Classifications

• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F02—COMBUSTION ENGINES; HOT-GAS OR COMBUSTION-PRODUCT ENGINE PLANTS
  • F02C—GAS-TURBINE PLANTS; AIR INTAKES FOR JET-PROPULSION PLANTS; CONTROLLING FUEL SUPPLY IN AIR-BREATHING JET-PROPULSION PLANTS
  • F02C5/00—Gas-turbine plants characterised by the working fluid being generated by intermittent combustion
  • F02C5/12—Gas-turbine plants characterised by the working fluid being generated by intermittent combustion the combustion chambers having inlet or outlet valves, e.g. Holzwarth gas-turbine plants
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F02—COMBUSTION ENGINES; HOT-GAS OR COMBUSTION-PRODUCT ENGINE PLANTS
  • F02C—GAS-TURBINE PLANTS; AIR INTAKES FOR JET-PROPULSION PLANTS; CONTROLLING FUEL SUPPLY IN AIR-BREATHING JET-PROPULSION PLANTS
  • F02C3/00—Gas-turbine plants characterised by the use of combustion products as the working fluid
  • F02C3/14—Gas-turbine plants characterised by the use of combustion products as the working fluid characterised by the arrangement of the combustion chamber in the plant
  • F02C3/16—Gas-turbine plants characterised by the use of combustion products as the working fluid characterised by the arrangement of the combustion chamber in the plant the combustion chambers being formed at least partly in the turbine rotor or in an other rotating part of the plant
  • F02C3/165—Gas-turbine plants characterised by the use of combustion products as the working fluid characterised by the arrangement of the combustion chamber in the plant the combustion chambers being formed at least partly in the turbine rotor or in an other rotating part of the plant the combustion chamber contributes to the driving force by creating reactive thrust
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F02—COMBUSTION ENGINES; HOT-GAS OR COMBUSTION-PRODUCT ENGINE PLANTS
  • F02C—GAS-TURBINE PLANTS; AIR INTAKES FOR JET-PROPULSION PLANTS; CONTROLLING FUEL SUPPLY IN AIR-BREATHING JET-PROPULSION PLANTS
  • F02C5/00—Gas-turbine plants characterised by the working fluid being generated by intermittent combustion
  • F02C5/02—Gas-turbine plants characterised by the working fluid being generated by intermittent combustion characterised by the arrangement of the combustion chamber in the chamber in the plant
  • F02C5/04—Gas-turbine plants characterised by the working fluid being generated by intermittent combustion characterised by the arrangement of the combustion chamber in the chamber in the plant the combustion chambers being formed at least partly in the turbine rotor
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F02—COMBUSTION ENGINES; HOT-GAS OR COMBUSTION-PRODUCT ENGINE PLANTS
  • F02C—GAS-TURBINE PLANTS; AIR INTAKES FOR JET-PROPULSION PLANTS; CONTROLLING FUEL SUPPLY IN AIR-BREATHING JET-PROPULSION PLANTS
  • F02C6/00—Plural gas-turbine plants; Combinations of gas-turbine plants with other apparatus; Adaptations of gas-turbine plants for special use
  • F02C6/20—Adaptations of gas-turbine plants for driving vehicles
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F23—COMBUSTION APPARATUS; COMBUSTION PROCESSES
  • F23R—GENERATING COMBUSTION PRODUCTS OF HIGH PRESSURE OR HIGH VELOCITY, e.g. GAS-TURBINE COMBUSTION CHAMBERS
  • F23R3/00—Continuous combustion chambers using liquid or gaseous fuel
  • F23R3/42—Continuous combustion chambers using liquid or gaseous fuel characterised by the arrangement or form of the flame tubes or combustion chambers
  • F23R3/56—Combustion chambers having rotary flame tubes

Definitions

• the combustion turbine is positioned between the top and bottom fixed plates.
• the combustion turbine is rotatable relative to the top fixed plate to allow passage of intake air into the combustion chambers through the intake inlets, and is rotatable relative to the bottom fixed to exhaust combustion gases through the exhaust outlets.
• the top plate includes intake inlets, which may be nozzles, positioned to direct intake air into the combustion chambers and the bottom plate includes exhaust outlets, which may be nozzles, positioned to direct exhaust out of the combustion chambers circumferentially about the stationary combustor to create thrust to rotate the top and bottom plates.
• the top and bottom plates are coupled with a drive shaft such that rotation of the top and bottom plates rotates the drive shaft.
• the top and bottom plates are rotatable relative to the stationary combustor to allow passage of intake air into the combustion chambers through the intake inlets and to exhaust combustion gases through the exhaust outlets.
• FIG. 1 A is a schematic of a combustion turbine engine.
• FIG. 7 depicts a bottom fixed plate of the engine with four exhaust outlets.
• FIG. 10A depicts an exploded view of portions of a combustion turbine.
• FIGS. 11 A and 1 IB depict the combustion turbine engine.
• Drive shaft 104 is positioned and extends along axis 106. Axis 106 may be coincident with or parallel with a longitudinal centerline of engine 100. In some embodiments, all or most of the internal components of engine 100 are attached to or otherwise coupled with drive shaft 104. In some such embodiments, exterior cylinder 102 is not attached to or coupled with drive shaft 104. In some such embodiments, top fixed plate 108 and bottom fixed plate 110 of engine 100 are coupled to or integral with drive shaft 104 via bearings, such that drive shaft 104 is movable relative to top fixed plate 108 and bottom fixed plate 110.
• Wedges 103 include the material of which bottom fixed plate 110 is at least partially composed, such as steel.
• Bottom fixed plate 110 may be a relatively thick, fixed, metal plate that is attached to or otherwise coupled with the circumference of the exterior cylinder 102 walls.
• Bottom fixed plate 110 similar to top fixed plate 108, may have an even number of symmetrically placed openings ( e.g ., four or more) positioned substantially in the middle two-thirds of bottom fixed plate 110.
• outlets 176 and outlets 101 are aligned, outlets 101 and 176 allow for the passage of exhaust 186 out of combustion chambers 120.
• top fixed plate 108, combustion turbine 152, and bottom fixed plate 110 include a hole, holes 189a-189d. Holes 189a-189d are aligned such that drive shaft 104, extending along axis 106, passes through holes 189a-189d.
• Drive shaft 104 may be coupled with combustion turbine 152 at holes 189b and 189c, such that rotation of combustion turbine 152 rotates drive shaft 104.
• drive shaft 104 is coupled with top and bottom fixed plates at holes 189a and 189d, such that drive shaft 104 can rotate relative to top and bottom fixed plates without causing top and bottom fixed plates to rotate.
• Combustion turbine 152 includes a cylinder or shroud 153.
• Shroud 153 may be a relatively thick walled, hollow, metal (e.g., steel) cylinder.
• Shroud 153 may be coupled with the intake end 150 and exhaust end 170 of the combustion turbine 152.
• Shroud 153 may be smaller in diameter than top fixed plate 108.
• Combustion turbine 152 may be coupled with drive shaft 104.
• intake end 150 and exhaust end 170 of combustion turbine 152 are coupled with drive shaft 104 where drive shaft 104 passes through holes 189b and 189c. Rotation of combustion turbine 152 causes drive shaft 104 to rotate about axis 106. That is, rotation of combustion turbine 152 drives drive shaft 104 to correspondingly rotate.
• tolerances 156 between top fixed plate 108 and the intake end 150 and between bottom fixed plate 110 and the exhaust end 170 are the same or substantially the same as the tolerance 158 between a piston 160 and sidewalls 162 thereof in an internal combustion piston engine.
• rings 164 positioned between top fixed plate 108 and the intake end 150 are rings 164, which may be the same or substantially similar to rings that are used on a piston engine piston. Rings 164 are positioned on the outside and inside of inlets 166 and blast nibs 169 that are formed through top rotating plate 150. Bearings 172 are positioned between the engagement of top fixed plate 108 and drive shaft 104, such that the drive shaft 104 can rotate relative to the top fixed plate 108. Blast nibs 169 are built into or otherwise coupled with or incorporated into top rotating plate 150 and top fixed plate 108 to protect rings 164 and bearings 172, if needed.
• the geometries of the inlets 136 and 166 and the outlets 176 and 101 are designed optimally in the following sequence: (1) compressed air fills the combustion chambers with high-pressure air; (2) the combustion chambers become enclosed and/or sealed forming a constant volume combustion chamber, at which time the introduced fuel and air is ignited; (3) the outlets 176 rotate to align with the outlets 101, to allow the combustion gases to begin being expelled out of the combustion chambers; thereby, producing a thrust force that drives the rotation of the combustion blades 180 of combustion turbine; (4) the inlets 166 rotate to align with the inlets 136, such that the top inlets (136 and 166) and the bottom outlets (101 and 176) are simultaneously open for exhaust of the high- temperature, high-pressure combustion gases, and to begin filling the combustion chambers with fresh, compressed gas; and (5) the bottom outlets (101 and 176) close via rotation of the bottom rotating plate 170 prior to closing the inlets (136 and 166) to trap high-pressure air in the combustion chambers.
• combustion turbine 152 is at least partially composed of one or more materials of sufficient strength and weight such that combustion turbine 152 is capable of containing the combustion gases and, therefore, is capable of functioning as a flywheel.
• FIG. 12 illustrates the positions of the components of the rotating internal combustion engine disclosed herein during the various stages or strokes of the engine, including illustrating the positions of the combustion turbine relative to the top and bottom fixed plates, and illustrating the flow of air and combustion products through a single cycle of the engine.
• a Full Authority Digital Engine Controller controls all or at least some of the engine functions, including ignition and fuel injection.
• the engine represented in FIG. 12 includes four combustion chambers, 120a-120d.
• second position 704 is shown as configured for ignition and detonation of a fuel and air mixture, in some circumstances, such as during idling conditions of the engine, the FADEC may not initiate fueling, ignition and detonation, such as if combustion is not needed at that time.
• the second position 704 is also referred to herein as the“combustion position” and is the position of the top and bottom fixed and rotating plates during the detonation and combustion stage of the engine disclosed herein.
• the ignition of fuel 184 produce combustion gases 186 within combustion chambers 120a-120d.
• fourth position 708 the intake end and exhaust end are rotated to a point such that the outlets 176 are more fully aligned with outlets 101 in the bottom fixed plate 110, and the inlets 166 are more fully aligned with the inlets 136 in the top fixed plate 108, relative to the third position 706.
• feed air 118 again flows into and out of the combustion chambers 120a-120d; thereby, imparting torque 192 upon the combustion chamber walls 180 through aerodynamic lift in a manner the same as or similar to the action of a pinwheel, a wind turbine, or a turbocharger turbine.
• the incoming air 118 produces a“windmill effect”, rotating the combustion turbine 152.
• the exhaust 193 from combustion chambers 120a-120d in the fourth position may be a scavenging or scavenger exhaust that may include a mixture of feed air 118 and any remaining combustion gases 186 within combustion chambers 120a-120d.
• the fourth position 706 is also referred to herein as the“scavenge position”,“scavenger position” or“scavenging position,” and is the position of the top and bottom fixed and rotating plates during the scavenging stage of the combustion gases.
• the intake end and exhaust end rotate back into the first position 702, such that the engine cycle begins again.
• the combustion blades 180 are shown as straight, angled blades in FIG. 12, the combustion blades are not limited to this shape and configuration, and may be curved, such as for aerodynamic efficiency.
• the inlets and outlets (101, 136, 166, and 176) can have beveled and/or angled surfaces that direct the flow of gas therein, which is explained in more detail below with reference to FIG. 20
• the compression stage moving from State 1 to State 2, requires work input from the engine.
• State 2 the air and fuel are then transferred into the combustion chambers of the engine.
• combustion occurs at a constant volume; thereby, increasing the pressure and temperature within the combustion chamber to State 3.
• the exhaust gas then exits the combustion chamber and passes through an expansion process, moving from State 3 to State 4. Movement from left to right on the plot indicates work that is extracted, with the amount of work extracted given by the area under the process curve.
• work extraction occurs from State 3 to State 4.
• the design of the combustion chamber passages at least partially defines the amount of work that may be extracted at this stage of the engine process.
• One parameter in the engine cycle that may deviate from idealized conditions is the amount of compression of the air intake prior to combustion. Without being bound by theory, it is believed that engine cycle efficiency increases as the engine cycle processes are conducted at higher pressures. While increasing the compression pressure prior to combustion increases compression work, it also increases the amount of work extracted during the subsequent expansion of the gases in the turbine section of the engine.
• FIG. 14 One embodiment of net increase in work extraction by compression is shown in FIG. 14. In FIG. 14, the dashed lines show an initial engine work cycle, and the solid lines show a potential engine work cycle with increased net output of work based on a higher compression ratio of the intake air.
• combustion timing is configured to ensure a sufficient amount of time for completion of combustion while the combustion chamber is closed. That is, the timing of when the intake inlets of the combustion turbine and the inlets of the top fixed plate are in the open or closed configuration, and the timing of when the exhaust outlets of the combustion turbine and the outlets of the bottom fixed plate are in the open or closed configuration, are preferably configured such that the intake inlets (136 and 166) are closed while the exhaust outlets (176 and 101) are also closed for a time that is sufficient for completion of combustion to occur.
• FIG. 16 depicts one exemplary sequence of events that occur between intake port closure (i.e., when the inlets 136 and 166 are in the closed configuration) and exhaust port opening (i.e., when the outlets 176 and 101 are in the closed configuration).
• the fuel and air are mixed prior to admission of the fuel and air into the combustion chambers, allowing ignition to occur immediately after intake port closure.
• engine cycle events are shown occurring over timeline 1900.
• intake port closure occurs, optionally with fuel injection, time 1904, occurring simultaneously.
• time 1906 the fuel and air are mixed.
• the time period from time 1904 to time 1906 is determined by vaporization of the fuel and mixing rates of the fuel and air, and could be reduced by using a gaseous fuel and/or by pre-mixing the fuel and air.
• ignition of the fuel/air mixture occurs at time 1908 .
• Time 1910 indicates the remaining time available, from the occurrence of ignition to completion of combustion. This time frame is determined by the flame speed, which is based on the selected fuel and the mixture ration of the air and fuel, by the combustion chamber geometry (e.g., the distance between the spark of the ignitor and the furthest wall of the combustion chamber), and by the degree of turbulence within the combustion chamber.
• combustion is completed, preferably before the exhaust ports open at time 1914.
• time 1916 the time between the intake port closure, time 1902, and the exhaust port opening, time 1914, is indicated as being determined by the rotation speed of the combustion turbine and the seal geometry of the inlet and outlet ports thereof.
• the combustion during a typical spark ignited piston engine is approximately 15 to 20 crank degrees for an engine running at 2500 RPM. This is assuming a 10% - 90% bum duration time, which is the time from the point where 10% of the fuel has burned to the time where 90% of the fuel has burned. There is a delay from the initial ignition spark event and the achievement of the point where 10% of the fuel has burned, which can be in the range of 5 to 15 degrees, depending on the available ignition energy. These two delays are cumulative.
• the ignition delay and the 10 - 90% bum duration are dependent on the charge air motion, where a greater amount of charge air motion is better up to a limit where the charge air motion extinguishes the spark of the ignitor out.
• tumble a tumble flap
• the ignition delay and the 10 - 90% bum duration are dependent on the charge air motion, where a greater amount of charge air motion is better up to a limit where the charge air motion extinguishes the spark of the ignitor out.
• tumble a tumble flap
• Blade speed ratio is defined as the blade velocity divided by the isentropic gas velocity, which is the velocity that the gas could achieve if expanded isentropically across the available pressure ratio.
• the acceleration of the discharge from such an exhaust nozzle transmits a forces of equal magnitude to the rotating combustion turbine in the opposite direction; thereby, applying torque to the drive shaft.
• energy is also extracted from the exhaust gas of the combustion chambers by an auxiliary turbine positioned at the exit of the combustion chambers.
• generating power requires the conversion of the chemical energy (e.g, the energy of the gasoline) into mechanical movement (i.e., mechanical energy).
• mechanical movement i.e., mechanical energy
• an additional step is required to convert the mechanical energy into electrical current, which is typically accomplished using a rotating generator.
• Mechanical movement that is used for the purpose of doing work may be provided by a rotating shaft.
• a typical car engine utilizes linear piston movement to rotate a shaft, while a typical gas turbine engine directly rotates a shaft.
• power is determined by the rotation speed of the shaft and the torque applied to the shaft.
• Typical gas turbines have separate combustor and expander sections to simplify the gas turbine engine design by having a stationary combustor upstream of the rotating expander stages. After combustion, the energy from the combusted gas is extracted across one or more rotating expander stages, with each stage being composed of both a stationary segment (stator vanes) and a rotating segment (rotor blades).
• the combustion turbine engine disclosed herein may be used in conjunction with renewable energy sources, such as wind and solar, to provide power when wind or solar energy is not available.
• the engine disclosed herein may have a relatively short start up time, and may operate efficiently, with relatively low emissions at part load. Additionally, due to the air-fuel mixture combustion event occurring in a constant volume process that does not have the typical turbine combustor requirements for flame-holding, the engine disclosed herein may be more efficient over a wider operating range than a conventional gas turbine.
• Conventional turbomachinery can typically be scaled down to about a 1 MW- scale without significant effects on efficiency, manufacturability, and mechanical design. At scales that are smaller than 1 MW, however, conventional turbomachinery may exhibit leakage paths, accounting for greater percentages of the aerodynamic flow area as the flow path is scaled down to smaller sizes.
• the combustors of conventional turbomachinery need to be large enough to provide sufficient residence time for complete combustion.
• the use of a constant volume combustion process reduces limitations on residence time and allows for smaller combustors for micro-gas turbines than would be achievable using conventional turbomachinery.
• the combustor and expander are on a single compressor wheel, with the combustor positioned on an impeller.
• the combustion turbine disclosed herein is incorporated into a jet and turbine engines, with low-pressure and high-pressure fans that supply compression to the feed air.
• Embodiment 6 The engine of embodiment 5, wherein the auxiliary turbine is coupled with the drive shaft.
• Embodiment 22 The engine of any of embodiments 1 to 21, wherein, through a cycle of the engine, the combustion turbine rotates to sequentially enter the following positions: a first position wherein the exhaust outlets of the combustion turbine are not aligned with the exhaust outlets in the bottom fixed plate such that exhaust is prevented from escaping the combustion chambers, and the intake inlets in the combustion turbine are partially aligned with the intake inlets in the top fixed plate such that gas is capable of flowing into the combustion chambers; a second position wherein the intake inlets of the combustion turbine are not aligned with the intake inlets of the top fixed plate, and the exhaust outlets of the combustion turbine are not aligned with the exhaust outlets of the bottom fixed plate, such that gas is prevented from entering or exiting the combustion chambers; a third position wherein the intake inlets of the combustion turbine are not aligned with the openings in the top fixed plate such that gas is prevented from entering the combustion chambers, and the exhaust outlets of the combustion turbine are at least partially aligned with the exhaust outlets of the bottom fixed plate, such
• Embodiment 27 The method of any of embodiments 24 to 26, further comprising directing the intake air into the combustion chambers through an air pressurization nozzle.
• Embodiment 29 The method of any of embodiments 24 to 28, further comprising passing the exhausted combustion gases through an auxiliary turbine downstream of the combustion chambers, wherein the auxiliary turbine is coupled with the drive shaft.
• Embodiment 30 The method of any of embodiments 24 to 29, wherein the combustion turbine is positioned between a top fixed plate and a bottom fixed plate of the combustion turbine engine such that the intake end is positioned adjacent the top fixed plate and the exhaust end is positioned adjacent the bottom fixed plate, wherein the top fixed plate includes intake inlets and the bottom fixed plate includes exhaust outlets, wherein opening the intake end of the combustion turbine includes rotating the combustion turbine such that the intake inlets are in fluid communication with the combustion chambers, and wherein opening the exhaust end of the combustion turbine includes rotating the combustion turbine such that the exhaust outlets are in fluid communication with the combustion chambers.
• Embodiment 31 The method of any of embodiments 24 to 30, wherein a cycle of the combustion turbine engine at least includes: a first state, wherein the exhaust end of the combustion chambers is closed and the intake end of the combustion chambers is at least partially open, wherein intake air is provided into the combustion chambers; a second state, wherein the combustion chambers are closed and the fuel and intake air mixture is combusted; a third state, wherein the exhaust end of the combustion chambers is at least partially open while the intake end of the combustion chambers is closed, and wherein combustion gases are exhausted from the combustion chambers; and a fourth state, wherein the intake end and the exhaust end of the combustion chambers are both at least partially open, wherein combustion gases are exhausted from the combustion chambers and wherein scavenging of the combustion chambers occurs.
• Embodiment 32 The method of any of embodiments 24 to 31, wherein combustion within the combustion chambers occurs within a constant volume.
• Embodiment 33 A method of generating motive force using a combustion turbine engine, the method comprising: providing fuel and intake air into an intake end of combustion chambers, wherein the combustion chambers are at least partially defined by space between blades of a stationary combustor; closing the intake end and an exhaust end of the combustion chambers and combusting the fuel and intake air mixture within the closed combustion chambers, wherein the combusting forms combustion gases; and opening the exhaust end of the combustion chambers and exhausting the combustion gases from the combustion chambers; wherein the stationary combustor is positioned between a top plate and a bottom plate of the combustion turbine engine, the top plate including intake inlets positioned adjacent the intake end and the bottom plate including exhaust outlets positioned adjacent the exhaust end, wherein the top plate includes intake inlets positioned to direct intake air into the combustion chambers and the bottom plate includes exhaust outlets positioned to direct exhaust out of the combustion chambers circumferentially about the stationary combustor to create thrust on a downstream component to rotate the top and bottom plates; wherein the top

Landscapes

• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
• Combustion & Propulsion (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Supercharger (AREA)
• Engine Equipment That Uses Special Cycles (AREA)

Priority Applications (6)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=72141579

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (7)

Families Citing this family (3)

Citations (5)

Family Cites Families (25)

• 2020
  • 2020-02-20 JP JP2021549432A patent/JP7587512B2/ja active Active
  • 2020-02-20 EP EP20758894.8A patent/EP3927952A4/en active Pending
  • 2020-02-20 KR KR1020217030019A patent/KR102915025B1/ko active Active
  • 2020-02-20 CA CA3130896A patent/CA3130896A1/en active Pending
  • 2020-02-20 US US16/795,990 patent/US12398670B2/en active Active
  • 2020-02-20 WO PCT/US2020/019026 patent/WO2020172399A1/en not_active Ceased
  • 2020-02-20 MX MX2021010045A patent/MX2021010045A/es unknown
• 2021
  • 2021-08-19 MX MX2025009130A patent/MX2025009130A/es unknown
• 2025
  • 2025-07-30 US US19/285,863 patent/US20260104006A1/en active Pending

Patent Citations (5)

Non-Patent Citations (1)

Also Published As

Similar Documents

Legal Events