from which chest the steam passes into the ducts by which the combustion gases are led to the turbine in which ducts it mixes with these gases.

Further, my invention relates to suitable 111621118 for adjusting the compression of air to adapt the turbine to various kinds of fuel.

Referring to Figure 1. the turbine consists of two main casings, casing 2 which con tains the turbine wheel proper, to be referred to hereinafter, and casing portions 1, 1 and 1 which contain the air compressor and fuel admission devices. The two main casings l and 2 are joined together at the sectional line 44 to form a unitary structure supported by the frame elements 4 r. eferring now to the compressor casing, the portions 1 and 1, joined together by the bolts 5, contain the compressor barrel 3 which is shown in transverse section in Fig ure 3. This barrel contains a suitable number ofcylinders 6, in this case eight, as may be seen from Figure In each of'these cylinders is disposed a piston 7. constructed for instance in the manner shown in the upper portionhof the section, Figure 1. In each piston is disposed a connecting rod 8, attached to the piston by means of a ball and socket joint 9 as shown. The outer ends of connecting rods 8 are attached by means of ball and socket joints 10 to' a tilting block 11 which is pivotally attached at its central portion to the main shaft 12 of the turbine as will be described presently; It may be stated at this point that main shaft 12 is journaled in the turbine casing at 13 and 14 and also intermediate these two ends by means of a ball bearing 15, centrally located in the nozzle plate 16 attached to casing portion 2 as shown. This nozzle plate will also be referred to hereinafter in detail.

Returning to tilting block 11, which is shown in face view in Figure 2, this block has pivotally attached to it a cross head 17 by means of bearings 18, the cross head being in turn pivotally attached to shaft 12 at the forked portion 19 of the latter by means of pivot pin 20 standing at right {in gles to the longitudinal axis of the cross head, pin 20 being shown in Figure 1 in cross section. Tilting block 11 is seated in a basket 21 within which it can revolve with the aid of ball bearing 22 and thrust roller bearing 23. Basket 21 in turn is seated on and suitably attached to a slide 21, of circular curvature with pivot pin 20 as a center. Slide 24 is supported against the engine casing 1 suitably shaped to conform with the curvature of the slide, so that by means of a rack 25 and pinion 26, the entire basket 21, and with it tilting block 11, may be swungzon the pivotal center 20 into any suitable angle relatively to shaft 12.

The compressor barrel 3 is keyed to shaft 12 as shown at 2T. 27 and the outer periphery of the barrel revolves in casing portions 1 and 1 with a suitable running fit in these casing portions. Thus the barrel revolves with the shaft 1:2 and with tilting block ll. Assuming block 11 tilted at the angle shown in Figure 1. it will be seen that, when shaft 12 revolves, the pistons will reciprocate in their respective cylinders in a manner known in the art. The further block 11 is tilted from a position at right anglesto the shaft, the longer the piston stroke will be. Therefore, by adjusting the angularposition of block 11 relatively to shaft 12. by means of rack and pinion 25, 26, referred to before, any suitable piston stroke of the compressor can be obtained within the limits of thestructure and of expediency, and thus any suitable compression within the stroke limits may be produced.

In the top of each cylinder 6 is provided an intake port 30 and an exhaust port 31 both of which ports communicate with a valve cage 32 disposed within the compressor barrel. one foreach cylinder, each valve cage being held in place by means of the threaded member 33 as mav be seen clearly in the lower portion of Figure 1. This member 33 is flushed with the compressor barrel so that it will not hinder the rotation of the barrel within the casing portion 1. In the peripheral wall of the outer casing 1 are provided apertures 34- suitably spaced apart around the periphery. such that each will successively register with the valve cages 32 when the barrel is revolved. Each valve cage has an intake valve 35 and an exhaust valve 36 which valves cooperate with and control the intake port 30 and the exhaust port 31 respectively. The cage portion containing intake valve 35 is connected with the outside atmosphere whenever the main valve cage 32 registers with one of the casing apertures -t. The cage portion containing exhaust valve 36 is entirely separate from the rest of the valve cage and communicates through a discharge port 37 with the fuel supply chamber 38 which has the form of a duct extending from the valve cage through the compressor barrel to the nozzle plate 16, one duct 38 being provided for each valve cage. Into this chamber the air. taken in by the piston from the outside, is compressed by the piston of the respective cylinder. The terminals of the fuel chambers 38 at the nozzle plate may clearly be seen in Figure 4. Each chamber 38 is provided with a fuel nozzle 39 suitably disposed in the compressor barrel. so that when barrel 3 revolves, the outer end of each nozzle may register with the fuel supply duct 40 which may be seen in the upper portion of Figure 1 and which is connected to a fuel supply pipe 41 through which suitable fuel is supplied under pressure from a fuel oil pump (not shown).

lhe-operation of this portion of the turblue is as follows: As Soon as any of the pistons commences its intake stroke, it will take in air from the outside whenever the valve cage of its cylinder passes one of apertures 34 in the main asing 1, and it will, in successively passing these apertures, gradually take in air from outside until it has completed its intake stroke. The piston T in the lower portion of Figure 1 is shown at the end of its intake stroke. \Vhen the shaft 12 further revolves. this 'piston' reverses its iuovcmcut and commences to compress the charge of air contained in its cylinder whereby the respective intake valve 35 automatically closes and the exhaust valve 31 automatically opens. The charge of air is thus gradually compressed into the fuel supply chamber 38 until the piston arrives in the position shown in the upper portion of Figure 1. when the compression stroke is completed. In this position, shown in the upper portion of Figure 1'. the fuel supply nozzle 39 of that chamber 38 registers with fuel supply duct 40, as shown. sothat fuel under pressure is forced into this chamber. Assumingthat the air has been compressed to a. suflicientdegree to produce the necessary heat for igniting the fuel. the latter will be ignited and combustion will start in chamber 38 which. during rotation of the barrel, of course becomes disconnected from the fuel supply duct 40. On further rotation. the next cylinder has completed its compression period and its fuel supply chamber 38 will now register with fuel duct 40 to receive fuel and start combustion, and so on for each successive cylinder.

The. cooling of the compressorbarrel is effected by means of the water jacket 42 extending peripherally around the barrel within the stationary casing 1. It is connected by means of a pipe 43 with a suitable source of low pressure water supply. indicated in the drawings merely by a square, labelled accordingly. The cooling water is discharged from the jacket 42 through discharge pipe 44 which conducts the cooling water into a high pressure water pump indicated bv a square labelled accordingly from which the water is discharged underhigh pressure through pipe into-an annular chamber 46 provided in casing 1, from which a number of radially inwardly extending ducts 47, provided in compressor barrel 3, lead the water to axially extending ducts 48, whence it passes into steam chest 49. 'Water ducts 48 may be plainly seen in Figure 1. They terminate in the form of water nozzles 50 in steam chest 49, so that the water may be discharged into chest 49 in the form of a spray. The radially extending ducts 47 and the manner in which they receive Water from annular chamber -16 may be seen clearly in Figure 3. Steam chest 49 is provided with a number of ports 51 equal to the number of fuel chambers 38. their. outer terminals at nozzle plate 16 being'arranged in radial alinement. with the terminal of their respective chamber as may be seen from Figure -t. During the operation of this compressor, and due to the combustion of the gases in fuel chambers 38, a substantial amount of heat isgenerated in the portion of the compressor barrel surrounding steam chest 49, so that when the water is sprayed through nozzles 50 into the chest 19 it is converted into steam which may escape through ports 51 as soon as the latterregister with corresponding ports 56in the nozzle plate 16 which will be described presently.

As has been stated before, nozzle plate 16 is fixed in turbine casing portion 2. Its face View may be seen in Figure 5. As will be.

seen from this figure. this plate is provided with a number of ports 55 arranged in a part of a'circle. A similar number of ports 56 are provided in radial alinement with ports 55 in the face of plate 16 but arranged in the arc of a smaller circle. Ports 55 are disposed to register with fuel chambers 38 of the compressor barrel when these chambers rotate past ports and ports 56 of plate 16 are arranged to register with ports 51 and steam chest 19 during. the rotation of the compressor barrel. Radially alined ports 55 and 56 thus simultaneously register with corresponding ports 38 and 51. Each pair of radially alined ports 55 and 56 constitutes the terminals of a common turbine nozzle 57. of which one is shown in Figure 1 in longitudinal section. Thus, when a fuel chamber 38, in which fuel combustion occurs. registers with port 55 of a turbine nozzle 57, the corresponding steam port 51 registers with port 56 of that turbine nozzle, so that simultaneously combustion gases under high pressure and steam are discharged into and mixed in turbine nozzle 57. This period of discharge occurs for each chamber 38 audits corresponding steam port 51, while they pass through the arc (Figure 5) within which the ports 55 and 56 are located. From turbine nozzles 57, the mixture of steam and combustion gases is discharged against the rotatingturbine buckets 58 arranged on the turbine wheel 59, the latter being suitably fixed on shaft 12 within casing 2. From buckets 58-tl1e partly expanded gases are discharged against the stationary buckets 59 and thence through the next set of rotating buckets and so on, in a manner well known in the turbine art. The size of the different series of turbine buckets may be increased with increasing wheel diameter. conforming with the progress of expansion of the gases, as is cusis constantly forced against nozzle plate 16 with a suitable pressure. I have shown in Figure l the diameter of the turbine wheel about twice the diameter of the circlein which the compressor cylinders are arranged. Of course the difference in peripheral speed between the turbine wheel and the compressor barrel requires far a larger diameter of'the turbine wheel relatively to the compressor barrel as shown. This difference in diameter has been made comparatively small in F igiu-e l, in order to show the compressor elements in sufficiently large scale to be visible in the drawings, and I have shown the turbine wheel; about twice the diameter of the compressor barrel in order to indicate that I fully appreciate that there must be a substantial difference in diameter on account of the difference in peripheral speed between these two main elements of my novelturbine. Of course other means known in the art for bringing about this difference in speed between the two ele ments may be employed. For the purpose of starting the turbine, I have provided in .nozzle plate 16 a number of air nozzles 65 of which one is shown in Figure 1. They may be uniformly distributedover the circumference of the circle on which the first series of buckets 58 is disposed. For instance, as shown in Figure 5, five nozzles 65 may be arranged. All of these nozzles are connected by pipes 66 to a source of compressed air (not shown) so that when the air is turned on, the turbine will be started and the compressor will beginto supply compressed air and fuel and to operate in the manner previously described until the combustion starts in fuel chambers 38 whereby motive power is supplied to the manner described before.

I claim:

1. In an internal combustion turbine, the

combination of an air compressor having compression cylinders and pistons therein to compress air to a suitable degree,,a fuel chamber for each cylinder adapted to receive the compressed air from its cylinder, means for injecting fuel into each chamber in timed relation to the air compression to start combustion therein, a steam chest disposed adjacent to said fuel chambers and adapted to be heated by the combustion of the turbine in fuel therein, means for spraying water into said chest to generate steam, said chest having a number of ports equal to the number of fuel chambers, a turbine wheel suitably connected with said compressor, a nozzle plate between said wheel and said compressor, havingra suitable number of nozzles operativcly connected with the buckets of said turbine wheel, said plate having two ports for each nozzle, one port disposed to co operate successively with the steam chest ports and the other port disposed to cooperate successively with said fuel chambers as the compressor rotates, to permit simultaneous entry of combustion gases and steam into each nozzle for directing a mixture of gases and steam against the buckets of said turbine wheel. I y

2. In an internal combustion turbine, means for generating combustion gases comprising a rotary cylinder compressor consisting of a casing, a shaft journalled therein, a compressor barrel mounted on said shaft and guided by said casing and having a suitable number of compression cylinders arranged in a circle and in parallel to the compressor shaft, a piston in each cylinder having a connecting rod attached to it, acircular tilting block pivotally attached at its central portion to said shaft, a basket disposed in said casing to assume the desired angular position to said shaft and adapted to guide-the periphery of said tilting block, the outer ends of said connecting rods being operatively attached to said tilting block, means for varying the angular relation of the basket to the compressor shaft for varying the piston strokes of said compressor, a fuel chamber for each cylinder for receiving the air compressed in said cylinder and means for supplying fuel to each chamber alter it has received the compressed air.

3. In an internal combustion turbine, the combination of a cylindrical compressor casing, a shaft journalled therein, a compressor barrellixed on the shattand revolubly disposed in said cylindrical casing, said barrel containing a suitable number of cylinders disposed in a circle and in parallel to the compressor shaft, a piston in each cylinder, and means for reciprocating said pistons once for each revolution of said barrel, each cylinder having a valve cage containing valves and a fuel chamber, said valves permitting the piston of each cylinder to take in air from the outside and to com-press it into its fuel chamber, means for supplying fuel into each chamber after it has received its compressed air charge, to cause combustion in said chamber, a steam chest in said barrel heated by the combustion of the fuel in said chambers, means for spraying Water into said chest to generate steam, said chest, having a number of ports equal to the number of fuel chambers, a turbine Wheel suitably connected with said compressor shaft, a nozzle plate between said wheel and said barrel having a suitable number of nozzles operatively connected with the buckets of said turbine whe'eL said plate having two ports for each nozzle, one portdisposed to cooperate snccessively with the steam chest ports and the other disposed to cooperate successively with said fuel chambers as the barrel rotates, to permit simultaneous entry of combustion gases and steam into each nozzle for directing a mixture of gases and steam against the buckets of said turbine Wheel.

ELLIS B. HARTMAN.

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