Patent GB-1055901-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to combustion product power-plants
Inventor: FORSYTH GEORGE HOWARD
IPC: F42B19/20
Filed: 1964-03-05
Abstract: 1,055,901. Combustion product plant. VICKERS Ltd. March 5, 1965 [March 5, 1964], No. 9448/64. Heading F1Q. Hydrocarbon fuel is burnt in a combustion chamber, the combustion gases being used for driving an engine, and a part of the exhaust gases is recycled to the combustion chamber by a compressor, oxygen being mixed with the part before it enters the combustion chamber. The power plant shown, which is intended for underwater operation, e.g., in a torpedo, is started by supplying carbon dioxide, nitrogen or other inactive gas under pressure via a pipe 13, non- return valve 16 and a pipe 10 to a combustion chamber 1 and thence via a pipe 19 to drive an engine 2, the expanded gas being exhausted via a pipe 20 to the engine crank case 21 and thence via a pipe 24, a chamber 5, a pipe 25, a non- return valve 31, a pipe 34 and a discharge valve 33 into the sea. The inactive gas is also supplied via a pipe 36, a pressure-reducing valve 35, a two-way valve 6 and a non-return valve 7 to a compressor 3 driven by the engine 2. The compressor returns the inactive gas to the combustion chamber 1 via a pipe 8, a non-return valve 9, and the pipe 10. The pressure in the pipe 8 opens a valve 43, allowing inactive gas to enter a chamber 38. When the pressure in chamber 38 has built up sufficiently, it eventually opens a valve 37 to admit oxygen via a pipe 12 from a pressure bottle, so that the oxygen mines with the inactive gas returning to the combustion chamber 1. The pressure in the pipe 8 also opens valves 48, 49 to admit inactive gas to further time-delay chambers 46,47 and eventually open valves 44,45. Fuel oil from a pipe 14 and cooling water delivered by a pump 30 then enter the combustion chamber 1 via respective non-return valves 17 and 18. In addition, the pressure in the pipe 8 closes a pressure-actuated switch 52 to energize an ignition coil 50 which starts the combustion of the fuel oil. The cooling water supplied by the pump 30 vaporizes in the combustion chamber 1. When the combustion temperature has risen sufficiently, a bi-metallic switch 54 energizes a solenoid 56 to move the valve 6 to its alternative position in which the supply of inactive gas to the compressor 3 is cut off and some of the exhaust gases in the pipe 25 are instead fed via the valve 6 to the compressor and thence to the combustion chamber 1, mixing with oxygen before entering the combustion chamber via the pipe 10. The pressure of the recycled combustion gases is sufficient to prevent further supply of inactive gas through the valve 16. However, a cut-off valve operated by the pressure in the pipe 10 may be provided in the pipe 13. The ignition coil 50 may be switched off, as by means of a further bimetallic switch. Alternatively, it may be energized continuously by a generator driven by the engine 2. Hot water leaving the crank case 21 via a pipe 22 is cooled in a heat exchanger 4, some of the cooled water then being sprayed by a pump 23 into the chamber 5 to cool the combustion gases and condense water vapour while the remainder is returned by the pump 30 to the combustion chamber 1. Water drawn from the chamber 5 by a pump 27 and sprayed into the crank case 21 via a pipe 28 also provides cooling of the combustion products and condensation of water vapour. If the water level in the chamber 5 rises too much, a float-operated valve 26 opens to allow water to be discharged via a non-return valve 32 into the discharge pipe 34. The valve 26 may also be arranged to control the supply of water under air pressure into pipe 15 if the water level in the chamber 5 falls too much.