U.S. patent application number 14/098481 was filed with the patent office on 2015-02-19 for switched reluctance, fully superconducting, integrated ring turbine motor, generator gas turbine, engine stage (ssrgts).
The applicant listed for this patent is Richard H. Lugg. Invention is credited to Richard H. Lugg.
Application Number | 20150050123 14/098481 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 52466977 |
Filed Date | 2015-02-19 |
United States Patent
Application |
20150050123 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Lugg; Richard H. |
February 19, 2015 |
SWITCHED RELUCTANCE, FULLY SUPERCONDUCTING, INTEGRATED RING TURBINE
MOTOR, GENERATOR GAS TURBINE, ENGINE STAGE (SSRGTS)
Abstract
A superconducting integrated ring turbine motor generator gas
turbine engine stage of the present invention includes a
combination of turbine vanes, rotors and blisk assemblies that
prevent temperatures during operation from interfering with the
extraction or control of power generation processes. The engine
stage includes a ring having an evenly spaced array of aerodynamic
vanes affixed on the inside or outside of the ring. The vanes are
spaced apart by a nonmagnetic armature assembly spacer ring.
Inventors: |
Lugg; Richard H.; (Yarmouth,
ME) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Lugg; Richard H. |
Yarmouth |
ME |
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
52466977 |
Appl. No.: |
14/098481 |
Filed: |
December 5, 2013 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
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61733712 |
Dec 5, 2012 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
415/66 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F04D 25/0606 20130101;
F01D 15/10 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
415/66 |
International
Class: |
F04D 25/06 20060101
F04D025/06 |
Claims
1-2. (canceled)
3. A stage of an engine comprising: a. a support ring fabricated of
a ferromagnetic material; b. an array of a first set of vanes and a
second set of vanes spaced apart from one another, wherein the
array is affixed to the ring; and c. an armature assembly spacer
ring formed of a non-magnetic material, wherein the spacer ring is
arranged to space apart vanes of the first set of vanes from vanes
of the second set of vanes.
4. The stage of an engine as claimed in claim 3 wherein the vanes
of the first set of vanes are positioned on the outside diameter of
the support ring and the vanes of the second set of vanes are
positioned on the inside diameter of the support ring.
5. The stage of an engine as claimed in claim 3 wherein the
armature assembly spacer ring is configured with an armature pitch
and phase orientation that are different between the vanes of the
first set of vanes and the vanes of the second set of vanes.
Description
FIELD OF INVENTION
[0001] The disclosure relates to electromagnetic propulsion
assemblies and, more specifically, to apparatus and techniques for
integration of electric power generation in the turbomachinery of
such assemblies.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] In high power electromagnetic propulsion assemblies having
electric power generation mechanisms that interact with
turbomachinery, it is critical to control/align electromagnetic
flux paths so that electric power generation and extraction
mechanisms can be integrated correctly within the rotating turbine
assemblies, near combustion processes, but protected from the heat.
In the prior art, integration of power generation has typically
incorporated external or add-on power generation systems onto gas
turbine power assemblies, i.e. low pressure or high pressure.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0003] Disclosed herein is a Superconducting, Integrated Ring
Turbine Motor Generator Gas Turbine Engine Stage (SRSRTMGS)
provides a revolutionary engine architecture that is 20%-30%
lighter than current gas turbine engine technology. Specifically,
disclosed herein is an assembly and technique for the introduction
of ferromagnetic materials and/or assemblies within the turbine
vanes, rotors and blisk assemblies themselves in configurations
that prevents temperatures from interfering with the extraction or
control of the power generation processes. Also disclosed are
specific integrated cryogenic system cooling architectures to allow
for superconducting power flux to move from the rotating
turbomachine rotor assemblies to stationary turbo-generator coil
assemblies.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES
[0004] FIG. 1 illustrates conceptually a side, cross-sectional view
of a vane disk assembly, in accordance with embodiments of the
present invention;
[0005] FIG. 2 illustrates a conceptually a front, cross-sectional
view of the vane disk assembly of FIG. 1, in accordance with
embodiments of the present invention; and
[0006] FIG. 3 illustrates a conceptually a top, partially
transparent, cross-sectional view of the vane disk assembly of FIG.
1, in accordance with embodiments of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0007] The rotating vane disk assembly structure of the Switched
Reluctance, Fully Superconducting, Integrated Ring Turbine Motor
Generator Gas Turbine Engine Stage (SRSRTMGS) disclosed herein is
fabricated from ferromagnetic material and comprises a ring C
having evenly spaced array of aerodynamic vanes A and B affixed on
the outside or inside diameter. Two of these assemblies are affixed
together with one set of vanes oriented such that their centers
align with the gaps in the other vane disk assembly. The two vane
disk assemblies are spaced apart by a nonmagnetic spacer ring.
[0008] FIG. 1 illustrates conceptually a side, cross-sectional view
of a vane disk assembly with vanes A on the outer diameter of the
ring. In principle vanes A can be inverted as conceptually in FIG.
3. If the two planes of vanes A and B are mounted on a common
ferromagnetic disk, the system would either not work or work very
poorly. In the disclosed system, magnetic flux is diverted
architecturally by including the non-magnetic spacer ring C,
allowing for the diversion across the flux gap of the vanes. A
common ferromagnetic disk only diverts the flux away from where it
is needed to go, i.e. a concentration of flux across the flux gap
between the vanes and the armature.
[0009] The disclosed structure provides a low reluctance path for
magnetic flux out through one set of armature coils (F), and one
vane A or B, across the conductive joint plane of the armature (G),
and back through the other airfoil vane A or B, the second one of
two. With only one set of vanes, the return flux path is removed
and it would dramatically impact performance. Removing the
conductance of the inner magnetizing coil through flux path
switching allows for on and off switching of the set of armature
coils (F) and the flux. This control approach attracts the blades
and causes rotation of the rotor assembly, or turbo-electric
turbine disc stage. As the blades A and B approach the energized
armature coils F they are switched off, then switched on by the
next adjacent set of coils, etc. The armature pitch and phase
orientations are set so as to be 1/4 to 1/2 pitch different between
the first turbo vane and the second turbo vane of the switched
reluctance set, and magnetic pair airfoils. This revolutionary
switched reluctance turbine motor/generator generates power in
these specific tangent and angle orientations from the MAGJET Ion
Plasma Combustor gas turbine exhaust and the flow onto the blades
with their ferromagnetic cores and trunion, facing the stationary
stator coils.
[0010] A stationary, coaxial solenoidal coil is arranged adjacent
to the vane (airfoil) disk assemblies on the opposite side of the
ring from the vanes. This solenoidal coil is fabricated of a high
temperature superconducting material and may optionally be
surrounded by a ferromagnetic ring with a C-shaped cross section
where the opening of the C-shaped cross section faces the vane disk
assembly. When energized, this coil supplies magnetic flux which
flows out though one vane disk assembly, through a stationary
armature assembly to be described below and returns through the
other vane disk assembly. The optional C-shaped core provides a low
reluctance path to complete the loop of the magnetic flux.
[0011] The ferromagnetic C-shaped core provides a low reluctance
flux path improving performance of the system, and, although it
does add weight to the assembly, the weight penalty is offset by
the weight savings of a shaft-less electric hybrid gas turbine
engine architecture, with no stators, no lubricants, pumps, or
mechanical bearings or roller cages.
[0012] A stationary armature assembly is affixed facing the vane
disk assemblies. This armature assembly is of a unique C-Channel
configuration with a number of poles and wiring to create a
switched reluctance rotating electric machine using the rotating
vanes (airfoils) as magnetic pole features, as illustrated in FIG.
3. The armature assembly does not exhibit conventional iron teeth,
instead they are removed in the design and replaced with a
non-magnetic and non-conductive material. Additionally, the
armature coils are fabricated using superconducting ribbon and
formed with coil fabrication methods such as Litz wire processes,
where the conductor is made using many strands of a very small 3G
ribbon (or wire) cabled into the conductor. Lastly, backing iron in
this armature is not used and is replaced with a non-magnetic
material.
[0013] The SRSRTMGS is a very high speed machine, therefore the
armature operating frequencies are very high, therefore the
superconducting vane armatures are encapsulated in a cooled trunion
at the distal ends of the vanes with coolant running from the
proximal or axial center of the vane stage to the outer rim of the
trunion. The device will function as a motor or generator either
driving the vane assembly to compress a fluid flow or be driven by
the fluid flow to generate electric power. This is done by
energizing the solenoid coil with a direct current. Then the
appropriate driving voltage and current is applied to the armature
assembly to drive the vanes if the machine is used as a
motor/compressor or electric power is available at the armature
terminals if the machine were to be used as a generator/turbine.
Lastly, the rotating vane assembly is supported by a magnetic
bearing approach, either fully sensored and active, or in a closed
loop, with a feed forward software sensing architecture with
embedded bread board to function as a passive control
architecture.
[0014] It will be obvious to those recently skilled in the art that
modifications to the apparatus and process disclosed here in may
occur, including substitution of various component values or nodes
of connection, without parting from the true spirit and scope of
the disclosure.
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