Abstract:
A compound cycle engine ( 10 ) comprises a compressor and a turbine section ( 14, 18 ), and at least one cycle topping device ( 16 ) providing an energy input to the turbine section ( 18 ). The compressor section ( 14 ) compresses the air according to a pressure ratio PR gt . The cycle topping device ( 16 ) further compresses the air according to a volumetric compression ratio R vc , and wherein PR gt ×R vc  are selected, according to one aspect of the invention, to provide a cycle which permit a more compact and lighter compound cycle engine to be provided.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS(S)  
       [0001]     This application is a continuation of International Patent Application No. PCT/CA2004/000258 filed on Feb. 24, 2004, which claims benefit of Canadian Patent Application No.  2 , 419 , 690  filed on Feb. 24, 2003, both of which are herein incorporated by reference. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     The present invention relates to gas turbine and rotary engines and, in particular, to turbo-compounded rotary engines or turbo-compounded internal combustion engine.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0003]     Topping of the gas turbine engine cycle is well-known in the art. U.S. Pat. No. 4,815,282, U.S. Pat. No. 5,471,834 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,692,372, for example, show the prior attempts at integrating gas turbine with cycle-topping devices, such as piston-type internal combustion engines and eccentric rotary engines such as the so-called Wankel engine. Such cycle topping devices promise much-improved fuel efficiency for the integrated engine. All of the integrated engines disclosed in the above mentioned patents require an intercooler to cool the air before it enters the compressor section of the engine. Such intercooler are know to be bulky, heavy, etc. and, thus, not ideal for airborne applications.  
         [0004]     For gas turbines destined for airborne applications, integration must not only successfully address improvements in cycle efficiency, but also provide a compact and lightweight package, and preferably one which does not significantly alter the envelope required versus that of a regular (i.e. non-compounded) gas turbine engine. Prior art attempts have not been as successful in these areas, and hence there exists a need for improved compact devices which offer not only improved efficiency, but also better power density, reliability, operability and so on.  
         [0005]     Various types of cycle topping devices are known, including both non-rotating and rotating types. The present application is particularly concerned with eccentric rotary machines of all types useful in providing cycle-topping benefits to a gas turbine engine. Examples are shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,471,834, U.S. Pat. No. 5,522,356, U.S. Pat. No. 5,524,587 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,692,372, to name a few, though there are certainly others available as well, as will be well-understood by the skilled reader.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0006]     It is an aim of the present invention to provide a compound cycle engine better suited for airborne applications than the prior art.  
         [0007]     One general aspect of the present invention covers an integrated cycle topping device and gas turbine engine (the “integrated engine”) designed for low volumetric compression ratio (&lt;3.5) which allows pre-mixed fuel upstream of the cycle topping device without the need of an inter-cooler. It provides for improved thermal efficiency and improved specific power.  
         [0008]     In accordance with a further general aspect of the present invention, there is provided a compound cycle engine comprising a compressor and a turbine section, and at least one rotary engine providing an energy input to said turbine section, wherein said at least one rotary engine is mechanically linked to said turbine section to provide a common power output.  
         [0009]     In accordance with another general aspect of the present invention, there is provided a compound cycle engine comprising a compressor section, a rotary engine section and a turbine section in serial flow communication with one another, and a primary output shaft providing the primary power output of the engine, wherein the rotary engine section and the turbine section are both drivingly connected to the primary output shaft.  
         [0010]     In accordance with another general aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of providing a non-intercooled cycle for a compound cycle engine, the engine having a rotary engine and a gas turbine connected in series, the method comprising the steps of: a) compressing air in a compressor section of the gas turbine, b) further compressing the air in the rotary engine, wherein the volumetric compression ratio in the rotary engine is below 3.5,c) mixing fuel with the compressed air to obtain an air/fuel mixture, d) combusting the air/fuel mixture, e) extracting energy from the combusted air/fuel mixture through expansion in the rotary engine, and f) further extracting energy from the combusted air/fuel mixture using a turbine section of the gas turbine.  
         [0011]     In accordance with another general aspect of the present invention, there is provided a compound cycle engine comprising a compressor and a turbine section, and at least one cycle topping device providing an energy input to said turbine section, said compressor section compressing the air according to a pressure ratio PR gt , said at least one cycle topping device further compressing the air according to a volumetric compression ratio R vc , and wherein PR gt ×R vc &lt;30.  
         [0012]     In accordance with a sill further general aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of providing a non-intercooled cycle for a compound cycle engine, the engine including a cycle topping device and a gas turbine connected in series, the method comprising the steps of: a) compressing air in a compressor section of the gas turbine using a pressure ratio PR gt , b) further compressing the air in the cycle topping device using a volumetric compression ratio R vc , c) mixing fuel with the compressed air to obtain an air/fuel mixture, d) combusting the air/fuel mixture, e) extracting energy from the combusted air/fuel mixture through expansion in the topping device, and f) further extracting energy from the combusted air/fuel mixture using a turbine section of the gas turbine, wherein the relationship between PR gt  and R vc  is maintained such that PR gt ×R vc &lt;30.  
         [0013]     In accordance with a still further general aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of providing a cycle for a compound cycle engine, the engine including a rotary engine and a gas turbine connected in series, the method comprising the steps of: a) determining an auto-ignition limit of a fuel/air mixture; b) determining a pressure ratio associated with the auto-ignition limit; c) determining respective pressure ratios for a compressor section of the gas turbine and for the rotary engine; d) and selecting a combination of pressure ratios for the compressor section and the rotary engines, which provides an overall pressure ratio inferior to the pressure ratio determined in step b).  
         [0014]     It is understood that the term “cycle topping device”, as used throughout this application and the attached claims, applies to any device adapted to provide an input to the turbine cycle, and not just rotary cycle topping devices such as a Wankel engine, sliding or pinned vane rotary machine (such as those disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,524,587 or U.S. Pat. No. 5,522,356, respectively). Also, the term “compound cycle engine” as used throughout this application and the attached claims is intended to refer to an engine wherein at least two different types of engine (e.g. rotary engine and gas turbine, etc.) are integrated together to provide a common output. Further, the term “rotary engine”, as is used in the art and as is used herein, is used to refer to an engine in which gas compression and expansion occur in a rotary direction, rather than in a reciprocating manner such as in a piston-style internal combustion engine. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0015]     Reference is now made to the accompanying Figures depicting aspects of the present invention, in which:  
         [0016]      FIG. 1-3  are schematic diagrams of single shaft embodiments of an integrated engine comprising a gas turbine engine turbo-compounded by a rotary cycle topping device;  
         [0017]      FIG. 4  is a Temperature-Entropy diagram of a turbo-compounded rotary engine cycle;  
         [0018]      FIG. 5  is a Thermal Efficiency-Overall Pressure Ratio diagram illustrating the sensitivity of an intercooler thermal efficiency vs. the rotary engine volumetric ratio and the gas turbine pressure ratio;  
         [0019]      FIG. 6  is a Combustion Inlet Temperature vs. Combustion Inlet Pressure diagram illustrating the sensitivity to auto-ignition vs. rotary engine volumetric ratio and gas turbine pressure ratio;  
         [0020]      FIG. 7  is a schematic diagram of a free turbine embodiment of an integrated engine.  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0021]     Integrated engine embodiments are shown in  FIGS. 1-3  for single shaft concepts where one (1) or two (2) closed volume combustion rotary engines can be coupled to a power turbine via a gearbox.  FIG. 1  shows an integrated engine or compound cycle engine wherein the rotary engines are mounted at 90 degrees to the main engine axis.  FIG. 2  shows another possible configuration wherein the rotary engines are mounted parallel to the main engine axis.  FIG. 3  shows a rotary engine mounted in-line with the main engine axis.  
         [0022]     Referring now more particularly to  FIG. 1 , there is disclosed a single shaft engine  10  which includes an AGB/RGB  12  (accessory gearbox/reduction gearbox), a compressor  14 , two rotary machines or engines  16  and a power turbine  18  connected on a single shaft  20 . The turbine shown is a radial turbine, though other configurations are possible. The rotary engines  16  are connected to the shaft  20  by separate tower shafts  22  and  24 . The compressor  14  is preferably a centrifugal compressor, though need not necessarily be so, and is fed by an intake  26 . The compressor  14  communicates with the rotary engines  16  via an inlet scroll  28 , and the rotary engines  16  in turn communicates with the power turbine  18  via an outlet scroll  30 , to thereby provide a continuous gas path between compressor intake  26  and turbine exhaust  27 , as will be understood by the skilled reader. The compressor  14  acts as a turbocharger to the rotary engines  16 . A fuel pre-mixer  32  is integrated to the inlet scroll  28  of each rotary engine.  
         [0023]     As shown in  FIG. 1 , the shaft  20  is conjointly driven by the power turbine  18  and the rotary engines  16 . The rotary engine output shafts  22  and  24  can be mechanically linked to the shaft  20  by means of bevel gearing  34 .  
         [0024]     Each rotary engine  16  includes a housing  23  which is liquid-cooled in a suitable manner, and having an associated cooling inlet  25  and outlet  27 . The cooling liquid, for instance oil, is circulated through the rotary engine housing  23 . As the liquid travels through or over the housing  23 , it picks up excess heat. The liquid is then pumped to a liquid cooler (not shown) where the liquid is cooled before being re-circulated back into the rotary engines  16 .  
         [0025]     As can be readily appreciated from  FIG. 1 , in use ambient air entering the gas turbine intake  26  is compressed by the compressor  14 , then it is routed to the pre-mixer(s)  32  where fuel is premixed with the air. The fuel/air mixture then enters the rotary engines  16 , gets further compressed with volume reduction. The compressed mixture is then ignited in the rotary engines, according to known techniques, before being expanded, the energy of such expansion further driving the rotary engine. The rotary engine exhaust gases are then ducted to the power turbine  18  for powering the turbine to produce further work before exhausting to the atmosphere via the turbine exhaust  27 .  
         [0026]     The power developed by the rotary engines  16  and the power turbine  18  is used to drive a common load via the AGB/RGB  12 . As will be appreciated by the skilled reader, and is shown in with respect to the embodiment of  FIG. 7 , the load can take the form of a propeller, a helicopter rotor, load compressor or an electric generator depending whether the engine is a turboprop, a turboshaft or an APU (Auxiliary Power Unit).  
         [0027]      FIGS. 2 and 3  respectively show other embodiments of a single shaft engine wherein like components are identified by like reference numerals. A duplicate description of these components is herein omitted for brevity, as the skilled reader does not require such to understand the concepts disclosed.  
         [0028]     The embodiment shown in  FIG. 2  essentially differs from the embodiment shown in  FIG. 1  in that the rotary engines  16  are mounted parallel to the main engine axis. The output shafts  22  and  24  of the rotary engines  16  are mechanically linked to the power turbine shaft  20  through the AGB/RGB  12 .  
         [0029]     As can be clearly seen in  FIG. 3 , the single shaft engine  10  can also be configured so that a single rotary engine  16  is mounted in-line with the power turbine shaft  20 . According to this reverse-flow configuration, the turbine shaft  20  is drivingly connected to the AGB/RGB  12  through the rotary engine output shaft  20 . Gearing (not shown) is provided to mechanically connect the power turbine shaft  20  to the rotary engine output shaft  22 .  
         [0030]     As can be seen from  FIGS. 1-3 , the rotary engine(s) can be mounted such that their shaft axes are either parallel or perpendicular to the gas turbine shaft axis.  
         [0031]      FIG. 7  shows a free turbine embodiment where the rotary engine  16   5  (which can be either one or two rotary, or more, rotary engines, but referred to here in the singular for convenience) is coupled to the power turbine  18  only. The compressor  14  is mounted on a separate shaft  15  and is independently driven by a compressor turbine  17  coaxially mounted on the shaft  15 . The compressor  14  and the compressor turbine  17  act as a turbocharger to the rotary engine  16 . The outputs of the rotary engine  16  and power turbine  18  are linked mechanically through the AGB/RGB  12  to drive a common load (for instance a helicopter rotor, a propeller or a generator). The AGB/RGB provides the required speed reduction (if any, as desired) to permit coupling of the high speed power turbine  18  to the slower rotary engine  16 . The power turbine  18  and the rotary engine  16  both cooperate to provide the shaft horsepower required to drive the load coupled to the AGB/RGB  12 . This free turbine configuration is advantageous in that it provides the ability to have a high speed turbomachine section (more compact and efficient) since it is not directly mechanically coupled to the slower rotary engine. A smaller starter  39  can also be used on the free turbine configuration as the starter  39  can be provided on the output RGB (see  FIG. 7 ) rather than having to drive the entire compound machine.  
         [0032]     A cooling fan  34  is preferably drivingly connected to the rotary engine output shaft  22  to push cooling air through via appropriate ducting  36  to provide cooling air to the air cooled rotor  31  of the rotary engine. The cooling air is then expelled from the rotor to cool the cavity  35  between the compressor  14  and the hot scroll  30 . The machine housing  23  is cooled with suitable cooling liquid circulated through a suitable liquid conduit or housing jacket  37 , extending between the cooling inlet and outlet  25  and  27 , to thereby also extract excess heat from the housing of rotary engine  16 .  
         [0033]     As is apparent from  FIGS. 1-3  and  7 , the disclosed embodiments do not include an intercooler between the gas turbine compressor and the rotary engines. The prior art required an intercooler (see for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,815,282 and 5,471,834) to cool the air before it enters the rotary machine in order to prevent pre-ignition of the fuel/air mixture, as the skilled reader will recognize that as a fuel/air mixture is increasingly compressed, in becomes susceptible to igniting. The embodiments of  FIGS. 1-3  and  7  were not possible in the prior art, but are now possible through use of the cycle improvements according to another aspect of the present invention, as will now be described.  
         [0034]      FIGS. 4 and 5  illustrate the high efficiency and specific power of the non-intercooled cycle. The results shown in  FIG. 4  are for a constant volume combustion (CVC) rotary engine having a volumetric expansion pressure ratio (Rve) twice its volumetric compression ratio (R vc ), with no intercooler and a temperature T 4  at the exit of the rotary engines  16  set at 3100° F., the rotary engine being used with a gas turbine engine having a compressor pressure ratio (PR-GT) of 6. The temperature-entropy relations were obtained for five different values of volumetric compression ratio (R vc =1.2, R vc =1.5, R vc =2.0, R vc =3.0, and R vc =5).  FIG. 4  also shows the value of the ratio ηth/SHP/W1 (ηth: thermal efficiency; SHP: shaft horse power; W1: airflow at the compressor intake) at the peak temperature of each curve.  
         [0035]     The results in  FIG. 5  are also for a constant volume combustion rotary engine with a peak temperature T 4  of 3100° F., the rotary engine having a volumetric expansion pressure ratio (Rve) twice its volumetric compression ratio (R vc ), and wherein the compressor pressure ratio (PR-GT) and the volumetric compression ratio (R vc ) are varied for constant leakages. The term “Net Shaft” in the axis “Thermal efficiency Net Shaft” is intended to mean directly on the output shaft of the engine.  FIG. 5  shows three (3) curves for different values of compressor pressure ratio (PR-GT=8; PR-GT=6; and PR-GT=4) when no intercooler is used and three (3) additional curves for the same three different values of compressor pressure ratio (PR-GT=8; PR-GT=6; and PR-GT=4) but this time when an intercooler is used. On each curve, five different values of the volumetric compression ratio of the rotary engine (R vc =1.2; R vc =1.5; R vc =2; R vc =3; and R vc =5) are provided.  
         [0036]     More particularly, the inventor has found that, and  FIG. 5  clearly demonstrates that, when no intercooler is used, the thermal efficiency is optimal when the overall pressure ratio of the engine is about  40 . When the overall pressure ratio increases over  50 , the thermal efficiency drops. From  FIG. 5 , it can thus be readily seen that under specific conditions (i.e. when the overall pressure ratio is below  50 ), the intercooler provides very little advantage to thermal efficiency which is more offset by its weight, size and cost. It can also be seen that after a certain point, the thermal efficiency starts to decrease as the volumetric compression ratio (R vc ) of the rotary engines  16  increases. Considering the much-additional weight and size that an intercooler entails, according to the present invention preferably, R vc  is kept below 3.5 to provide optimal thermal efficiency without the need of an intercooler.  FIG. 5  also clearly shows that the thermal efficiency of an integrated engine with no intercooler and having an R vc  of 3 with a compressor pressure ratio (PR gt ) of 6 is almost as good as the thermal efficiency of an integrated engine with an intercooler. However, if the compressor is designed with a PR gt  of 8, the R vc , must be reduced to 1.2 to provide a thermal efficiency equivalent to an integrated engine with an intercooler.  
         [0037]      FIG. 6  shows four curves for two different values of the compressor pressure ratio (PR-gt=6 and PR-gt=4), the first pair of curves, which extends into the auto ignition zone, on the graph being for an engine with no intercooler and the two remaining curves at the bottom of the graph being for an engine with an intercooler. On each curve, five different values of the volumetric compression ratio of the rotary engine (R vc =1.2; R vc =1.5; R vc =2; R vc =3; and R vc =5) are provided.  
         [0038]     As can be clearly seen in  FIG. 6 , in accordance with the present invention, a limit line (shown with a thick stippled line in the Figure) between an “Auto-Ignition Zone” and a normal zone can be determined, based on the properties of the fuel and fuel/air mixture used. As demonstrated by  FIG. 6 , a careful selection of overall pressure ratio, and a careful allocation of pressure ratios between the gas turbine and the rotary engines, can be used to achieve an “auto-ignition-free” cycle. If no intercooler is being used, the volumetric compression ratio (R vc ) in the rotary engines has to be kept below approximately 3 for a compressor pressure ratio (PR gt ) of 6 and below approximately 3.5 for a PR gt  of 4 in order to be out of the auto-ignition zone. The analysis of  FIG. 6 , clearly show that by reducing the compression ratio, the air heats up less and is then further away from auto-ignition temperature, thereby obviating the need for an intercooler.  
         [0039]     In view of the foregoing, it appears that a clear advantage of limiting the volumetric compression ratio in the rotary engine below 3.5 is that while the high thermal efficiency is maintained, the reduced pressure and temperature prior to combustion allows to pre-mix the fuel with air prior to the rotary engines  16  to be done without auto-ignition and no need of an intercooler which is too bulky for many aerospace applications, and particularly so for commercial and commuter aircraft. As will be appreciated by the skilled reader, these cycle limitations are also applicable, and provide similar advantages, to a fuel injected configuration with spark ignition.  
         [0040]     The low overall pressure ratio, i.e. preferably less than 50, with low rotary engine compression volumetric ratio, i.e. preferably less than 3.5, and gas turbine pressure ratio, i.e. preferably less than 6, gives a compact optimum thermal efficiency cycle, easier to design with lower loads, less stress and with reduced leakage in seals and gaps. This cycle is particularly attractive to rotary machines designed with controlled rotating gaps as opposed to high speed seals which are subject to wear.  
         [0041]     It is noted that the rotary engine compression is described herein as a “volumetric compression ratio” because it is readily measurable in such closed volume combustion engines by reason of its closed volume combustion design, whereas the gas turbine compression described as a “pressure ratio” because of the gas turbine&#39;s continuous flow design, in which pressures are more easily measured instead of volume ratios.  
         [0042]     The criteria to have a non-intercooled cycle with high thermal efficiency (40-45%) in a compact engine package with improved power to weight ratio can be defined as follows: 
 
 PR   gt   ×R   vc   1.3 &lt;30 
 
         [0043]     where PR gt  is the pressure ratio of the compressor(s) or gas turbine engine compression stage(s) feeding the rotary engine, and 
        R vc  is the volumetric compression ratio of the rotary engine. 
 
 Typical values for optimum cycle efficiency are: PRgt=3-6 and Rvc=2-3.5, and full range of interest to meet above criteria 1.2&lt;PRgt&lt;9 and 1.2&lt;Rvc&lt;12 
       
 
         [0045]     As long as the above conditions are met, it will be possible to operate without an intercooler to cool the air before it enters the rotary engines  16 . This advantageously provides for a very compact integrated engine package. Furthermore, limiting the overall pressure ratio below 50 also contributes to reduce the weight in that otherwise the wall thickness of the rotary engines would have to be thicker and heavier.  
         [0046]     The above-described combination of compression ratio in the rotary engines and the gas turbine engine ensures that the temperature of the pre-mixed air/fuel mixture just prior to the combustion is below 1100° F. It is noted that the above “pressure rules” applies to diesel or kerosene/jet engines type of fuel.  
         [0047]     The above description is meant to be exemplary only, and one skilled in the art will recognize that changes may be made to the embodiments described without departing from the scope of the invention disclosed. For example, it is understood that the rotary engine could be replaced by several rotary engines in parallel or series, or by other types of turbine cycle topping devices. For instance, a reciprocating engine could be used as well as a wave engine coupled to a combustor. Rotary engines are however preferred for compactness and speed compatibility (rotary engines have higher rotational speed potential vs. reciprocating engines). Another example is that instead of using pre-mix air/fuel upstream of the topping device, other configurations with fuel injection directly into the topping device after air compression, to be ignited with spark ignition, may also be employed. The terms “accessory gearbox” and “reduction gearbox” are used herein as those are familiar terms of gas turbine art, however the skilled reader will appreciate that the gearbox provided may be any suitable transmission system, and may or may not include speed reduction, depending on the application. Though one compression and one turbine stage is shown, any suitable number of stages may be provided as desired. Still other modifications which fall within the scope of the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art, in light of a review of this disclosure, and such modifications are intended to fall within the equivalents accorded to the appended claims.