PULSE DETONATION DRIVE

Abstract

A device for the repeated production of explosions includes an explosion space, a feed conduit for feeding a flowable, explosive material, a discharge opening for the directed discharge of a gas pressure produced by the ignition of the explosive material in the explosion space, and a movable closure element for the partial or complete closure of the discharge opening. The device includes an exit nozzle with a nozzle entry area and a nozzle exit area, as well as an actuation device. The actuation device is adapted, after an opening of the discharge opening and an outflow of explosion gases through the exit nozzle, to adjust an area ratio between the nozzle entry area and the nozzle exit area. The area ratio at least approximately follows an ideal area ratio for the production of a maximal exit speed of the explosion gases, in dependence on the pressure in the explosion space.

Claims

1. A device for the repeated production of explosions for the propulsion of an aircraft, comprising an explosion space, a feed conduit for feeding a flowable, explosive material, a discharge opening for the directed discharge of a gas pressure produced by the ignition of the explosive material in the explosion space, and a movable closure element for the partial or complete closure of the discharge opening, wherein the device comprises an exit nozzle with a nozzle entry area and a nozzle exit area, as well as an actuation device that is designed, after an opening of the discharge opening and an outflow of explosion gases through the exit nozzle, to adjust an area ratio between the nozzle entry area and the nozzle exit area, said area ratio at least approximately following an ideal area ratio for the production of a maximal exit speed of the explosion gases, in dependence on the pressure in the explosion space.

2. The device according to claim 1, further comprising a control valve for the variation of the nozzle entry area, and the actuation device is a control valve drive that controls a movement of the control valve for adjusting the nozzle entry area at least approximately in accordance with the ideal area ratio.

3. The device according to claim 2, wherein the control valve comprises a control valve needle, and the nozzle entry area is determined by the position of the control valve needle with respect to the discharge opening.

4. The device according to claim 3, wherein the control valve needle has an outer contour that tapers to a valve tip and has an at least approximate conical outer contour.

5. The device according to claim 2, wherein the control valve and a valve seat form a convergent-divergent part of the exit nozzle.

6. The device according to claim 2, wherein the actuation device comprises a drive means for the driving an opening movement of the control valve, said drive means comprising an auxiliary explosion device, in which an auxiliary explosion produces a force that assists the opening movement.

7. The device according to claim 2, wherein the actuation device comprises a braking means for delaying an opening movement of the control valve, said braking means comprising a gas pressure spring or a cam shaft or the gas pressure spring in combination with the cam shaft.

8. The device according to claim 1, wherein the closure element is configured to temporarily completely close the discharge opening.

9. The device according to claim 2, wherein the control valve acts as a closure element for the partial or complete closure of the discharge opening.

10. The device according to claim 1, wherein a closure valve acts in addition to the control valve and which, as a closure element, acts for the partial or complete closure of the discharge opening.

11. The device according to claim 10, wherein the control valve and the closure valve are arranged concentrically to one another.

12. A method for the repeated production of explosions, with the repeated implementation of the following steps: feeding a flowable, explosive material into an explosion space, wherein a discharge opening of the explosion space is at least partly closed by way of a movable closure element, and producing an overpressure in the explosion space with respect to an ambient pressure; opening the discharge opening; igniting the explosive material in the explosion space; discharging explosion gases through the discharge opening and an exit nozzle; adjusting an area ratio between the nozzle entry area and the nozzle exit area, of the exit nozzle, said area ratio at least approximately following an ideal area ratio for the production of a maximal exit speed of the explosion gases, in dependence on the dropping pressure in the explosion space; at least partially closing the discharge opening by way of the movable closure element.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the step of adjusting the area ratio is effected by way of a control valve, which varies a nozzle entry area of the exit nozzle.

14. The method according to claim 12, wherein the step of the opening of the discharge opening takes place before the step of the ignition.

15. The method according to claim 12, wherein the ignition of the explosive material in the explosion space is effected by way of leading an explosion out of an auxiliary explosion device through a conduit to the explosion space.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0063] The subject-matter of the invention is explained in more detail by way of preferred embodiment examples, which are represented in the accompanying drawing. Represented schematically are:

[0064] FIG. 1 an embodiment with a combined closure valve and control valve;

[0065] FIG. 2 an embodiment with a separate closure valve and control valve;

[0066] FIG. 3 a pressure in an explosion chamber over the course of time, and an ideal area ratio which results therefrom; and

[0067] FIG. 4 by way of example, an inner construction of a control valve drive or closure valve drive.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0068] Basically, the same or equally acting parts, in the drawings are provided with the same reference numerals.

[0069] FIG. 1 shows a device for the repeated production of explosions: an explosion space 11 is fillable via a feed conduit 16 with a filling valve 18, with a flowable, explosive material, for example an explosive gas mixture. The material can be ignited and be made to explode by an ignition device 19, for example a spark plug. In another embodiment, the material in the explosion space 11 is ignited via a conduit or delay conduit 232, which is likewise filled with explosive material, by way of an explosion departing from an auxiliary explosion chamber of an auxiliary explosion device 231 and being led through the delay conduit 232.

[0070] An exit of the explosion space 11 leads through a discharge opening 17 and an exit nozzle 15. The exit nozzle 15 is a Laval nozzle with a convergent nozzle section 151, an adjustable, divergent nozzle section 152 and a fixed, divergent nozzle section 153. The adjustability of the adjustable, divergent nozzle section 152 is realised by an axially (thus along a longitudinal axis of the exit nozzle 15) adjustable control valve 21 with a control valve needle 22. The control valve needle 22 is arranged in the region of the adjustable, divergent nozzle section 152 and is designed per se in a tapering manner, for example in a conical manner. The nozzle area in the region of the control valve needle 22 increases in the direction of the nozzle exit area 14 on account of this, corresponding to the reduction of a cross section of the control valve needle 22. In a closed condition of the control valve 21, the control valve 21 on a valve seat 12 completely or at least approximately completely closes the discharge opening 17. The control valve 21 can therefore also serve as a closure valve.

[0071] With a movement of the control valve needle 22 away from the nozzle exit area 14, the cross section of the nozzle increases over time at every location of the adjustable, divergent nozzle section 152 and in the region of the discharge opening 17. It is particularly a nozzle neck area or nozzle entry area 13 in the region of the discharge opening 17 that increases over time.

[0072] The control valve 21 seals off the explosion space 11 with respect to the exit nozzle 15 during the filling of the explosion space 11 with explosive mixture of an oxidiser and fuel. An overpressure can be produced by way of this, with which in turn a high explosion pressure can be produced.

[0073] FIG. 2 shows an embodiment with a separate closure valve 31 and control valve 21. The remaining elements are the same as with FIG. 1. This variant is useful if the closure valve 31 is to be moved independently of the Laval valve or control valve 21, in a very rapid manner. This is particularly the case if the control valve 21 is driven with the help of an auxiliary explosion device 231, as is described in EP 2 319 036 A2 for example. The closure valve 31 can be moved separately from the control valve 21. A closure valve drive 33 of the closure valve 31 can be designed analogously to one of the possible control valve drives 23. The two drives 23, 33 are synchronised with one another and with a timing of the explosions in the explosion space 11.

[0074] The closure valve 31 closes the discharge opening 17 on a closure valve annular surface 32.

[0075] With the closure valve 31, it possible to ensure that only a small amount of gas escapes through the exit nozzle 15, on account of a rapid opening before the ignition of the main explosion. A difficulty that occurs in the case of a combined closure and control valve is solved by way of this: with such a valve, according to a variant of the operating method, the valve should firstly be closed in a complete and sealed manner, and should then open very rapidly, until the optimal nozzle entry area 12 is present with the explosion, and should then follow the idea area ratio in a relatively slow manner by way of enlarging the nozzle entry area 13, and finally close very rapidly again.

[0076] The control valve 21 on ignition, for example, can already be opened somewhat due to the separation of the closure function from the control function, on account of the separate closure valve 31 and the separate movability of the two valves, and does not therefore have to be moved in a particularly rapid manner prior to this, and be braked to the slower movement for following the ideal area ratio. In turn, the closure valve 31 can be opened very rapidly, in particular by way of the drive by way of an auxiliary explosion.

[0077] The drive of the control valve drive 23 and/or of the closure valve drive 33 can be effected by any type of force, thus for example pneumatically, hydraulically, by way of a crank drive or a cam drive or with an (auxiliary) explosion drive, as described in EP 2 319 036 A2. Several drive principles can also be combined with one another, as is represented by way of example in FIG. 4: thus an (auxiliary) explosion drive 231 with an auxiliary ignition device 235, for example a spark plug, and with an auxiliary explosion chamber 236 can be used for the initial acceleration of the control valve 21 on opening (The explosion is led to the explosion space 11 by the delay conduit 232). A cam drive or a cam shaft 234 or a crank drive can then be used for braking and/or for the control of the speed of the control valve 21. The movement of the cam shaft can be stabilised with a separate drive, for example electrically or pneumatically or hydraulically, etc. and/or be stabilised by a flywheel. A gas pressure spring 233 can moreover be applied for braking the movement of the control valve 21. Thereby, the cam drive 234 or the crank drive can be arranged mechanically in parallel (as drawn in the figure) or in series with the gas pressure spring 233.

[0078] The device according to the FIG. 1 or 2 can be operated in the following manner: [0079] 1. Filling the explosion space 11 with the explosive material, for example with a mixture of an oxidiser and a fuel. The control valve 21 or the closure valve 31, if present, is closed in this position, and one or more filling valves 18 are opened. If air is used as an oxidiser, then this can originate from the compressor of a gas turbine, an accumulator device or any other assembly creating a pressure. It is also conceivable for the ram pressure of an aircraft to compact the air. Pure oxygen can originate from a pressure tank in the case that this is applied. [0080] 2. The filling valve or valves 18 are closed shortly before the ignition of the explosion in the explosion space 11, and the control valve 21 can be opened to such an extent that the area ratio between the nozzle end and the nozzle neck corresponds to an ideal area ratio at the pressure before the ignition. [0081] 3. Igniting the explosive material. The closure valve 31, if present, is opened, otherwise the control valve 21 is opened. The high explosion temperature can render it necessary for the respective valve to be somewhat opened even before the ignition of the explosion. The outflow of the combustion gases begins, and the pressure in the explosion space 11 drops. After the ignition, the nozzle neck cross section or the nozzle entry area 13, over time and with a reducing pressure in the explosion space 11, is adjusted at least approximately according to the ideal area ratio , in accordance with a cross-sectional contour or a contour of the control valve needle 22, by way of a valve path, thus by way of displacing the control valve 21 in the axial direction with respect to the exit nozzle 15. The combustion gases are accelerated in the nozzle neck up to the speed of sound and subsequently in the divergent nozzle part accelerated further up to the maximal achievable supersonic speed. The control valve 21 is opened further in a continuous manner, until the nozzle entry area 13 is completely released and the minimal area ratio is reached and the explosion space 11 has been largely emptied. [0082] 4. The control valve 21 or the closure valve 31 is closed when the pressure ratio of the ambient pressure and the combustion chamber pressure has dropped below the critical pressure ratio, and the device is ready for the next cycle.