Abstract: A rotary internal combustion engine includes an annular stator member having two pairs of sockets located in the periphery thereof, and a rotor member mounted to rotate about the stator member. The rotor member has side walls and an interior peripheral wall which, in cooperation with the periphery of the stator member, define a combustion cavity and a compression cavity therebetween. The combustion cavity and compression cavity are disposed on opposite sides of the stator member adjacent the periphery thereof. Two pairs of wedge-shaped vanes are pivotally mounted at their vertices on the periphery of the stator member to pivot in and out of respective ones of the sockets as the rotor member is caused to rotate about the stator member. A cam track is defined in the side walls of the rotor member to guide cam followers extending from the sides of each vane such that the vanes are caused to pivot in and out of the sockets and to maintain sliding contact with the interior peripheral wall of the rotor member.

Abstract: A streamline shroud surrounding a jet aircraft engine terminates forwardly of the aft end of the engine tail pipe, which comprises a secondary nozzle. Two or more deflector doors in stowed position combine to form a sleeve surrounding the aft portion of the tail pipe, and the trailing edges of these doors extend downstream and converge beyond the tail pipe to form a primary nozzle, which has an exit flow area smaller than that of the secondary nozzle, and of proper size and configuration to provide required mass flow, velocity and pressure for normal flight operation. The doors swing outwardly and rearwardly on linkage carried by the sponsons to a deployed position spaced aft of the tail pipe and disposed transversely to the tail pipe axis to deflect flow laterally and nullify thrust.

Abstract: An ignition system for a four-stroke rotary piston combustion engine of the trochoid type. The casing of the engine has an inner chamber bounded by a jacket with dual arc inside contour through which an eccentric shaft with an eccentric passes. A triangular piston is rotatably mounted on said eccentric shaft. Two or more spark plugs are fitted in the jacket near the shaft and the spark plugs are connected to their own ignition generator in an ignition system. There are different ignition systems for the individual spark plugs.

Abstract: An electronic fuel control for a gas turbine with a power turbine engine includes a power turbine actual speed transducer, a power turbine desired speed control and a control circuit including an output difference amplifier the output of which determines the quantity of fuel supplied to the engine. To guard against failure of the transducer a "high wins" gate receives signals from the transducer and the amplifier and a second difference amplifier has its two inputs connected to the gate and to the transducer via an attenuator so that in normal running conditions the output of the output amplifier is less than that of the transducer but more than that of the difference amplifier.

Abstract: A single-shaft gas turbine engine suited for road vehicle propulsion has variable inlet and outlet guide vanes in the compressor of the engine and a variable turbine nozzle. These variable features are called engine variable goemetry (EVG). In normal operation, the areas of the flow paths at the inlet and outlet of the compressor and of the turbine nozzle are varied with desired power level to suit varying air flow through the engine. An actuator increases the areas in response to a request for increased power output.In a braking mode, the compressor variable geometry is decoupled from the actuator and remains at a minimum flow condition while the turbine nozzle is opened as the power request decreases below a particular low value. The opening of the turbine nozzle decreases the engine power output, thus increasing its capacity to absorb power from the vehicle. Logic circuits control the coupling and decoupling of the compressor variable geometry.

Abstract: A fuel control system for a gas turbine engine includes a metering device and a servo-operated control valve through which fuel flows from the metering device to the engine. A pilot valve for the servo-operated control valve is responsive to engine speed and is also operable, when a metering device control member moves past a predetermined position, to cause the servo-operated control valve to reduce fuel flow.

Abstract: An induction and exhaust system for a rotary engine is disclosed which has a wing-type reed valve assembly disposed in the intake port of said system and effective to respond instantaneously to a back-flow differential pressure for closing the intake port; the assembly is capable of cycling at least 120 times/second. The system substantially eliminates various types of dilution and variance of the inducted mixture enabling a high velocity peripherally ported engine to deliver an improved low end engine torque characteristic and improved overall fuel economy for a passenger automotive vehicle.Various types of wing reed valve constructions are illustrated, the preferred mode having 16 reed valves arranged with the trailing edge of the assembly cage aligned with the exit of the intake port; the center line of the intake port is located substantially at theoretical zero pressure difference between the adjacent chambers defined by the rotor and housing.

Abstract: A stratified combustion rotary piston engine of the type which is supplied with a fuel-air mixture from a peripheral intake port and only air from a side intake port, wherein a fuel supply system for supplying said fuel-air mixture to said peripheral intake port comprises a fuel injection device which is controlled depending upon the air flow to said peripheral intake port and said side intake port.

Abstract: A combined cycle power plant includes gas and steam turbines and steam generators and a digital/analog control system. A megawatt load control system varies a fuel control signal to govern a detected power output according to a reference value. The fuel control signal determines the flow rate of fuel to the combustor of a gas turbine-generator that is adapted to use gas and liquid fuels. A flow divider comprises a plurality of gear pumps connected to rotate with a common shaft, and distributes liquid fuel equally to a plurality of nozzles of the combustor, the total liquid fuel flow to the nozzles being related to the shaft speed. The shaft speed is detected and a signal representative of the total liquid fuel flow is generated in response to the detected speed.

Abstract: A system for bypassing compressed air and regulating the fuel to rapidly vary the load on a gas turbine so that the turbine can absorb energy and pick up load rapidly without inducing high temperature stresses within the turbine.

Abstract: A backup control system for a gas turbine power plant having a computer implemented primary control system is disclosed. Bumpless transfer between the two control systems is effected by tracking a plurality of control signals generated by each control system, the signals being functionally identical, but independent. After comparison of the functionally identical signals, transfer between the two control systems is permitted only if any tracking error does not exceed a permissible deadband margin.The presence of tracking error is also utilized to generate a signal which is employed to operate panel mounted signal means, which panel can thereby be used as a diagnostic tool in monitoring the health of both the primary and backup systems. Transfer reliability is thereby enhanced and turbine availability improved.

Abstract: A combined cycle electric power plant includes gas and steam turbines and steam generators and a digital/analog control system. A surge protection system is included as part of the analog portion of the control system, and it functions in both automatic and manual modes of operation. A surge protection signal is generated to limit fuel demand as a function of speed during startup and as a function of combustor shell pressure during higher speed load operation.

Abstract: The indexing of the power lever of a fuel control for a turbine type of power and the mechanism necessary to effectuate the same is simplified so as to facilitate the installation of the fuel control relative to the remotely cockpit-mounted power lever. Preselecting a point on the power lever shaft relative to a pair of outwardly spaced oriented mounting points, permits a factory-adjusted-fuel control to be installed to a complementary adaptor on the aircraft eliminating the customary field adjustments and certain adjusting mechanisms.

Abstract: In order to detect effective operation of the reheat system of a turbo-jet ngine, a detection device is provided which is adapted to produce an output signal when such effective operation is sensed. The detection device includes means for sensing the pressure of the gas flow in the engine at a pair of preselected positions and feeding signals to processing means related to the pressures so sensed. When there is a preselected difference between the two signals, the output signal referred to above is generated.

Abstract: A fuel and burner variable geometry (BVG) control for a gas turbine engine. Fuel is controlled in response to the product of desired overall fuel-air ratio and a value of air flow derived from gas generator turbine speed. The desired fuel-air ratio is controlled by a speed governor, and by acceleration and deceleration limits varied as a function of measured burner inlet temperature. A compensated turbine inlet temperature (TIT) signal is derived from measurement of actual turbine inlet temperature and acceleration or deceleration compensation based upon rate of change of the desired fuel-air ratio. The difference between the compensated TIT and the burner inlet temperature (BIT) is the burner temperature rise.The setting of air flow control devices in the combustion apparatus (BVG) determines the ratio of primary to total air. The desired ratio to control BVG is computed by dividing burner temperature rise by flame temperature rise.

Abstract: A local maintenance controller permits continued power generation during maintenance or failure of a primary gas turbine control system by manually for maintenance purposes or automatically for failure purposes assuming turbine control to thereby insure continued operation. The local maintenance controller set forth is particularly suitable for use in conjunction with a computer implemented gas turbine control system.Transfer between the local maintenance controller and the primary control system is effected in a bumpless manner so that load swings are absent. However, if the turbine was operating at system reserve at the time of transfer, the local maintenance controller reduces the load to peak value until primary control is resumed. Operation at any other load at the time of transfer is maintained by the controller. Transfer back to primary control is also effected in a bumpless manner.

Abstract: This invention relates to fuel controls for turbine types of power plants and to the means for resetting the idle speed and stator vanes from a single point contact. In one embodiment, fuel flow is reset by changing the hydraulic forces on the throttle valve and its control system which serves to provide a W.sub.f /P.sub.3 .times. P.sub.3 control function, where W.sub.f = fuel flow in pounds per hour and P.sub.3 = compressor discharge pressure in pounds per square inch absolute. The profile of the 3-D cam utilized to control the stator vanes is also utilized to set the droop schedule of the idle speed setting controlled by the fuel control.

Abstract: A combined cycle electric power plant including gas and steam turbines, steam generators, afterburners and a digital/analog control system is provided with inlet guide vane control apparatus adapted to match gas turbine exhaust flow to the requirements of the steam generator with which it is associated. The guide vane control apparatus operates to limit the inlet guide vane position as a function of gas turbine compressor inlet temperature in accordance with a desired gas turbine exhaust flow at predetermined operating conditions.

Abstract: A combined cycle electric power plant includes gas and steam turbines and steam generators and a digital/analog control system. A backup control is included for each of the gas turbines with an outlet or preferably blade path temperature limit control which prevents the operator from causing the turbine to operate above a temperature limit reference. The temperature limit control further restricts the rate at which the operator can move the gas turbine operating or load level toward the temperature limit value. When the turbine is operating at a load below the temperature limit value, the operator can freely move the fuel reference until the blade path temperature approaches the temperature limit value.

Abstract: A rotary piston internal combustion engine with a fission vaporizer, gasifier or carburetor means with sealing strips arranged on a mantle section of the housing, and with piston means of trochoidal construction in which the circumference of the piston means is depending on the number of cycles of the employed working method divided by a plurality of axis-near zones or lobes into arches. The piston means form within the region of each arch which during the compression and expansion cycle forms a portion of the confinement of the pertaining working chamber comprises a change-over conduit which is controlled by means of a control opening in an end face of the piston means.