General Electric Company

Lawrence Butler

Kattalaicheri Srinivasan Venkataramani

Ching-Pang Lee

James Edward Johnson

Arthur P Adamson

Lawrence Wayne Dunbar

Harvey M Maclin

John Michael Koshoffer

Ivett Alejandra Leyva

Kevin Robert Drake

Peter W Dawes

Stanley I Bender

Kurt David Murrow

Anthony John Dean

Seyed Gholamali Saddoughi

Thomas G Wakeman

Wu-Yang Tseng

Gary Craig Wollenweber

William Andrew Bailey

Ching Pang Lee

Sidney B Elston, Iii

Robert A Wall

Bernard Francois Robic

Victor H Simon, Iii

Seyed Gholmali Saddoughi

A pulse detonation system for a gas turbine engine having a longitudinal centerline axis extending therethrough. The pulse detonation system includes a rotatable cylindrical member having a forward surface, an aft surface, and an outer circumferential surface, where at least one stage of circumferentially spaced detonation passages are disposed therethrough. Each detonation passage further includes: a leading portion positioned adjacent the forward surface of the cylindrical member, with the leading portion having a centerline therethrough oriented at a designated angle to an axis extending substantially parallel to the longitudinal centerline axis within a specified plane; a trailing portion positioned adjacent the aft surface of the cylindrical member, with the trailing portion having a centerline therethrough oriented at a designated angle to the axis within the specified plane; and, a middle portion connecting the leading and trailing portions, with the middle portion having a centerline therethrough with a substantially constantly changing slope in the specified plane. A shaft is rotatably connected to the cylindrical member and a stator is configured in spaced arrangement with the forward surface of the cylindrical member and a portion of the shaft. The stator further includes at least one group of ports formed therein alignable with the leading portions of the detonation passages as the cylindrical member rotates. In this way, detonation cycles are performed in the detonation passages so that combustion gases interact therewith to create a torque which causes the cylindrical member to rotate.

Rotary pulse detonation system with aerodynamic detonation passages for use in a gas turbine engine

A method facilitates assembling a turbine engine to facilitate preventing ice accumulation on the turbine engine during engine operation. The method comprises coupling at least one heat pipe to the engine such that a first end of the at least one heat pipe is coupled in thermal communication with a heat source, and coupling a second end of the at least one heat pipe in thermal communication with an outer surface of an engine component that is upstream from the heat source.

Methods and apparatus for operating gas turbine engines

A method facilitates generating thrust from a gas turbine engine using a pulse detonation system. The method includes introducing fuel and air to the engine, mixing fuel and air in a pulse detonation system deflagration chamber positioned radially outward from an engine exhaust centerbody, and detonating the fuel and air mixture within the pulse detonation system to facilitate increasing the temperature and pressure within the engine and to generate engine thrust.

Methods for operating gas turbine engines

A pulse detonation system for a gas turbine engine having a longitudinal centerline axis extending therethrough includes a rotatable cylindrical member having a forward surface, an aft surface, and an outer circumferential surface, where a plurality of spaced detonation passages are disposed therethrough. Each detonation passage includes at least a portion having a longitudinal axis extending therethrough oriented at a circumferential angle to the longitudinal centerline axis. The pulse detonation system further includes a shaft rotatably connected to the cylindrical member and a stator configured in spaced arrangement with the forward surface of the cylindrical member and a portion of the shaft. The stator has at least one group of ports formed therein alignable with the detonation passages as the cylindrical member rotates. In this way, detonation cycles are performed in the detonation passages so that combustion gases exit the aft surface of the cylindrical member to create a torque which causes the cylindrical member to rotate. Each detonation passage further includes a first end located adjacent the forward surface of the cylindrical member and a second end located adjacent the aft surface of the cylindrical member.

Rotating pulse detonation system for a gas turbine engine

A pulse detonation system for a gas turbine engine having a longitudinal centerline axis extending therethrough, the pulse detonation system includes an air inlet duct in flow communication with a source of compressed air, the air inlet duct including at least one port formed therein for permitting compressed air to flow therethrough, a fuel injector mounted to the air inlet duct in circumferentially spaced relation to each port, and a device mounted to the air inlet duct in circumferentially spaced relation to each fuel injector for initiating a detonation wave. A rotatable ring member is also positioned in coaxial relation around a portion of the air inlet duct, with the ring member including at least one stage of detonation disposed therein. Accordingly, a detonation wave is produced in each detonation stage and combustion gases following each detonation wave create a torque which causes the ring member to rotate. Each detonation stage in the ring member further includes a plurality of circumferentially spaced detonation ducts extending tangentially from an inner surface of the ring member, wherein the detonation ducts are aligned with each port, the fuel injector and the initiation device in a predetermined timing and sequence so that detonation waves are produced therein.

Pulse detonation system for a gas turbine engine

A pulse detonation system for a gas turbine engine having a longitudinal centerline axis extending therethrough includes a rotatable cylindrical member having a forward surface, an aft surface, and an outer circumferential surface, where at least one stage of spaced detonation passages are disposed therethrough. The pulse detonation system further includes a shaft rotatably connected to the cylindrical member and a stator configured in spaced arrangement with the forward surface of the cylindrical member and a portion of the shaft. The stator has at least one group of ports formed therein alignable with the detonation passages as the cylindrical member rotates. In this way, detonation cycles are performed in the detonation passages so that combustion gases exit the cylindrical manner in a substantially tangential direction with respect to the outer circumferential surface to create a torque which causes the cylindrical member to rotate. Each detonation passage includes a first portion extending from the cylindrical member forward surface to a middle portion of the cylindrical member and a second portion extending from the first portion to the outer circumferential surface of the cylindrical member.

Integral pulse detonation system for a gas turbine engine

A pulse detonation system for a gas turbine engine having a longitudinal centerline axis extending therethrough includes a rotatable cylindrical member having a forward surface, an aft surface, and an outer circumferential surface, where at least one stage of circumferentially spaced detonation chambers is disposed therein. The pulse detonation system further includes a shaft rotatably connected to the cylindrical member and a stator configured in spaced arrangement around the forward surface, the aft surface, and the outer circumferential surface of the cylindrical member and a portion of the shaft. The stator has at least one group of ports formed therein which sequentially align with the detonation chambers as the cylindrical member rotates. In this way, detonation cycles are performed in the detonation chambers of each detonation stage so that reaction forces induced by the detonation cycles create a torque which causes the cylindrical member to rotate. Each detonation chamber includes a first open end located adjacent the outer circumferential surface of the cylindrical member and a second closed end located within a middle portion of the cylindrical member.

A pulse detonation system for a turbofan engine including a fan assembly and a turbine sub-system, which includes at least one turbine, is configured to create a temperature rise and a pressure rise within the turbofan engine and to generate thrust for the turbofan engine. The pulse detonation system includes a pulse detonation core assembly comprising at least one detonation chamber configured to detonate a fuel mixture. The pulse detonation core assembly is positioned between the fan assembly and the turbine sub-system.

Combined cycle pulse detonation turbine engine

An apparatus comprising: an airfoil adapted for generating a lift force; and a first pulse detonation actuator disposed inside the airfoil and adapted for impulsively detonating a fuel/air mixture to produce a pressure rise and velocity increase of combustion products therein, the airfoil having a plurality of lift control holes adapted for communicating combustion product flows from the first pulse detonation actuator to an airfoil surface to modulate the lift force.

Method and apparatus for modulating airfoil lift

A turbofan engine includes a pulse detonation system to create a temperature rise and a pressure rise within the engine to generate thrust from the engine. The system includes a pulse detonation augmentor including a shock tube sub-system. The shock tube sub-system includes a plurality of shock tubes which mix air and fuel introduced to the pulse detonation augmentor and detonate the mixture. The detonation creates hot combustion gases which are directed from the engine to produce thrust for the engine. Alternatively, the system includes a pulse detonation augmentation system that replaces a core engine of a turbo-fan engine.

Combined cycle pulse detonation turbine engine operating method

A thrust reverser is provided for both modulating and reversing bypass flow discharged from a fan through a bypass duct of a turbofan gas turbine engine. The reverser includes an aft cowl joined to a forward cowl and having an aft end surrounding a core engine to define a discharge fan nozzle of minimum flow throat area. The aft cowl is axially translatable relative to the forward cowl from a first position fully retracted against the forward cowl, to a second position partially extended from the forward cowl, and to a third position fully extended from the forward cowl. A plurality of cascade turning vanes are disposed between the forward and aft cowls, and a plurality of thrust reversing deflector doors are pivotally mounted to the aft cowl and bound the bypass duct. The deflector doors are selectively deployed from a stowed position corresponding with the first and second positions of the aft cowl for allowing unrestricted flow of the bypass flow through the fan nozzle. The doors also have a deployed position corresponding with the third position of the aft cowl for substantially deflecting the bypass flow from discharging through the fan nozzle to discharging through the cascade vanes for effecting thrust reverse. Axial translation of the aft cowl between the first and second positions varies flow area of the fan nozzle to vary thrust effected by the discharged bypass flow.

Thrust reverser with variable nozzle

The invention concerns the mounting of propeller blades to a ring-shaped rotor. The blades are of the variable pitch type, and the shank of each blade extends through a respective hole in the rotor. Each hole contains an annular shelf which is fastened to the wall of the hole and surrounds each shank. Each shank bears a pair of bearing races which sandwich the annular shelf in order to connect the blade to the rotor. Bearing rollers are positioned between the annular shelf and the bearing races.

Propeller blade retention system

A method for coupling an engine to a support frame for mounting to a fuselage of an aircraft using a three point vibration isolating mounting system in which the load reactive forces at each mounting point are statically and dynamically determined. A first vibration isolating mount pivotably couples a first end of an elongated support beam to a stator portion of an engine with the pivoting action of the vibration mount being oriented such that it is pivotable about a line parallel to a center line of the engine. An aft end of the supporting frame is coupled to the engine through an additional pair of vibration isolating mounts with the mounts being oriented such that they are pivotable about a circumference of the engine. The aft mounts are symmetrically spaced to each side of the supporting frame by 45 degrees. The relative orientation between the front mount and the pair of rear mounts is such that only the rear mounts provide load reactive forces parallel to the engine center line, in support of the engine to the aircraft against thrust forces. The forward mount is oriented so as to provide only radial forces to the engine and some lifting forces to maintain the engine in position adjacent a fuselage. Since each mount is connected to provide specific forces to support the engine, forces required of each mount are statically and dynamically determinable.

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Cincinnati, OH, United States of America

Lawrence Butler