US2456402A

US2456402A - Combustion chamber and means for supplying plural liquid fuels thereto

Info

Publication number: US2456402A
Application number: US462709A
Authority: US
Inventors: Robert H Goddard
Original assignee: DANIEL AND FLORENCE GUGGENHEIM
Current assignee: DANIEL AND FLORENCE GUGGENHEIM; DANIEL AND FLORENCE GUGGENHEIM FOUNDATION
Priority date: 1942-10-20
Filing date: 1942-10-20
Publication date: 1948-12-14
Anticipated expiration: 1965-12-14

Description

R. H. GODDARD COMBUSTION CHAMBER AND MEANS FOR SUPPLYING PLURAL LIQUID FUELS THERETO Filed-Oct. 20, 1942 Dec. 14. 1948.

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Patented Dec. 14, 1948 COIVIBUSTION CHAMBER AND MEANS FOR SUPPLYING PLURAL LIQUID FUELS THERETO Robert H. Goddard, Roswell, N. Mex., assignor of one-half to The Daniel and Florence Guggenheim Foundation, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application October 20, 1942, Serial No. 462,709

This invention relates to chambers in which combustion is maintained by feeding coacting combustion liquids thereto. Such combustion liquids may be gasoline or some other liquid fuel, and liquid oxygen or some other liquid oxidizing agent.

It is the general object of my invention to provide improved means for feeding a combustion liquid to a combustion chamber and for developing substantial pressure in said liquid in addition to the initial feeding pressure.

A further object is to provide improved means I for cooling exposed surfaces in a combustion A preferred form of the invention is shown in.

the drawings, in which I Fig. 1 is a partial sectional front elevation of my improved combustion chamber, taken along the line in Fig. 2;

Fig. 2 is a partial plan view, partly in section, and taken along the line 2-2 in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a partial bottom view, partly in section and looking in the direction of the arrow 3 in Fig. 1; and v Figs. 4 and 5 are detail sectional elevations,

taken along the lines 4-4 and 5-5 in Figs. 1 and 2 respectively. Referrin to the drawings, I have shown a portion of a combustion chamber C having a cylindrical sidewall Ill and a convex upper end wall One of the combustion liquids, as gasoline, may be introduced tangentially through spaced nozzles I2 (Figs. 1 and 2) in the side-wall [0, the nozzle construction preferably being as shown in Figs. 6 to 8 of my prior Patent No. 2,016,921 issued October 8, 1935.

An inverted conical disc 20 having an attached supply tube 2| is secured in the upper end of the combustion chamber C, and the space 22 between the end wall H and the disc 20 and tube 2| may be filled with any light heat-insulating material. A second conical disc 30 and a second tube 3| are mounted in spaced relation below the disc 20 and within the tube 2|, and the outer edges of 14 Claims. (01. 158-4) 2 the

discs

20 and 30 are connected by an end wall 33, also welded or otherwise secured to the wall I0. A second pair of flat or only slightly conical discs and-4| are mounted below the

discs

20 and 30 and are held in spaced relation by an end wall 43.

The

discs

30 and 40 are somewhat widely spaced apartlon'gitudinally of the chamber C to provide I radial spaces S which are outwardly enlarged and with open outer ends and which are separated by partition walls 50, arranged in pairs and with each pair connected by an end wall 5| to provide a vertical enclosed passage 52 (Fig. 3)- through the space S and between the upper and outwardly expanding space Sland the corresponding lower space S2. Thespace SI is enclosed between the

discs

20 and 30 and the end wall 33, and the space S2 is enclosed between the

discs

40 and 4| and the end wall 43.

It will be understood that the

discs

30 and 40 are cut away between the walls of each pair, as indicated in Fig. 4. It will also be noted that the walls 50 of each pair are relatively further apart toward the circumference of the

discs

30 and 40.

Spacing partitions may be provided between the upper discs 20 and .30 for additional support,

and these partitions fillmay have perforations 6| (Fig. 5) to provide circumferential communication. Similar perforated partitions may be provided between the

lower discs

40 and 4|. The lower discs '40 and 4| have upturned inner edges 40a. and 4|a, which edgesare spaced apart to provide an annular orifice 10 (Fig. 1) forming an inlet to the spaces. 4

A tube 1| is mounted within the tubes 2| and 3|, previously described, and may be spaced from the tube 3| by heat-insulatin material 12.

A streamlined spreader I4 is mounted on a spiderlfi at the lower end of the tube H and coacts with the tube H to provide an annular nally extending passage from the spaces 8 to the combustion chamber C.-

The improved feeding apparatus above described functions as follows:

Assuming that liquid oxygen is supplied under.

the tangential nozzles. l2.

between the tubes 2! and 3|, the oxygen will spread outward in the space SI, under induced pressure to be described, and will then fiow downward through the vertical passages 52 of the pairs of partitions or walls 50 to the lower space 82, in which space it will flow inward toward the annular orifice 10.

At this point the stream of liquid oxygen is joined by a relatively small supply of gasoline or other liquid fuel, delivered under light pressure through the pipe H and through the annular orifice 16. This gasoline is ignited and combines with a small portion of the oxygen to produce a considerable volume of combustion gases which flow rapidly outward through the spaces 5 and carry with them the major part of the liquid oxygen.

At the open outer ends of the spaces S this mass of liquid oxygen, more or less vaporized by the combustion gases, encounters the main supply of gasoline or other liquid fuel delivered through After intermingling therewith, the resulting fluid mixture flows downward through the outer annular passage 80 to the combustion chamber C adjacent the chamber wall I0, thus providing a cooling film for said wall.

Combustion then takes place and a small amount of the combustion gases from the chamber C are drawn upward as fiame through the annular opening 11 between the spreader I4 and the inner edge Ma of the lower disc 4|. This hot flame helps to maintain combustion of the small amount of gasoline entering through the port orifice 16 as'it mingles with the relatively large amount of oxygen in the spaces S.

The streams of liquids supplied through the annular port orifices l0 and 16 create a, relatively low pressure area adjacent the inner and lower port orifice 11, which draws the small igniting flame through the orifice l1 and also prevents back flow of any of the combustion liquids therethrough.

It will be noted that the

discs

20, 30, 40 and 4| are all jacketed and cooled by the liquid oxygen passing through the spaces SI and. S2. This is an important advantage, as the disc 4! is exposed to the high temperature in the combustion cham-' ber C, and the

discs

30 and 40 are exposed to the high temperature in the spaces S, occasioned by the hot combustion gases passing outward thereenlargement'of the vertical passages 52 cause more uniform flow of liquid from the space Si to to the details herein disclosed, otherwise than as set forth in the claims, but what I claim is:

1. In a combustion apparatus, means forming a combustion chamber having an end wall, means forming an entrance passage-adjacent the chamber axis for a combustion liquid, a hollow double disc communicating near its center with said passage and closed around its outer edge portion, a second hollow double disc also'closed about its outer edge portion and having an annular port orifice at its middle portion, hollow partition members fixed between said discs and connecting the hollow interiors of said discs and maintaining said discs in axially aligned but substantially separated fixed relation, and means to supply a coacting combustion liquid to said first liquid adjacent said annular port orifice.

2. The combination in a combustion apparatus as set forth in claim 1, in which the hollow partitions are radially disposed and increase outwardly in circumferential width.

3. The combination in a combustion apparatus as set forth in claim 1, in which means is provided to introduce an igniting flame to the mixed liquids at said annular port orifice.

4. The combination in a combustion apparatus as set forth in claim 1, in which the upper and lower members of each hollow double disc are held in fixed spaced relation by a plurality of radially disposed and transversely perforated partition elements.

5. In a combustion apparatus, means forming a combustion chamber having a substantially cylindrical outer wall, means to supply a combustion liquid entering tangentially at said outer wall, means to supply a coacting combustion liquid ply liquid fuel and a liquid oxidizing agent ad-' jacent the axis of said chamber, distributing means including}; plurality of expanding delivery passages for said liquids, and structure defining two adjacent annular concentric port orifices positioned at the inner ends of said radial passages and from which adjacent orifices said liquids are simultaneously discharged and intermingled, and means to conduct said two liquids to said concentric orifices.

7; The combination in a combustion apparatus as set forth in claim 6, in which a third port orifice is provided adjacent the first two orifices, which third orifice communicates with the body of the combustion chamber and delivers a, relatively small portion of hot combustion gases to the intermingling liquids.

8. In a combustion apparatus, means forming a combustion chamber enclosed at least in part by a surface of revolution, means to supply liquid oxygen and a, portion of a liquid fuel to said chamber adjacent the axis of said chamber, means to intermingle said liquids and to conduct the intermingled liquids radially outward at high speed and against the combustion chamber wall,

and meansito supply additional liquid fuel at the zone of impact of said intermingled liquids with advantages thereof, I do not wish to limited said wall.

9. In a combustion apparatus, means formin ing one side of said third orifice and a stream-- lined upper surface of said spreader forming one side of said first-mentioned orifice.

10. In a combustion apparatus, means forming a combustion chamber enclosed at least in partby a surface of revolution, structure in said enclosed at least in part I fuel to said orifice, structure in said chamber defining a second concentric and adjacent annular orifice, means to supply a. liquid oxidizing agent to said second orifice, structure defining a third concentric and adjacent annular orifice through velocity, means to supply a coacting combustion liquid to said chamber and to intermlngle por tions of'said liquids adjacent the axis of the chamber, means forming directive passages for the combustion liquids and gases and leading outwardly from said last-named means, and means to introduce a relatively small portion of hot combustion gases from within the combustion chamher into the intermingled combustion liquids to sustain preliminary combustion of said intermingled portions, the combustion gases thus produced increasing the velocity of the outward travel of any. portion 'of said first liquid remaining in said outwardly directive passages substantially above its low initial velocity.

. 12. In a combustion apparatus, means forming a combustion chamber having asubstantially cylindrical outer wall, means to supply a combustion liquid entering tangentially at said outer wall, means to supply a second and coacting combustion liquid entering adjacent the axis of said.

chamber, structure defining a plurality of .outwardly expanding radial directive passages, and means to-cause-preliminary combustion to take place adjacent the inner ends'of said radial passages, the outflow of the combustion gases thus produced by preliminary combustion inducing outflow of the unconsumed part of said second liquid through said plurality of radial directive passages and against said outer wall at high 6 locity, means to supply a second and coac ing combustion liquid adjacent the axis of said chamber, hollow walls within said chamber forming converging passages with constricted inner end orifices and through which constricted orifices said first liquid is fed to and mixed with said second combustion liquid after said first liquid has passed toward the chamber axis through said convergingpassages, and means to introduce a small portion of hot combustion gases from the combustion chamber to said mixed liquids to. cause preliminary. combustion of a small vaporized portion of said mixed liquids to take place adjacent the constricted innerends of said converging passages,

14. In a combustion apparatus, means forming a combustion chamberhaving a substantially cylindrical outer wall, means to supply -a portion of a first combustion liquid axially to said chamber, means to supply themajor part of said first combustion liquid tangentially at said outer wall, means to supply a second and coacting combustion liquid to said chamberat a: relatively low initial entrance velocity, hollow walls within said chamber forming converging passages with constricted inner end. orifices and through which constricted orifices said second liquid is supplied and intimately intermingled wlth'said first liquid after travelling toward the axis of said combustion chamber through said converging passages, means to introduce a small portion of hot combustion gases from the combustion chamber to said mixed liquids to raise the temperature and vaporize said mixed liquids adjacent said axis and tocause preliminary combustion of a vaporized part of the axially delivered portion of said first radial outward velocity and said two combustion I liquids being thereby intimately intermingled at said outer wall.

13. In a combustion apparatus, means forming a combustion chamber having a longitudinal axis, means to supply a combustion liquid to'said chamber at a relatively low initial entrance vecombustion liquid with a small vaporized portion of said second and coac'tin'g combustion liquid to take place adjacent the constricted inner ends of said passages, and means to direct the combustion gases thus produced outward to said outer ROBERT n. aonmnnf REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the .file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name 7 Date 980.801 Kraus Jan, 3, 1911 1,316,021 Doble Sept. 16, 1919 1,349,876 Doble Aug..l7, 1920' 1,393,207 Du Pont Oct. 11, 1921 1,633,502 Staley June 21, 1927 1,633,549 Little June 21, 1927 1,650,342 Good Nov. 22, 1927 1,676,501 Moors ..1 July 1 0, 1928 1,699,732 Balmat Jan. 22, 1929 1,328,784 Perrin -';.;Oct. 27, 1931 1,923,614 Clarkson' Aug. 22, 1933 2,016,921 Goddard Oct. '8, 1935 2,031,306 French Feb. '18, 1936 2,072,731 Crosby Mar. 2, 1937 2,085,800 Goddard July 6, 1937 2,164,225 Walker ....June 27, 1939 2,195,617 Clarkson Apr. 2,1940. 2,217,649 Goddard Oct. 8, 1940 2,286,909 Goddard June 16, 1942