Abstract: A gas turbine, or like device which utilizes gas and is susceptible to damage from particles greater than a predetermined size in the gas stream, is protected by providing a cyclone downstream of a particle separator. If any particles are in the gas flow downstream of the particle separator--an aberrant condition--the cyclone will remove them and pass them to a particle trap, from which the particles flow to a measuring device. If the measuring device detects a significant number of particles, then an alarm is sounded or corrective action taken. The cyclone may be a horizontal cyclone, or a flow through cyclone.

Abstract: A mixer having a mixing duct, a set of inner and outer counter-rotating swirlers at the upstream end of the mixing duct, and a fuel nozzle located axially along and forming a center-body of the mixing duct is provided, wherein high pressure air from a compressor is injected into the mixing duct through the swirlers to form an intense shear region and fuel is injected into the mixing duct from the fuel nozzle so that the high pressure air and the fuel is uniformly mixed therein so as to produce minimal formation of pollutants when the fuel/air mixture is exhausted out the downstream end of said mixing duct into the combustor and ignited.

Abstract: A nozzle for a hypersonic engine includes an axially displaceable mushroom-shaped central body. Two mutually opposing expansion flaps are provided which, when the flying Mach number is low, can be swivelled with respect to one another and, when the flying Mach number is high, can be swivelled apart. As a result, an extensive change of the divergence of the nozzle can be achieved while maintaining a high mechanical stiffness and a low leakage level.

Abstract: A secondary power generating system and method is provided that can drive an aircraft's accessories, and deliver cooling flow and fuel flow to a propulsion engine such as a turbojet, ramjet or turboramjet. This system and method employs a heat exchanger in which high pressure, endothermic, liquid fuel absorbs heat from the air exiting the engine's compressor and as a result is transformed into a high pressure, gaseous fuel. The high pressure gas is expanded across a motor which extracts the pressure energy and converts this energy into mechanical power for driving accessories. The gas is then fed into the engine's combustor where it is ignited. The cooled air exiting the heat exchanger is returned to the propulsion engine and is used for cooling various components such as blades and shafts therein.

Abstract: A stationary reactor is provided having a disc-shaped combustor having a top plate and a bottom plate spaced apart from each other. The space between the plates defines a combustion chamber having a center and a periphery, the space tapers at the periphery of the chamber. Ignition is provided centrally located in the chamber. An air intake supplies an explosive mixture to the chamber which ignites to cause expansion. The combustion chamber has a peripheral aperture defined by the space between of each of the plates at the periphery of the chamber, the aperture allows the expanded mixture to be discharged from the chamber in a substantially circumferential manner.

Abstract: An aft fan gas turbine engine comprises a coaxially related compressor, compressor turbine, fan turbine, and aft fan. An annular fuel tank is disposed about the compressor and an annular combustion chamber is disposed between the compressor and turbine.

Abstract: The combined propulsion engine comprises an air-breathing jet engine and a non-air-breathing rocket engine, the jet engine comprising an air inlet device and an external nozzle which, in association with a central body, defines an air-breathing combustion chamber, while the rocket engine comprises a non-air-breathing annular combustion chamber and at least one turbo pump for feeding it with propellant. The combustion chamber of the rocket engine is disposed inside a central body towards the rear thereof and is situated at the downstream end of the air-breathing combustion chamber, the rocket engine combustion chamber being itself delimited by a streamlined portion extending the central body and constituting a spike which penetrates into the throat of the external nozzle while ensuring aerodynamic continuity for the stream of combustion gases leaving the air-breathing combustion chamber.

Abstract: A turbofan engine uses fan air to cool bounding surfaces of the exhaust duct at all times. A portion of the fan air flow is used for augmentor combustion in the augmentation mode. In the non-augmented mode the flow for combustion is stopped and the cooling air is used to cool the tail cone and exit guide vanes. Infrared radiation is thereby reduced when non-augmented.

Abstract: A method of obtaining extraction airflow from a compressor includes accelerating the extraction airflow to at least Mach 1 for obtaining choked airflow and decelerating the choked airflow to a speed less than Mach 1. An apparatus for carrying out the method includes a compressor casing having an extraction airflow port, first means for accelerating the extraction airflow channeled through the port to at least Mach 1 for obtaining choked airflow, and means for decelerating the choked airflow to a speed less than Mach 1. In an exemplary embodiment, a converging-diverging nozzle is provided for accelerating the extraction airflow to at least Mach 1 and then declerating the choked airflow.

Abstract: A plurality of accessories operatively associated with a gas turbine engine are driven by electric motors. A first motor controller initiates operation of a starter/generator mechanically coupled to the engine. After the engine has been started, the motor controller is used to accelerate other accessory motors at a predetermined rate after which they are each electrically coupled to the starter/generator for continued operation. Throughout this operation, the first motor controller serves as a back up for a second motor controller which is dedicated to the operation of a fuel pump motor. Other modes of operation can be achieved as well by reason of the flexibility provided by motor driven accessories.

Abstract: A propulsion system is disclosed comprising a glycidyl azide polymer (GAP) olid fuel generator (SFGG) that produces fuel-rich hot gases which are combusted in a combustion zone of a combustion chamber of a solid fuel ducted rocket. A basic embodiment comprises an airbreathing engine wherein a ducted member scoops air in from the atmosphere for hypergolic reaction with the fuel-rich hot gases for propulsion during a sustain stage of a flight. An augmentation of the basic embodiment is achieved by combusting the fuel-rich GAP SFGG effluent with inhibited red fuming nitric acid (IRFNA) gel oxidizer to produce higher thrust during the boost and dash stages of a flight. During the high thrust stages, the air ducts of the ducted member are closed and IRFNA gel is injected into the combustion chamber to react with the fuel-rich hot gases from the GAP SFGG.

Abstract: A propulsion system comprises a gas turbine engine having sructurally integrated support systems that maximize structural efficiency and minimize cost.

Abstract: A stationary centerbody includes vaulted areas displaced substantially by 180.degree. axially as well as along the circumference with respect to one another on its largest relative diameter. The vaulted areas, while enclosing a shut-off surface which is diagonal on the circumference side with respect to the end of an engine shroud forming a casing lip, encloses an axially spaced circumferential surface which is shut off in the manner of an annular slide valve from the end of the shroud.

Abstract: An apparatus is provided for ensuring that a device--such as a gas turbine--that utilizes gases and will be damaged by particles in the gases greater than the predetermined size, will not be subjected to such particles. A filter, or the like removes particles from the gases, and is connected to the gas utilization device, with a particle concentrating device disposed between the particle remover and turbine. A particle detector is associated with the particle concentrator for detecting an undesirable level of particles above the predetermined size, and an alarm or other device is activated by the particle detecting means in response to an aberrant condition. The particle concentrator comprises a first conduit extending to a branch section, and branching to a second conduit and a third conduit. The second conduit, which may be blind, is a substantial continuation of the first conduit, while the third conduit makes an angle (e.g. about 90.degree.

Abstract: The use of water injection for reduction of NOx emissions in gas turbine engines is well known. Many of the injectors used to supply water to the combustion chamber have used existing dual fuel injectors which are expensive, provide poor mixing, combustion and ineffective water conservation. The present gaseous fuel injector includes a device to cause the swirling of water at an outlet end of the injector, a plurality of tangentially angled passages to cause the swirling of the gaseous fuel and a device for directing a portion of the air into contact with the flow of fuel prior to entering the combustor section. The swirling of the water, gaseous fuel and the air are in the same direction and are all aerodynamically additive resulting in an efficient low cost gaseous fuel injector to reduce NOx emissions.

Abstract: Liner structure for a duct carrying a heated fluid is described which comprises a substantially cylindrically shaped wall member having a corrugated inner surface contour defining a first plurality of axially extending ridges defined between a corresponding plurality of axial grooves, a second plurality of axially spaced vee-shaped vanes disposed on each ridge with the legs of each vane divergent toward the downstream end of the duct, an elongated cap disposed along each ridge atop corresponding vanes and defining a corresponding plurality of slots between each cap and ridge, and a third plurality of holes through the wall member at each ridge between axially adjacent vanes for conducting fluid coolant through the wall member.

Abstract: Cooling air delivery systems for gas turbine engines are used to increase component life and increase power and efficiencies. The present system increases the component life and increases efficiencies by better utilizing the cooling air bled from the compressor section of the gas turbine engine. For example, a first flow of cooling air is directed to the nozzle and shroud assembly and another portion of the first flow is exited from the nozzle plenum into an annular reservoir to improve cooling of a rotor assembly and to at least reduce ingestion of hot power gases into the internal portion of the engine. The system further includes a second flow of cooling air which is directed through internal passages of the engine and into the annular reservoir and is used to cool the rotor assembly and to at least reduce ingestion of hot power gases into the internal portion of the gas turbine engine.

Abstract: In order to reduce noise transmission through the air inlet duct (16) of a turbine engine (10), the air inlet duct (16) provides a non-linear path defined by a bend (24) for air from a source, and the turbine engine (10) includes a sound attenuation assembly (26) in the form of a splitter dissipative silencer disposed near the bend (24) in the air inlet duct (16). More specifically, the turbine engine (10) is such that the splitter dissipative silencer (26) can be formed as a modular assembly (42) removably securable near the bend (24) in the air inlet duct (16) upstream of a radial compressor (12) for removal and/or replacement or availability as an optional component of the turbine engine (10).

Abstract: A method and apparatus are disclosed for spoiling thrust from combustion gases discharged from an aircraft gas turbine engine at ground idle operating condition. The method comprises the step of positioning a secondary exhaust flap of the exhaust nozzle to form a diffuser for the combustion gases at the ground idle operating condition for maintaining attachment of the combustion gases along the secondary exhaust flaps for spoiling thrust. An exemplary and preferred exhaust nozzle is provided wherein the secondary exhaust flaps are positionable in part independently of primary exhaust flaps so that the primary and secondary flaps may be disposed together in different positions during ground idle, dry, and augmented operating conditions of the engine.

Abstract: A hybrid ceramic/metallic fastener (bolt) includes a headed ceramic shank carrying a metallic end termination fitting. A conventional cap screw threadably engages the termination fitting to apply tensile force to the fastener.