Injection manifold with tesla valves for rotating detonation engines

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11767979-B2
Application number	US-202117553550-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 16, 2021
Priority date	Dec 17, 2020
Publication date	Sep 26, 2023
Grant date	Sep 26, 2023

Abstract

A rotating detonation engine (RDE) is disclosed which includes a housing, an injector assembly disposed within the housing, the injector assembly includes a fuel manifold, an oxidizer manifold, and a combustion chamber, fuel from the fuel manifold and an oxidizer from the oxidizer manifold are combined and combusted in the combustion chamber, each of the fuel and oxidizer manifolds communicates with the combustion chamber via a plurality of Tesla valves each via a corresponding port, wherein the plurality of Tesla valves substantially eliminate reverse flow of exhaust gases from the combustion chamber back to the fuel manifold or the oxidizer manifold.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A rotating detonation engine (RDE), comprising:
a housing,
an injector assembly disposed within the housing, the injector assembly, comprising
a fuel manifold,
an oxidizer manifold, and
a combustion chamber, wherein fuel from the fuel manifold and an oxidizer from the oxidizer manifold are combined and combusted in the combustion chamber, and

wherein each of the fuel and oxidizer manifolds communicates with the combustion chamber via a plurality of dedicated radially disposed Tesla valves around the combustion chamber each via a corresponding port with only one Tesla valve between the fuel manifold and the corresponding port on the combustion chamber and with only one Tesla valve between the oxidizer manifold and the corresponding port on the combustion chamber, wherein the plurality of Tesla valves substantially eliminate reverse flow of exhaust gases from the combustion chamber back to the fuel manifold or the oxidizer manifold.

2. The RDE of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of Tesla valve includes shapes of looped-shaped terminated with elongated ends.

3. The RDE of claim 2 , wherein the plurality of Tesla valves are disposed based on parallel-aligned wherein fuel and oxidizer ports form parallel and aligned outlets.

4. The RDE of claim 3 , wherein the plurality of Tesla valves are angled wherein the plurality of tesla valve are divided into pairs of Tesla Valves that are disposed at about 90°.

5. The RDE of claim 4 , wherein the injector assembly is manufactured by additive manufacturing.

6. The RDE of claim 5 , wherein the material used for the injector assembly includes material selected from the group consisting of nanopowders of stainless steel, INCONEL®, titanium alloys, and ceramics.

7. The RDE of claim 1 , wherein the injector assembly further comprises:
an inner cylindrical body space within which forming a combustion chamber, and
an outer cylindrical body, wherein the space between the outer cylindrical body and the inner cylindrical body forming a cylindrical annulus.

8. The RDE of claim 7 , wherein the cylindrical annulus forms i) the fuel manifold, and
ii) the oxidizer manifold separated from the fuel manifold.

9. The RDE of claim 8 , wherein each of the Tesla valves terminate to a corresponding port disposed on an inner surface of the inner cylindrical body.

10. The RDE of claim 1 , wherein when the plurality of Tesla valves have a characteristic length of about 20 mm having a passage diameter of about 1 mm, reverse flow is prevented when pressure ratio between the combustion chamber and either of the fuel manifold or oxidizer manifold are between about 5 and 35.

11. A reverse flow prevention arrangement, consisting of:
a first chamber;
a second chamber; and
a plurality of dedicated Tesla valves disposed between the first chamber and the second chamber each terminating at a port radially disposed around the second chamber, each dedicated Tesla valve having an inlet coupled to the first chamber and an outlet coupled to the second chamber via its corresponding port without any moving parts such that forward flow from the first chamber to the second chamber is allowed by the plurality of Tesla valves but reverse flow is prevented from the second chamber to the first chamber.

12. The reverse flow prevention arrangement of claim 11 , wherein the first chamber is one of a fuel manifold or an oxidizer manifold, and the second chamber is a combustion chamber, wherein fuel from the fuel manifold and an oxidizer from the oxidizer manifold are combined and combusted in the combustion chamber.

13. The reverse flow prevention arrangement of claim 11 , wherein the plurality of Tesla valve includes shapes selected from the group consisting of looped-shaped terminated with elongated ends, an offset figure-8 shaped conduit terminated with elongated ends, a double spade-shaped conduit terminated with elongated ends, and a combination thereof.

14. The reverse flow prevention arrangement of claim 13 , wherein the plurality of Tesla valves are disposed based on a disposition selected from the group consisting of parallel-aligned wherein the ports form parallel and aligned outlets, parallel-misaligned wherein the ports form parallel outlets where the alternating fuel and oxidizer ports are misaligned, aligned-series wherein the ports form outlets of alternating fuel and oxidizer ports, angled where the fuel and oxidizer ports are disposed at an angle with respect to one-another, and a combination thereof.

15. The reverse flow prevention arrangement of claim 14 , wherein the angled Tesla valves are disposed at about 90°.

16. The reverse flow prevention arrangement of claim 15 , wherein the plurality of Tesla valves are manufactured by additive manufacturing.

17. The reverse flow prevention arrangement of claim 16 , wherein the material used for the plurality of Tesla valves includes material selected from the group consisting of nanopowders of stainless steel, INCONEL®, titanium alloys, and ceramics.

18. The reverse flow prevention arrangement of claim 11 , wherein when the plurality of Tesla valves have a characteristic length of about 20 mm having a passage diameter of about 1 mm, reverse flow is prevented when pressure ratio between the second chamber and the first chamber is between about 5 and 35.

Assignees

• Purdue Research Foundation

Inventors

• Liu Qili
• Qiao Li

Classifications

• F23R7/00 Primary

  Intermittent or explosive combustion chambers · CPC title

• F02C5/02 Primary

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

• F02K7/067

  having aerodynamic valves · CPC title

• F02K9/52

  Injectors · CPC title

• F23K2300/20

  Supply line arrangements · CPC title