Rotary ramjet engine with flameholder extending to running clearance at engine casing interior wall

Abstract

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.