Patent ID: 7690191
Filing Date: 2010-04-06
Classification: F23R

Abstract:
1. A method for operating a pulse detonation chamber in a gas turbine engine, the gas turbine engine comprising a nacelle with an intake located at a front opening thereof to allow airflow into the gas turbine engine, and a core engine disposed inside the nacelle, said core engine including a high pressure compressor, a pulse detonation chamber, and a high pressure turbine, the gas turbine engine further comprising a low pressure compressor disposed upstream of the core engine, a low pressure turbine disposed downstream of the core engine, and an augmentor located upstream of an exhaust nozzle of the gas turbine engine, said method comprising: routing a liquid fuel to a fuel conditioner that is coupled in flow communication upstream of the pulse detonation chamber; using a pyrolysis process to decompose the fuel within the fuel conditioner to form combustible molecules having a lower molecular weight; routing the decomposed fuel from the fuel conditioner to the pulse detonation chamber; channeling a portion of the airflow entering the air intake of the gas turbine engine into the pulse detonation chamber to mix with the decomposed fuel and form a fuel/air mixture; detonating the fuel/air mixture within the pulse detonation chamber; bypassing a portion of the airflow entering the air intake through a bypass duct and into the augmentor; and passing exhaust flow from the core engine into the augmentor.