Ramgen Power Systems, Inc.

Robert C Steele

Shawn P Lawlor

Joseph T Williams

Stephen P Baldwin

Donald Kendrick

Ryan G Edmonds

A trapped vortex combustor. The trapped vortex combustor is configured for receiving a lean premixed gaseous fuel and oxidant stream, where the fuel includes hydrogen gas. The trapped vortex combustor is configured to receive the lean premixed fuel and oxidant stream at a velocity which significantly exceeds combustion flame speed in a selected lean premixed fuel and oxidant mixture. The combustor is configured to operate at relatively high bulk fluid velocities while maintaining stable combustion, and low NOx emissions. The combustor is useful in gas turbines in a process of burning synfuels, as it offers the opportunity to avoid use of diluent gas to reduce combustion temperatures. The combustor also offers the possibility of avoiding the use of selected catalytic reaction units for removal of oxides of nitrogen from combustion gases exiting a gas turbine.

Vortex combustor for low NOX emissions when burning lean premixed high hydrogen content fuel

Vortex combustor for low NOx emissions when burning lean premixed high hydrogen content fuel

A trapped vortex combustor for gas turbine engines. An annular combustor housing is provided having a plurality of inlet centerbodies disposed along a helical axis. The inlet centerbodies include a leading edge structure, opposing sidewalls, a pressurizable cavity, and a rear wall. Inlet centerbodies cooperate with adjacent structure and an aft bluff body to define a trapped vortex cavity combustion chamber for mixing an inlet fluid and burning fuel to form hot combustion gases. Mixing is enhanced by utilizing struts adjacent to the rear wall to create eddies in the fluid flow, and by injecting fuel and/or air in opposition to swirl created by the bulk fluid flow. Hot combustion gases are utilized in a turbine for extraction of kinetic energy, or in heat exchange equipment for recovery of thermal energy. High combustion efficiencies and less than 10 ppm emissions of oxides of nitrogen and of carbon monoxide are achieved.

Trapped vortex combustor

A rotary ramjet engine. A rotary ramjet engine is provided operating with a very low axial flow component. The engine has a closely housed rotor and shaft mounted for rotary motion with respect to an engine case. A plurality of ramjet combustors are provided at the periphery of the rotor, and a set of spaced apart helical strakes are provided extending outward from the surface portion of the rotor toward the interior wall of the engine case, less a running clearance therefrom. A centerbody is provided for each ramjet inlet. The centerbody is disposed along a helical axis parallel to the strakes, and includes a leading edge structure, opposing sidewalls, and a shaped cavity, and a rear end wall. Each set of strakes cooperate to define, rearward of the rear end wall of each inlet centerbody, a combustion chamber for mixing therewithin and inlet fluid and burning fuel therein to form hot combustion gases therefrom. A ramjet outlet nozzle structure, including a converging ramjet nozzle throat, and diverging ramjet nozzle are provided for receiving the hot combustion gases and discharging, at a preselected helical angle to the plane of rotation of the rotor, a jet of hot combustion exhaust gases. The hot combustion exhaust gases can be further utilized in an impulse turbine for extraction of kinetic energy, or in heat exchange equipment for recovery of thermal energy therefrom.

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Woodinville, WA, United States of America

Robert C Steele