Pulse combustion device
AssigneeUnited Technologies Corporation
InventorsKirk Lupkes, Gary Lidstone
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A pulse combustion device has a number of combustors with upstream bodies and downstream nozzles. Coupling conduits provide communication between the combustors. For each given combustor this includes a first communication between a first location upstream of the nozzle thereof and a first location along the nozzle of another. There is second communication between a second location upstream of the nozzle and a second communication between a second location upstream of the nozzle of a second other combustor and a second nozzle location along the nozzle of the given combustor.
Claims20
A pulse combustion device comprising:
- a circular array of combustion conduits, each comprising a wall surface extending from an upstream inlet to a downstream outlet;
- at least one inlet valve positioned to admit at least a first gas to the combustion conduit inlets;
- an outlet end member, the array and outlet end member rotatable in at least a first direction relative to each other, the outlet end member forming a nozzle having a circumferentially varying geometry.
A pulse combustion device comprising:
- a circular array of combustion conduits, each extending from an upstream inlet to a downstream outlet;
- at least one inlet valve positioned to admit at least a first gas component of a propellant to the combustion conduit inlets;
- an outlet end member, the array and outlet end member rotatable in at least a first direction relative to each other;
- and
- means at least partially in the outlet end member for providing a circumferentially varying effective nozzle geometry.
A method for operating a pulse combustion device, the device comprising:
- a plurality of combustor conduits, each comprising:
- an upstream inlet;
- and
- a downstream outlet,
- the method comprising:
- rotating the plurality of combustor conduits as a unit;
- cyclically:
- admitting at fuel/oxidizer mixture into each conduit through its inlet;
- and
- discharging products of combustion of said mixture from the outlet of such conduit, during said discharge, the products passing through a nozzle of circumferentially varying properties.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.