Patent ID: 6968695

Claim:
A ramjet powered device comprising a ramjet engine that includes a combustor and a swirl generator, the combustor having an inlet, the swirl generator being coupled to the inlet of the combustor and operable for converting an oxidizer flow into a three-dimensional flowfield that includes a substantial tangential velocity component, the swirl generator including a flow defining means and a fueling means, the flow defining means being operable for effecting both an outer recirculation zone and a central recirculation zone in the combustor, the outer recirculation zone being toroidal in shape, the central recirculation zone being disposed inwardly of the outer recirculation zone, the fueling means being operable for fueling the outer and central recirculation zones; wherein heat and combustion by-products produced during combustion are carried upstream by the outer and central recirculation zones where the heat and combustion by-products are employed to continuously ignite a combustible fuel/oxidizer mixture in a shear layer adjacent each of the outer and central recirculation zones, which accelerate propagation of the flame into and throughout the core flowfield.