Engine for an aircraft
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorsNicholas William Rathay, Timothy John Sommerer, Narendra Digamber Joshi, Venkat Eswarlu Tangirala
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An engine includes an inlet tube introducing air to a combustion process and a first plurality of fuel injectors disposed in the inlet tube and used for scram-jet engine operation. The engine includes a second plurality of fuel injectors used for ram-jet engine operation. The second plurality of fuel injectors is upstream from the first plurality of fuel injectors and is disposed in the inlet tube. The engine includes a combustor swirl zone downstream of and adjacent to the first plurality of fuel injectors.
Claims20
A method of operating an engine having an inlet tube, a first plurality of fuel injectors disposed in the inlet tube, a second plurality of fuel injectors disposed in the inlet tube upstream of the first plurality of fuel injectors, a combustor swirl zone downstream of the first plurality of fuel injectors, and at least one plasma stabilizer, the method comprising:
- operating only the second plurality of fuel injectors and the at least one plasma stabilizer during a ramjet condition;
- and
- operating only the first plurality of fuel injectors during a scramjet condition.
A method of operating an engine having an inlet tube, a first plurality of fuel injectors disposed in the inlet tube, a second plurality of fuel injectors disposed in the inlet tube upstream of the first plurality of fuel injectors, a combustor swirl zone downstream of the first plurality of fuel injectors, and at least one plasma stabilizer, the method comprising:
- operating only the second plurality of fuel injectors and the at least one plasma stabilizer during a ramjet condition, wherein operating the second plurality of fuel injectors includes operating dispensing fuel into the inlet tube with the second plurality of fuel injectors, and operating the at least one plasma stabilizer includes adding plasma energy to an interior of the engine with the at least one plasma stabilizer;
- operating only the first plurality of fuel injectors during a scramjet condition, wherein operating the first plurality of fuel injectors includes dispensing the fuel into the inlet tube with the first plurality of fuel injectors;
- and
- operating the first plurality of fuel injectors, the second plurality of fuel injectors, and the at least one plasma stabilizer during a transition condition between the ramjet condition and the scramjet condition.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.