Solid boron fuel burner for ramjet

Claim 1

A solid boron fuel burning ramjet engine, comprising, a combustion chamber; said combustion chamber having an air inlet at one end and an exit nozzle at the other end; a burner for powdered solid boron fuel within said combustion chamber; said burner having a substantially cylindrical tubular member with a refractory inner wall; said tubular member having a length to diameter ratio of at least 2.5 to 1; a fuel mill; said fuel mill having a circular chamber and a wire brush positioned within said chamber, substantially filling said chamber; means for rotating said brush at a predetermined speed; means for continuously supplying solid boron fuel pellets to the fuel mill; said means for continuously supplying solid boron fuel pellets to said fuel mill including means for positioning a fuel pellet against the periphery of said wire brush; means for advancing pellets toward the wire brush at a predetermined rate; a fuel outlet positioned adjacent the periphery of said brush at a position angularly displaced from said pellet positioning means; means, connected to said fuel outlet, for supplying powdered solid boron fuel from the fuel mill to said burner; means for providing a gas flow through said circular chamber around said wire brush to said outlet and then to the burner to carry the fuel from the fuel mill to the burner; means for supplying air from said air inlet to said burner; said burner being spaced from the wall of said combustion chamber for providing a secondary air flow path around the burner to thereby provide secondary burning at the outlet of said burner; means for igniting said burner.