Rotary pulse detonation engine

#This invention relates generally to an engines and more particularly to a pulse detonation engine having a high power density propulsion application.

#A reciprocating internal combustion engine is widely used to transform chemical energy of a fuel into mechanical energy. Such engines have a complex mechanical combination of components used to transform the chemical energy into rotational motion. For example, a block has a cylinder formed therein and the cylinder is closed at an end by a head having a plurality of intake and exhaust valves therein. A piston having a connecting rod attached thereto is positioned in the cylinder and forms a combustion chamber. As combustion occurs within the combustion chamber, the piston is moved axially and the connecting rod which is attached to a crankshaft causes the crankshaft to rotate within the block to form the rotational motion. The complexity of mechanical components and the motion thereof results in a low efficiency of the reciprocating internal combustion engine. Additionally, the power-to-weight ratio is limited due to sliding friction, material temperature resistance and combustion pressure resistance.

#Rotary engines reduce the mechanical complexity by eliminating the need to transform the reciprocating piston motion into the rotational motion of the crankshaft. However, the rotary engine does not substantially improve the efficiency or the power-to-weight ratio over the reciprocating internal combustion engine.

#FIG. 1 is a schematic representation of a system using a compact rotary pulse detonation engine therein;

#FIG. 2 is a more detailed schematic view of the compact rotary pulse detonation engine taken along an axis of a driven shaft;

#FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken alone line 3-3 of FIG. 2; and

#In FIG. 1 a system 10 includes a shaft 12 having a compact rotary pulse detonation engine 14 axially positioned on the shaft 12. The compact rotary pulse detonation engine 14 or a combination thereof is attached to the shaft 12 in a conventional manner. The shaft 12 has an axis 15. The system 10 includes a compressor member 16, such as a blower, turbocharger or any other compressing device 16. The compression member 16 is positioned upstream of the compact rotary pulse detonation engine 14. In this application, the compressor member 16 has a housing 18 in which is positioned an inlet portion 20 and an outlet portion 22. A pair of gears 24 are positioned within the housing 18 and one of the pair of gears 24 is driven by the shaft 12 in a conventional manner. For example, the driven gear 24 may be driven mechanically, electrically, pneumatically or any conventional manner of driving an accessory member. As an alternative, the compressor member may be driven externally of the shaft 12. A flow of atmospheric air, designated by arrow 26 enter the inlet portion 20 of the compressor member 16.

#The system 10 includes a mixer member 30 interposed the compressor member 16 and the compact rotary pulse detonation engine 14. The mixer member 30 includes a housing 32 having an air inlet portion 34 and a fuel inlet portion 36. A fuel and air outlet portion 38 is positioned in the housing 32 and has a flow of mixed fuel and air, designated by an arrow 40 exiting therefrom.

#The system 10 includes a fuel supply 42 being in fluid communication with the fuel inlet portion 36 of the mixer member 30 in a conventional manner. A plurality of fuels can be used with the compact rotary pulse detonation engine 14 and include any conventional fuel. The fuel can be in a solid, liquid, or gaseous state. Although in this application, a gaseous state is illustrated and nature gas is the example of the fuel used herewith.