Gas turbine engine control system

Claim 2

A gas turbine engine, comprising: a. a rotary air compressor, having a stator with an air inlet, a substantially circular outlet air duct, and a compressor rotor said compressor including an axial air inlet for said compressor comprising the annular space between an inner cylinder, coaxial with said rotor shaft, and an outer flared coaxial cylindrical wall, and including means to adjustably partially close off said annular opening; a' variable angle pre-whirl vanes in the inlet of said compressor; b. a gas turbine having a stator with a substantially circular hot gas inlet duct, a gas outlet and a turbine rotor and means to control the cross-section for flow of hot gases to said turbine rotor; c. a housing having a rotor shaft journalled in said housing, said compressor rotor mounted on a first end of said rotor shaft, and said turbine rotor mounted on the second end of said rotor shaft; d. substantially cylindrical combustion chamber means connecting the end of said compressor outlet air duct to the inlet end of said turbine hot gas inlet duct; e. a tubular extension of said housing in which is positioned the support bearing for said second end of said rotor shaft on which said turbine rotor is mounted; f. said circular hot gas inlet duct for supplying hot gas to the turbine inlet nozzles surrounding said tubular extension with an annular clearance therebetween; and g. auxiliary blade means on the back surface of said turbine rotor to draw cool outside air axially through said annular clearance, and radially along the back surface of said turbine rotor, and into said turbine nozzle along with said hot gases from said hot gas inlet duct; whereby said tubular extension, the turbine nozzle and said turbine rotor are cooled by said cool air flow.

Claim 3

The engine as in claim 1 including a plurality of bored longitudinal openings in the hub of said turbine rotor, and means to flow part of said cool outside air flowing through said annular space, through said bored longitudinal openings; whereby the hub of said turbine rotor is cooled.

Claim 4

The engine as in claim 1 in which said means to adjustably partially close off said annular opening comprises a conical wedge, and means to position said wedge at a selected point along said inner cylinder.

Claim 5

The engine as in claim 1 including means to throttle the flow of hot gases through said turbine inlet nozzles, comprising: a. backing plate means supporting a plurality of nozzle blades mounted on and substantially perpendicular to said backing plate means; b. axially movable shroud means substantially parallel to said backing plate means; c. said shroud means having appropriate flare so as to direct axially flowing hot gas into a radial direction through said nozzles; and d. a plurality of openings cut in said shroud each of the shape of one nozzle blade, and means to move said shroud axially; whereby said blades fit into said openings and the spacing between said shroud and said backing plate is changed, thereby changing the area of opening for flow of said hot gas to said turbine rotor.

Claim 6

A gas turbine engine, comprising: a. a rotary air compressor having a stator with an air inlet, an outlet air duct, and a compressor rotor and means to control the rate of flow of inlet air to said compressor; b. a gas turbine having a stator with a hot gas inlet duct, a gas outlet, and a turbine rotor including vane means on the back of said turbine rotor to draw in outside air to cool the compressor housing and the turbine rotor; c. a housing having a rotor shaft journalled in said housing, said compressor rotor mounted on a first end of said rotor shaft, and said turbine rotor mounted on the second end of said rotor shaft; and d. a substantially cylindrical combustion chamber means connecting the end of said compressor outlet air duct to the inlet end of said turbine hot gas inlet duct comprising: 1. a cylindrical housing, including means to flow air under pressure from said compressor into said housing at one end and means to deliver hot gases at high velocity at the second end of said housing to said turbine; 2. a conical structure along the axis of said housing, and means to inject fuel in a generally downstream direction from the downstream end of said conical structure; 3. a cylindrical flared structure surrounding said conical structure providing an annular venturi-shaped space between the two, whereby a major part of the air supply from said compressor passes through said annular space at high velocity and turbulently mixes with said fuel; 4. means to ignite the fuel-air mixture; 5. a thin walled cylindrical liner inside of said housing, and means to direct part of the input air from the compressor to the annular space between said liner and said housing, whereby said liner and said housing are cooled; and 6. a venturi tube and means to direct part of the input air from said compressor into said venturi tube, a fuel line connected to supply fuel to the neck of said venturi, pipe means connecting the outlet of said venturi tube to the downstream end of said conical structure, whereby said fuel and said air, flows through said pipe, and are discharged at the downstream end of said conical structure; whereby the rate of flow of fuel is controlled by the rate of flow of air through said venturi tube, which is a function of the total flow of compressor air to said combustion chamber.

Claim 7

A gas turbine engine, comprising: a. a rotary air compressor having a stator with an air inlet, an outlet air duct, and a compressor rotor and means to control the rate of flow of inlet air to said compressor; b. a gas turbine having a stator with a hot gas inlet duct, a gas outlet, and a turbine rotor including vane means on the back of said turbine rotor to draw in outside air to cool the compressor housing and the turbine rotor; c. a housing having a rotor shaft journalled in said housing, said compressor rotor mounted on a first end of said rotor shaft, and said turbine rotor mounted on the second end of said rotor shaft; and d. a substantially cylindrical combustion chamber means connecting the end of said compressor outlet air duct to the inlet end of said turbine hot gas inlet duct comprising: 1. a cylindrical housing, including means to flow air under pressure from said compressor into said housing at one end and means to deliver hot gases at high velocity at the second end of said housing to said turbine; 2. a conical structure along the axis of said housing, and means to inject fuel in a generally downstream direction from the downstream end of said conical structure; 3. a cylindrical flared structure surrounding said conical structure providing an annular venturi-shaped space between the two, whereby a major part of the air supply from said compressor passes through said annular space at high velocity and turbulently mixes with said fuel; 4. means to ignite the fuel-air mixture; 5. a thin walled cylindrical liner inside of said housing, and means to direct part of the input air from the compressor to the annular space between said liner and said housing, whereby said liner and said housing are cooled; and 6. a venturi tube and means to direct part of the input air from said compressor into said venturi tube, a fuel line connected to supply fuel to the neck of said venturi, pipe means connecting the outlet of said venturi tube to the downstream end of said conical structure, whereby said fuel and said air, flows through said pipe, and are discharged at the downstream end of said conical structure; whereby the rate of flow of fuel is controlled by the rate of flow of air through said venturi tube, which is a function of the total flow of compressor air to said combustion chamber.

Claim 8

The gas turbine as in claim 5, including: a pressure tube directed upstream into the flow of inlet air, conduit means connecting said pressure tube to a closed chamber containing liquid fuel, and outlet pipe means from said closed chamber for conducting fuel to said venturi tube, whereby the flow of fuel out of said chamber will be a selected function of the difference in pressure in said pressure tube and that in the venturi tube and of the rate of flow of air into said combustion chamber.

Claim 9

The gas turbine as in claim 5 including: a first pressure tube directed upstream into the flow of inlet air, and providing a control pressure P 1 , a second tube connected to the throat of said venturi tube and providing a control pressure P 2 , and liquid fuel supply means for providing a flow of liquid fuel to said combustion chamber which is a function of the difference between said pressures P 1 and P 2 .

Claim 10

The gas turbine as in claim 1 in which said turbine rotor comprises: a. a hub portion of generally tapered, curved, conical shape; b. a plurality of P radial vanes equally spaced about said hub portion, said vanes extending an axial distance D from the back surface of said hub, namely the part of largest diameter; c. said hub portion beyond said axial distance D turned down to a cylindrical portion of lesser diameter H, for an additional distance; and including d. at least a first sub hub having a central opening of diameter H, adapted to fit over said cylindrical portion, said first sub hub having a plurality of P vanes machined at a helical angle θ. and adapted to line up with said P vanes on said rotor.

Claim 11

The gas turbine as in claim 8 including: at least a second sub hub having P vanes machined at a helical angle θ.sub. 2 which is greater than θ 1 .

Claim 12

The gas turbine as in claim 8 in which said radial vanes are inserted into corresponding slots in said hub portion.

Claim 13

The gas turbine as in claim 1 including: means to meet air under high pressure into the inlet of the combustion chamber, whereby the increased flow of hot gas from the combustion chamber into the turbine will cause the turbine rotor to accelerate.

Claim 14

The engine as in claim 5 including variable angle pre-whirl vanes at the air inlet of said compressor controlling the helical angle of flow of inlet air to the blades of said compressor rotor.

Claim 15

The engine as in claim 1 in which the means to control the power output comprises: a. means for varying the cross-sectional area of the air inlet to the compressor; and b. means for varying the angle of pre-whirl supplied to the incoming air to the compressor.

Claim 16

The engine as in claim 13 in which the means to control the power output includes: c. means for varying the cross-sectional area for flow of hot gases to the turbine rotor.

Claim 17

The engine as in claim 14 including means responsive to the rate of flow of compressed air from the compressor to said combustion chamber to control the rate of flow of fuel to the combustion chamber.