Patent GB-856619-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to gas generators
Inventor: BRADSHAW GRANVILLE EASTWOOD
IPC: F02B71/06
Filed: 1956-05-22
Abstract: 856,619. Gas turbine plant; rotary engines. BROMEGA Ltd. May 21. 1957 [May 22, 1956; July 10, 1956], Nos. 15705/56 and 21267/56. Classes 110 (2) and 110 (3). In a gas turbine power plant comprising a rotary engine type gas generator having a toroidal cylinder in which four pistons are oscillatably mounted, air is supplied under pressure into the engine cylinder by means of an air compressor driven by the engine, the compressor also having a toroidal cylinder in which four pistons are oscillatably mounted, and the exhaust gases from the engine are utilized to drive a gas turbine. In the embodiment shown, the engine comprises four pistons 4, 5, 6 and 7 disposed in a toroidal cylinder 1, the pistons being pivotally mounted on arms 8, 9, 10, 11, respectively, the arms 8, 9 being formed integrally with a disc 12 which in turn is formed integrally with a sleeve 14, and the arms 10, 11 being integral with disc 13 and sleeve 15, the pistons thus being constrained to move in short arcuate paths within the cylinder 1. Similarly the air compressor comprises four pistons 16, 17, 18, 19 disposed in a toroidal cylinder 2, the pistons being mounted on arms 20, 21, 22, 23, the arms 20, 21 being formed integrally with a disc 24 and sleeve 26 and the arms 22, 23 being formed integrally with disc 25 and sleeve 27. The sleeve 14 of the engine is secured to a shaft 31 which extends into a crank-case 28 and is formed with a crank-arm 35 and crank-pin 40. A sleeve 37 is secured to a flange 38 on the crank-arm 35, the sleeve 37 being connected by means of splines 36 to the sleeve 26 to which are connected the pistons 16, 17 of the air compressor. The sleeve 15 connected to the engine pistons 6, 7 and the sleeve 27 connected to the compressor pistons 18, 19 are inter-connected by means of splines 29 on a sleeve 30 which extends into the crank-case 28 and is formed with a crank-arm 32 and crank-pin 33. Connecting- rods 34 and 41, respectively, are connected to the crank-pins 33 and 40, the rods also being connected to a crank-shaft 42 which carries a flywheel 43, which may be connected to an electric starter, also a gear-wheel by which auxiliary equipment such as a fuel pump, water pump and oil pump may be driven. The turbine rotor 3 is rotatably mounted on a stubshaft 58 and drives through gearing 60 and a universal joint 59. With the engine pistons in the position shown in Fig. 3, air is compressed in the chambers A between the pistons 4, 7 and 5, 6, respectively, and air under pressure from the compressor 2 is flowing through inlets 44 into the chambers B formed between the pistons 4, 6 and 5, 7, respectively, exhaust gases from the chambers B being scavenged through the discharge ports 45 to impinge on the blades of the turbine wheel. Fuel is now supplied through injectors 49 into the chambers A and the combustion gases force the pistons 4, 7 and 5, 6 apart so that the air trapped in the chambers B between the pistons 4, 6 and 5, 7 now becomes compressed. Towards the end of this stroke the exhaust ports 45 from, also the inlet ports 44 to, the chambers A are opened so that exhaust gases from the chambers A now escape to impinge on the turbine blades 3. It is arranged that the compressor pistons 16, 18 and 17, 19 are moving towards each other as in Fig. 4, i.e. the compression stroke between these pistons while the engine pistons 4, 6 and 5, 7 are moving away from each other, so that air under pressure passes through the transfer ports 46 to the inlets 44 of the chambers B. The engine cylinder, also the compressor cylinder, are each formed in two halves divided across a transverse plane, and the engine cylinder is provided with waterjackets 51. In a second embodiment, the engine and compressor cylinders are similar to that described above but the compressor pistons are not driven directly by the engine pistons. Instead they are driven by means of a fourthrow crank-shaft, two connecting-rods of which are connected to the engine pistons and the other two of which are connected to the compressor pistons.