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US 7,093,794 B2Granted
Aircraft and detonative engine incorporating pulse detonation engines
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorsIvett Alejancra Leyva, Anthony John Dean
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An aircraft includes at least one airfoil having a leading edge and a trailing edge. A number of pulse detonation engines are distributed along one of the leading and trailing edges of the airfoil and are positioned beneath the airfoil. Each pulse detonation engine is adapted for impulsively detonating a fuel/oxidizer mixture to generate a thrust force and to apply the thrust force to the aircraft. At least one of the pulse detonation engines is movably configured for altering a direction of the thrust force relative to the airfoil.
Claims15
An aircraft comprising:
- at least one airfoil having a leading edge and a trailing edge;
- and
- a plurality of pulse detonation engines (PDE) distributed along one of said leading and trailing edges of said airfoil and positioned beneath said airfoil, each pulse detonation engine being adapted for impulsively detonating a fuel/oxidizer mixture to generate a thrust force and to apply the thrust force to said aircraft,
- wherein at least one of said pulse detonation engines is movably configured for altering a direction of the thrust force relative to said airfoil, and
- wherein at least two of said pulse detonation engines are configured to impulsively detonate the fuel/oxidizer mixtures out of phase.
2 more elements
An aircraft comprising:
- at least one airfoil having a leading edge and a trailing edge;
- and
- a plurality of pulse detonation engines (PDE) distributed along one of said leading and trailing edges of said airfoil and positioned beneath said airfoil, each pulse detonation engine being adapted for impulsively detonating a fuel/oxidizer mixture to generate a thrust force and to apply the thrust force to said aircraft,
- wherein at least one of said pulse detonation engines is movably configured for altering a direction of the thrust force relative to said airfoil, wherein each of said pulse detonation engines comprises an inlet for receiving oxidizer, an outlet for exhausting an exhaust flow, and a PDE body extending between said inlet and said outlet, wherein at least one of said inlet and said outlet has an elliptical cross-sectional area with a semi-major axis oriented along said airfoil, and wherein the semi-major axis is greater than a semi-minor axis of said outlet.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.