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US 11,236,702 B2Granted
Selectable mode ramjet/rocket jet engine
Assignee8801541 Canada Inc.
InventorsLuc Laforest, Timothy S. Rupcich
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The jet engine comprising a ramjet air path extending from an intake, into a combustion chamber, and out an exhaust nozzle, a fuel inlet leading into the combustion chamber, an oxidizer inlet leading into the combustion chamber and a partition being operable to selectively close the ramjet air path upstream of the combustion chamber to allow operation of the jet engine in rocket mode and open the ramjet air path to allow operation of the jet engine in ramjet mode.
Claims12
A jet engine comprising:
- a ramjet air path extending from an intake, into a combustion chamber, and out an exhaust nozzle;
- a fuel inlet leading into the combustion chamber;
- an oxidizer inlet leading into the combustion chamber;
- and
- a partition being operable to selectively close the ramjet air path upstream of the combustion chamber to allow operation of the jet engine in a rocket mode, and to selectively open the ramjet air path to allow operation of the jet engine in a ramjet mode;
- an actuator operable to close the partition when subjected to a pressure of an oxidizer via the oxidizer inlet, wherein the actuator is a linear actuator, and wherein the linear actuator comprises:
- a cylinder housing a piston head in a sealed, slidable engagement, the piston head being connected to a piston rod, the piston rod extending outside the cylinder;
- an oxidizer line leading to one side of the piston head, and extending out the cylinder to the oxidizer inlet;
- and
- a fuel line leading to the other side of the piston head, and extending out of the cylinder, to the fuel inlet, with one of the fuel line and the oxidizer line extending across the piston head and inside the piston rod.
7 more elements
A method of operating a jet engine, comprising:
- providing a ramjet air path extending from an intake, into a combustion chamber, and out an exhaust nozzle;
- providing a fuel inlet leading into the combustion chamber;
- providing an oxidizer inlet leading into the combustion chamber;
- providing a partition being operable to selectively close the ramjet air path upstream of the combustion chamber to allow operation of the jet engine in a rocket mode, and to selectively open the ramjet air path to allow operation of the jet engine in a ramjet mode;
- providing an actuator operable to close the partition when subjected to a pressure of an oxidizer via the oxidizer inlet, wherein the actuator is a linear actuator, and wherein the linear actuator comprises:
- a cylinder housing a piston head in a sealed, slidable engagement, the piston head being connected to a piston rod, the piston rod extending outside the cylinder;
- an oxidizer line leading to one side of the piston head, and extending out the cylinder to the oxidizer inlet;
- and
- a fuel line leading to the other side of the piston head, and extending out of the cylinder, to the fuel inlet, with one of the fuel line and the oxidizer line extending across the piston head and inside the piston rod;
- operating the jet engine in the ramjet mode by supplying fuel through the fuel inlet and maintaining the partition open;
- and
- operating the jet engine in the rocket mode by supplying the fuel through the fuel inlet and the oxidizer through the oxidizer inlet and maintaining the partition closed,
- wherein operating the jet engine in the rocket mode is performed after operating the jet engine in the ramjet mode.
10 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.