Gas turbine engine

Claim 2

A constant volume, continuous combustion gas turbine engine, comprising: a. an elongated housing open at each end having front and rear anti-friction bearings axially located therein; b. a rotor, comprising: i. an elongated, cylindrical casing rotatably mounted within said housing, having openings at each end, one opening of suitable diameter being the compressor inlet, the opposite end containing a turbine wheel; ii. a plurality of parallel closed-type centrifugal compressor sections, rotatably mounted within said casing and affixed thereto, with said compressor inlet extending through the axis of each compressor section ending at the forward wall of the turbine wheel, and communicating with the outlets of the compressor sections; iii. an elongated, cylindrical combustion chamber, comprising an annular space concentric with the axis of rotation, defined by and communicating with the compressor outlets at its inner radius, the cylindrical casing at its outer radius, a continuation of said casing forming a forward wall perpendicular to the axis of rotation, and extending back to the turbine blades; iv. an annular diffuser rotatably mounted within said casing and affixed thereto, having suitable perforations therethrough and peripherally disposed around and spaced from the compressor outlets, the perforations providing communicating flow paths between the several compressor outlets and the combustion chamber; v. a means of initiating self-sustaining ignition of the fuel/air mixture, comprising a plurality of spark gaps located within said combustion chamber at its forward end near the outlet of the first compressor section, rotatably mounted and affixed thereto, said gaps receiving current jumping from a fixed spark plug attached to the housing and aligned with said spark gaps; vi. an annular flame-holder rotatably mounted within said combustion chamber and affixed thereto, comprising a suitable screen material downstream from said spark gaps, the open mesh of said screen matErial forming flow paths for combusting gases communicating and intermixing with the air flow from successive compressor section outlets through the diffuser, said flame-holder preventing extinction of the ignited fuel/air mixture; vii. a turbine wheel rotatably mounted at the rear end of the cylindrical casing, having a plurality of combusted gasreceiving blades attached to said casing at their tips and the turbine wheel at their roots, said blades being interposed directly in the path of the combusted gas flow from the combustion chamber, at an optimum angle to the flow path; viii. a means of cooling the outer surface of the cylindrical casing, comprising a plurality of air-impelling blades, circularly disposed and rotatably mounted at the front end of said casing and affixed thereto, interposed between the ambient air flow and the annular air space separating the casing from the housing; c. a means of introducing fuel into the combustion chamber comprising a fuel line attached to the housing and extending toward the air inlet at the front of the cylindrical casing, located excentrically near the first compressor inlet and communicating with the combustion chamber through said first compressor section; d. a combination accessory drive, power take-off and startergenerator means, comprising a drive shaft affixed to the turbine wheel and supporting the rear end of the rotor in said axially located rear bearing, and communicating through suitable gearing with a gear box having power take-off shaft, accessory drive shafts and starter-generator shaft projecting therefrom.

Claim 3

The gas turbine engine defined by claim 1, wherein the fuel induction means comprises: a. a suitable length of fuel line; b. a nozzle at the air-inlet end of said line having a needle valve for modulating the fuel flow; c. a mechanical linkage for operating said needle valve; d. a venturi tube encircling said nozzle, the ambient air flow drawing fuel from said nozzle under the influence of said venturi tube, and the fuel/air mixture passing into the forward end of the combustion chamber through the forward compressor section.

Claim 4

The gas turbine engine defined by claim 1, wherein each compressor section comprises: a. a first and second disk, each having a hole of suitable diameter at its axis, forming: i. a first axisymmetrically tapered wall; ii. a second axisymmetrically tapered wall spaced from the first wall, each wall sloping toward the other forming a narrow outlet at the periphery and a wide inlet at the axis; b. a plurality of air impelling blades, the blades being radially disposed between the walls, each having: i. a first edge conforming in shape to the first wall and affixed at its inner side; ii. a second edge conforming in shape to the second wall and affixed to its inner side; iii. and the root of each blade forming a scoop bent in the direction of rotation and extending into the air inlet space at the axis; c. each first wall, each second wall and the blades therebetween defining a flow path between the axial air inlet and the combustion chamber; d. each section is attached to the adjacent section at the rims of their center holes, said rims defining a central air inlet space extending the length of the several compressor sections, the first wall of the first section being attached to the front opening of the cylindrical casing, the second wall of each section being attached to the first wall of each successive section, and the second wall of the last section being attached to the turbine wheel.

Claim 5

The gas turbine engine defined by claim 1, wherein the turbine wheel comprises; a. a driving wheel with attached drive shaft affixed to the axis and providing a rear rotor support point, said wheel having a first flanged disk and a second flanged disk, the edges of said flanges contacting each other, having notches cut into each flange at equal intervals and said disks being fastened together; b. a plurality of combusted gas-receiving blades, forming converging-diverging reaction nozzles in the space between any two blades, inserted into said wheel at the periphery, said spacing providing optimum restriction at the coverging space between said blades to permit optimum compression and combustion of the ignited fuel/air mixture in the combustion chamber before passage into the diverging space between said blades.

Claim 6

The gas turbine engine defined by claim 1, wherein ambient air enters the axial air inlet parallel to the axis of rotation, is turned 90* by the compressor sections and subjected to further compression within the combustion chamber, by: a. centrifugal force; b. a large volume of fresh incoming air; c. a second 90* turn to parallel the axis of rotation; d. expension of ignited fuel/air mixture; e. centrifugal force acting on the burning fluid, and; f. the restriction of the converging space between the combusted gas-receiving blades.

Claim 7

A constant volume, continuous combustion gas turbine engine, comprising: a. an elongated housing open at each end having front and rear anti-friction bearings axially located therein; b. a rotor, comprising: i. an elongated, cylindrical casing rotatably mounted within said housing, having openings at each end, one end being the air inlet at the front of the engine, the opposite, containing a turbine wheel being the exhaust end; ii. a plurality of parallel, closed-type centrifugal compressors, rotatably mounted within said casing and affixed thereto, with said air inlet extending through the axis of each compressor and communicating with the peripheral outlets of each compressor; iii. an elongated, cylindrical combustion chamber, comprising an annular space concentric with the axis of rotation, defined by the compressor outlets at its inner radius, the cylindrical casing at its outer radius, a continuation of said casing forming a forward wall, and extending rearward ending at the turbine blades; iv. an annular diffuser rotatably mounted within said casing and affixed thereto, having suitable perforations therethrough and peripherally disposed around and spaced from the compressor outlets, said diffuser slowing the high speed, low pressure air from said compressors and changing it to low speed, high pressure air, while directing it for optimum intermixing with the burning fuel/air mixture in the combustion chamber; v. a means of igniting the fuel/air mixture, comprising a plurality of spark gaps located within said combustion chamber at its forward end, rotatably mounted and affixed thereto, said gaps receiving current jumping from fixed spark plugs attached to the housing; vi. an annular flame-holder, rotatably mounted within said combustion chamber and affixed thereto comprising a suitable screen material located near said spark gaps and preventing the flame of the burning fuel/air mixture from being extinguished; vii. a turbine wheel rotatably mounted at the rear end of the cylindrical casing, having a plurality of combusted gas-receiving blades attached to said casing at their tips and the turbine wheel at their roots, said blades being rectangular in plan having substantially thick rounded leading edges, tapering chordwise to thin trailing edges, one side of each blade being substantially flat and the opposite side undulating, forming a substantially rectangular converging-diverging reaction nozzle between any two adjacent blades coacting in their turbine wheel positions in accordance with Newton''s Third Law of Motion; viii. a means of cooling the outer surface of the cylindrical casing, comprising a plurality of air-impelling blades, circularly disposed and rotatably mounted at the forward end of said casing and affixed thereto, and propelling ambient air through the annular space separating said casing from the housing; c. a means of introducing fuel into the combustion chamber, comprising a fuel Line attached to the housing and extending toward the air inlet at the front of the cylindrical casing, located excentrically near the first compressor inlet and communicating with the combustion chamber through said first compressor section, said fuel line having a nozzle encircled by a venturi tube with a needle valve controlling the fuel flow at said air inlet; d. a combination accessory drive, power take-off and starter-generator means, comprising a drive shaft affixed to the turbine wheel at its axis and supporting the rear end of the rotor in said axially located rear bearing, and communicating through suitable gearing with a gear box having power take-off shaft, accessory drive shafts and starter-generator shafts projecting therefrom.

Claim 8

A constant volume, continuous combustion gas turbine engine, comprising: a. an elongated housing open at each end having front and rear anti-friction bearings axially located therein; b. a rotor, comprising: i. an elongated, cylindrical casing rotatably mounted within said housing, having openings at each end, one end being the air inlet at the front of the engine, the opposite, containing a turbine wheel being the exhaust end; ii. a plurality of parallel, closed-type centrifugal compressors, rotatably mounted within said casing and affixed thereto, with said air inlet extending through the axis of each compressor and communicating with the peripheral outlets of each compressor; iii. an elongated, cylindrical combustion chamber, comprising an annular space concentric with the axis of rotation, defined by the compressor outlets at its inner radius, the cylindrical casing at its outer radius, a continuation of said casing forming a forward wall, and extending rearward ending at the turbine blades; iv. an annular diffuser rotatably mounted within said casing and affixed thereto, having suitable perforations therethrough and peripherally disposed around and spaced from the compressor outlets, said diffuser slowing the high speed, low pressure air from said compressors and changing it to low speed, high pressure air, while directing it for optimum intermixing with the burning fuel/air mixture in the combustion chamber; v. a means of igniting the fuel/air mixture, comprising a plurality of spark gaps located within said combustion chamber at its forward end, rotatably mounted and affixed thereto, said gaps receiving current jumping from fixed spark plugs attached to the housing; vi. an annular flame-holder, rotatably mounted within said combustion chamber and affixed thereto comprising a suitable screen material located near said spark gaps and preventing the flame of the burning fuel/air mixture from being extinguished; vii. a turbine wheel rotatably mounted at the rear end of the cylindrical casing, having a plurality of combusted gas-receiving blades attached to said casing at their tips and the turbine wheel at their roots, said blades being rectangular in plan having substantially thick rounded leading edges, tapering chordwise to thin trailing edges, one side of each blade being substantially flat and the opposite side undulating, forming a substantially rectangular converging-diverging reaction nozzle between any two adjacent blades coacting in their turbine wheel positions in accordance with Newton''s Third Law of Motion; viii. a means of cooling the outer surface of the cylindrical casing, comprising a plurality of air-impelling blades, circularly disposed and rotatably mounted at the forward end of said casing and affixed thereto, and propelling ambient air through the annular space separating said casing from the housing; c. a means of introducing fuel into the combustion chamber, comprising a fuel Line attached to the housing and extending toward the air inlet at the front of the cylindrical casing, located excentrically near the first compressor inlet and communicating with the combustion chamber through said first compressor section, said fuel line having a nozzle encircled by a venturi tube with a needle valve controlling the fuel flow at said air inlet; d. a combination accessory drive, power take-off and starter-generator means, comprising a drive shaft affixed to the turbine wheel at its axis and supporting the rear end of the rotor in said axially located rear bearing, and communicating through suitable gearing with a gear box having power take-off shaft, accessory drive shafts and starter-generator shafts projecting therefrom.

Claim 9

The gas turbine engine defined by claim 6, wherein the combusted gas-receiving blades are fabricated of a suitable ceramic material capable of withstanding substantially high temperatures without melting, and having a plurality of stubs projecting from the tips and the roots, said root stubs being inserted into notches in the turbine wheel and said tip stubs being inserted in holes cut through the cylindrical casing and through a reinforcing annulus encircling said casing, said blades being subjected primarily to compressive rather than tensile centrifugal forces.