U.S. patent number RE43,731 [Application Number 12/871,125] was granted by the patent office on 2012-10-16 for integrated air inlet system for multi-propulsion aircraft engines.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Aerojet-General. Invention is credited to Linda A. Baumler, legal representative, Frederick S. Billig, Melvin J. Bulman.
United States Patent |
RE43,731 |
Bulman , et al. |
October 16, 2012 |
Integrated air inlet system for multi-propulsion aircraft
engines
Abstract
An air inlet duct for an air-breathing combined-cycle aircraft
engines is internally divided into separate channels for low-speed
and high-speed components of the engine, and contains one or more
movable panels that are fully contained within the duct and pivotal
between an open position in which incoming air is directed to both
channels and a closed position in which all incoming air is
directed to the channel leading to the high-speed engine. This
integrated duct utilizes all incoming air at all stages of flight
with no change in either the geometry of the air capture portion of
the engine or the engine itself, and no exposure of movable leading
edges. The result is a minimum of shock waves and a high degree of
efficiency in operation of the engine.
Inventors: |
Bulman; Melvin J. (Fair Oaks,
CA), Billig; Frederick S. (Monrovia, MD), Baumler, legal
representative; Linda A. (Monrovia, MD) |
Assignee: |
Aerojet-General (Sacramento,
CA)
|
Family
ID: |
36459680 |
Appl.
No.: |
12/871,125 |
Filed: |
August 30, 2010 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
Issue Date |
|
Reissue of: |
10784482 |
Feb 19, 2004 |
7216474 |
May 15, 2007 |
|
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Current U.S.
Class: |
60/225; 244/53B;
137/15.1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F02K
7/16 (20130101); F02K 9/18 (20130101); B64C
30/00 (20130101); B64D 33/02 (20130101); F02C
7/042 (20130101); F02K 7/10 (20130101); F02K
7/14 (20130101); Y10T 137/0536 (20150401); F05D
2220/34 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
F02K
9/00 (20060101) |
Field of
Search: |
;60/224,225,244,245,767,768 ;244/53B ;137/15.1 ;138/39,43,46 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Other References
Trefny, C.J. et al.; "An Integration of the Turbojet and
Single-Throat Ramjet"; 1995, Airbreathing Propulsion Subcommittee
Meeting sponsored by the Joint Army-Navy-NASA-Air Force Interagency
Propulsion Committee, 14 pages. cited by other .
Walsh, P.C. et al; "Boundary-layer Correction for the Hypersonic
Air Inlet"; 2003, Mars, vol. 49, No. 1, pp. 11-17. cited by
other.
|
Primary Examiner: Rodriguez; William H
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton
LLP. Heines; M. Henry
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. An integrated air duct for an aircraft engine with multiple
propulsion systems, said integrated air duct comprising: a fixed
outer wall with an opening for incoming air, .Iadd.wherein said
opening has a forward-extending upper lip and a rearward-extending
downstream end,.Iaddend. a fixed inner wall dividing said duct into
a first channel having a leading rim downstream of said opening and
a second channel between said fixed inner wall and said fixed outer
wall, a movable panel mounted within said fixed outer wall at a
pivot axis .Iadd.downstream of said upper lip and approximately
coplanar with or slightly forward of said downstream end, said
pivot axis also being .Iaddend.upstream of said leading rim of said
first channel for pivoting between an open position allowing
incoming air entering through said opening to enter said first and
second channels simultaneously and a closed position obstructing
air entry into said second channel and thereby causing
substantially all incoming air entering through said opening to
enter said first channel, and means for moving said movable panel
between said open position and said closed position.
2. The integrated air duct of claim 1 wherein said movable panel
when in said closed position extends from said pivot axis to said
leading rim of said first channel.
3. The integrated air duct of claim 1 wherein said movable panel
when in said closed position forms a converging flow passage from
said pivot axis to said leading rim of said first channel.
4. The integrated air duct of claim 1 wherein said movable panel
when in said closed position forms a converging flow passage from
said pivot axis to said leading rim of said first channel, and when
in said open position forms a diverging passage from said pivot
axis to said fixed outer wall.
5. The integrated air duct of claim 1 wherein said opening and said
first channel each have transverse cross sections that are
substantially circular.
6. The integrated air duct of claim 5 wherein said second channel
fully encircles said first channel.
7. The integrated air duct of claim 5 wherein said first channel is
substantially coaxial with said opening.
8. The integrated air duct of claim 5 wherein said first channel is
axially offset relative to said second channel.
9. The integrated air duct of claim 5 comprising a plurality of
said movable panels distributed along the circumference of said
first channel.
10. The integrated air duct of claim 5 comprising a plurality of
said movable panels distributed along the circumference of said
first channels, said movable panels alternating with an equal
number of struts joining said fixed inner wall to said fixed outer
wall, each said strut having a fuel injector mounted thereto.
11. The integrated air duct of claim 1 wherein said movable panel
is defined as a flow-diverting panel and said integrated air duct
further comprises an additional movable panel defined as a diffuser
panel, mounted within said fixed outer wall downstream of said flow
diverting panel, said flow-diverting and diffuser panels each
having a pivotally mounted end and a free end, said flow-diverting
and diffuser panels meeting at said free ends.
12. The integrated air duct of claim 1 wherein said movable panel
is defined as a flow-diverting panel and said integrated air duct
further comprises a downstream movable panel mounted to said fixed
outer wall downstream of said flow diverting panel, said
flow-diverting and downstream panels when open providing a
through-passage through said second channel and when closed forming
an enclosed chamber in said second channel.
13. The integrated air duct of claim 1 in which said movable panel
is one of a first plurality of movable panels each mounted within
said fixed outer wall at a pivot axis upstream of said leading rim
of said first channel for pivoting between an open position
allowing incoming air to enter both said first and second channels
and a closed position obstructing air entry into said second
channel and thereby causing substantially all incoming air to enter
said first channel, said integrated air duct further comprising a
second plurality of movable panels mounted to said fixed outer wall
downstream of said first plurality, each of said first and second
pluralities of movable panels when open providing a through-passage
through said second channel and when closed forming an enclosed
chamber in said second channel.
14. The integrated air duct of claim 1 in which said movable panel
is one of a first plurality of movable panels each mounted within
said fixed outer wall at a pivot axis upstream of said leading rim
of said first channel for pivoting between an open position
allowing incoming air to enter both said first and second channels
and a closed position obstructing air entry into said second
channel and thereby causing substantially all incoming air to enter
said first channel, said integrated air duct further comprising a
second plurality of movable panels mounted to said fixed outer wall
downstream of said first plurality, said first and second
pluralities of movable panels arranged to be movable to a position
providing said second channel with a convergent/divergent profile
to decelerate incoming supersonic flow first to substantially sonic
flow and then to subsonic flow.
15. The integrated air duct of claim 1 wherein said means for
moving said movable panel is an electromagnetic actuator.
16. An aircraft engine having multiple propulsion systems, said
aircraft engine comprising: a ramjet, a booster propulsion system,
and an integrated air duct comprising: a fixed outer wall with an
opening for incoming air, .Iadd.wherein said opening has a
forward-extending upper lip and a rearward-extending downstream
end,.Iaddend. a fixed inner wall dividing said duct into (i) a
first channel extending from a leading rim downstream of said
opening to said ramjet and (ii) a second channel between said fixed
inner wall and said fixed outer wall leading to said booster
propulsion system, a movable panel mounted within said fixed outer
wall at a pivot axis .Iadd.downstream of said upper lip and
approximately coplanar with or slightly forward of said downstream
end, said pivot axis also being .Iaddend.upstream of said leading
rim of said first channel for pivoting between an open position
allowing incoming air entering through said opening to enter said
first and second channels simultaneously and a closed position
obstructing air entry into said second channel and thereby causing
substantially all incoming air entering through said opening to
enter said first channel, and means for moving said movable panel
between said open position and said closed position.
17. The aircraft engine of claim 16 wherein said booster propulsion
system is a turbojet.
18. The aircraft engine of claim 16 wherein said booster propulsion
system is a rocket motor.
19. The aircraft engine of claim 16 wherein said booster propulsion
system is a combination turbojet and rocket motor.
20. The aircraft engine of claim 16 wherein said ramjet is a
scramjet and said engine further comprises rocket motors positioned
within said first channel to supplement said scramjet.
21. The aircraft engine of claim 16 wherein said first channel is
of substantially circular cross section and said movable panel is
one of a plurality of movable panels mounted within said fixed
outer wall at a pivot axis upstream of said leading rim of said
first channel for pivoting between an open position allowing
incoming air entering through said opening to enter both said first
and second channels and a closed position causing substantially all
incoming air entering through said opening to enter said first
channel, said movable panels when in said closed position forming a
converging flow passage toward said first channel.
22. The aircraft engine of claim 21 wherein said first channel is
of substantially circular transverse cross section and said second
channel fully encircles said first channel, said movable panels
distributed around said first channel.
23. The aircraft engine of claim 21 wherein said first channel is
of substantially circular transverse cross section and is axially
offset relative to said second channel.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention resides in the field of air-breathing engines, and
particularly combination engines that incorporate both a ramjet
component and a low-speed booster component such as a rocket or a
turbojet.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Air-breathing engines for hypersonic applications are known as
"combined cycle" systems because they use a graduating series of
propulsion systems in flight to reach an optimum travel speed or to
leave the atmosphere altogether. Air-breathing engines use
atmospheric air as a source of oxygen for combustion, as opposed to
rockets which carry their own oxidizer. By using air captured from
the atmosphere, air-breathing systems are several times more
efficient than conventional rockets.
The thrust upon takeoff of a combined cycle engine and operation of
the engine at low-to-moderate Mach numbers is achieved by a booster
unit which consists of either rockets or turbojets or a combination
of the two. Once the vehicle has reached a speed of Mach 2 or
greater, the booster unit is replaced by a ramjet (which term is
used generically herein to include "scramjet") and acceleration is
continued. The booster-to-ramjet transition is a critical stage in
the operation of the engine since any loss of air flow through
either engine during the transition can result in a loss of
compression efficiency. The need to shift inlet air from the
booster propulsion system to the high-speed propulsion system has
resulted in large geometries that create flow resistance, surfaces
and leading edges that produce complex shock waves, areas of
separated or recirculating flow, and exposed moving parts that are
vulnerable to damage.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It has now been discovered that a combined cycle engine can be
designed with an integrated air duct that receives atmospheric air
at an entry region of unchanging dimensions and directs all of the
incoming air to operating components of the engine during all
stages of acceleration, including the low-speed (booster),
transition, and high-speed stages. The air enters through an air
inlet that has fixed (i.e., immovable) external walls. A fixed
internal wall within the integrated duct divides the interior of
the duct into two channels--one leading to the high-speed engine
and the other to the low-speed engine. The fixed internal wall has
a leading rim commencing either downstream of or at the downstream
end of, the capture tube. The channel leading to the high-speed
propulsion system thus begins at this location. A movable panel or
series of movable panels within the integrated duct moves between
an open position and a closed position and all positions in
between, the open position allowing incoming air to enter both the
low-speed and high speed channels, and the closed position
directing all of the incoming air flow to the high-speed channel.
In preferred configurations, the low-speed channel is a peripheral
channel, i.e., one that is positioned between the high-speed
channel and the external walls of the integrated duct, fully
surrounding the high-speed channel. In certain configurations
within the scope of this invention, however, the high-speed channel
is not coaxial with the integrated duct and the low-speed channel
extends only partially around the high-speed channel. In certain
embodiments as well, the width of the peripheral channel (leading
to the low-speed engine) varies along the circumference of the
high-speed channel. In these embodiments, the movable panels are
constructed and arranged around the high-speed channel accordingly.
In all embodiments, the movable panels are operated during takeoff
and acceleration to initially direct all entering air to both the
low-speed engine and the high-speed engine and then, after a
transition stage during which the proportion of air entering the
channel leading to the low-speed engine is gradually reduced,
directing all entering air to the high-speed engine.
This invention therefore resides in integrated air ducts for
combined-cycle engines and in combined-cycle engines themselves
that incorporate these integrated air ducts. In the combined-cycle
engines, the low-speed component is either one or more turbojets,
one or more rockets, or a combination of rockets and turbojets.
Such a combination allows the use of a smaller turbine engine(s)
without sacrificing critical thrust during the takeoff and
transition stages. One advantage of the integrated air ducts of
this invention and the engines in which they are used relative to
the prior art is that all incoming air is utilized during all
stages of takeoff and acceleration, thereby allowing the use of a
larger volume of atmospheric air for combustion at any single
stage. This also reduces the weight and volume of the engine as a
whole. Another advantage of the engines of this invention is that
the arrangement of internal channels and movable panels allows air
to enter the high-speed channel while the vehicle is still
traveling at a relatively low Mach number, and the movement of the
panels provides a smooth transition between the stages. A third
advantage is that the movable panels can be constructed without
leading edges that are exposed to the high enthalpy air flow. This
permits the panels and the engine as a whole to be of more durable
construction and to reduce the generation of shock waves that
prevent air from entering the engine. The ability to allow air to
enter the high-speed engine while the low-speed engine is still
operating, the higher mass capture of atmospheric air, the improved
pressure recovery, and the reduction in drag caused by the spill of
atmospheric air at all speeds collectively result in an engine with
a thrust and a specific impulse (I.sub.sp) that are significantly
higher than those of many combined-cycle systems of the prior
art.
These and other features, embodiments, and advantages of the
invention will be apparent from the description that follows.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an aircraft vehicle incorporating
engines and air inlet systems in accordance with the present
invention.
FIG. 2 is a bottom view of one of the air inlet systems and
associated engines of the vehicle of FIG. 1.
FIG. 3 is a longitudinal cross section of the air inlet system of
FIG. 2.
FIG. 4 is a rear view of the air inlet system of FIG. 3 taken along
the line 4-4 of FIG. 3.
FIG. 5 is a longitudinal cross section of a second air inlet and
combined-cycle engine system within the scope of the present
invention.
FIG. 6 is a rear view of the air inlet and engine system of FIG.
5.
FIGS. 7A and 7B are front views of alternative examples of
injectors mounted to the inside wall of the channel leading to the
high-speed component of the system of FIGS. 5 and 6.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION AND PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
While this invention covers a wide range of configurations,
geometries, and applications, an understanding of the features that
are common to all embodiments and that define the invention and its
operation as a whole can be obtained by a review of specific
examples. The drawings accompanying this specification and their
description below relate to several such examples; others will be
readily apparent to those skilled in the art.
A front view of a vehicle containing engines and integrated air
ducts in accordance with the present invention is shown in FIG. 1.
The vehicle contains two combined-cycle engines with a separate air
inlet 11, 12 for each. Inside each of the air inlets are throats of
circular cross section that lead to the ramjet engine components.
The air inlets 11, 12 are not vertically centered in the vehicle
body but instead offset toward the bottom of the vehicle. The
opening 16 of each inlet follows the aerodynamically shaped contour
of the vehicle, and the shape of the opening can be seen most
clearly in the bottom view shown in FIG. 2. As shown in this bottom
view, the upper lip 17 of the air inlet extends forward of the
remainder of the inlet. The air inlet is thus open at the bottom
for much of its length. This opening allows spillage of air from
the capture tube to the exterior of the aircraft in response to the
shock waves that are generated inside the capture tube during
acceleration from low-speed flight. This spillage regulates the air
passing into the inlet.
Of the air entering the inlet 12, the portion that remains within
the duct past the downstream end 20 of the opening at the bottom of
the inlet remains within the engine, entering the internal channels
and feeding whichever engine components are in operation at any
given stage of vehicle flight. The engine components themselves are
shown in schematic. Of these, the booster engine 21, which in the
embodiment of FIG. 2 is a turbine engine, is positioned to one side
of the air inlet 12 and receives combustion air from a channel 22
that originates within the air inlet at the periphery of the inlet.
The channel 22 is preferably of variable cross section to
decelerate the air as necessary to reach subsonic flow. The ramjet
or high-speed engine 23 is co-linear with the air inlet from the
perspective shown in the drawing, and includes fuel injectors 24, a
throat 25, a combustor 26, and a diverging portion 27 to form a
supersonic nozzle.
The air inlet 12 and the ramjet components are generally aligned
along a longitudinal axis 28 which is approximately parallel to the
direction of flight and, with the moving vehicle as a frame of
reference, parallel to the direction of the approach of atmospheric
air. Cross sections referred to herein as "longitudinal" are those
that are taken in planes in which this longitudinal axis resides,
while cross sections referred to as "transverse" are those taken in
planes that are perpendicular to this axis.
FIG. 3 is a vertical longitudinal cross section of the integrated
air inlet of FIG. 2, showing the interior of the integrated air
duct and the low-speed and high-speed air channels. The upper lip
17 of the air inlet, as noted above, extends forward of the
remainder of the inlet, and the opening along the bottom portion of
the inlet tapers to a closure 20 (the taper is shown in FIG. 2).
All air remaining within the inlet downstream of this closure 20 is
fully available for use by the engines. An internal wall 32 divides
the region downstream of the closure point 20 into two channels--a
ramjet (high-speed) channel 34 and a booster engine (low-speed)
channel 35. In preferred embodiments of the invention, the ramjet
channel is of circular cross section and its leading rim 33 is
downstream of the tapered closure 20 of the opening at the bottom
of the external wall. A turbine engine 36 is shown in the booster
engine channel.
The ramjet channel 34 remains open at all times to receive air from
the inlet. The booster engine channel 35 is either open or closed
depending on the position of the movable panel 37 at the forward
end of the booster engine channel. The panel 37 is movable between
an open position shown in solid lines and a closed position shown
in dashed lines. When the panel is in its open position, all
incoming air is divided between the ramjet channel 34 and the
booster engine channel 35. When the panel is in its closed
position, all incoming air is directed to the ramjet channel 34.
Thus, there is no change in the total flow rate of incoming air
that is used for combustion in the combined-cycle engine as the
operation of the engine shifts from a booster stage to the ramjet
stage; air from the entire transverse cross section of the air
inlet is used at all times. Air is thus allowed to enter the ramjet
while the booster engine is still in use and a maximum quantity of
air is used at all times.
Movement of the panel 37 between the open and closed positions is
achieved by pivoting the panel around a hinge or pivot axis 38,
which in this embodiment is approximately co-planar with or
slightly forward of the location of the closure point 20 in the
bottom of the outer wall of the air inlet. As the panel moves
toward its closed position, the use of the booster engine is
gradually diminished until all air is fed to the ramjet engine. In
preferred embodiments of the invention, the position of the panel
provides each internal channel with a shape that serves the needs
of the engine fed by that channel. Thus, for example, when the
inlet air is subsonic relative to the vehicle, the desired panel
position is one that causes the channel to diverge to form an
expanding cross section and when the inlet air is supersonic, the
desired panel position is one that causes the channel to converge
to form a narrowing cross section before diverging downstream. In
the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, the booster engine is a turbine
engine which operates with subsonic inflow. Accordingly, when the
movable panel 37 is in its open position, the panel is angled away
from the axis 27 and the channel wall formed by the panel diverges.
Likewise, when the movable panel is in the closed position, the
panel is angled toward the axis 27 and the panel and the forward
portion 17 of the capture tube form a continuous wall that provides
the channel with a converging cross section. The length of the
movable panel in this embodiment is equal to the distance between
the pivot axis 38 and the leading rim 33 of the ramjet channel wall
32. All inlet air thus converges toward the throat which is formed
by the ramjet channel wall 32.
As an optional feature, further control of the air speed through
the booster channel 35 is achieved by the inclusion of a second
movable panel 39 downstream of the first movable panel and
pivotally mounted to the external wall of the air inlet at a
separate pivot axis 40. Like the forward panel 37, this aft panel
39 can be adjusted to any angle between two positions, one shown in
solid lines and the other in dashed lines. When the approaching air
speed (relative to the vehicle) is supersonic and the turbine
engine 36 shown in the booster channel is operating, the air must
be decelerated to subsonic speed before it is fed to the turbine
compressor. This can be achieved by placing the forward panel 37
and aft panel 39 in an intermediate position that would allow air
to enter the booster channel and yet provide the channel with a
converging/diverging geometry as is common in aircraft such as the
F-14 and F-15 supersonic engines. Air entering at supersonic speed
is first decelerated in the converging section of this
converging/diverging geometry to sonic or near sonic speed and then
decelerated further in the diverging section.
In view of their functions, the forward and aft panels can be
termed a "flow-diverting panel" and a "diffuser panel,"
respectively. The flow-diverting and diffuser panels can be joined
or can meet at their movable ends, but in some cases it is
preferable to leave a small gap between them to manage the inlet
boundary layer by removing low energy air from the inlet tract. In
embodiments that include the diffuser panel as well as those that
include only the flow-diverting panel, all moving parts are
contained within the interior of the integrated air duct.
While only one booster engine channel 35 is shown in FIG. 3, two or
more booster engine channels are preferably included and arranged
around the circumference of the ramjet engine channel 34, since in
preferred embodiments of this invention the ramjet channel will be
approximately circular in cross section and occupy less than half
of the cross sectional area of the engine. There may for example be
three booster engine channels, as visible in the view shown in FIG.
4, which is a rear view facing the outlets of the channels. These
channels include an upper channel 51, and two side channels 52, 53,
with no bottom channel since the ramjet channel is positioned at
the bottom of the vehicle. Other configurations within the scope of
this invention will have a different number of booster channels
that will either partially or completely encircle the ramjet
channel, depending on the dimensions and geometries of the
channels. A flow-diverting panel will be positioned within each
booster engine channel, and when diffuser panels 39 are included,
one will likewise be included within each booster engine
channel.
In this embodiment of the invention, each booster channel is shaped
as a shroud 54, extending radially outward from the ramjet channel
34 and forming a cavity within which the flow-diverting and
diffuser panels can be raised to their open positions and lowered
to their closed positions. In the view shown in FIG. 4, the panels
occupy an intermediate position between fully open and fully
closed, and only the diffuser 39 and the rear edge 55 of the
flow-diverting panel are visible. The movement of the panels is
indicated by the arrows 56 that show the movement of the rear edge
55 of the flow-diverting panel. In the fully closed position, this
rear edge 55 is lowered to meet the wall of the ramjet channel
34.
FIGS. 5 and 6 depict a rocket-based combined-cycle engine which is
a variation on the configuration shown in FIGS. 1 through 4. The
high-speed engine in this rocket-based combined-cycle engine is a
scramjet combustor, the booster engines are ramjet combustors fed
by air-augmented rockets rather than turbojets, and the low-speed
channel 61 that supplies air to the ramjet combustors is annular,
completely encircling the channel 62 to the high-speed (scramjet)
engine. The arrangement of the booster engines around the scramjet
engine is likewise generally symmetrical, and the movable panels
are likewise symmetrically arranged around the scramjet engine
channel. FIG. 5 is a cross section of the engine, showing the
various channels and one movable panel 63 for purposes of
illustration. As in FIG. 3, the open position of the movable panel
63 is represented by solid lines and the closed position by dashed
lines. When closed, the downstream end of the movable panel abuts
the leading edge of the internal wall 64 that defines the scramjet
engine channel.
In this particular embodiment, a second set of movable panels,
represented in FIG. 5 by a single panel 65, is positioned at the
downstream end of the ramjet combustor. Like the forward panels 63,
these aft panels 65 have an open position, shown in solid lines,
and a closed position, shown in dashed lines. The movement of these
aft panels 65 between these two positions is coordinated with the
movement of the forward panels 63 to fully open the ramjet
combustor passages during low-speed operation and to fully close
them at both the upstream and downstream ends during high-speed
operation when the scramjet is fully operational, avoiding
recirculation bubbles and dead volumes.
Movement of the forward and aft panels 63, 65 in the embodiment
shown in FIG. 5 as well as those in the embodiment of FIGS. 3 and 4
and all embodiments of the invention is achieved by conventional
means well known to those knowledgeable in the design and
manufacture of aircraft vehicles. Actuators 66, 67 (FIG. 5) can be
included in the vehicle itself to move the panels and control their
position. Actuators of known design such as hydraulic actuators,
pneumatic actuators, or electromagnetic actuators can be used,
including linear motors, linear screws, solenoids, SC PM motors,
stepper motors, induction motors, and others that will readily
occur to the skilled engineer.
FIG. 6 is a rear view of the combined-cycle engine of FIG. 5. The
external wall 71 of the engine and the high-speed (scramjet) engine
channel 72 are both of substantially circular cross section and
coaxial. The expanding section 73 of the external wall downstream
of both the low-speed and high-speed combustors serves as the
diverging section of both the low-speed and high-speed components
of the engine. The tubular wall 74 of the air-supply channel to the
high-speed engine is supported by a series of radial struts 75. The
movable panels are positioned in the regions between the struts,
and in this rear view the movable panels that are visible are the
downstream panels 76. A rocket 77 is mounted within each strut to
assist in startup of the engine and also to serve as fuel injectors
to feed the ram combustor. These rocket/injectors 77 are contained
within the low-speed channel 61 and their discharge is likewise
retained in this channel.
A series of injector pylons 78 extend into the high-speed channel
62. These injector pylons are symmetrically arranged around the
periphery of the high-speed channel and inject fuel for operation
of the scramjet. Rockets can also be placed within these injectors
for firing to provide the engine with further thrust during boost
and also when the engine is operating at very high speeds.
Alternate shapes of the injector pylons 78 are shown in the front
views of FIGS. 7A and 7B. The injector pylon 78a of FIG. 7A is a
low drag design with a forward surface 79 that tapers toward the
front to a point 80 on the channel wall. The forward surface of the
injector pylon 78b of FIG. 7B is a broad ramp 81, producing a
faster mixing of fuel and air.
In a still further variation, turbine engines, rockets, and a
scramjet engine can be combined to form a turbine-and-rocket-based
combined-cycle engine. In this variation, turbine engines serve as
the booster engines receiving their combustion air through a
peripheral channel as shown in FIGS. 1 through 4, or in a
symmetrical arrangement uniformly distributed around the entire
circumference of the high-speed channel, and rockets for additional
thrust during boost and at very high speeds are positioned within
mounts such as the injector pylons 78 shown in FIGS. 5 and 6.
The foregoing is offered primarily for purposes of illustration.
Further variations and modifications that utilize the same novel
features of this invention and therefore also fall within the scope
of this invention will readily occur to the skilled aircraft
engineer.
* * * * *