Thermal and thrust management in dynamic pressure exchangers

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10240794-B2
Application number	US-201615041492-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 11, 2016
Priority date	Feb 11, 2016
Publication date	Mar 26, 2019
Grant date	Mar 26, 2019

Abstract

A dynamic pressure exchanger configured for a combustion process includes an inlet plate and a rotor assembly mounted for rotation relative to the inlet plate about a central axis of the dynamic pressure exchanger. The inlet plate is formed to include an inlet port configured to direct air into the rotor assembly. The rotor assembly includes an inner rotor and an outer rotor arranged around the inner rotor.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A dynamic pressure exchanger comprising
an inlet plate formed to include an inner inlet port that extends circumferentially along a first arc about a central axis of the dynamic pressure exchanger and an outer inlet port that extends along a second arc about the central axis, the outer inlet port circumferentially offset from the inner inlet port and spaced radially further from the central axis than the inner inlet port,
a double rotor assembly mounted for rotation relative to the inlet plate about the central axis, the double rotor assembly including (i) an inner rotor formed to include a plurality of axially-extending inner combustion cells arranged adjacent to one another circumferentially around the central axis to align with the inner inlet port at predetermined intervals when the double rotor assembly rotates about the central axis and (ii) an outer rotor arranged circumferentially around the inner rotor and formed to include a plurality of axially-extending outer combustion cells arranged adjacent to one another circumferentially around the central axis to align with the outer inlet port at predetermined intervals when the double rotor assembly rotates about the central axis,
a first ignition source configured to ignite a first fuel mixture in an inner combustion cell aligned at a first angular position relative to the central axis, and
a second ignition source configured to ignite a second fuel mixture in an outer combustion cell aligned at a second angular position relative to the central axis,
wherein the second angular position of the second ignition source is located offset circumferentially from the first angular position of the first ignition source to cause a combustion process of the inner rotor initiated by the first ignition source to be out of phase with a combustion process of the outer rotor initiated by the second ignition source such that a hot combustion zone of the combustion process of the inner rotor is arranged circumferentially along a cool inlet zone of the combustion process of the outer rotor during operation of the dynamic pressure exchanger.

2. The dynamic pressure exchanger of claim 1 , wherein the first angular position is offset from the second angular position by about 180 degrees relative to the central axis.

3. The dynamic pressure exchanger of claim 2 , wherein the double rotor assembly includes an inner tube, an intermediate tube arranged circumferentially around the inner tube, an outer tube arranged circumferentially around the intermediate tube, a plurality of axially-extending inner webs located radially between the inner and intermediate tubes to define the inner combustion cells, and a plurality of axially-extending outer webs located radially between the intermediate and outer tubes to define the outer combustion cells.

4. The dynamic pressure exchanger of claim 1 , wherein the inner rotor includes an outwardly-facing first surface, an inwardly-facing second surface arranged radially-outward of the first surface to face the first surface, and a plurality of inner webs that extend radially between the first and second surfaces to define the inner combustion cells, the outer rotor includes an outwardly-facing third surface, an inwardly-facing fourth surface arranged radially-outward of the third surface to face the third surface, and a plurality of outer webs that extend radially between the third and fourth surfaces to define the outer combustion cells, and the double rotor assembly further includes a high thermal-conductivity body extending between the second and third surfaces.

5. The dynamic pressure exchanger of claim 1 , further comprising an outlet plate formed to include an inner outlet port that extends circumferentially along a third arc about the central axis and an outer outlet port that extends circumferentially along a fourth arc of the central axis, the outer outlet port circumferentially offset from the inner outlet port and spaced radially further from the central axis than the inner outlet port.

6. The dynamic pressure exchanger of claim 5 , wherein the first ignition source includes a first spark ignitor coupled to the outlet plate.

7. The dynamic pressure exchanger of claim 6 , wherein the second ignition source includes a second spark ignitor coupled to the outlet plate.

8. The dynamic pressure exchanger of claim 7 , wherein the second ignition source is offset circumferentially from the first ignition source by about 180 degrees.

9. The dynamic pressure exchanger of claim 1 , wherein the first ignition source is configured to project a first flame into one of the inner combustion cells and the second ignition source is configured to project a second flame into one of the outer combustion cells during operation of the dynamic pressure exchanger.

10. A dynamic pressure exchanger comprising
an inlet plate formed to include an inner inlet port that extends circumferentially along a first arc about a central axis of the dynamic pressure exchanger and an outer inlet port that extends along a second arc about the central axis, the outer inlet port circumferentially offset from the inner inlet port, and the outer inlet port spaced radially further from the central axis than the inner inlet port,
a rotor assembly mounted for rotation relative to the inlet plate about the central axis, the rotor assembly including (i) an inner rotor formed to include a plurality of axially-extending inner combustion cells arranged circumferentially around the central axis to align with the inner inlet port when the rotor assembly rotates about the central axis and (ii) an outer rotor formed to include a plurality of axially-extending outer combustion cells arranged circumferentially around the central axis to align with the outer inlet port when the rotor assembly rotates about the central axis, and
an outlet plate formed to include an inner outlet port that extends circumferentially along a third arc about the central axis and an outer outlet port that extends circumferentially along a fourth arc of the central axis, the outer outlet port spaced radially further from the central axis than the inner outlet port,
wherein each inlet port formed in the inlet plate is circumferentially offset from any other inlet port formed in the inlet plate and each outlet port formed in the outlet plate is circumferentially offset from any other outlet port formed in the outlet plate such that each combustion processes of the inner rotor is out of phase circumferentially with each combustion process of the outer rotor to cause each cool inlet zone of the inner rotor to be arranged circumferentially along each hot combustion zone of the outer rotor during operation of the dynamic pressure exchanger.

11. The dynamic pressure exchanger of claim 10 , further comprising an ignition system configured to ignite a first fuel mixture in one of the plurality of inner combustion cells when the one of the plurality of inner combustion cells is aligned with a first angular position relative to the central axis and to ignite a second fuel mixture in one of the plurality of outer combustion cells when the one of the plurality of outer combustion cells is aligned with a second angular position circumferentially offset from the first angular position.

12. The dynamic pressure exchanger of claim 11 , wherein the second angular position is spaced apart circumferentially from the first angular position by about 180 degrees relative to the central axis.

13. The dynamic pressure exchanger of claim 11 , wherein the ignition system includes a first ignition source including a first spark ignitor coupled to the outlet plate.

Assignees

• Rolls Royce Corp

Inventors

• Shimo Masayoshi

Classifications

• F23R3/286 Primary

  having fuel-air premixing devices (F23R3/30 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F23R3/42

  characterised by the arrangement or form of the flame tubes or combustion chambers · CPC title

• F23R3/38

  comprising rotary fuel injection means · CPC title

• F23R7/00

  Intermittent or explosive combustion chambers · CPC title

• F02C7/264

  Ignition · CPC title