Abstract: An improved engine, particularly of the rotary type, or so-called angle piston type, having conventional components and characterized by a compressor serving as a supercharger interposed between the carburetor and the engine intake ports for compressing the combustible mixture; a bypass manifold for passing compressed combustible mixture to the suction side of the compressor; and a fine throttle means for controlling the proportion of combustible mixture bypassed for fine control and efficient combustion in the engine. The master throttle on the carburetor is employed only for major adjustments in power requirements. Also disclosed are details of critically located and designed intake ports and passageways and discharge ports and passageways to take advantage of centrifugal force of the angle piston type engine to obtain very nearly perfect scavenging, as well as details of employing a center section compressor for compressing the combustible mixture.

Abstract: A combined cycle electric power generating plant, which includes gas and steam turbines, inlet guide vane positioning means for the gas turbines, steam generators, afterburners and a digital/analog control system, is provided with inlet guide vane control apparatus adapted to modulate the position of the inlet guide vanes as a function of load or inlet blade path temperature. The inlet guide vane control apparatus is further adapted to operate in either an automatic or manual mode with additional provision for bumpless transfer therebetween incorporated in the control apparatus.

Abstract: An external combustion engine wherein air compressed in a plurality of cylinders is delivered to a common combustion chamber is disclosed. The hot exhaust gases exiting the combustion chamber of the present invention are returned directly to the cylinders at a pressure which approximates the compressed air delivery pressure. In a preferred embodiment the combustion chamber is divided into two portions and control over the engine output power is achieved either by varying the time of opening of the valves which return the exhaust gases to the cylinders or by means of a variable pressure drop fuel delivery device which operates in combination with a variable delivery fuel pump.

Abstract: A fuel control system for a gas turbine engine providing single lever thrust control and closed loop fuel flow surge valve positioning system.

Abstract: A combustion system with provisions to minimize undesired exhaust products including carbon monoxide, incompletely burned fuel, and oxides of nitrogen. Air entering the combustion zone of the combustion apparatus is mixed with a relatively large amount of recirculated combustion products, preferably about twice the weight of the fresh air entering the combustion zone. The combustion products which are recirculated are cooled by heat exchange with air flowing to a dilution zone of the combustion apparatus where the combustion products and air are mixed to provide the high temperature gas output of the system which is the motive fluid of a gas turbine.The recirculated combustion products are cooled to reduce temperature in the combustion zone and thereby nitrogen oxide formation and the heat extracted from the recirculated combustion products is transferred to the dilution air. The combustion products delivered from the combustion zone to the dilution zone may be diverted ahead of or after the heat exchange.

Abstract: A control system for a helicopter power plant with three power units driving the lifting rotor system through a main gearbox. Each power unit comprises a gas turbine engine of the gas-coupled type, a hydromechanical fuel control receiving electrical inputs to set a gas generator governor in the fuel control, an engine electronic control, and various engine accessories.

Abstract: An external combustion engine system adapted to utilize any of a number of expansible gases including steam, freon, thiophene, etc. The engine comprises a piston-driven unit which utilizes uniflow principles but is substantially more efficient than the conventional uniflow design because it provides means for conducting the exhaust from a primary side of the piston to a secondary side and thereby extracts additional energy from each gas charge through a second expansion before finally exhausting the gas to vacuum. In addition, the engine has a highly efficient and compact rotary design featuring a multi-cylinder barrel acting on a rotary torque conversion plate for minimizing friction and other energy losses. The design includes special valving for power and direction control and a simplified porting system for providing the aforementioned double gas expansion and permitting cold start-up without the need for bleed valves to drain condensate from the cylinders.

Abstract: There is provided an ignition system for a rotary piston engine comprising first and second ignition means mounted in a rotor housing. The first ignition means is positioned ahead of the second ignition means in the direction of rotation of a rotor. Switching means is actuated in response to the output signal of an engine speed sensor and an intake manifold vacuum sensor so that current is supplied to the second ignition means only during specified periods such as during the high engine speed operation and high engine load operation.

Abstract: A rotary crankless machine in which there is a rotary shaft, a rotary cylinder block, and a stationary housing, all concentrically disposed about a common axis and in which the housing has a central annular manifold block with inlet and outlet passages disposed midway between the ends of the housing. The rotary cylindrical block and shaft are rotatably coupled together and the rotary cylindrical block has a pair of sets of inwardly directed cylinders each of which extends from adjacent the outer wall of the cylinder block inwardly towards the manifold block and disposed so as to be selectively in communication with the inlet and outlet passages of the manifold block as the cylinder block rotates, and in each of which a piston is reciprocated. The longitudinal axis of each cylinder is substantially inclined inwardly with respect to the common axis of the machine and with respect to the transverse plane perpendicular to the axis.

Abstract: A rotary engine includes a tri-lobular casing provided an elliptical piston having two opposite faces alternately cooperating to define one of three firing chambers with a segment of the casing wall. Gearing and eccentric means supporting the piston within the casing and connected to side plates translate the location of the center axis of the piston 120.degree. relative the center of the casing during each firing stroke thereof as one nose of the piston travels a distance substantially three times that of the opposite nose whereby six firing strokes take place during each 360.degree. revolution of the piston.

Abstract: A combined cycle electric power plant includes gas and steam turbines and steam generators and a digital/analog control system. The control system includes a digital automatic control and an analog backup control which are interfaced to control the gas turbine fuel flow for speed and load control purposes. The backup control includes a speed/load control which functions on a feedforward speed control basis without speed feedback correction and on a feedforward load control basis without load feedback correction. The forward speed/load control channel is subjected to high and low limit action and the fuel reference output is applied to a feedback type fuel control, i.e. a throttle valve positioning control. Limit action is also placed on the forward speed/load control channel by a temperature control, a surge control and an overspeed control.

Abstract: A control system for a helicopter power plant with three power units driving the lifting rotor system. Each power unit comprises a gas-coupled gas turbine engine, a hydromechanical fuel control receiving electrical inputs to set a gas generator governor, an engine electronic control, and engine accessories.Power plant operation is normally controlled by the pilot through condition levers and switches on a control quadrant, through a collective pitch control for the rotor blades, and through a master beeper switch which is operable to trim the setting of a rotor speed governor and the gas generator governors. A condition lever transmits a speed command signal through the electronic control of each power unit to its gas generator governor. A collective pitch signal from the rotor control system is another factor in setting the gas generator governor of each unit.The power plant includes a power management control which equalizes the power outputs of the engines and includes the rotor isochronous governor.

Abstract: A pure fluidic fuel control system for a gas turbine engine in which engine speed and compressor discharge pressure are sensed and utilized to control the flow of fuel to the engine. In the system an analog fluid signal proportional to engine speed is applied to two separate fluidic circuits, one circuit to generate a signal for controlling the engine during acceleration and the other for controlling the engine during steady state operation. The difference between these two signals is multiplied by a signal proportional to the compressor discharge pressure, the product signal being proportional to the necessary fuel flow for any engine condition. The product signal is amplified and applied to a fuel flow valve, the position of which is sensed and fed back to the input of the product signal amplifier for closed loop control.

Abstract: A fuel control system for a gas turbine engine has a pump which delivers fuel to a supply passage. A spill valve downstream of the pump is responsive to a servo pressure signal to spill fuel from the supply passage. A pilot valve is controlled by a torque motor to regulate the servo pressure signal. The torque motor is responsive to an electrical signal dependent on a difference between desired and actual engine speeds.

Abstract: A control valve for a gas turbine engine fuel control system has a control member responsive to a servo signal. The servo signal is derived from a pilot valve which is movable against a biasing spring in response to a pressure signal dependent on engine speed, the arrangement being such that an increase in engine speed causes the pilot valve to vary the servo signal so as to reduce fuel flow to the engine. The bias applied by the spring is variable by means of an electrical actuator responsive to other engine operating parameters.

Abstract: An ignition system for rotary piston engines is disclosed wherein a plurality of ignition plugs are arranged and disposed in the combustion chamber in the directon of the rotation of a piston and connected to a common ignition coil so that one of them may be selectively energized depending upon the changing engine operations. The optimum ignition timing may be secured to minimize the pollutions in the exhaust gases.

Abstract: A combined cycle electric power plant includes gas and steam turbines and steam generators and a digital/analog control system. An automatic digital portion of the control system functions with temperature and other detectors to provide temperature limit control for the gas turbines through the fuel valve position controls provided therefor. A blade path temperature reference is generated as a function of combustor shell pressure during the startup and load modes of operation, and during the load mode of operation the blade path temperature reference is further generated with dependence on the actual turbine exhaust temperature. In particular, the turbine blade path temperature is allowed to rise under loading operation until it reaches a limit value defined by a predetermined combustor shell pressure characteristic curve.

Abstract: A core engine or gas generator for use in a range of gas turbine engines, which consist of a multi-stage compressor and a single stage supersonic turbine, the compressor and turbine being mouned on a single shaft. The compressor includes a number of stages of variable angle and the gas generator has an annular combustion chamber.

Abstract: A fuel control system for a gas turbine engine includes a fuel metering arrangement and a spill valve responsive to an increase in pressure drop across the metering arrangement to spill fuel from the upstream side thereof. During engine starting the spill valve may be urged shut to increase fuel flow through the metering arrangement.

Abstract: A gas turbine power plant is provided with an industrial gas turbine which drives a generator coupled to a power system through a breaker. The turbine-generator plant is operated by a hybrid control system having digital function capability during sequenced startup, synchronizing, load buildup and steady state load, and shutdown operations. The control system also contains monitoring and protective subsystems which function through all stages of operation, with redundancy and permissive features which maximize turbine availability.