United Technologies Corporation

The United States of America As Represented by the United States

Charles Edward Kepler

Louis J Spadaccini

Raymond L DeBlois

Frank R Biancardi

Torger J Anderson

Gorken Melikian

Abraham M Landerman

James W Sitler

Maurice D Meader

A jet engine designed to power a supersonic airplane throughout a range of speeds from subsonic to high supersonic includes a housing which bounds an internal passage having in succession a fixed-area inlet section, a diverging passage section, a mixing section, a combustion section, and an outlet section. A fan rotor rotates in the inlet section and includes a plurality of rotor blade members. The housing includes a main body and at least one flap which is movable between one end position in which it externally bounds a portion of the diverging passage section and another end position in which it externally delimits a diverging discharge passage connecting the diverging passage section with the exterior of the housing. The cross-sectional area of the outlet section is adjustable. The rotor is driven in rotation by a fuel/oxygen powered turbine the outlet of which communicates with the mixing section, but the driving action of the turbine is discontinued at actual supersonic velocities exceeding a predetermined supersonic velocity. The pitch of at least one element of each of the rotor blade members is adjustable.

Air turbo-ramjet engine

A supersonic combustion ram cannon (1) includes a conical projectile (8) with a flat base (9) which produces a subsonic wake (12) as it flies through a barrel (2). The projectile is configured to avoid a normal shock, relying instead on supersonic compression, combustion and gas expansion. The supersonic combustion of a fuel-oxidizer mixture around the tail of the subsonic wake, pressurizes the wake and drives the projectile forward. By utilizing wake stabilized supersonic combustion, the compression and combustion pressures can be matched to the limiting barrel working pressure, thereby providing for optimum thrust and maximum projectile acceleration.

Wake stabilized supersonic combustion ram cannon

The turbocompressor comprises a power turbine (14) and a compressor turbine (16) having respective rotors (18) and (20) on a common shaft (22), rotatably supported by bearings (26) and (28). A first working fluid is supplied by a power loop (32) and is expanded in the turbine (14). A second working fluid is compressed in the turbine (16) and is circulated in a heat pump loop (70). A lubricant is mixed with the second working fluid but is excluded from the first working fluid. Bearings (26) and (28) are cooled and lubricated by a system which circulates the second working fluid and the intermixed lubricant through the bearings (26) and (28). Such system includes a pump (126), a thermostatic expansion valve (150) for expanding the working fluid into the space (152) between the bearings (26) and (28), and a return conduit system (154, 156, 158) for withdrawing the expanded working fluid after it passes through the bearings and for returning the working fluid to the evaporator (82). A shaft seal (30) excludes the lubricant from the power turbine (14). The power loop (32) includes a float (208) operable by liquid working fluid in the condenser (46) for controlling a recirculation valve (206) so as to maintain a minimum liquid level in the condenser, while causing a feed pump (48) to pump most of the working fluid into the vapor generator (34). The heat pump compressor loop (70) includes a float (222) in the condenser (78) for operating an expansion valve (88) to maintain a minimum liquid working fluid level in the condenser (78) while causing most of the working fluid to be expanded into the evaporator (82).

Solar-powered turbocompressor heat pump system

A variable-geometry ramjet engine, capable of operation over the Mach 3 to 12 speed range, is provided by disposing a movable cowl around a centerbody. The engine is axisymmetric and features a translatable cowl which slides relative to the centerbody on circumferentially spaced radially extending support struts. Forward translation of the cowl provides a variable inlet area resulting in higher compression at the high Mach numbers than is possible with a fixed-geometry configuration. Rearward cowl translation increases the combustor length and combustor area ratio at the low flight Mach numbers to improve low-speed combustion characteristics. Cowl translation changes the nozzle area ratio to provide a large expansion ratio at high flight speeds and a low expansion ratio at the low flight speeds.

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East Hartford, CT, United States of America

Charles Edward Kepler