Method and apparatus for producing air-fuel flames of sonic and supersonic velocities

Claim 1

A METHOD OF PRODUCING A JET FLAME WHICH COMPRISES THE STEPS OF INJECTING A FINELY ATOMIZED STREAM OF LIQUID FUEL INTO A COMBUSTION CHAMBER HAVING A CONVERGENT EXHAUST OUTLET, CONTINUOUSLY INJECTING, A PRIMARY STREAM OF COMPRESSED AIR DIRECTLY INTO SAID ATOMIZED FUEL STREAM IN SAID CHAMBER TO SERVE AS PRIMARY COMBUSTION AIR, SAID INJECTED FUEL AND AIR FORMING A COMBUSTIBLE MIXTURE IN SAID CHAMBER, CONTROLLING FROM A POINT EXTERNALLY OF SAID CHAMBER THE ACTIVATION OF AN IGNITION DEVICE LOCATED IN SAID CHAMBER AND INCLUDING THE STEPS OF (A) INITIALLY ACTIVATING SAID DEVICE TO IGNITE SAID MIXTURE, (B) CONTINUING THE ACTIVATION OF SAID DEVICE UNTIL A STABLE FLAME HAS BEEN ESTABLISHED THEREIN, AND (C) DE-ACTIVATING SAID IGNITION DEVICE FOLLOWING SAID FLAME ESTABLISHMENT, AND CONTINUOUSLY INJECTING A STREAM OF COMPRESSED SECONDARY AIR INTO SAID CHAMBER INDEPENDENTLY OF SAID STREAMS OF FUEL AND PRIMARY AIR AND AT A POINT SPACED FROM THE POINTS OF INJECTION OF SAID STREAMS OF FUEL AND PRIMARY AIR, CONTROLLING THE SUPPLY OF SAID FUEL, PRIMARY AIR AND SECONDARY AIR TO PROVIDE IN SAID PRIMARY AIR STREAM 60% TO 80% OF THE STOICHIOMETRIC AMOUNT OF AIR REQUIRED FOR COMBUSTION IN SAID CHAMBER, AND DETERMINING THE PRESSURE IN SAID CHAMBER WHILE FURTHER CONTROLLING THE SUPPLY OF SAID FUEL, PRIMARY AIR, AND SECONDARY AIR TO MAINTAIN A PRESSURE IN SAID CHAMBER RESULTING IN A FLAME ISSUING FROM SAID EXHAUST OUTLET HAVING A TEMPERATURE IN THE ORDER OF 2000 TO 3000*F. AND AN EFFECTIVE EXHAUST VELOCITY IN THE ORDER OF 2500 TO 4600 FEET PER SECOND, THE TOTAL OF SAID PRIMARY AIR AND SAID SECONDARY AIR BEING IN THE RATIO OF 11 TO 30 POUNDS OF SAID TOTAL AIR PER

Claim 2

A METHOD OF PRODUCING A JET FLAME WHICH COMPRISES THE STEPS OF INJECTING A FINELY ATOMIZED STREAM OF LIQUID FUEL INTO A COMBUSTION CHAMBER HAVING A CONVERGENT EXHAUST OUTLET, CONTINUOUSLY INJECTING, A PRIMARY STREAM OF COMPRESSED AIR DIRECTLY INTO SAID ATOMIZED FUEL STREAM IN SAID CHAMBER TO SERVE AS PRIMARY COMBUSTION AIR, SAID INJECTED FUEL AND AIR FORMING A COMBUSTIBLE MIXTURE IN SAID CHAMBER, CONTROLLING FROM A POINT EXTERNALLY OF SAID CHAMBER THE ACTIVATION OF AN IGNITION DEVICE LOCATED IN SAID CHAMBER AND INCLUDING THE STEPS OF (A) INITIALLY ACTIVATING SAID DEVICE TO IGNITE SAID MIXTURE, (B) CONTINUING THE ACTIVATION OF SAID DEVICE UNTIL A STABLE FLAME HAS BEEN ESTABLISHED THEREIN, AND (C) DE-ACTIVATING SAID IGNITION DEVICE FOLLOWING SAID FLAME ESTABLISHMENT, AND CONTINUOUSLY INJECTING A STREAM OF COMPRESSED SECONDARY AIR INTO SAID CHAMBER INDEPENDENTLY OF SAID STREAMS OF FUEL AND PRIMARY AIR AND AT A POINT SPACED FROM THE POINTS OF INJECTION OF SAID STREAMS OF FUEL AND PRIMARY AIR, CONTROLLING THE SUPPLY OF SAID FUEL, PRIMARY AIR AND SECONDARY AIR TO PROVIDE IN SAID PRIMARY AIR STREAM 60% TO 80% OF THE STOICHIOMETRIC AMOUNT OF AIR REQUIRED FOR COMBUSTION IN SAID CHAMBER, AND DETERMINING THE PRESSURE IN SAID CHAMBER WHILE FURTHER CONTROLLING THE SUPPLY OF SAID FUEL, PRIMARY AIR, AND SECONDARY AIR TO MAINTAIN A PRESSURE IN SAID CHAMBER RESULTING IN A FLAME ISSUING FROM SAID EXHAUST OUTLET HAVING A TEMPERATURE IN THE ORDER OF 2000 TO 3000*F. AND AN EFFECTIVE EXHAUST VELOCITY IN THE ORDER OF 2500 TO 4600 FEET PER SECOND, THE TOTAL OF SAID PRIMARY AIR AND SAID SECONDARY AIR BEING IN THE RATIO OF 11 TO 30 POUNDS OF SAID TOTAL AIR PER