Direct injection of a discrete quantity of fuel into channels of a wave rotor engine
AssigneeIndiana University Research and Technology Corporation
InventorsRazi Nalim, Pejman Akbari
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Apparatus and methods for combustion of fuel includes, in some embodiments, a fuel nozzle which injects fuel into a combustion channel of a wave rotor combustor or a pulse detonation combustor. In some embodiments the combustion process includes a backward-propagating detonation wave within a substantially closed channel which compresses discrete quantities of combustible and noncombustible mixture. Yet other embodiments include a precombustion chamber integrated into the wave rotor, the outlet stator or both.
Claims24
A method for generating hot gas, comprising:
- providing a plurality of enclosed channels, each channel interconnecting a respective first port with a corresponding second port;
- successively flowing a first discrete quantity of a fuel and oxidizer mixture for combustion into the respective first port of each channel;
- flowing the first discrete quantity in each channel toward the corresponding second port in each channel to form a first region of combustible mixture in each channel;
- creating a second region of combustible mixture in each channel proximate to the corresponding second port by flowing fuel into each channel;
- and
- igniting the second region prior to combusting the first discrete quantity.
A method for repeatedly combusting fuel, comprising:
- providing a combustion chamber;
- continuously compressing a flow of an oxygen-containing gas;
- injecting fuel into the compressed gas to form a combustible mixture;
- flowing a quantity of the combustible mixture into the combustion chamber;
- injecting a discrete quantity of fuel into the combustible mixture in the combustion chamber;
- igniting the discrete quantity of fuel;
- and
- combusting the combustible mixture by the igniting, wherein said combusting is backward-propagating.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.