Abstract
A turbine engine system utilizes one or more augmented combustion modules to produce an exhaust that is fed into the turbine portion of the engine and wherein power is produced by the augmented combustion module for use to drive the main shaft and/or for auxiliary purposes. An augmented combustion module is configured between the compressor and the turbine of the engine and receives compressed air from the compressor and ignites an air/fuel-mixture to turn a shaft that can be used to produce power. The shaft may be coupled with an electrical power generator, a pump, a hydraulic or pneumatic power generator and/or power conversion or transmission devices and/or coupled with the main shaft of the turbine engine. The power from a power generator may be stored in a battery, hydraulic accumulator or pneumatic accumulator and may be used to power auxiliary electrical, hydraulic or pneumatic devices.
Claims
1. A method of producing power from a turbine engine system comprising: a) providing said turbine engine system comprising: i) a turbine engine comprising: an inlet fan; an air inlet to said inlet fan; a compressor; a main shaft; a motor configured to drive the main shaft; a turbine coupled to the main shaft and configured to drive the main shaft; ii) a plurality of augmented combustion modules that each are a rotary engine configured between the compressor and the turbine and arrayed circumferentially around the main shaft, and comprising: a rotor; a shaft; a dynamic intake chamber; a dynamic compression chamber; a dynamic combustion chamber; an ignitor; an exhaust chamber; a housing configured around the rotor, the dynamic intake chamber, the dynamic compression chamber, the dynamic combustion chamber and the exhaust chamber; and wherein rotation of the rotor within the housing forms said dynamic intake chamber, said dynamic compression chamber and said dynamic combustion chamber; iii) a plurality of electrical power generators, wherein each of the plurality of augmented combustion modules is coupled with one of the plurality of electrical power generators by the shaft; iv) an auxiliary electrical device; b) powering the main shaft to turn the inlet fan for thrust and to draw air into the compressor to produce compressed air; c) injecting fuel to produce a fuel mixture of said compressed air and fuel; d) flowing the fuel mixture in said augmented combustion module; e) combusting the fuel mixture within said augmented combustion module; wherein the exhaust from said augmented combustion module flows through the turbine to produce thrust or drive the main shaft or both produce thrust and drive the main shaft; f) producing electrical power by the plurality of electrical power generators driven by the plurality of augmented combustion modules; and g) supplying said electrical power to said auxiliary electrical device.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein the turbine engine is coupled with an aircraft and wherein the auxiliary electrical device is configured within the aircraft.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of augmented combustion modules are arrayed circumferentially around the main shaft.
4. The method of claim 3, wherein the plurality of augmented combustion modules includes three or more augmented combustion modules.
5. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of augmented combustion modules are arrayed circumferentially around the main shaft and wherein the each of said plurality of augmented combustion modules is coupled to a power generator.
6. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of augmented combustion modules comprises a rotary engine and wherein the rotary engine outputs torque that drives the shaft and wherein said shaft is coupled with the main shaft to drive the main shaft.
7. (canceled)
8. The method of claim 2, where each of the plurality of augmented combustion modules is coupled to the same power generator.
9. The method of claim 7, wherein the power generator produces pressurized fluid.
10. (canceled)
11. (canceled)
12. The method of claim 1, wherein the turbine engine system is coupled with an aircraft.
13. The method of claim 1, wherein the turbine engine system is coupled with a vehicle and wherein the auxiliary electrical device is configured within the vehicle.
14. The method of claim 13, wherein the vehicle is an aircraft.
15. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of augmented combustion modules further comprises a fuel injector to inject said fuel to produce a stoichiometric mixture ratio with said compressed air.
16. (canceled)
17. The method of claim 15, wherein the fuel is diesel fuel and wherein the stoichiometric mixture ratio is substantially 14.5:1.
18. The method of claim 15, wherein the fuel is gasoline fuel and wherein the stoichiometric mixture ratio is substantially 15:1.
19. The method of claim 15, wherein the fuel comprises gaseous fuel.
20. The method of claim 19, wherein the gaseous fuel comprises hydrogen.
21. The method of claim 19, wherein the fuel is hydrogen and wherein the stoichiometric mixture ratio is substantially 34.5:1.
22. The method of claim 19, wherein the gaseous fuel comprises methane.
23. The method of claim 19, wherein the fuel is methane and wherein the stoichiometric mixture ratio is substantially 10.4:1.
24. The method of claim 15, wherein the fuel comprises liquid JP type-kerosene turbine fuels and wherein the stoichiometric mixture ratio is substantially 14.5:1.
25. The method of claim 1, wherein the augmented combustion module further comprises an induction air intercooler, to maintain the augmented combustion module below a temperature limit.
26. The method of claim 1, wherein the augmented combustion module is a rotary engine.
27. The method of claim 26, wherein the augmented combustion module is a Wankel engine.
28. (canceled)
29. The method of claim 1, wherein the augmented combustion module is a piston engine.
30. The method of claim 27, wherein the Wankel engine comprises said dynamic intake chamber and a fuel injector configured to inject fuel into said intake chamber.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS
[0018] The accompanying drawings are included to provide a further understanding of the invention and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention, and together with the description serve to explain the principles of the invention.
[0019] FIG. 1 shows a side cross-sectional view of an exemplary turbine engine system comprising a plurality of augmented combustion modules configured between the compressor and the turbine portions of the turbine engine.
[0020] FIG. 2 shows a front view of an exemplary turbine engine system comprising a plurality of augmented combustion modules configured in an array circumferentially around the turbine engine.
[0021] FIG. 3 shows a side view of an exemplary augmented combustion module coupled to a power generator, a generator that is coupled with an auxiliary electrical device, a battery.
[0022] FIG. 4 shows a side view of an exemplary augmented combustion module coupled with a power generator, a power coupler that is coupled with the main shaft to drive the main shaft.
[0023] FIG. 5 shows a side view of an exemplary augmented combustion module coupled to a power generator, a compressor, by a power coupler, via a pair of gears.
[0024] FIG. 6 shows a side cross-sectional view of an exemplary turbine engine system comprising a plurality of augmented combustion modules configured between the compressor and the turbine portions of the turbine engine and the fan located at the back of the turbine engine.
[0025] FIG. 7 shows an exemplary augmented combustion module, a Wankel engine having an eccentric shaft coupled with a rotor to form an intake chamber, a compression chamber, a combustion chamber and an exhaust chamber.
[0026] FIG. 8 shows a Temperature-Entropy (T-S) turbine cycle diagrams for an ideal conventional turbine, a real cycle of a turbine and a turbine having an augmented combustion module cycle.
[0027] FIG. 9 shows a cross-sectional view of an exemplary turbine engine system coupled to a propeller and comprising a compressor, a plurality of augmented combustion modules and a turbine.
[0028] FIG. 10 shows cross-sectional diagrams of a four-stroke engine as it moves through intake, compression, power and exhaust cycles; a four-stroke engine may be utilized as an augmented combustion module.
[0029] FIG. 11 shows a cross-sectional diagram of an exemplary two-stroke engine employing loop scavenging that may be utilized as an augmented combustion module.
[0030] FIG. 12 shows a cross-sectional diagram of an exemplary two-stroke engine employing uniflow scavenging with valves that may be utilized as an augmented combustion module.
[0031] FIG. 13 shows a cross-sectional diagram of an exemplary two-stroke engine employing uniflow scavenging with two pistons per cylinder that may be utilized as an augmented combustion module.
[0032] FIG. 14 shows a bar chart of sea level rated take-off main shaft power produced by conventional turbine engines, a turbine engine having augmented combustion modules, as described herein, and a turbine engine having augmented combustion modules configured with an intercooler as described herein.
[0033] FIG. 15 shows a bar chart of brake specific fuel consumption at sea level for conventional turbine engines, a turbine engine having augmented combustion modules, as described herein, and a turbine engine having augmented combustion modules configured with an intercooler, as described herein.
[0034] FIG. 16 shows a bar chart of the improvements in performance realized using an augmented combustion module with a turbine engine.
[0035] Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views of the figures. The figures represent an illustration of some of the embodiments of the present invention and are not to be construed as limiting the scope of the invention in any manner. Further, the figures are not necessarily to scale, some features may be exaggerated to show details of particular components. Therefore, specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATED EMBODIMENTS
[0036] As used herein, the terms “comprises,” “comprising,” “includes,” “including,” “has,” “having” or any other variation thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion. For example, a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements is not necessarily limited to only those elements but may include other elements not expressly listed or inherent to such process, method, article, or apparatus. Also, use of “a” or “an” are employed to describe elements and components described herein. This is done merely for convenience and to give a general sense of the scope of the invention. This description should be read to include one or at least one and the singular also includes the plural unless it is obvious that it is meant otherwise.
[0037] Certain exemplary embodiments of the present invention are described herein and are illustrated in the accompanying figures. The embodiments described are only for purposes of illustrating the present invention and should not be interpreted as limiting the scope of the invention. Other embodiments of the invention, and certain modifications, combinations and improvements of the described embodiments, will occur to those skilled in the art and all such alternate embodiments, combinations, modifications, improvements are within the scope of the present invention.
[0038] As shown in FIG. 1, an exemplary turbine engine system 10 comprises a plurality of augmented combustion modules 70, 70′ configured between the high pressure compressor 42 and the turbine 50 portions of the turbine engine 30. A low pressure compressor 40 may be configured more proximal to the intake 32 than the high pressure compressor. The turbine engine has a fan 60 with fan blades 62 coupled to the main shaft 35 and configured to rotate to draw air into the intake 32 and provide thrust. A motor 38 may drive the fan 60, at least initially, to draw air into the turbine. The air is compressed by the compressors and then enters into the inlet 72 of the augmented combustion module 70, where the compressed air and fuel is further compressed and then combusted to drive a shaft of the augmented combustion module to produce power, such as electrical power, hydraulic power or pneumatic power. The combusted air and fuel exhaust through the outlet 79 of the augmented combustion module and enter into the turbine 50, where additional power is produced by the turbine blades 52 driving a main shaft. The combusted air and fuel then exit the turbine engine through an outlet 39 in the turbine housing 31. The shaft 80 of the augmented combustion module may be coupled with a power generator 90 to produce power. A compressor may include a low-pressure compressor 40 and a high-pressure compressor 42. An intercooler 36 may be configured to reduce air temperature entering the augmented combustion module, to improve efficiency of the augmented combustion module and the turbine engine system 10.
[0039] As shown in FIG. 2, an exemplary turbine engine system 10 comprises a plurality of augmented combustion modules 70, 70′ arrayed about the main shaft 35, or configured in a circumferential array around the turbine engine 30. There are six pairs of augmented combustion modules, wherein each are coupled with a common power generator 90. The twelve augmented combustion modules are configured about 30 degrees from each other circumferentially about the main shaft. A first augmented combustion module 70 is configured at an offset angle 87 from a second augmented combustion module 70′. The augmented combustion modules are coupled with a power generator 90, by the shaft 80. The fan 60 and fan blades 62 are shown configured about the main shaft 35.
[0040] Referring now to FIGS. 3 to 5, an exemplary augmented combustion module 70 is coupled to a power generator 90 to produce and/or store power from the augmented combustion modules. As shown in FIG. 3, an augmented combustion module 70 is coupled to an electrical generator 93 that produces electrical power. The generator is coupled with an auxiliary electrical device 98, a battery 99, but may be coupled directly with an auxiliary electrical device, such as a device on the vehicle or an electric motor on the main shaft. The shaft 80 of the augmented combustion module is coupled with the power generator 90 to produce power. The shaft 80 has a coupled end 82, coupled with the augmented combustion module, and a power generation end 84 coupled with the power generator 90.
[0041] As shown in FIG. 4, an exemplary augmented combustion module 70 is coupled with a power generator 90′, a power coupler 96 that produces torque, such as torque to drive a main shaft 35. The power coupler in this embodiment may comprise a transmission employing a gear 95 or a plurality of gears and this power coupler may be engaged and disengaged with the main shaft as required. Also, the augmented combustion module 70 is coupled to a second power generator 90, an electrical power generator 93 that produces electrical power by shaft 80. The electrical generator is coupled with an auxiliary electrical device 98, a battery 99, but may be coupled directly with an auxiliary electrical device, such as a device on the vehicle. The shafts 80, 80′ extend from either side of the augmented combustion module and are coupled with two power generators 90, 90′ in this embodiment.
[0042] As shown in FIG. 5, an exemplary augmented combustion module 70 is coupled to a power generator 90′, a compressor 94, by a power coupler 96, a pair of gears 95, 95′. Also, the augmented combustion module 70 is coupled to an electrical power generator 93 that produces electrical power. The shafts 80, 80′ extend from either side of the augmented combustion module and are coupled with two power generators 90, 90′ in this embodiment.
[0043] As shown in FIG. 6, an exemplary turbine engine system 16 comprises a plurality of augmented combustion modules 70, 70′ configured between the compressor 40 and the turbine portion 50 of the turbine engine 306. In this embodiment, the fan 606, having fan blades 626, is located at the back of the turbine engine, or downstream of the augmented combustion modules 70, 70′. Note that a turbine engine may have any number of fans including a fan on the front and/or on the back of the turbine.
[0044] As shown in FIG. 7, an exemplary augmented combustion module 70 is a rotary engine 88, such as a Wankel engine 89 having an eccentric shaft 80 coupled with a rotor 78 to form an intake chamber 73 which may also act as a compression chamber, a combustion chamber 76 and an exhaust chamber 77. The Wankel engine has an eccentric shaft 80 that is coupled to the rotor by the pinion 81 and a crown gear 85. The rotor forms dynamic chambers within the housing 71 during rotation. The air enters the inlet 72 and flows into the intake chamber 73, where it is compressed. Some fuel may be injected by a fuel injector 74′, before the final fuel injection by the fuel injector 74 and combusted by the ignitor 75 in the combustion chamber 76. The combusted fuel drives the rotor and the eccentric shaft to the exhaust chamber 77. The combusted fuel exits the engine through the outlet 79. As described herein, the exhaust flows to the turbine to drive the turbine and the main shaft connected thereto.
[0045] As shown in FIG. 7, the Wankel rotary engine has two fuel injectors, a first fuel injector 74′ that introduces fuel into the intake chamber that upon rotation of the rotor becomes a compression chamber 69. A second fuel injector 74 introduces a second amount of fuel into the combustion chamber 76 before the ignitor 75 ignites the fuel. This amount of fuel injected by the first fuel injector may be effectively low to prevent combustion of this fuel before the ignitor ignites the fuel.
[0046] FIG. 8, shows a Temperature-Entropy (T-S) turbine cycle diagram for an ideal conventional turbine, a real cycle of a turbine and a turbine having an augmented combustion module cycle. The turbine engine operates on the Brayton thermodynamic cycle. Using the turbine engine station numbering system, shown on FIG. 8, airflow free stream conditions are represented at station 1. The airflow is compressed by the compressor and in the case of an aircraft application, also by the energy associated with the aircraft velocity which increases the static pressure of the air at station 2. Ideally, the compression is isentropic and the static temperature is also increased as shown on the plot at station 2. The compressor does work on the gas and increases the pressure and temperature isentropically as represented by the ideal cycle. The real cycle shows that the compression is not ideally isentropic, resulting in a path line from station 1 to station 2′ that slopes to the right because of the increase in entropy of the flow, with a higher final compression temperature as shown at station 2′. The combustion process occurs at constant pressure from station 2 to station 3 in the ideal cycle, whereas the real cycle is shown from station 2′ to 3′. The temperature increase depends on the type of fuel used, the air-fuel ratio and the pressure ratio employed. The hot exhaust is then passed through the power turbine in which work is done by the flow from station 3 to station 4 in the ideal cycle, and 3′ to 4′ in the real cycle. The augmented combustion module performs a secondary compression process, shown by the path line extending from 2′ to 2.ACM′, thereby increasing the overall peak cycle pressure. The augmented combustion module will contribute a higher temperature and pressure output after combustion as shown as station 3.ACM′. The augmented combustion module extracts power through expansion from 3.ACM′ to 3′. Because the turbine and compressor are coupled to the same shaft, the work produced by the turbine is minimally equal to the work done by the compressor. The flow then is isentropically returned back to ambient pressure from station 3 to station 4 in the ideal cycle, and from station 3′ to station 4′ in the real cycle. Externally, the flow returns to ambient conditions which completes the cycle. The area contained within the T-S diagram is proportional to the useful work generated by the engine. As shown, more useful work can be produced with the augmented combustion module cycle than a real cycle from a conventional turbine system. Those skilled in the art will see the advantages through examination of the T-S diagram.
[0047] Referring now to FIG. 9, an exemplary turbine engine system comprises a low-pressure compressor 401, a high-pressure compressor 421 and a plurality of augmented combustion modules 70, 70′ located between the compressor and the turbine 501. The compressed air enters the augmented combustion modules is combusted and exits into the turbine to produce work. As shown in FIG. 9, the turbine engine system 20 is coupled with a propeller 66 having propeller blades 68 via gears 67.
[0048] FIG. 10 shows diagrams of a four-stroke engine 110 as it moves through intake, compression, power and exhaust cycles. A fuel mixture is drawn into the inlet chamber 73 through the inlet 72 and then compressed by the piston 112 as it moves up through the cylinder to form the compression chamber 76. The compressed fuel mixture is then ignited by an igniter 75, such as a spark plug. This forces the piston back down into the cylinder. The crankshaft 80 is driven to rotate as a result of this cycle. Note that a fuel mixture may ignite due to compression alone, such as in a diesel engine. A four-stroke engine 110 may be utilized as an augmented combustion module.
[0049] As shown in FIGS. 11 to 13, a two-stroke engine 100 has inlet ports 72 to receive scavenge air into the intake chamber 73, said scavenge air being provided by the turbine engine compressor(s). The piston 112 then moves up to compress the intake chamber to form a combustion chamber 76. The fuel injector 74 injects the fuel, wherein it ignites by compression ignition the compressed fuel mixture to force the piston down into the cylinder. Note that a fuel mixture may ignite due to compression alone, such as in a diesel engine. The crankshaft 80 is driven to rotate as a result of this cycle. Several different embodiments of the two-stroke engine are applicable with said embodiments comprising variations in cylinder scavenging arrangements. These arrangements may comprise loop scavenging 113, as shown in FIG. 11, uniflow scavenging employing valves 114, as shown in FIG. 12, or uniflow scavenging employing two pistons per cylinder 115, as shown in FIG. 13. A two-stroke engine 100, may be utilized as an augmented combustion module having a first piston 112 and a second piston 112′. Any other embodiment of two stroke cycle engines would also be applicable for use as an augmented combustion module.
[0050] Referring now to FIGS. 14 and 15, a turbine engine configured with augmented combustion modules has greatly improved performance over conventional turbine engines. FIG. 14 shows a bar chart of sea level rated take-off main shaft power produced by conventional turbine engines, a turbine engine having augmented combustion modules, as described herein, and a turbine engine having augmented combustion modules configured with an intercooler. While the turbine engine with augmented combustion modules produces about the same power as the conventional turbine engines, the turbine engine with augmented combustion modules that are intercooled produces much more power, about 20% more. Shown in FIG. 15 is a bar chart of the brake specific fuel consumption at sea level for conventional turbine engines, a turbine engine having augmented combustion modules, as described herein, and a turbine engine having augmented combustion modules configured with an intercooler. The intercooled ACM turbine engine has a 54% reduction in fuel consumption from turbine A and a 43% reduction from turbine B; while producing more power as shown in FIG. 14. The ACM turbine engine without intercooling has a 45% reduction in fuel consumption from turbine A and a 31% reduction from turbine B and produces about the same power as turbine A and B. The data used to produce this bar charts in provided in Table 1:
TABLE-US-00001 TABLE 1 Turbine Turbine ACM Engine ACM Engine Engine A Engine B Not Intercooled Intercooled SL Rated Power - TO, SHP 578 575 575 689 BSFC, lbm fuel/bhp hr 0.670 0.534 0.366 0.305 BSAC, lbm air/bhp hr 33.0 NA* 6.218 5.192 At 20,000 Ft Altitude - Power Available, SHP NA* NA* 299.5 361.4 BSFC, lbm fuel/bhp hr NA* NA* 0.349 0.289 BSAC, lbm air/bhp hr NA* NA* 5.937 4.920 *Not Available
[0051] Modeling software was developed to calculate the brake specific fuel consumption and brake specific air consumption of commercial turbine engine systems with and without augmented combustion modules. Engine A was a Pratt & Whitney PT6A-6 turboprop and engine B was a Garrett TPE331-43A turboprop. The modeling software accurately calculated the brake specific fuel consumption and brake specific air consumption with respect to factory values reported.
[0052] As shown in FIG. 16, the turbine engine with augmented combustion modules and an intercooler produced about 20% more power over Turbine Engine A and B, and had greatly improved brake specific fuel consumption (BSFC), 54% reduction over Engine A and 43% reduction over Engine B. The turbine engine with augmented combustion modules and an intercooler also had greatly improved brake specific air consumption over Engine A, with an 84% reduction. This percentage reduction in BSFC is calculated as (0.305 (BSFC of ACM)−0.670 (BSFC Engine A))/0.670 (BSFC Engine A)) for example, wherein the value is negative indicating a reduction.
[0053] It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications, combinations and variations can be made in the present invention without departing from the scope of the invention. Specific embodiments, features and elements described herein may be modified, and/or combined in any suitable manner. Thus, it is intended that the present invention cover the modifications, combinations and variations of this invention provided they come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.
