Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to a propulsion system including an annular inner wall and an annular outer wall, a nozzle assembly, a turbine nozzle, and an inner casing and an outer casing. The inner wall and outer wall together extend at least partially along a longitudinal direction and together define a combustion chamber inlet, a combustion chamber outlet, and a combustion chamber therebetween. The nozzle assembly is disposed at the combustion inlet and provides a mixture of fuel and oxidizer to the combustion chamber. The turbine nozzle defines a plurality of airfoils in adjacent circumferential arrangement disposed at the combustion chamber outlet. The turbine nozzle is coupled to the outer wall and the inner wall. The inner casing is disposed inward of the inner wall and the outer casing is disposed outward of the outer wall. Each of the inner casing and the outer casing are coupled to the turbine nozzle.

Abstract: A rotating detonation combustion (RDC) system including a gas nozzle defining a first convergent-divergent nozzle providing a flow of gas at least partially along a longitudinal direction. The flow of gas defines a fluid wall defined at least partially along the longitudinal direction. A detonation chamber is defined radially inward of the fluid wall relative to a combustion center plane. A fuel-oxidizer nozzle defining a second convergent-divergent nozzle provides a flow of fuel-oxidizer mixture to the detonation chamber. The fuel-oxidizer nozzle is defined radially inward of the gas nozzle and upstream of the detonation chamber relative to the combustion center plane.

Abstract: A turbine engine including a compressor rotor and a rotating detonation combustion (RDC) system. The compressor rotor includes a compressor airfoil defining a trailing edge disposed within a core flowpath of the turbine engine. The core flowpath defines a radial distance between an outer radius and an inner radius at the compressor rotor. The RDC system includes an outer wall and an inner wall each extended along a lengthwise direction and defining a detonation chamber therebetween. The RDC system further includes a strut defining a nozzle assembly and a fuel injection opening providing a flow of fuel to the detonation chamber. The compressor rotor provides a flow of oxidizer in direct fluid communication to the nozzle assembly of the RDC system.

Abstract: A Brayton cycle engine including an inner wall assembly defining a detonation combustion region upstream thereof extended from a longitudinal wall into a gas flowpath. An actuator adjusts a depth of the detonation combustion region into the gas flowpath. A method for operating the engine includes flowing an oxidizer through the gas flowpath; capturing a portion of the flow of oxidizer via the inner wall; flowing a first flow of fuel to the captured flow of oxidizer; producing a rotating detonation gases via a mixture of the first flow of fuel and the captured flow of oxidizer; flowing at least a portion of the detonation gases downstream to mix with the flow of oxidizer; flowing a second flow of fuel to the mixture of detonation gases and oxidizer; and burning the mixture of the second flow of fuel and the detonation gases/oxidizer mixture.

Abstract: A Brayton cycle engine and method for operation. The engine includes an inner wall assembly and an upstream wall assembly each extended from a longitudinal wall into a gas flowpath. An actuator adjusts a depth of the detonation combustion region into the gas flowpath between the inner wall assembly and the upstream wall assembly. The engine flows an oxidizer through the gas flowpath and the inner wall captures a portion of the oxidizer. The engine further adjusts the captured flow of oxidizer via the upstream wall and flows a first flow of fuel to the captured flow of oxidizer to produce rotating detonation gases. The engine flows the detonation gases downstream and to mix with the flow of oxidizer, and flows and burns a second flow of fuel to the detonation gases/oxidizer mixture to produce thrust.

Abstract: A Brayton cycle engine including a longitudinal wall extended along a lengthwise direction. The longitudinal wall defines a gas flowpath of the engine. An inner wall assembly is extended from the longitudinal wall into the gas flowpath. The inner wall assembly defines a detonation combustion region in the gas flowpath upstream of the inner wall assembly.

Abstract: A Brayton cycle engine including a longitudinal wall extended along a lengthwise direction. The longitudinal wall defines a gas flowpath of the engine. A strut is extended through the gas flowpath between the longitudinal walls. An inner wall assembly is extended from the longitudinal wall and the strut into the gas flowpath. The inner wall assembly and strut together define a plurality of detonation combustion regions in the gas flowpath upstream of the inner wall assembly.

Abstract: A rotating detonation combustion (RDC) system including a detonation chamber wall extended along a longitudinal direction. The detonation chamber wall defines a detonation chamber radially in between the detonation chamber walls. The RDC system further includes a fuel-oxidizer nozzle defining a first convergent-divergent nozzle disposed upstream of the detonation chamber, and a gas nozzle defining a second convergent-divergent nozzle extended through the detonation chamber wall at least partially along the longitudinal direction. The gas nozzle provides a flow of gas into the detonation chamber at least partially co-directional to the detonation chamber wall.

Abstract: A combustor assembly is generally provided. The combustor assembly includes a volute wall extended annularly around a combustor centerline. The volute wall is extended at least partially as a spiral curve from a circumferential reference line around the combustor centerline. The volute wall defines a combustion chamber therewithin. An annular inner wall is extended at least partially along a lengthwise direction from the volute wall. An annular outer wall is extended at least partially along the lengthwise direction from the volute wall. The inner wall and the outer wall are each separated along a radial direction from the combustor centerline. A primary flow passage is defined between the inner wall and the outer wall in fluid communication from the combustion chamber.

Abstract: A combustor assembly is generally provided. The combustor assembly includes a volute wall extended annularly around a combustor centerline, an annular inner wall extended at least partially along a lengthwise direction from the volute wall, and an annular outer wall extended at least partially along the lengthwise direction from the volute wall. The volute wall is extended at least partially as a spiral curve from a circumferential reference line around the combustor centerline and defines a combustion chamber within the volute wall. The inner wall and the outer wall are separated along a radial direction from the combustor centerline. A primary flow passage is defined between the inner wall and the outer wall in fluid communication from the combustion chamber. A flow passage wall is extended to a portion of the volute wall and a portion of the outer wall. The flow passage wall defines a secondary flow passage and a tertiary flow passage between the volute wall, the outer wall, and the flow passage wall.

Abstract: A trapped vortex combustor for use in a gas turbine engine defines a radial direction, an axial direction, and a circumferential direction. The trapped vortex combustor includes an outer vortex chamber wall defining a forward end, and a dome attached to, or formed integrally with, the outer vortex chamber wall at the forward end of the outer vortex chamber wall. The dome and outer vortex chamber wall define at least in part a combustion chamber having an outer trapped vortex chamber. The dome includes an air chute defining an airflow direction. The radial direction and axial direction of the trapped vortex combustor define a reference plane extending through the air chute, the airflow direction of the air chute defining an angle greater than zero with the reference plane.

Abstract: Various embodiments include a trapped vortex combustor and a method for operating trapped vortex combustor. In one embodiment, the trapped vortex combustor comprises a trapped vortex combustion zone and at least one secondary combustion zone disposed downstream of the trapped vortex combustion zone. The trapped vortex combustion zone is operable to receive and combust a first fuel and a first air and produce a first combustion product flowing toroidally therein. The at least one secondary combustion zone is operable to receive and combust the first combustion product and at least one second injection consisting of fuel and/or air and produce at least one second combustion product therein. The combustor may reduce the residence time of the highest temperature combustion products and achieve the lower NOx emission.

Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to a propulsion system including an annular inner wall and an annular outer wall, a nozzle assembly, a turbine nozzle, and an inner casing and an outer casing. The inner wall and outer wall together extend at least partially along a longitudinal direction and together define a combustion chamber inlet, a combustion chamber outlet, and a combustion chamber therebetween. The nozzle assembly is disposed at the combustion inlet and provides a mixture of fuel and oxidizer to the combustion chamber. The turbine nozzle defines a plurality of airfoils in adjacent circumferential arrangement disposed at the combustion chamber outlet. The turbine nozzle is coupled to the outer wall and the inner wall. The inner casing is disposed inward of the inner wall and the outer casing is disposed outward of the outer wall. Each of the inner casing and the outer casing are coupled to the turbine nozzle.

Abstract: A hybrid combustion system, and method of operation, for a propulsion system is provided. The hybrid combustion system defines a radial direction, a circumferential direction, and a longitudinal centerline in common with the propulsion system extended along a longitudinal direction. The hybrid combustion system includes a rotating detonation combustion (RDC) system comprising an annular outer wall and an annular inner wall each generally concentric to the longitudinal centerline and together defining a RDC chamber and a RDC inlet, the RDC system further comprising a nozzle located at the RDC inlet defined by a nozzle wall. The nozzle defines a lengthwise direction extended between a nozzle inlet and a nozzle outlet along the lengthwise direction, and the nozzle inlet is configured to receive a flow of oxidizer. The nozzle further defines a throat between the nozzle inlet and the nozzle outlet, and wherein the nozzle defines a converging-diverging nozzle.

Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to a rotating detonation combustion system for a propulsion system, the rotating detonation combustion system defining a radial direction, a circumferential direction, and a longitudinal centerline in common with the propulsion system extended along a longitudinal direction. The rotating detonation combustion system includes an annular outer wall and an annular inner wall each generally concentric to the longitudinal centerline and together defining at least in part a combustion chamber and a combustion chamber inlet. The outer wall and the inner wall together define an annular nozzle concentric to the longitudinal centerline at the combustion chamber inlet. The nozzle defines a lengthwise direction and extending between a nozzle inlet and a nozzle outlet along the lengthwise direction, the nozzle inlet configured to receive a flow of oxidizer. The nozzle further defines a throat between the nozzle inlet and nozzle outlet.

Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to a method of operating a propulsion system at an approximately constant detonation cell quantity in the combustion chamber of a detonation combustion system. The propulsion system defines an inlet section upstream of the rotating detonation combustion system and an exhaust section downstream of the rotating detonation combustion system.

Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to a propulsion system including a rotating detonation combustion (RDC) system defining a plurality of fuel-oxidizer mixing nozzles each defined by a converging-diverging nozzle wall defining a nozzle flowpath. The nozzle wall defines a throat and a lengthwise direction extended between a nozzle inlet and nozzle outlet along the lengthwise direction. The longitudinal centerline of the propulsion system and the radial direction together define a reference plane, and the lengthwise direction of the nozzle intersects the reference plane and defines a nozzle angle greater than zero degrees and approximately 80 degrees or less relative to the reference plane.

Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to a method of operating a propulsion system including a rotating detonation combustion (RDC) system. The RDC system defines a combustion inlet at an upstream end, a combustion outlet at a downstream end, a combustion chamber therebetween, and a nozzle defined at the combustion inlet upstream of the combustion chamber, and a secondary flowpath extended from upstream of the nozzle to downstream of the nozzle.

Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to a rotating detonation combustion system for a propulsion system, the rotating detonation combustion system defining a radial direction, a circumferential direction, and a longitudinal centerline in common with the propulsion system extended along a longitudinal direction.

Abstract: A method and system of effervescent atomization of liquid fuel for a rotating detonation combustor (RDC) for a propulsion system is provided. The method includes flowing liquid fuel through a fuel injection port of a nozzle assembly of the RDC system; flowing a gas through the fuel injection port of the nozzle assembly volumetrically proportional to the liquid fuel; producing a gas-liquid fuel mixture at the fuel injection port by mixing the flow of gas and the flow of liquid fuel; flowing an oxidizer through a nozzle flowpath of the RDC system; producing an oxidizer-gas-liquid fuel mixture by mixing the gas-liquid fuel mixture and the flow of oxidizer within the nozzle flowpath; and igniting the oxidizer-gas-liquid fuel mixture within a combustion chamber of the RDC system.