Helicopter rotor tip jet
AssigneeSafe Flight Instrument Corporation
InventorLeonard M. Greene
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A helicopter includes a rotor tip jet engine which combines ram compression and centrifugal compression to increase the thrust. A first flow of fuel is dispersed in the ram air and is carried into a combustion area of the engine. A separate flow of fuel is injected into the centrifugally compressed air before the fuel air mixture enters the combustion area. For helicopters and other applications, the ram jet engine combines ram air and a separate mass of compressed air which is directed into the combustion area for increased thrust. A regulator or control mechanism is also provided for regulating the quantity of compressed air which is added. The regulator or control mechanism may also be used to cut off or stop the addition of the separate mass of compressed air.
Claims10
A helicopter comprising a fuselage, a mast and a rotor or rotary wing which rotates about said mast above said fuselage for providing lift and direction to the helicopter, said rotor or rotary wing having an inner end adjacent to said mast and an outer tip at the opposite end thereof, and a ram jet engine mounted on said outer tip of said rotor or rotary wing, the ram jet engine having a first, ram jet air intake located at a front of the ram jet engine, a combustion area located to the rear of the ram jet air intake and into which air from the ram jet air intake passes, a fuel spray nozzle for spraying fuel into the air entering the combustion area and an ignitor for igniting the fuel/air mixture in the combustion area said rotor or rotary wing including a second air inlet means located at a position spaced from said tip, and means for directing a flow of air from said second air inlet means and subjecting said flow of air to centrifugal force through said rotor or rotary wing, to centrifugally pressurize the flow of air and inject the centrifugally pressurized air into said ram jet engine to the rear of the fuel spray nozzle and the ignitor to thereby increase the thrust of said ram jet engine.
A ram jet engine for a rotary wing aircraft comprising. an elongated housing and first air intake means in a forward portion of said housing for receiving ram air, a combustion area in communication with said first air intake means and disposed within said housing rearwardly of said first air intake means and an exhaust nozzle rearwardly of said combustion area, said engine including ignition means disposed within said housing and between said first air intake means and said combustion chamber, a fuel nozzle disposed between said first air intake means and said ignition means and means for supplying a flow of fuel through said nozzle for dispersion thereby into a flow of ram air for ignition by said ignition means, means for subjecting a separate mass of air to centrifugal force;
- and second air inlet means for directing the separate mass of air after being subjected to centrifugal force into said combustion chamber to the rear of the ignition means and the fuel nozzle to thereby increase the thrust of said engine.
A ram jet engine comprising an elongated housing and first air intake means in a forward portion of said housing for receiving ram air, a combustion area in communication with said first air intake means and disposed within said housing rearwardly of said first air intake means and an exhaust nozzle rearwardly of said combustion area, said engine including ignition means disposed within said housing and between said first air intake means and said combustion area, a fuel nozzle disposed between said first air intake means and said ignition means for supplying a flow of fuel through said nozzle for dispersion into a flow of ram air for ignition by said ignition means;
- means for compressing a separate mass of air independently of said first air intake means;
- and second air inlet means for directing the separate mass of compressed air into said combustion area to the rear of the ignition means and the fuel nozzle to thereby increase the thrust of said engine.
A ram jet engine according to claim 10 further comprising means for regulating the amount of compressed air which is directed into said combustion area.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.