Millimetre-scale engine
AssigneeBAE SYSTEMS plc
InventorsMartyn John Hucker, Clyde Warsop, Harriet Ann Holden
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A millimetre-scale pulse jet engine comprises an engine body that defines a combustion chamber, a fuel, an air intake, and an exhaust. The fuel inlet is arranged to inject fuel directly into the combustion chamber. The air intake and the exhaust are in fluid communication with the combustion chamber, and the combustion chamber is configured such that air from the air intake and fuel from the fuel inlet cyclically combust in the combustion chamber to produce exhaust gases.
Claims27
A millimetre-scale pulse jet engine comprising an engine body;
- which engine body defines:
- a combustion chamber;
- a fuel inlet arranged to inject fuel directly into the combustion chamber;
- an air intake;
- and
- an exhaust;
- wherein the air intake and the exhaust are in fluid communication with the combustion chamber;
- and the combustion chamber is configured such that air from the air intake and fuel from the fuel inlet cyclically combust in the combustion chamber to produce exhaust gases.
An engine as claimed in any preceding claim, configured to self-resonate.
An engine as claimed in any preceding claim, configured to cyclically combust at a frequency in the range between 8 kHz and 16 kHz.
An engine as claimed in any preceding claim, further comprising ignition means to initialise self-resonation.
An engine as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the combustion chamber, the air intake and the exhaust in combination are in a planar arrangement.
An engine as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the fuel inlet terminates at an array of holes in a wall of the combustion chamber.
An engine as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the fuel inlet comprises a fluidic valve configured to choke the flow of fuel through the fuel inlet during the combustion and exhaust phases of the combustion cycle.
An engine as claimed in any preceding claim, further comprising insulation means to retain heat within the engine.
An engine as claimed in any preceding claim, further comprising a duct to link the exhaust and the intake;
- and wherein the combustion chamber comprises a first, intake opening, and a second, exhaust opening, the first opening being provided with a surface shaped to entrain exhaust gases expelled through the first opening along the duct towards the exhaust.
An engine as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the engine is valveless.
An air vehicle comprising an engine as claimed in any preceding claim.
A millimetre-scale pulsejet engine substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.