Standing detonation wave engine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9841192-B2
Application number	US-201314052301-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 11, 2013
Priority date	Oct 12, 2012
Publication date	Dec 12, 2017
Grant date	Dec 12, 2017

Abstract

A detonation engine can detonate a mixture of fuel and oxidizer within a cylindrical detonation region to produce work. The detonation engine can have a first and a second inlet having ends fluidly connected from tanks to the detonation engine. The first and second inlets can be aligned along a common axis. The inlets can be connected to nozzles and a separator can be positioned between the nozzles and along the common axis.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for detonating a mixture of fuel and oxidizer, the method comprising:
introducing an oxidizer to a detonation engine through a first inlet;
introducing a fuel to the detonation engine through a second inlet, wherein the first and second inlets are collinear with a common axis;
accelerating the oxidizer through a first nozzle;
accelerating the fuel through a second nozzle;
directing the oxidizer against a first side of a separator and radially outward from the common axis;
directing the fuel against a second side of the separator, the second side being opposite the first side, and radially outward from the common axis;
detonating the mixture of the fuel and the oxidizer at a distance from the common axis, within a cylindrical detonation region, to produce combustion products; and
passing the combustion products over a turbine to rotate the turbine,
wherein the turbine is mounted with first and second bearings attached to the first and second inlets, respectively.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first inlet has a first end fluidly connected to a first tank and a second end fluidly connected to the detonation engine.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the second inlet has a first end fluidly connected to a second tank and a second end fluidly connected to the detonation engine.

4. The method of claim 1 or 3 , wherein accelerating the oxidizer through the first nozzle produces supersonic flow, and wherein accelerating the fuel through the second nozzle produces supersonic flow.

5. The method of claim 4 , further comprising: expanding the combustion products resulting from detonating the mixture through the turbine to produce work.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising: providing obstacles to inhibit expansion of the combustion products.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising: stabilizing detonation of the mixture in the detonation engine.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein obstacles are configured in the detonation engine to achieve stabilization of the detonation.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising: stabilizing a detonation of the engine to obtain a resultant standing detonation wave by delivering the oxidizer and the fuel to the detonation region with a speed equal to a speed of the resultant standing detonation wave.

10. A method for detonating a mixture of fuel and oxidizer, the method comprising:
introducing an oxidizer to a detonation engine through a first inlet that is rotatably attached to a first bearing;
introducing a fuel to the detonation engine through a second inlet that is rotatably attached to a second bearing, wherein the first and second inlets are collinear with a common axis;
accelerating the oxidizer through a first nozzle;
accelerating the fuel through a second nozzle;
directing the oxidizer against a first side of a separator and radially outward from the common axis;
directing the fuel against a second side of the separator, the second side being opposite the first side, and radially outward from the common axis;
detonating the mixture of the fuel and the oxidizer at a distance from the common axis within a cylindrical detonation region, to produce combustion products; and
passing the combustion products over a turbine to rotate the turbine,
wherein the turbine is attached to the first and second bearings.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein accelerating the oxidizer through the first nozzle produces supersonic flow, and wherein accelerating the fuel through the second nozzle produces supersonic flow.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising: expanding the combustion products resulting from detonating the mixture through the turbine to produce work.

13. The method of claim 10 , further comprising: providing obstacles to inhibit expansion of the combustion products, wherein the obstacles are configured in the detonation engine to achieve stabilization of the detonation.

14. The method of claim 10 , further comprising: stabilizing a detonation of the engine to obtain a resultant standing detonation wave by delivering the oxidizer and the fuel to the detonation region with a speed equal to a speed of the resultant standing detonation wave.

15. A method for detonating a mixture of fuel and oxidizer, the method comprising:
introducing an oxidizer to a detonation engine through a first inlet;
introducing a fuel to the detonation engine through a second inlet, wherein the first and second inlets are collinear with a common axis;
accelerating the oxidizer through a first nozzle;
accelerating the fuel through a second nozzle;
directing the oxidizer against a first side of a separator and radially outward from the common axis;
directing the fuel against a second side of the separator, the second side being opposite the first side, and radially outward from the common axis; and
detonating the mixture of the fuel and the oxidizer at a distance from the common axis, within a cylindrical detonation region, to produce a standing detonation wave.

Assignees

• Univ King Abdullah Sci & Tech

Inventors

• Kasimov Aslan

Classifications

• F23C15/00

  Apparatus in which combustion takes place in pulses influenced by acoustic resonance in a gas mass {(for generating combustion products of high pressure or high velocity F23R7/00; starting devices F23D11/42)} · CPC title

• F23R2900/03281

  Intermittent fuel injection or supply with plunger pump or other means therefor · CPC title

• F05D2240/35

  Combustors or associated equipment · CPC title

• F02K9/42

  using liquid or gaseous propellants (F02K9/72 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F02C5/11

  using valveless combustion chambers · CPC title