Combustion-powered flow control actuator with heated walls

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11745859-B2
Application number	US-201816118878-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 31, 2018
Priority date	Aug 31, 2018
Publication date	Sep 5, 2023
Grant date	Sep 5, 2023

Abstract

A flow control actuator includes a first side wall, a second side wall opposite and substantially parallel to the first side wall, an upstream wall mechanically coupled to upstream ends of the first and second side walls, and a downstream cap mechanically coupled to downstream ends of the first and second side walls. The first side wall, the second side wall, the upstream wall and the downstream cap collectively define an interior of the flow control actuator. An energy source is disposed in at least one of the first sidewall and the second sidewall. At least one fuel injector is disposed in the upstream wall, the first sidewall and/or the second sidewall for dispersing fuel into the flow control actuator. At least one air inlet is disposed in the upstream wall, the first sidewall and/or the second sidewall for introducing air into the flow control actuator. Fuel from fuel injector and air from the air inlet are ignited in the flow control actuator.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A flow control actuator comprising:
a first sidewall;
a second sidewall opposite the first sidewall;
an upstream wall coupled to the first sidewall and the second sidewall;
a downstream cap coupled to the first sidewall and the second sidewall, the first sidewall, the second sidewall, the upstream wall, and the downstream cap defining an interior of the flow control actuator;
a heater disposed at a boundary between the interior of the flow control actuator and the first sidewall;
at least one energy source disposed in the first sidewall, the at least one energy source including a positively charged electrode and a negatively charged electrode between which the heater extends, the heater configured to carry electrical charge from the positively charged electrode to the negatively charged electrode and create thermal energy that is transferred to the interior of the flow control actuator to increase a temperature of the interior of the flow control actuator;
at least one fuel injector disposed in at least one of the upstream wall, the first sidewall, or the second sidewall, the at least one fuel injector dispersing fuel into the interior of the flow control actuator; and
at least one air inlet disposed in at least one of the upstream wall, the first sidewall, or the second sidewall, the at least one air inlet introducing air into the interior of the flow control actuator, and
wherein the heater extends continuously between the upstream wall and the downstream cap, and
wherein the heater and the energy source are configured to provide approximately 1000 degrees Celsius of heat addition in 10 milliseconds to raise a temperature of the interior of the flow control actuator above an autoignition temperature of a fuel and air mixture in the interior of the flow control actuator.

2. The flow control actuator of claim 1 , wherein the first sidewall and the second sidewall form an integral continuous cylindrical tube.

3. The flow control actuator of claim 1 , wherein the negatively charged electrode is disposed downstream of the positively charged electrode.

4. The flow control actuator of claim 1 , further comprising at least one igniter disposed in at least one of the first sidewall or the second sidewall.

5. The flow control actuator of claim 1 , further comprising at least one orifice disposed in the downstream cap, wherein combustion gases from the interior of the flow control actuator exit the flow control actuator via the at least one orifice.

6. The flow control actuator of claim 1 , further comprising at least one igniter disposed in at least one of the first sidewall or the second sidewall between about 0% and about 50% of a distance from the upstream wall to the downstream cap.

7. A flow control actuator comprising:
a plurality of sidewalls extending from an upstream wall at a first end of a tube and a downstream cap at an opposite second end of the tube, the upstream wall, the plurality of sidewalls, and the downstream cap defining an interior of the tube, the plurality of sidewalls include a first sidewall and a second sidewall;
at least one energy source disposed in the first sidewall, the at least one energy source including a positively charged electrode disposed in the first sidewall and a negatively charged electrode disposed in the second sidewall,
a fuel injector disposed in at least one of the upstream wall or the plurality of sidewalls, the fuel injector dispensing fuel into the interior; and
an air inlet disposed in at least one of the upstream wall or the plurality of sidewalls, the air inlet introducing air into the interior,
a heater disposed at a boundary between the interior of the flow control actuator and the first sidewall;
wherein the heater and the energy source are configured are configured to provide approximately 1000° C. of heat addition in 10 milliseconds to raise a temperature of the interior of the flow control actuator above the autoignition temperature of a fuel and air mixture in the interior of the flow control actuator.

8. The actuator of claim 7 , further comprising:
an igniter disposed in the one or more sidewalls.

9. A flow control actuator comprising:
a plurality of sidewalls extending from an upstream wall at a first end of the plurality of sidewalls and a downstream cap at an opposite second end of the plurality of sidewalls, the upstream wall, the one or more plurality of sidewalls, and the downstream cap defining an interior;
a heater disposed at a boundary between the interior of the flow control actuator and the first sidewall;
at least one energy source disposed in the first sidewall, the at least one energy source including a positively charged electrode and at least one negatively charged electrode,
a fuel injector disposed in the upstream wall, the fuel injector dispensing fuel into the interior; and
an air inlet disposed in the upstream wall, the air inlet introducing air into the interior, and
wherein one of i) the positively charge electrode and ii) the at least one negatively charged electrode is disposed in the upstream wall, and the other of i) the positively charged electrode and ii) the at least one negatively charged electrode is disposed in a first sidewall of the plurality of sidewalls,
wherein the heater and the energy source are configured to provide approximately 1000° C. of heat addition in 10 milliseconds to raise a temperature of the interior of the tube above the autoignition temperature of a fuel and air mixture in the interior of the flow control actuator.

10. The actuator of claim 9 , further comprising:
an igniter disposed in the one or more sidewalls.

Assignees

• Gen Electric

Inventors

• Rathay Nicholas William
• Joshi Narendra Digamber

Classifications

• B64C21/04 Primary

  for blowing · CPC title

• F23R7/00 Primary

  Intermittent or explosive combustion chambers · CPC title

• F02K1/28

  using fluid jets to influence the jet flow · CPC title

• F23R3/002

  Wall structures (F23R3/02 and F23R3/007 take precedence) · CPC title

• F23R3/28

  characterised by the fuel supply (burners F23D) · CPC title