Reverse-flow core gas turbine engine with a pulse detonation system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10094279-B2
Application number	US-201314764186-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 29, 2013
Priority date	Jan 29, 2013
Publication date	Oct 9, 2018
Grant date	Oct 9, 2018

Abstract

The engine ( 10 ) includes a low spool ( 16 ) disposed aft of an air inlet ( 12 ) and a high spool ( 34 ) disposed aft of the low spool ( 16 ). An intake reverse-duct ( 44 ) is disposed radially outward of the high spool ( 34 ) and reverses direction of low pressure compressed air from the low spool ( 16 ) into a forward-flow high pressure compressor ( 40 ) of the high spool ( 34 ). A discharge reverse-manifold ( 48 ) directs flow of an exhaust gas stream ( 50 } from a forward-flow low pressure turbine ( 20 ) into a rearward-flow direction and into at least one pulse detonation firing tube ( 54 ). An annular bypass air duct ( 72 ) directs cooling air along the engine ( 10 )—The at least, one firing tube is positioned radially outward of the high spool ( 34 ), overlies the high spool ( 34 ) and is also positioned within the bypass air duct ( 72 ).

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A reverse-flow core gas turbine engine having an air inlet and an engine exhaust aft of the air inlet, the engine comprising:
a. a low spool disposed aft of the air inlet including a rearward-flow low pressure compressor, and a forward-flow low pressure turbine disposed aft of the rearward-flow low pressure compressor;
b. a high spool disposed aft of the low spool, the high spool including a forward-flow high pressure turbine disposed aft of the forward-flow low pressure turbine, a combustor disposed aft of the forward-flow high pressure turbine, and a forward-flow high pressure compressor disposed aft of the combustor;
c. an intake reverse-duct disposed radially outward of the high spool for directing output of the rearward-flow low pressure compressor to the forward-flow high pressure compressor so that the output reverses from rearward-flow to forward-flow to pass through the high spool;
d. a discharge reverse-manifold disposed forward of the high spool and radially outward of the intake reverse-duct for receiving an exhaust gas stream from the forward-flow low pressure turbine and for directing the exhaust gas stream from forward-flow to rearward-flow toward the engine exhaust;
e. a pulse detonation system including at least one pulse detonation firing tube secured in fluid communication with the discharge reverse-manifold, the at least one pulse detonation firing tube positioned to be radially outward of and to overlie the high spool so that a portion of the pulse detonation firing tube intersects an axis that is perpendicular to an engine center line and which axis passes through the high spool; and,
f. the at least one pulse detonation firing tube being configured to mix all of the exhaust gas stream with fuel so that the mixed fuel and exhaust gas stream pulse detonates as the mixed fuel and exhaust gas stream pass through the firing tube toward the engine exhaust, wherein the engine further comprises an annular bypass duct surrounding and extending radially outward of the low spool and the high spool that directs bypass air from the air inlet to the exhaust of the engine, and wherein the one or more pulse detonation firing tubes are positioned within the annular bypass duct and exposed to cooling air passing through the bypass duct, the one or more pulse detonation firing tubes defining two separate flow paths within the annular bypass duct, wherein the first flow path is through the pulse detonation firing tubes and carries the exhaust gas stream from the discharge reverse-manifold, and wherein the second flow path is in the annular bypass duct outside of the pulse detonation firing tubes and carries bypass air.

2. The reverse-flow core gas turbine engine of claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of pulse detonation firing tubes, wherein each of the plurality of firing tubes is positioned about an equal distance from adjacent firing tubes, and wherein the plurality of firing tubes are positioned to surround the high spool of the engine.

3. The reverse-flow core gas turbine engine of claim 2 , wherein the plurality of pulse detonation firing tubes includes between about eleven and about twenty-two firing tubes.

4. The reverse-flow core gas turbine engine of claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of pulse detonation firing tubes and wherein the plurality of firing tubes comprise constant volume combustor tubes.

5. The reverse-flow core gas turbine engine of claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of groups of adjacent pulse detonation firing tubes, each of the plurality of groups of adjacent firing tubes being positioned so that each group is about an equal distance from a closest group of firing tubes, and the groups of adjacent pulse detonation firing tubes being positioned to surround the high spool of the engine.

6. A reverse-flow core gas turbine engine having an air inlet and an engine exhaust aft of the air inlet, the engine comprising:
a. a low spool disposed aft of the air inlet including a rearward-flow low pressure compressor, a forward-flow low pressure turbine disposed aft of the rearward-flow low pressure compressor and a low pressure shaft secured between the low pressure turbine and the low pressure compressor;
b. a high spool disposed aft of the low spool, the high spool including a forward-flow high pressure turbine disposed aft of the forward-flow low pressure turbine, a combustor disposed aft of the forward-flow high pressure turbine, a forward-flow high pressure compressor disposed aft of the combustor, and a high pressure shaft secured between the high pressure turbine and the high pressure compressor;
c. an intake reverse-duct disposed radially outward of the high spool for directing output of the rearward-flow low pressure compressor to the forward-flow high pressure compressor so that the output reverses from rearward-flow to forward-flow to pass through the high spool;
d. a discharge reverse-manifold disposed forward of the high spool and radially outward of the intake reverse-duct for receiving an exhaust gas stream from the forward-flow low pressure turbine and for directing the exhaust gas stream from forward-flow to rearward-flow toward the engine exhaust;
e. a pulse detonation system including at least one pulse detonation firing tube secured in fluid communication with the discharge reverse-manifold, the at least one pulse detonation firing tube positioned to be radially outward of and to overlie the high spool so that a portion of the pulse detonation firing tube intersects an axis that is perpendicular to an engine center line and which axis passes through the high spool;
f. the at least one pulse detonation firing tube being configured to mix all of the exhaust gas stream with fuel so that the mixed fuel and exhaust gas stream pulse detonates as the mixed fuel and exhaust gas stream pass through the firing tube toward the engine exhaust, wherein the engine further comprises an annular bypass duct surrounding and extending radially outward of the low spool and the high spool that directs bypass air from the air inlet to the exhaust of the engine, and wherein the one or more pulse detonation firing tubes are positioned within the annular bypass duct and exposed to cooling air passing through the bypass duct, the one or more pulse detonation firing tubes defining two separate flow paths within the annular bypass duct, wherein the first flow path is through the pulse detonation firing tubes and carries the exhaust gas stream from the discharge reverse-manifold, and wherein the second flow path is in the annular bypass duct outside of the pulse detonation firing tubes and carries bypass air; and
g. wherein flow through the engine extends sequentially through the rearward-flow low pressure compressor in a downstream direction, through the intake reverse-duct to the forward-flow high pressure compressor, the combustor, the forward-flow high pressure turbine and the forward-flow low pressure turbine in a forward direction, and through the discharge reverse-manifold to a rearward direction through the at least one pulse detonation firing tube.

7. The reverse-flow core gas turbine engine of claim 6 , further comprising a plurality of pulse detonation firing tubes, wherein each of the plurality of firing tubes is positioned about an equal distance from adjacent firing tubes, and wherein the plurality of firing tubes are positioned to surround the high spool of the engine.

8. The reverse-flow core gas turbine engine of claim 6 , wherein the one or more pulse detonation firing tubes comprise pulse detonation shock tubes.

9. A method of operating a reverse-flow gas turbine engine, the method comprising:
a. directing flow of inlet air through an air inlet of the engine;
b. then, compres

Assignees

• United Technologies Corp

Inventors

• Kupratis Daniel B
• Moon Francis R

Classifications

• F23G7/065

  using gaseous or liquid fuel · CPC title

• F02C3/14

  characterised by the arrangement of the combustion chamber in the plant (combustion chambers per se F23R; F02C3/205 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F23R7/00

  Intermittent or explosive combustion chambers · CPC title

• F02K3/06 Primary

  with front fan · CPC title

• F02C5/02

  characterised by the arrangement of the combustion chamber in the chamber in the plant (combustion chambers per se F23R) · CPC title