Ignition system for a propulsion producing engine
AssigneeThe Boeing Company
InventorsJeffrey H. Hunt, Herbert R. Lander
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The ignition system includes an optical source capable of producing light having physical characteristics sufficient for optically driven chemical disassociation of a hydrogen peroxide oxidizer; and, an optical delivery system for providing optical delivery of light from the optical source to a combustion chamber. The ignition system is used for a propulsion producing engine having a combustion chamber for the introduction of a fuel and a hydrogen peroxide oxidizer. The initiation of combustion is produced by the non-linear, optical interaction of the produced light with a fuel and the oxidizer present in the combustion chamber, thereby leading to molecular disassociation of the oxidizer such that there is initiation of combustion.
Claims5
A propulsion engine system having a combustion chamber combusting a fuel and a hydrogen peroxide oxidizer, including an ignition device comprising:
- a) an optical source producing light having physical characteristics sufficient to optically drive chemical dissociation of a hydrogen peroxide oxidizer, said source being a laser and a wavelength conversion device operably associated with said laser for changing the laser output light from an original output wavelength to a shorter wavelength which is optimized for the dissociation of the oxidizer;
- b) an optical delivery system comprising an input wavelength selecting filter providing optical delivery of light from said optical source to said combustion chamber, wherein
- initiation of combustion is produced by a non-linear, optical interaction of said produced light with the fuel and the hydrogen peroxide oxidizer present in the combustion chamber, thereby leading to molecular dissociation of the hydrogen peroxide oxidizer such that there is initiation of combustion.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.