Patent EA-001856-B1 (EA)
Title: Ramjet engine for power generation
Inventor: LAWLOR SHAWN P
IPC: F01D1/34
Filed: 1997-12-16
Abstract: 1. A ramjet engine for generation of power, said apparatus comprising: (a) an inlet for supply of combustion air; (b) a fuel inlet for supply of oxidizable fuel; (c) a rotor secured to said housing and having an outer extremity adjacent a peripheral wall, wherein said rotor is provided with stakes on its outer surface, forming with said rotor and said inner surface portion of said peripheral wall ramjets, said one or more strakes effectively separating said inlet combustion air from said exhaust gases when said one or more ramjets receive inlet air and fuel thereto and oxidize said fuel to create hot combustion gases and creating a thrust force causing rotation of said rotor. 2. The ramjet engine as set forth in claim 1, wherein each of said one or more strakes comprises a helical structure extending substantially radially from said outer surface portion of said rotor. 3. The ramjet engine as set forth in claim 2, wherein the number N of said one or more helical strakes is equal to the number N of said one or more ramjets. 4. The ramjet engine as set forth in claim 1, wherein said inner surface portion of said peripheral wall further comprises a wear ring seal, said wear ring seal adapted to effectively seal the interface between each of said one or more strakes and said inner surface portion of said peripheral wall. 5. The ramjet engine as set forth in claim 1, wherein said outer surface portion of said rotor comprises a plurality of rim segments. 6. The ramjet engine as set forth in claim 5, wherein at least one of said rim segments is detachably affixed to said rotor 7. The ramjet engine as set forth in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein each of said one or more ramjets further comprise a partially unshrouded outlet nozzle, and wherein each of said one ore more ramjets utilize at least a portion of said inner surface portion of said peripheral wall for decompression of escaping combustion gases. 8. The ramjet engine as set forth in claim 1, wherein said outer surface portion of said rotor further comprises at least one coolable wall, said coolable wall having an interior cool wall surface, an outer hot wall surface, and a plurality of cooling orifices having outlets at said outer hot wall surface, said cooling orifices providing passageways between said cool wall surface and said hot wall surface, said cooling orifices adapted to pass therethrough cooling air supplied to said interior cool wall surface, so that said cooling air exits said said outlets to provide a thin film of cooling air on said outer surface portion of said rotor. 9. The ramjet engine as set forth in claim 5, wherein each of said rim segments further comprise a cooling air receiving chamber, wherein said cooling air chamber effectively contains therein, for metered ejection therefrom, cooling air provided thereto. 10. The ramjet engine as set forth in claim 1, further comprising an air dump passageway, said air dump passageway communicating with said air inlet and with an outlet dump air location, said air dump passageway configured to allow starting of said one or more ramjets, said air dump passageway defined by a through wall portion in said peripheral wall, and one or more displaceable valves, each of said one ore more displaceable valves configurable between a closed position, wherein said one or more displaceable valves forms a seal in said through wall portion of said peripheral wall, and as a result substantially no inlet air escapes to said outlet dump air location, and an open position, wherein said valve allows fluid communication between said air inlet and said air dump location via said through wall portion of said peripheral wall, allowing at least a portion of said inlet air to escape through said air dump passageway, whereby each of said one or more ramjets is able to dump a portion of compressed inlet air through said air dump passageway, to effect combustion start. 11. The ramjet engine as set forth in claim 10, wherein said displaceable valve comprises an annular gate valve, said annular gate valve being operatively located along at least a portion of said peripheral wall, and wherein said annular gate valve is positioned radially outward from, and closely adjacent to, said one or more ramjets as each of said one or more ramjets rotates thereby. 12. The ramjet engine as set forth in claim 1, comprising: a support structure and a first output shaft affixed with a rotor, said first output shaft and said rotor rotatably secured with respect to said support structure. 13. The ramjet engine for generating power as set forth in claim 1 or claim 12, wherein said apparatus further comprises a heat recovery section, said heat recovery section comprising a combustion gas inlet, and a combustion gas outlet, and a heat exchange section for containing therein a secondary working fluid, said secondary working fluid adapted for circulation to and from said heat recovery section, whereby said hot combustion gas is cooled by recovery of thermal energy in said secondary working fluid. 14. The ramjet engine as set forth claim 13, wherein said secondary working fluid comprises water, and wherein upon heating of said secondary working fluid, steam is produced. 15. The ramjet engine as set forth in claim 14, further comprising a steam turbine, and wherein said steam is fed to said steam turbine to produce useful work on a steam turbine output shaft. 16. The ramjet engine as set forth in claim 12, further comprising a first electrical generator, and wherein wherein said first output shaft is operatively connected to said first electrical generator, and wherein said mechanical work provided at said first output shaft turns said first electrical generator to produce electricity. 17. The ramjet engine as set forth in claim 15, wherein said steam turbine output shaft is operatively connected to said first electrical generator, and wherein said useful work on said steam turbine output shaft turns said first electrical generator to produce electricity. 18. The apparatus as set forth in claim 16, further comprising a second electrical generator, and wherein said shaft work produced by said steam turbine output shaft turns said second electrical generator to produce electric power. 19. The ramjet engine apparatus as set forth in claim 1 or claim 12, wherein at least one material comprising said rotor has a specific strength in excess of 683,220 inches. 20. The ramjet engine apparatus as set forth in claim 1 or in claim 12, wherein at least one material comprising said rotor has a specific strength between 683,220 inches and 1,300,250 inches. 21. The ramjet engine as set forth in claim 1, or in claim 12, wherein at least a portion of material comprising said rotor has a specific strength of approximately 1,300,250 inches. 22. The ramjet engine as set forth in claim 1 or claim 12, wherein at least a portion of material comprising said rotor has a specific strength in excess of 1,300,250 inches. 23. The ramjet engine as set forth in claim 1 or claim 12, wherein at least a portion of material comprising said rotor has a specific strength in the range from about 1,300,250 inches to about 3,752,600 inches. 24. The ramjet engine as set forth in claim 1 or claim 12, wherein at least a portion of material comprising said rotor has a specific strength of about 3,752,600 inches. 25. The ramjet engine as set forth in claim 1 or claim 12, wherein at least a portion of material comprising said rotor has a specific strength in excess of 3,752,600 inches. 26. The ramjet engine as set forth in claim 1 or claim 12, wherein at least a portion of material comprising said rotor has a specific strength between 3,752,600 inches and 15,000,000 inches. 27. The ramjet engine as set forth in claim 1 or claim 12, wherein at least a portion of material comprising said rotor has a specific strength of about 15,000,000 inches. 28. The ramjet engine for generating power as set forth in claim 1 or claim 12, wherein said at least one ramjet operates at an inlet velocity M0 of between about Mach 1.5 and Mach 2.0. 29. The ramjet engine for generating power as set forth in claim 1 or claim 12, wherein said at least one ramjet operates at an inlet velocity M0 of at least Mach 2.0. 30. The ramjet engine for generating power as set forth in claim 1 or claim 12, wherein said at least one ramjet operates at an inlet velocity M0 of at least Mach 2.5. 31. The ramjet engine for generating power as set forth in claim 1 or claim 12, wherein said at least one ramjet operates at an inlet velocity M0 of at least Mach 3.0. 32. The ramjet engine for generating power as set forth in claim 1 or claim 12, wherein said at least one ramjet operates at an inlet velocity M0 between Mach 3.0 and Mach 4.5. 33. The ramjet engine for generating power as set forth in claim 1, or claim 12, wherein said at least one ramjet operates at an inlet velocity M0 of approximately Mach 3.5. 34. The ramjet engine as set forth in claim 1 or claim 12, wherein said rotor comprises a central disc. 35. The ramjet engine as set forth in claim 34, wherein said central disc is tapered. 36. The ramjet engine as set forth in claim 1 or of claim 12, wherein said rotor comprises a metal matrix composite. 37. The ramjet engine as set forth in claim 36, wherein said metal matrix composite comprises titanium. 38. The ramjet engine as set forth in claim 36, wherein said metal matrix composite comprises silicon carbide. 39. The ramjet engine as set forth in claim 1 or claim 12, wherein said rotor comprises silicon carbide coated carbon fibers embedded in a titanium metal substrate. 40. The ramjet engine apparatus as set forth in claim 1 or claim 12, wherein said rotor comprises a carbon fiber epoxy composite. 41. The ramjet engine as set forth in claim 40, wherein said rotor further comprises high strength fiber windings. 42. The ramjet engine as set forth in claim 41, wherein said high strength fiber windings comprise monofilament carbon fibers.