The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jul. 12, 1988
Filed:
May. 26, 1987
John E Minardi, Dayton, OH (US);
Hans P von Ohain, Dayton, OH (US);
University of Dayton, Dayton, OH (US);
Abstract
Apparatus is disclosed of transferring energy into a flow of air without use of rotating parts, in which an inlet flow of air is made to swirl into a first circular path moving longitudinally of a housing, heat is added to the inlet flow of air at the end of the first path to produce hot gases, and the hot gases are directed into a second swirling circular path coaxially of and within the first path and having an open interface therewith, whereby energy is transferred from the hot gases in the second path into the inlet flow of air in the first path. An embodiment of the apparatus is disclosed in the form of a fluid mass reaction engine having an annular housing (11) including an inlet (10) thereinto and an outlet (38) therefrom, a combustion chamber (25) in the housing spaced from the inlet, spaced coaxial openings into and out of the combustion chamber, and a means for heating air flowing through said combustion chamber. A first swirling device (14) acts on air entering the inlet to produce a circular flow of air moving into the combustion chamber and having a substantial component of centrifugal velocity, a second swirling means (30) acts on hot gases flowing out of the combustion chamber to produce a swirling flow of hot gases within the incoming circular flow of air moving toward said housing inlet and having also a substantial component of centrifugal velocity. A means (32) for directing the hot gases leaving the interface to the housing outlet, and a means (35) upstream of the housing outlet for changing the swirling flow of hot gases into an essentially linear gas flow, provide a motive reaction jet passing through the housing outlet.