Patent Publication Number: US-2023133001-A1

Title: System and method for ram air intake for pulse combustors

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims the benefit of priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/273,035, filed on Oct. 28, 2021, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to air intakes and jet engines. More particularly, the present invention is related to systems and methods for ram air ingestion and increased thrust for pulse combustor systems. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     A conventional valveless-type combustor or pulsejet engine preferably includes a combustion chamber, an inlet pipe, fuel injector(s), spark plug (or other ignition device), and an exhaust pipe, which is sometimes referred to as “tailpipe”. These conventional pulsejet engines may be configured straight or U-shaped. The combustion chamber, inlet pipe, and exhaust pipe are often cylindrical. Typically, the diameters of the inlet and exhaust pipes are less than the diameter of the combustion chamber. Further, the length of the inlet pipe is typically less than the length of the exhaust pipe. 
     When a fuel and air mixture is introduced into the combustion chamber, the spark plug or other ignition device is activated to produce a spark that ignites the fuel/air mixture. The ensuing combustion process causes a rise in the temperature and pressure of the gases inside the combustion chamber. These gases then expand and escape through the inlet and exhaust pipes. The high velocity and inertia of the escaping gases cause an overexpansion and negative pressure inside the combustion chamber. This negative pressure then reverses the direction of the flow in the inlet and exhaust pipes. Fresh air sucked in from the atmosphere via the inlet pipe because of its shorter length mixes with the fuel that is injected either in the inlet pipe or directly into the combustion chamber. The new fuel/air mixture enters the combustion chamber where it encounters the high-temperature combustion products from the previous combustion event. These combustion products ignite this new fuel/air mixture to produce another combustion event and the process repeats indefinitely as long as there is fuel being injected into the combustion chamber as described. 
     In tracking the combustion events, there is also flow reversal in the exhaust pipe due to the negative pressure in the combustion chamber. However, due to the length of the exhaust pipe, the fresh air drawn in from the atmosphere does not typically reach the combustion chamber before the next combustion event. Also, the spark plug is only needed to start operation of the engine, and is not necessary to sustain the operation of the engine. Therefore, the spark plug can be turned off once the engine is started. 
     The result of the working cycle of a pulse combustor is that the inlet and exhaust ends produce oscillating flows, i.e., intermittent jets of gas that emanate from them and are responsible for thrust generation. The exhaust pipe usually generates the greatest amount of thrust, but the inlet pipe can also generate a significant amount of thrust, which typically would be in the order of two-thirds (⅔) the thrust generated at the exhaust pipe. Therefore, in order to capture the thrust generated by both the inlet and exhaust pipes, the distal ends of the two pipes are made to point in the same direction. Typically, this is accomplished by the exhaust pipe being bent so that the inlet pipe points in the same direction as the exhaust pipe, and giving the engines a “U-shape”. 
     Pulse combustors can have a number of different forms. Some have multiple inlets, while others have inlets that are perpendicular to the exhaust pipe. Nevertheless, all these embodiments have the same working principle as described above. 
     Advantages of pulse combustors include the ability to draw in fresh air and sustain operation without any external machinery or moving parts. Pulse combustors have been used as thrust-producing devices, in which case they are commonly referred to as “pulsejet”, “pulse jet” or “wave” engines. Pulsejet engines have a long history and have been used to propel several types of aircraft over the last century. They are often characterized by a diverging exhaust pipe to aid in thrust production. 
     Noting the construction of pulsejet engines described above, they are characterized by their simplicity because of the lack of moving parts. However, when used in a forward airspeed environment, e.g., in a flying vehicle, these propulsion devices can find it difficult to effectively use ram air pressure because the inlet is often pointed away from the incoming airstream. Also, if the inlet is a rearward facing, it can be difficult for it to ingest air because the oncoming freestream air has to be turned in an opposite direction, i.e., turned 180°, to travel into the inlet. 
     Noting the foregoing, it would be advantageous to decelerate the air around the open end(s) of the pulsejet engine. It would also be advantageous to recover the dynamic pressure of the oncoming freestream air and raise the static pressure around the inlet to provide higher pressure and higher density air for the inlet to ingest; thereby, allowing for more engine power and thrust. 
     Previous pulsejet engine designs have attempted to address these problems by the placement of the engine, or parts thereof, inside a diffuser shroud. Examples of such arrangements include the systems described in. U.S. Pat. No. 2,750,733 to Paris et al. and U.S. Pat. No. 2,919,542 to Servanty et al. 
     While these arrangements have attempted to decelerate the airstream for pressure recovery and subsequent intake by the engine, they also have drawbacks that limit their practical usability. The first is they require a large size shroud to enclose the engine or parts thereof. Second, the air passing through the shroud intake and entering the shroud comes into contact with hot engine components. These components will heat and rarify the air prior to ingestion by the engine. This runs counter to the objective of maximizing air density for engine air ingestion and maximizing engine thrust output. For these reasons, it is desirable to have a pulsejet engine system engine in which the air intake apparatus allow for ram air intake, deceleration and pressure recovery, but is also compact and minimizes heating of the airstream prior to ingestion by the engine. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is directed to novel pulsejet engine system and method that includes ram air intake and engine starting methods in light of the ram air intake. The pulsejet engine of the present invention besides including the inlet pipe, combustion chamber, exhaust pipe, spark plug or other ignition device, and fuel injector(s) includes a diffuser air intake, intake plenum, intake-side augmenter duct, and adjustable baffle. In operation, when the engine/vehicle is operational and in motion, the diffuser air intake ingests, decelerates, and turns the air, before releasing it into a plenum that surrounds the engine inlet pipe. This allows the engine inlet to ingest air at a lower velocity and higher mass density, compared to the freestream air ingressing diffuser air intake. The lower velocity air is easier for the engine to ingest via its backward-facing inlet, and the higher air density allows the engine to ingest a larger mass of air than would be otherwise possible if the air was heated. Last, there is a rearward-facing augmenter (or ejector) duct attached to the intake plenum that facilitates pumping a large volume of air using the exhaust jet emanating from the engine inlet pipe after combustion events for increased thrust production. These elements function to allow for an increase in the amount of thrust and power that the engine develops with forward airspeed. 
     A further feature of the present invention is that the augmenter duct has an adjustable baffle. When the engine/vehicle is in motion, this baffle can be fully or partially closed to force air through the engine (engine inlet pipe) for engine starting. 
     The present invention will be described in greater detail in the remainder of this specification referring to the drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING(S) 
         FIG.  1    shows a representative side view of a prior art U-shape pulse combustor. 
         FIG.  2    shows a representative side view of an embodiment of the present invention that shows a U-shape pulse combustor with the ram air intake assembly attached thereto. 
         FIG.  3    shows the representative side view of the embodiment of the present invention shown in  FIG.  2    with a portion of the ram air intake assembly cutaway to show its interior and relationship with the U-shaped pulse combustor. 
         FIG.  4    shows a representative top left perspective view of the embodiment of the present invention shown in  FIG.  2   . 
         FIG.  5    shows a representative side view of the embodiment of the present invention shown in  FIG.  2    with a portion of the ram air intake assembly cutaway to show its interior having a starting baffle and relationship with the U-shaped pulse combustor. 
         FIG.  6    shows a representative side view of the embodiment of the present invention shown in  FIG.  2    with a portion of the ram air intake assembly cutaway to show its interior having a starting drogue and relationship with the U-shaped pulse combustor. 
         FIG.  7    shows a representative top left perspective of an embodiment of the present invention that shows a U-shaped pulse combustor with the air intake assembly integrated within a representative airframe. 
     
    
    
     
       
         
           
               
               
               
               
             
               
                 REFERENCE NUMERALS IN THE DRAWING(S) 
               
               
                 Ref. No. 
                 Description 
                 Ref No. 
                 Description 
               
             
            
               
                 
                   10 
                 
                 Pulse Combustor 
                 
                   24 
                 
                 Inlet Plenum 
               
               
                 
                   12 
                 
                 Inlet Pipe 
                 
                   26 
                 
                 Inlet-Side Augmenter 
               
               
                 
                   14 
                 
                 Combustion Chamber 
                 
                   32 
                 
                 Starting Baffle 
               
               
                 
                   16 
                 
                 Exhaust Pipe 
                 
                   34 
                 
                 Starting Drogue 
               
               
                 
                   20 
                 
                 Ram Air Intake 
                 
                   42 
                 
                 Airframe 
               
               
                 
                   22 
                 
                 Diffuser Duct 
                 
                   44 
                 
                 Cooling Air Intake 
               
            
           
         
       
     
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     With respect to this Specification, it is understood that the terms “pulse combustor,” “pulse jet engine,” “pulse jet,” “pulsejet engine,” “pulsejet,” or “wave engine” are used synonymously. It is understood that a pulsejet or pulse jet engine is a pulse combustor that is used for thrust production. It is also understood that wave engines are a class or family of engines, within which a type of engine is a pulsejet engine. 
     Pulse combustors, particularly when used as thrust-producing devices, i.e., as pulsejets, can encounter operational challenges with forward airspeed. One challenge is to make use of the dynamic pressure, or ram pressure, of the oncoming airstream, which can be difficult because of the rearward orientation of the inlet pipe. Another possible challenge is the ingestion of air because it has to be turned 180° in order to enter the inlet pipe. This can be seen with respect to the prior art pulse combustor that is shown in  FIG.  1   . 
     Generally, at  10 ,  FIG.  1    shows a representative side view of a prior art pulse combustor. Preferably, pulse combustor  10  includes inlet pipe  12  connected to one open end of combustion chamber  14 . The other open end of combustion chamber  14  is connected to exhaust pipe  16 . Although not shown, it is understood that pulse combustor includes one or more fuel injectors that inject fuel into the inlet pipe  12  or directly into combustion chamber  14  for mixing with the air ingested through inlet pipe  12  to form the fuel/air mixture for combustion in combustion chamber  14 . Further, pulse combustor  10  includes a spark plug or other ignition device (e.g., glow plug) (not shown) for igniting the fuel/air mixture in combustion chamber  14 . These latter two components are known in the art. 
       FIG.  2    shows a representative side view of an embodiment of the present invention that shows U-shape pulse combustor  10  with ram air intake assembly  20  attached thereto. Ram air intake assembly  20  at least includes diffuser duct  22 , intake plenum  24 , and inlet-side augmenter  26 . When ram air intake assembly  20  is attached to the pulse combustor  10 , inlet pipe  12  will be disposed in intake plenum  24 . Diffuser intake  22  has a front and that is open to the atmosphere and a second end opens to intake plenum  24  substantially near the open end of inlet pipe  12 . Inlet-side augmenter  26  has its proximal end in fluid communication with the distal end of intake plenum  24 , and distal end open to the atmosphere. 
     Referring now to  FIGS.  2 - 4   , the U-shape pulse combustor of the present invention with the ram air intake assembly is shown that addresses the aforementioned challenges. According to these Figures, diffuser duct  22  is divergent from its front end open to ram air rearward to where it connects to inlet plenum  24 . This is so it will function as an aerodynamic diffuser. As such, diffuser duct  22  accepts ram air from the oncoming airstream/freestream and expands its cross-sectional flow area, thereby reducing its velocity and increasing its pressure, that is the air’s “static pressure” as one skilled in the art would understand. Thereafter, diffuser duct  22  has the ability to turn the air flow towards inlet pipe  12  as the diffuser duct  22  releases the air into inlet plenum  24 . 
     Preferably, diffuser duct  22  carries out at least two functions: it reduces the air speed and raises the air pressure. The higher air pressure (‘static pressure’) assists the ingestion of air by pulse combustor  10  via the inlet pipe  12 . This is accomplished by the diffuser duct providing a higher driving pressure difference across inlet pipe  12  during an intake event, and also by raising the air density of the ingested volume of air. The lower velocity of the air processed by the diffuser duct also assists air ingestion in inlet pipe  12  by necessitating a smaller amount of air acceleration for its ingestion. 
     In the operation of the system shown in  FIGS.  2 - 4   , after air ingestion by pulse combustor  10  via inlet pipe  12 , the air is mixed with injected fuel and combusted to produce high pressure within combustion chamber  14  and the subsequent ejection of hot gases from inlet pipe  12  and exhaust pipe  16 . The ejected hot gases produce thrust for propelling, for example, an air vehicle. 
     According to the present invention, the ejected hot gas jet from the inlet pipe  12  mixes with air present in inlet plenum  24  and the gases are then expelled (accelerated) out of the system of the present invention via inlet-side augmenter  26 . As shown more clearly in  FIG.  3   , the walls of inlet-side augmenter  26  are divergent and airfoil-shaped to ease expansion and acceleration of gases as they are ejected. In this manner, inlet-side augmenter  26  functions as an “ejector nozzle.” As such, it increases the amount of air moved by the propulsion system of the present invention, which includes pulse combustor  10  and ram air intake  20 , and, therefore increases thrust. 
     For starting of pulse combustors, it is often necessary to blow or force air into the pulse combustor through the inlet pipe while injecting fuel and then providing an ignition source, e.g., a spark plug spark, to ignite the fuel/air mixture to produce the initial combustion event(s) that subsequently lead to self-sustaining engine operation. This starting air can be drawn from a mechanical blower or compressed air source, but either usually necessitates an additional heavy and/or complex apparatus, which is undesirable for an air vehicle. 
     An embodiment of the present invention that is shown in  FIG.  5    addresses this issue by allowing starting air to be drawn from ram air for an engine (vehicle) in motion, such as, an air vehicle in a dive. Referring to  FIG.  5   , an adjustable starting baffle  32  is disposed within inlet-side augmenter  26 . The baffle can be positioned within inlet-side augmenter  26  to substantially allow full flow through the augmenter or restrict to a desired degree. When the baffle is deployed to restrict air flow through inlet-side augmenter  26  to a desired degree with the air vehicle having forward air speed, ram air is forced into diffuser duct  22  and inlet plenum  24 . Under these conditions, a relatively large volume of ram air will be forced to vent to the atmosphere through inlet pipe  12 , combustion chamber  14 , and exhaust pipe  16 . As the ram air is forced into inlet pipe  12 , fuel can be injected and an ignition source can be activated, to start pulse combustor  10 . Once pulse combustor  10  has achieved resonant, self-sustaining operation, starting baffle  32  can be retracted or folded to permit unimpeded airflow through inlet-side augmenter  26  and nominal propulsion system operation. 
     Another embodiment of the present invention that is capable of achieving ram air starting is shown in  FIG.  6   . Referring to  FIG.  6   , the distal end of inlet-side augmenter  26  has starting drogue  34  disposed there. The drogue is an axisymmetric baffle that is capable of limiting airflow through inlet-side augmenter  26  and forcing ram air through inlet pipe  12  for starting pulse combustor  10 . Once pulse combustor  10  has started, starting drogue  34  can be folded or jettisoned to allow for unimpeded airflow through inlet-side augmenter  26  and nominal propulsion system operation. 
     Pulse combustor  10  of the present invention that includes ram air intake  20  can be integrated into a flight vehicle or air vehicle in variety of ways. For example, as shown in  FIG.  7   , diffuser duct  22  can open on top of airframe  42 . In this example, airframe  42  also hosts a cooling air intake  44 , in which a small amount of freestream air enters into airframe  42  around pulse combustor  10  for cooling purposes. This arrangement may also be vertically flipped, i.e., the engine may be placed “upside down” with inlet pipe  12  at the bottom (ground-facing side) and exhaust pipe  16  at the top (sky-facing side) of the airframe. In this manner, diffuser duct  22  can be situated at the bottom side of an air vehicle. Diffuser duct  22  can also be in the form of “gills” or side-oriented scoops to channel the oncoming air into inlet plenum  24 . These alternative configurations are part of the present invention. 
     The described embodiments of the present invention in this Specification are meant to be representative of the use of a diffuser duct, augmenter and baffle with a U-shaped pulsejet engine. However, someone of ordinary skill in the art would understand other embodiments are possible that will be within the scope of the present invention. Accordingly, what is described in this Specification is meant for purposes of description, not limitation.