Abstract: In an integral rocket-ramjet engine the air intake ports are covered with a port cover made of a laminate of Pd and Al. This port cover is rapidly consumed in the brief period between the end of the rocket mode and commencement of the ramjet mode to allow ingress of ram air for the ramjet engine.

Abstract: The invention comprises a system for cooling a component in a gas turbine engine, and, in particular, for cooling an engine electronic control thereof. The cooling system includes a housing for mounting the control having a plurality of heat transfer fins extending outwardly therefrom. The housing is mounted in the engine upstream of a compressor and to a front frame having an aperture through which the fins extend. The front frame defines a flowpath to the compressor and the fins extend into the flowpath without adversely affecting the aerodynamic airflow pattern thereof. In a preferred embodiment, the fins extend substantially only to an inner surface of the front frame, and the housing includes temperature and pressure sensors disposed below root sections of the fins.

Abstract: A construction of a gas turbine combustion chamber which facilitates relighting the fuel immediately after flame-out. The construction comprises a catalytic coating on the combustor wall, preferably with areas left uncoated to allow the flame to propagate away from the combustor wall and into the bulk gas flow.

Abstract: An oxygen starting assist system for a gas turbine engine which facilitates lighting or relighting the air-fuel of the engine comprising a tubular element surrounding the spark plug that directs pure oxygen to the tip of the spark plug so as to envelop an arc drawn by the spark plug without passing through the arc.

Abstract: The rotor of each stage of a turbine is surrounded, with a clearance by a fixed ring, formed by a metal ring supporting internally an annular thermal screen, in the form of ceramic segments. Expansions and contractions of the metal ring under the action of air which is supplied thereto in order to control the said clearance are transformed into displacements of radial faces of the ring in contact with radial flanges rigid with the turbine casing and seals serve to ensure fluidtightness of the ring.

Abstract: An improvement in the design of a staged-combustion-cycle rocket engine. The preburner 16 (or preburners) is operated at a higher temperature than that above which turbine blades will be damaged. A heat-exchanger unit 40 through which the output flow of the cooling jacket 18 of the engine is passed is placed inside the preburners 16, or in close proximity to its output flow, so that heat energy is transferred from the output flow of the preburners 16 to the output flow of the cooling jacket 18. This lowers the preburners output flow to a temperature which will not damage turbine blades and raises the cooling-jacket output flow temperature. Since the output flow of the cooling jacket 18 is fed to the low-pressure turbines 22, the increased temperature raises the pressure of the low-pressure turbines 22 so that their output of flow rate is increased and the flow rate to the engine is increased, thereby increasing engine output power and efficiency.

Abstract: A valve for selectively changing the direction of flow of working fluid through a variable cycle engine which comprises a first and second compressor 14,16 spaced along a flow duct 26. The duct 26 having air intakes 42 leading to the second compressor 16 and outlets leading to nozzles 44. The valve comprising a sleeve 30 axially movable along the duct. The sleeve 30 having openings 31 in it in which are located doors 32. Links 36 are connected to each of the doors 32 so that as the sleeve 30 is moved axially the doors 32 are pulled open to open the air inlets 42 and the outlets and simultaneously obturate the flow duct 26. In a second position of the sleeve 30 the doors 32 and the sleeve 30 close off the air inlets and outlets and open the duct to allow the first compressor to supercharge the second compressor.

Abstract: A two-dimensional variable area convergent/divergent exhaust nozzle having the capability for wide throat area variation includes upper and lower spaced apart flap means. The upper flap means comprises an upstream converging flap having its rear edge hinged to the forward edge of a downstream diverging flap, wherein the nozzle is movable between maximum and minimum throat area positions by actuation means which includes guide means, such as cam tracks, for guiding the forward edge of the upstream flap to move downstream while simultaneously constraining both the upper flap means hinge joint and the rear edge of the diverging flap to move both downstream and closer to the engine axis. This type of motion permits large changes in throat area with minimal increase in the slope of the diverging flap permitting use of a shorter diverging flap. Preferably the forward and rearward edge of the converging flap move along circular arcs having the same center in order to minimize moments on the flap.

Abstract: A carburetion assembly including flow control means is provided for controlling a discharge spray angle of a fuel and air mixture thereof. According to one embodiment of the present invention, the flow control means can comprise a plurality of circumferentially spaced apertures in a shroud member which are effective for providing a control portion of compressor airflow in a downstream, axial direction from a swirler stage of the swirler assembly. The apertures provide a predetermined amount of airflow circumferentially about the fuel and air mixture for constraining the mixture and controlling the discharge spray angle thereof.

Abstract: An apparatus for dispensing grease into a plurality of bearing assemblies without waste and includes a base member equipped with at least one grease channel, a vertical support member adjustably supported on the base member, a stacking rod mounted on the base for stacking the bearing assemblies to be greased and a retaining means carried by the stacking rod to hold the stacked bearings in tight stacking alignment with each other. The bearings are placed in a vertical stacked relationship on the stacking rod and held in tight relationship to each other by the retaining means. Grease is applied through the grease channel, and the only path for the grease to travel is through the bearings around the inner and outer races of the bearings whereby the grease fills each bearing assembly completely before flowing up to the next bearing assembly.

Abstract: A hydraulic engine which uses liquid fluid as the working medium consists of a housing structure, a liquid fluid inlet passage, a fluid outlet passage, a liquid fluid pump, a fluid actuator, coupling means connecting the two, fluid flow diffusing means, a combustion chamber, an energy exchange zone, a fuel and air supply means, a combustion ignition means, a power takeoff actuator means, a power takeoff means, and a fluid separating means. Liquid fluid enters the engine inlet where it travels to the energy exchange zone. Here exhausted combustion product in the form of a gaseous fluid is introduced into the liquid fluid where it is combined. The mixture is exhausted through the outlet passage of the engine in the form of a liquid fluid-gaseous fluid stream. Upon entering the outlet passage, the mixture is directed to a fluid separating chamber where the working liquid fluid of the engine is separated from the gaseous combustion product.

Abstract: A gas turbine engine is so constructed that the clearance or gap between the rotor and stator, especially at the outer diameter range of a radial flow end stage, is optimally maintained under all operating conditions. For this purpose the housing in the axial-flow/radial-flow compressor is constructed as a two shell housing. The outer housing shell is mounted as part of the engine structure, whereby the inner housing shell is exposed substantially only to forces or loads caused by compressor fluid flow. The material of the outer housing shell has a heat expansion coefficient in the axial direction of the rotational engine axis, which is distinctly lower than the heat expansion coefficient of the material of the compressor rotor. The heat expansion coefficient of the material of the inner housing shell is lower in the circumferential direction and approximately equal in the axial direction relative to the heat expansion coefficient of the rotor.

Abstract: The core engine of a mixed exhaust turbofan aeroengine is provided with a conical afterbody. The normal outlet guide vanes which remove residual swirl from the turbine exhaust gases are dispensed with and replaced by ducts within an afterbody having entries which receive the hot gases in the same manner and at the same angle as the passages between the guide vanes would have done. The hot ducts, whose aspect ratio is preferably transformed between their upstream and downstream ends, extend through the afterbody in substantially straight paths to avoid aerodynamic losses, and intersect its conical surface to form preferably slot-like nozzles from which the turbine exhaust gases issue as flattened jets. The exhaust jets partake of the original axial and tangential/swirl velocity components of the turbine gases, plus a radial component (consequential upon the orientation of the ducts) to achieve good penetration of the bypass stream.

Abstract: The exhaust mixer can be classified as being of the multi-lobed type, with troughs between the lobes. The lobes and troughs comprise confronting pairs of flow surfaces which are twisted between their upstream and downstream ends such that a vortex flow system is established downstream of the mixer to encourage mixing between the bypass airstream and the turbine exhaust stream. The downstream edges of the twisted flow surfaces are in the form of sinuous curves which destabilize the vortex system and cause the vortices to burst, hence increasing the mixing efficiency.

Abstract: The bore of the compressor for a gas turbine engine is heated by selectively bleeding compressor air from downstream stages so that heating only occurs at discreet times during the engine operating envelope. The bled air is admitted into the bore at the mid-stage station of the compressor wherein the compressor disks are scrubbed so as to expand and close the gap between the outer air seal and tips of the compressor blades during cruise of the aircraft and prevented from heating the disks during the high powered operations of the engine.

Abstract: Method and device for continuously and automatically maintaining optimal control settings for rich fuel gas generation within the pre-starting, starting, and operational modes of a ducted solid fuel rocket motor, through actual or potential control of pressure within a fuel rich gas generator by use of a temperature sensitive hydraulic/mechanical choke, the mechanical component of which comprises an expansion bellows endwise attached to a spring-biased slidable nozzle valve throat blockage element, and the hydraulic component comprises a temperature-sensitive constant volume fluid reservoir, or its equivalent.

Abstract: A cooling system 46 for a turbofan gas turbine engine 10 is disclosed. Various construction details which increase the effectiveness of a heat exchanger 70, 76, 112 are disclosed. In one embodiment, a rotor shaft 98 is used to pressurize buffer air for a bearing compartment 40.

Abstract: A muilti-stage turbine having shrouded turbine blades which has a stationary guide grid arranged between the rotor shroud and the turbine casing. By virtue of the construction of the guide grid, leakage and cooling air (escape air) of the rotor blade can be adapted to the low whirl of the main stream passing through the rotor to effectively prevent misaligned entry into the following turbine stage.

Abstract: A low aerodynamic drag structural link suitable for use within the housing of a turbofan jet engine; the link includes length adjustment capability, pivotal end mounting provision, maintained airstream orientation capability, low mass and jam nut length and orientation locking. Several variations in link construction including a single ball and socket arrangement, varying link cross-section along its longitudinal length and the use of fairing nose and tail inserts are disclosed.

Abstract: A pulse-controlled gas turbine utilizes a nonpositive drive for the valve plate at one side of the combustion chamber and a turbine constructed and arranged to generate suction in the combustion chamber at the other side of the housing to ensure isochore combustion of the air and fuel mixture in the combustion chamber.