US2159758A

US2159758A - Power plant

Info

Publication number: US2159758A
Application number: US163688A
Authority: US
Inventors: Diedrich Gunther
Original assignee: General Electric Co
Current assignee: General Electric Co
Priority date: 1936-09-24
Filing date: 1937-09-13
Publication date: 1939-05-23
Anticipated expiration: 1956-05-23

Description

Filed sept. 1s, `1937 l Inventor' Gnther- Diedrich,

His Attorneg.

i Patented May 23, 1939` lPOWER PLANT Gnther Diedrich, Berlin-Reinickendorf, Germany, assignor to General Electric Company, a corporation of New York Application September 13, 1937, Serial No. 163,688 In Germany September 24. 1936 1 Claim. The present invention relates to power plants,

l more speciiically to power plants including both `internal combustion engines and elastic fluid 1 E. turbines or engines.

For a consideration of what I believe to 10 novel and my invention, attention is directed to` the following description and the claim appended `thereto in connection with the accompanying drawing The single gure of the drawing illustrates a fp ower plant embodying my invention.

` In the present instance, I have shown my invention in connection with. an air craft, more specifically a three-motored airplane I0 having three propellers II, I2, and I3. The main proy. `peller I2 is driven by an elastic uidenglne, in f M 1 the present instance a turbine l3a, which re-` ceives elastic iluid from an elastic fluid genera` l `1to1" or boiler I4. The propellers II and. l3.are driven each by an internal combustion engine I5 `and I6 respectively.v In` order to utilize the available energy of the `exhaust gases of the internal combustion en- "gines I5 and I6, I provide in accordance with my i invention, means for conducting such gases to a suitable point in the elastic fluid generator I4. In the present example, an intermittent portion of the outer wall of the elastic fluid generator y I4` is provided with annular channel I'l which forms a ring of nozzles I8 for properly directing f 35 "exhaust gases of the combustion engines into the i combustion space of the generator or boiler I4.

The manifolds of the combustion engines I5, I6 fare connected to the channellll of the boiler by l. t "conduits I9 and 20 respectively. The nozzlesIB 40f`are connected to the combustion space of the boiler at a point or points at which the temperatures within such space is of the order of the `."cptemperature of the exhaust gas of the engines.

` The boiler shown is of the forced-through type 46` having a heating element in the form of a single ftfube 2l.` Operating iiuid is forced throughthe `tube 2| by a boiler feed pump 22 having an in- 3 "1 let connected to a tank or reservoir 23 and an `outlet 24 connected to the inlet of the tube 2l.

duit 25 to the inlet of the aforementioned elastic ffluid turbine |3a. The latter discharges into'an lair-.cooled surface type heat exchanger or conxdenser 26 whence the condensate isfconducted 65 [through a conduit 21 into the tank or reservoir 23. Means are provided for utilizing the available energy in the gases discharged from the elastic fluid generator or boiler. This means comprises a gas turbine 28 receiving gases from boiler I4 and driving a blower 23 having an im- 5 peller 30 secured to a shaft 3I which forms an extension of the shaft of the gas turbine. 'I'he blower 23 serves for furnishing air to maintain combustion in both the boiler and the internal combustion engines. To this end the blower 29 is 10 connected to the boiler and to the engine i6 by conduits 32 and 33. 'I'he conduit 32 includes a heat exchanger 34 receiving heat from the gases discharged from the gas turbine 28, the latter being connected to the heat exchanger 34 by a 15 conduit 35. The provision of a single blower for furnishing air under pressure to both the combustion space in the boiler and to the combustion engines is animportant feature of my invention because it renders the operation of the plant more 20 economical than is possible by the provision of separate supercharging means for the combustion engine and blower means for theboiler.

Fuel is supplied to the boiler from a fuel tank 36 through a conduit 31, a fuel pump 33 and a 25 burner 39. The conduit 3l includes a coil 31a located within the heat exchanger 34 whereby the fuel is preheated by the combustion gases flowing from the boiler through said heat exchanger 34. 30

'Ihe pumps 22 and 38 for forcing operating uld and fuel into the boiler are preferably driven by engine means operated directly or indirectly by the exhaust gases of thel boiler. In the present instance, these pumps are driven by motors 40 35 and 4I respectively which are energized through conductors 42 by an electric generator 43 driven from the gas turbine 28 through a gearing 44.

'Ihus with my invention I have accomplished an improved arrangement of combined elastic 40 fluid generator and combustion engine power plants whereby the exhaust gases of both the combustion engine and the elastic uld generator are fully utilized. The provisions of such plant is especially advantageous in connection with aircraft because during startingoperation the elastic fluid generator permits high overload and a ring of nozzles formed in the wall of the boiler for conducting exhaust gases from the engine to points in the combustion space at which the temperature is the same as that of the combustion 5 gases, and means for supplying Iuel and air to the boiler, said means including a centrifugal type compressor and a gas turbine receiving combustion gases'from the boiler and driving the compressor, the gas turbine having a bucket wheel enclosed in the boiler casing.

GNTHER DIEDRICH.