Fuel injector for hypersonic jet engine operation

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2021239321-A1
Application number	US-201917268542-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Sep 4, 2019
Priority date	Sep 12, 2018
Publication date	Aug 5, 2021
Grant date	—

Abstract

Provided herein is a fuel injector capable of providing fuel into a jet engine operating at hypersonic speeds. Embodiments may include a system for fuel injection for an engine traveling at supersonic speeds. The system may include a fuel injection strut extending between opposing walls of an inlet to the engine, and a porous surface extending across at least a portion of the fuel injection strut. The fuel may be introduced into the inlet of the engine through the porous surface of the fuel injection strut. The porous surface of the fuel injection strut may extend along a fuel injecting portion of the fuel injection strut spaced a predefined distance from the opposing walls of the inlet. The porous portion of the fuel injection strut may include a porosity of about 100 pores per square inch or lower porosities as dictated by the specific design considerations.

First claim

1 . A system for fuel injection for an engine traveling at supersonic speeds comprising:
a fuel injection strut extending between opposing walls of an inlet to the engine; and a porous surface extending across at least a portion of the fuel injection strut, wherein fuel is introduced into the inlet of the engine through the porous surface of the fuel injection strut.

2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the porous surface of the fuel injection strut extends along a fuel injecting portion of the fuel injection strut spaced a predefined distance from the opposing walls of the inlet.

3 . The system of claim 2 , wherein the porous portion of the fuel injection strut comprises a porosity of about 100 pores per square inch.

4 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the fuel injection strut comprises a diamond shaped cross section in a direction substantially parallel to the opposing walls of the inlet of the engine.

5 . The system of claim 4 , wherein the diamond shaped cross section comprises a leading vertex between two leading faces of the fuel injecting strut, wherein the leading vertex is upstream of any portion of the fuel injection strut relative to airflow to the engine.

6 . The system of claim 5 , wherein the diamond shaped cross section comprises a trailing vertex between two trailing faces of the fuel injecting strut, wherein the trailing vertex is downstream of any portion of the fuel injection strut relative to airflow to the engine.

7 . The system of claim 6 , wherein the leading vertex defines an angle between the two leading faces of between about 5 to 10 degrees.

8 . The system of claim 7 , wherein the trailing vertex defines an angle between about 45 degrees and 75 degrees.

9 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the fuel injection strut is formed of Inconel metal.

10 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the fuel injection strut is formed, at least in part, of a sintered porous metal.

11 . A combustion chamber for a hypersonic aircraft comprising:
an inlet comprising opposing walls; and a fuel injection strut extending between the opposing walls of the inlet, wherein the fuel injection strut defines a hollow core bounded by walls of a porous sintered metal, wherein the core receives a flow of fuel from a fuel source, and wherein the fuel flows from the core through the porous wall of the strut.

12 . The combustion chamber of claim 11 , wherein fuel is injected from the fuel injection strut into the combustion chamber through the porous wall of the strut along a portion of the strut spaced from each of the opposing walls.

13 . The combustion chamber of claim 11 , wherein the fuel injection strut comprises a column defining four faces, wherein a first pair of faces are directed toward an intake of the combustion chamber and a second pair of faces are directed toward an exhaust of the combustion chamber.

14 . The combustion chamber of claim 13 , wherein the first pair of faces are arranged to form a leading angle of between five degrees and ten degrees.

15 . The combustion chamber of claim 14 , wherein the second pair of faces are arranged to form a trailing angle of between forty-five and seventy-five degrees.

16 . The combustion chamber of claim 15 , wherein fuel is injected into the combustion chamber from the four faces of the fuel injection strut.

17 . A fuel injector for a hypersonic aircraft comprising:
a body defining four faces, each of the four faces comprising a porous sintered metal along at least a portion of a length of each of the four faces, wherein the four faces comprise a leading pair of faces and a trailing pair of faces, wherein the leading pair of faces meet at an angle of between five degrees and ten degrees, wherein the trailing pair of faces meet at an angle of between forty-five degrees and seventy-five degrees.

18 . The fuel injector of claim 17 , wherein the leading pair of faces meet at a leading edge and the trailing pair of faces meet at a trailing edge, wherein the fuel injector is symmetrical about a plane defined through the leading edge and the trailing edge.

19 . The fuel injector of claim 17 , wherein where the four faces each define a wall, and wherein a core is defined and bounded by the four faces.

20 . The fuel injector of claim 18 , wherein the core receives a supply of fuel, and wherein the fuel is injected into a combustion chamber of the hypersonic aircraft through each of the four faces.

Assignees

• Univ Florida

Inventors

• Segal Corin

Classifications

• F02K7/00

  Plants in which the working fluid is used in a jet only, i.e. the plants not having a turbine or other engine driving a compressor or a ducted fan; Control thereof (rocket-engine plants F02K9/00) · CPC title

• F23R3/20 Primary

  incorporating fuel injection means · CPC title

• F02K7/14

  with external combustion, e.g. scram-jet engines · CPC title

• F02K7/10 Primary

  characterised by having ram-action compression, i.e. aero-thermo-dynamic-ducts or ram-jet engines · CPC title

• F05D2220/10

  in ram-jet engines or ram-jet driven vehicles · CPC title