US2563027A - Device for opening up streams of combustion gases - Google Patents

Description

1951' R. H. GODDARD 7 2,563,027

DEVICE FOR OPENING UP STREAMS OF COMBUSTION GASES Filed March 24, 1948 INVENTOR.

]806tZ H. dogma, Dead.

I yfim ATTO R N EY Patented Aug. 7, 1951 DEVICE FOR OPENING UP STREAMS OF COMBUSTION GASES Robert H. Goddard, deceased, late of Annapolis,

Md., by Esther C. Goddard, executrix, Worcester, Mass, assignor of one-half to The Daniel and Florence Guggenheim Foundation, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application March 24, 1948, Serial No. 16,864

1 Claim.

This invention relates to propulsion apparatus and particularly to combustion chambers having discharge nozzles associated therewith. The stream of combustion gases discharged from such combustion chamber nozzles is commonly very compact and travels at high speed, so that its airentraining capacity is relatively low.

It is the general object of this invention to provide devices for effectively opening-up such gas streams by diverting the gases from direct axial travel.

To the attainment of this general object, an important feature of the invention relates to the provision of a spreading device which is rotated by the gas stream and which in turn diverts the combustion gases from their axial path of travel. The air-entraining capacity of the gas stream is thus substantially increased.

The invention further relates to arrangements and combinations of parts which will be hereinafter described and more particularly pointed out in the appended claim.

Preferred forms of the invention are shown in the drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a sectional side elevation of a combustion chamber nozzle having this invention associated therewith;

Fig. 2 is an end view, looking in the direction of the arrow 2 in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a sectional side elevation showing the invention mounted in an augmenter tube;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional side elevation of certain parts shown in Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a sectional end view, taken substantially along the line 5--5 in Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a rotatable spreading device; and

Fig. 7 is a sectional side elevation showing a modified construction having provision for a braking efiect.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2. a combustion chamber C having a discharge nozzle N is shown as provided with a spreading device comprising a pair of gas-diverting vanes In and II mounted in a ring ll, which ring is in turn rotatably supported in an anti-friction bearing l5.

As the compact stream of hot combustion gases flows outward through the nozzle N as indicated by the arrows a, the gases engage the vanes II and II and rapidly rotate the spreading device. The compact stream of gases is thus opened-up and diverted by the vanes Ill and H, so that it becomes less compact and better adapted for entraining air.

The resultant larger mass of gas and air pro- (Cl. (HF-35.6)

2 duces improved propulsive effects and is particularly useful where a combustion chamber C and nozzle N are associated with an augmenter tube T as shown in Fig. 3. The operation of the augmenter tube may thus be rendered much more efiective.

As the combustion gases are usually at high temperature, provision for cooling the spreading device and particularly the gas-diverting vanes thereof may be desirable. Such cooling provision is indicated in Fig. 4, in which spreading vanes 20are mounted in a band 22 which forms a segment of a cone and which is supported by a ring 24 in an anti-friction bearing 25.

The vanes 20 form a unit with a hollow tube 21 which extends into a bearing 28 to which water is supplied through pipes 30. These pipes 30 serve to support the bearing 28 in an augmenter tube, as 32, or in any other stationary structure. The tube 21 has holes 35 (Fig. 4) between the vanes 20, and there are also holes 36 in the band 22.

Water under pressure supplied through the pipes 30 to the tube 21 is thus sprayed between the vanes 20 and against the inner surface of the band 22, thus keeping these parts effectively cooled. Any surplus water will be thrown out through the holes 38 to cool the bearing 25.

The ring 24' may be omitted as shown in Fig. 6 and the vanes 40 may be provided with lugs 4| which are directly secured to the inner member of the anti-friction supporting bearing. Free flow of air along the nozzle N2 to enter the opened-up gas stream is thus facilitated.

If it proves necessary to retard the speed of the rotating spreading device, the construction shown in Fig. 7 may be adopted. In this construction, a flexible brake-band 50 rotates with the spreading vanes 52 and is positioned with relatively slight clearance inside of a fixed sleeve 55 mounted on the nozzle N3. If the speed of the spreading device becomes too great, the brake-band 50 expands by centrifugal force and engages the inside of the sleeve 55, thus retarding and controlling the rotation of the spreading device.

A braking effect may also be attained by mounting propeller blades to rotate with the spreading vanes. Such propeller blades are shown in broken lines at in Figs. 3 and 4. They act to retard the rotation of the spreading vanes 2|! and also to increase the flow of air through the augmenter tube T.

Having thus described the invention and the advantages thereof, it will be understood that the jacent and rearward of said nozzle, said device having an annular supporting ring with an inner opening substantially equal in area; to the open and adjacent rear end of the discharge noz-' zie and axially aligned therewith and having a plurality of spreader vanes mounted and entirely supported on said ring outwardly of said nozzle and extending freely rearward from the ring and nozzle, said vanes being outwardly and rearwardly convex and inwardly and forwardly concave and collectively presenting a concave surface area in the path of the discharge gases which is substantially equal in projected area to the inner area of the ring and of the nozzle,

whereby said vanes are engaged by all of the gases discharged from the nozzle, and each vane being entirely open at the side opposite the concave inner surface of said vanes for unobstructed transverse displacement of the gases discharged through said nozzle and againstsaid vanes.

ESTHER C. GODDARD. Emecutriz of the Last Will and Testament 0 Robert H. Goddard, Deceased.

aar'aaancas one!) The following references are of record in the flle of this patent STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 976,732 Gherassimoif Nov. 22, 1910 2,283,863 Achtermann May 19, 1942 2,395,114 Goddard Feb. 19, 1946 20 2,455,458.. Whittle Dec. 7, 1948 2,455,845 Wells Dec. 7, 1948

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