Method for driving a rotor by means of a jet engine

Abstract

The rotor system is driven by jet engines arranged at the tips of the rotors, which comprise a structure rotating on a rotational axis. The jet flow generated by the jet engines generates a thrust orthogonal to the radius of the rotor to push the rotation. The proposed methods comprise methods for delivering gaseous fuel to the engines using the inherent centrifugal force present in the rotors. The liquefied fuel from the source reservoir is vaporized into a gaseous state and subjected to the centrifugal force, thereby moving it radially outward to the detonation-type jet engines. The methods also comprise special processes for mixing the fuel with the oxidizer and processing the fuel or / and the fuel mixture to increase its detonation capability.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates primarily to the field of jet-driven rotors that convert the chemical energy of fuel into the rotational kinetic energy of the rotor, and more specifically to a method of operating a jet-driven rotor by means of a pulse detonation engine or an engine located at the tip of the rotor system. Background Technology

[0002] Since the early 20th century, methods for rotating rotors using jet propulsion have been developed. The primary application of these methods is using the rotor as a propulsion propeller for aircraft. These are mainly vehicles flying in helicopter systems. In this case, the jet thrust source is placed at the end of the rotor, and the rotor rotates due to the jet thrust it generates. This method offers many advantages compared to methods that rotate the rotor via an attached rotating shaft. An internal combustion engine and transmission are used to rotate the shaft. In this case, a reaction torque is generated, which causes the aircraft to rotate in the opposite direction to the rotor's rotation. This torque needs to be compensated, which is accomplished in various ways, specifically using a tail rotor, which makes the transmission design more complex. The weight of the internal combustion engine and transmission can exceed 100 kg, depending on the propeller size and the weight of the aircraft.

[0003] Austrian engineer Ludwig Wittgenstein proposed a method in which gas and air are fed into the combustion chamber through the tips of rotor blades, where they mix and are heated to ignition levels due to centrifugal force. However, this method has not been implemented in practice because the ignition temperature of hydrocarbon gases or mixtures of hydrogen and air is 400 to 600°C and needs to be achieved at pressures greater than 30 atm, which requires extremely high centrifugal forces. The variability of rotor speed also makes this process unreliable.

[0004] Another solution for jet-driven rotors is to use cold jets expelled from nozzles at the rotor tip. For example, a gas turbine engine can be used, which pumps air into air ducts located inside the rotor. This compressor weighs 90 kg and consumes 110 kg of kerosene per hour, making the overall efficiency of this method relatively low.

[0005] Using a jet engine located at the tip of the rotor as a solution for rotor rotation, this engine is considered the simplest device and the lightest power unit.

[0006] One example of such an advanced jet engine uses a ramjet engine weighing approximately 5-8 kg. This method presents several problems:

[0007] - It only works effectively within a certain range of rotor speeds, which provides sufficient compression for the air entering the engine, but at the same time does not allow the airflow to separate from the blades, which greatly reduces the rotor's lift (this limitation prevents the ramjet engine from working effectively due to the subsonic speed at the rotor tip).

[0008] - During rotor rotation, combustion products after exhaust enter the intake port, thus reducing the efficiency of the ramjet engine.

[0009] The weight of a ramjet engine under centrifugal force within a 200g range places high demands on the strength of its rotor structure.

[0010] - Combustion efficiency is reduced due to the centrifugal effect of the liquid fuel and air mixture in the high-pressure jet engine combustion chamber and stratification caused by differences in component density.

[0011] In the event of engine failure, their resistance to oncoming airflow makes it difficult for them to autorotate and land.

[0012] - High levels of noise during ramjet engine operation

[0013] To generate the required thrust, detonation jet engines require a large amount of supersonic air and fuel flow. This is due to the low thermodynamic cycle efficiency of this type of combustion and the low outflow rate of combustion products.

[0014] Attempts were made to use more efficient jet engine configurations. The most efficient jet engine is the turbojet engine. However, due to the large weight and size of such engines, attempts to use them proved unsuccessful as long as they operated at the tip of the rotor under centrifugal force. Furthermore, the rotating turbine and compressor generated gyroscopic torques, which were either compensated by the flywheel, further increasing the weight and reducing the efficiency of the method, or transmitted to the rotor bearing structure, significantly reducing the resources of the entire system.

[0015] Jet engines with a detonation combustion operating mode are 13-15% more efficient than ramjet engines. In this case, detonation combustion requires a smaller combustion chamber and nozzle because the exothermic power during detonation combustion is significantly higher than that during deflagration combustion, and the velocity of detonation products is 20-25 times higher than that of deflagration products. As a result, detonation engines are much smaller and lighter than ramjet engines, which is crucial when operating under significant centrifugal forces. Contrary to the low (subsonic) velocity of the detonation front, detonation combustion provides greater fuel combustion integrity than deflagration combustion due to the higher (supersonic) propagation speed of the detonation wave. All these factors combined provide significant advantages for using detonation jet engines compared to high-pressure jet engines that act as rotor-driven jet engines. However, the methods for generating detonation combustion require complex steps to increase the detonation capability of the fuel and the fuel-oxidizer mixture, as well as the organization of the detonation combustion itself, which may require additional energy consumption.

[0016] A known invention, one method for arranging the working process in a pulse detonation traction module for a jet helicopter, located at the tip of a rotor blade [RU 2718726, C2, B64C 27 / 18, 14.04.2020], includes fuel supply, fuel-air mixing, filling a combustion chamber with the combustible mixture, generation of a detonation wave, expansion of detonation products in the burner circuit, and the outflow of detonation products through a nozzle to generate reactive thrust. Liquid fuel is circulated to a cylindrical hot inner wall in the form of jets, wherein the jets are directed such that the inner wall of the hot combustion chamber is uniformly wetted by the liquid fuel while taking into account the direction of centrifugal force.

[0017] As a result of the thermomechanical interaction between the liquid fuel jet and the combustion wall within the combustion chamber, the jet breaks up to form droplets and a liquid fuel film, along with fuel vapor, thus creating a detonation-capable two-phase combustible mixture filling the burner path. Forced ignition of this combustible mixture leads to the formation of an accelerated turbulent flame in the burner path, rapidly transitioning combustion to detonation. This causes all remaining two-phase combustible mixture in the burner path to burn in the detonation wave and propel towards the nozzle, where it burns again after exiting the nozzle. Detonation products flow through the nozzle, accompanied by a pressure drop in the burner circuit to a braking pressure level in the incoming airflow, thus providing conditions for burner circuit purging and its repeated filling with a detonation-capable two-phase fuel and air mixture. The detonation products exiting the nozzle also generate reactive thrust.

[0018] The disadvantage of this known technical solution is that the efficiency of detonation combustion is relatively low because it uses a fuel-air mixture with two-phase detonation capability.

[0019] -It reduces the efficiency of fuel pyrolysis;

[0020] -The fuel-air mixture is stratified under the action of centrifugal force;

[0021] - Incomplete detonation combustion.

[0022] Furthermore, in known methods, additional energy costs are required to provide the necessary fuel pressure in the engine to obtain a fuel and oxidizer mixture with maximum knock capability, which also leads to a reduction in the overall efficiency of this rotor operation method.

[0023] The closest technically approximation to the proposed method is a useful model of a device-propulsion system [RU 95035, U1, F02K1 / 00, 08.02.2010], which implements the corresponding system operation method. The propulsion system includes at least one blade attached to the axis of a rotor containing an inlet and a ramjet air duct for centrifugal air jetting, located in series after the inlet. The combustion chamber and injection nozzle of the propulsion module are located at the tips of the blades. The inlet of the ramjet engine is located at the abutment of the blade, wherein a through passage is formed along its entire length, performing the function of a radial centrifugal air duct, and equipped with a cryogenic fuel evaporator located within the through passage along the entire length of the blade.

[0024] The drawback of this closest approach is that the method of operating a jet engine using detonation combustion is relatively inefficient, which leads to a relatively low overall efficiency of this rotor-rotating method. Summary of the Invention

[0025] The technical objective of this invention is to improve the efficiency of a jet-driven rotor system, which can be used as a propulsion propeller for an aircraft or as a drive for a generator shaft.

[0026] The technical results of this invention include improving the operating efficiency of jet-driven rotors by reducing the energy consumption required to prepare the mixture of fuel and oxidizer for combustion.

[0027] Efficient methods for driving rotor rotation using jet streams include the primary step of converting the chemical energy of fuel into rotational kinetic energy through detonation combustion in the combustion chamber of a detonation jet engine located at the tip of the rotor system. For this purpose, gaseous fuel and gaseous oxidizer are mixed using specific methods and supplied to the engine. These methods encompass numerous unique aspects, primarily a set of steps for preparing the fuel and oxidizer, including the step of injecting the gaseous fuel and oxidizer into the jet engine by the centrifugal force generated by the rotor rotation, followed by mixing the ignitable mixture and then igniting the gaseous fuel and oxidizer mixture in the combustion chamber of the detonation jet engine. The jet engine, located at the tip of the rotor system with a tangential jet stream output, provides a highly efficient jet-driven rotor. These methods are used for various combinations of fuels and oxidizers and for the design of detonation jet engines. Invention Overview

[0029] A method for driving rotor rotation using a detonation jet engine is described and proposed. Specifically, the detonation jet engine, arranged at the tip of the rotor, benefits from the centrifugal pumping of fuel naturally generated by rotor rotation to supply a detonation reaction in a combustion chamber oriented to generate thrust that drives the jet stream to rotate the rotor. A fuel source is coupled to the jet engine or multiple engines at the rotor tip via a delivery device that faces the rotor tip from near the rotor axis and is integrated with the rotor. The fuel from the source is naturally pressurized by centrifugal force, and it can be further modulated to enhance its detonation capability before and / or after mixing with an oxidizer. The jet engine used in these methods is specifically designed to match the rotor speed and fuel pressure generated by centrifugal force and the detonation characteristics of the fuel used. These methods involve mixing the fuel with an oxidizer to produce an explosive mixture, and detonating the mixture to generate a jet stream that effectively drives rotor rotation.

[0030] The changes include: alternative mechanical devices for adjusting various fuel types, alternative mechanical devices for supplying oxidants, especially oxidants in ambient air, rotor design length and speed range, alternative mechanical devices for fuel processing to increase its knock capability, and alternative mechanical devices for improving the knock capability of fuel and oxidant mixtures.

[0031] In these methods, the rotor speed is controlled by manipulating the fuel feed rate, which affects the ratio of fuel to oxidizer in the combustion chamber of the detonation jet engine and its thrust.

[0032] The method is cyclical and closed, which makes it possible to obtain continuous rotation of the rotor at a controlled speed. Attached Figure Description

[0033] Figure 1The main steps of a method for driving rotor rotation using a detonation jet engine are shown.

[0034] Figure 2 The steps of a preferred embodiment of a method for driving rotor rotation using a detonation jet engine are shown.

[0035] Figure 3 A cross-section of a rotor blade used as an aircraft propeller is shown.

[0036] The reference numbers in the diagram represent: 101 - transporting gaseous fuel by centrifugal force, 102 - mixing gaseous fuel and oxidizer, 103 - detonation fuel and oxidizer mixture, 104 - rotating the rotor by jet thrust, 105 - supplying fuel, 106 - supplying gaseous oxidizer, 200 - processing the gaseous fuel and oxidizer mixture to improve detonation capability, 201 - evaporating liquefied fuel into a gaseous state, 202 - transporting gaseous fuel by centrifugal force, 203 - processing gaseous fuel by pyrolysis upon contact with a heat source, 204 - mixing fuel and oxidizer in the mixing chamber, 205 - detonation of the fuel and oxidizer mixture in the combustion chamber, 206 - 207 - Formation of detonation product jet stream; 208 - Rotation of the rotor by the thrust of the jet stream; 209 - Supply and control of liquefied gas fuel and feed rate; 210 - Delivery of oxidant by centrifugal force; 211 - Intake of air as oxidant; 212 - Cooling of oxidant; 213 - Heat transfer; 214 - Increase of kinetic energy of the fuel and oxidant mixture; 215 - Initiation of low-pressure wave of fuel and oxidant mixture by detonation products; 300 - Initiation of fuel and oxidant mixture by detonation initiator; 301 - Rotor blades used as propeller; 302 - Air delivery path; 303 - Fuel delivery path; 304 - Heat sink for heat transfer. Detailed Implementation

[0037] This invention describes a method of operating a jet-driven rotor system. The rotor is driven by a jet stream output from a detonation-type jet engine located at the rotor tip, the jet stream output being substantially orthogonal to the rotor radius. These methods differ in several aspects, including specific processes related to fuel preparation during fuel delivery to the jet engine. Integrated with the rotor of these systems is a delivery device that subjects the gaseous fuel passing through it to centrifugal forces generated by the rotor's rotation. These forces act on the gaseous fuel, propelling it toward the engine combustion chamber within the combustion chamber.

[0038] Finally, the separately delivered gaseous fuel and oxidizer are combined in the mixing step to precisely produce an explosive mixture.

[0039] After the gaseous fuel and oxidizer are mixed into an explosive mixture, the explosive mixture is injected into the combustion chamber, where it is detonated.

[0040] Then, the knock products are mechanically manipulated by structural elements to form a directional jet exhaust at engine height.

[0041] The jet stream generates a reaction force, causing the rotor system to rotate.

[0042] The main steps of the jet-driven rotor operation method of these inventions are as follows:

[0043] -The gaseous fuel is delivered into the combustion chamber by the centrifugal force of the rotating rotor;

[0044] - Ignite the mixture of gaseous fuel and oxidizer to create a jet stream; and

[0045] - The rotor rotates using the thrust of the jet.

[0046] Because detonation is a rapid process, followed by rapid gas expansion to form a jet, a stable explosion process will produce a steady-state or continuous jet output.

[0047] These methods differ from any previous attempts to produce a jet engine-like engine because the gaseous fuel is affected by the compressive force generated by the rotor, which acts as a centrifugal force on the gas as it is delivered radially outward along the rotor radius in the fuel delivery system, which delivers the fuel to a mixing space where the fuel and oxidizer are mixed.

[0048] Unlike jet engines that use detonation combustion with very high combustion chamber pressures and require high-pressure jet fuel and oxidizer, pulse detonation engines allow for the injection of a combustible mixture at relatively low pressures. This pressure is compatible with and works in harmony with the pressure levels generated by the centrifugal acceleration of the gas under selected design parameters. Furthermore, these new methods of using jet engines to rotate the rotor eliminate the need for additional, especially energy-consuming, devices to prepare and regulate the fuel or oxidizer before injecting it into the combustion chamber.

[0049] Furthermore, detonation engines are more efficient than engines with detonation combustion. This allows for the achievement of the same level of performance using relatively smaller and lighter engines. The small, lightweight engine located at the rotor tip minimizes the centrifugal forces acting on the engine and allows for the design of more robust and reliable jet-driven rotors.

[0050] 1) Transporting gaseous fuel by centrifugal force

[0051] In the first step of these methods, gaseous fuel is transported from the fuel source to the mixing space by the centrifugal force of a rotating rotor.

[0052] The rotors of these systems are shaped to include gas delivery devices. Specifically, these rotors include at least one hollow cavity shaped with a rotor structure adapted to transport gaseous substances through it. Some preferred versions include two separate and distinct paths, one for fuel and one for oxidant. The gas injected into the rotor cavity is subjected to centrifugal force, which propels the gas radially outward through the cavity toward the rotor tip. As gas molecules move toward the tip, they experience greater forces, the gas is compressed, and the pressure increases.

[0053] By carefully selecting design parameters, particularly regarding rotor length and speed, the gaseous fuel pressure can be adjusted to a level that works in conjunction with the mixing and / or jet system for further delivery of the gas into the combustion chamber. The gaseous fuel pressure level at the inlet of a detonation engine is critical, contributing to increased detonation capability of the fuel-oxidizer mixture to provide the optimal fuel-oxidizer ratio and the volume of that mixture within the combustion chamber required for engine operation. This depends on the design and operating method of the detonation engine. If the rotor is used as the drive for the generator shaft, its speed depends on the design strength characteristics of the rotor and the tip jet engine, which must withstand centrifugal forces and the efficiency of the jet drive.

[0054] If the rotor is used as the propeller of an aircraft, its efficiency depends on the propeller's design, particularly its size, blade shape, blade angle of attack, and rotational speed. In this case, the rotor speed is limited on the one hand by the requirement to generate the maximum centrifugal force needed to pump gaseous fuel into the advanced jet engine, and on the other hand by the blade speed in the airflow to prevent airflow interruption. Therefore, considering all these limitations and aspects, an appropriate maximum effective speed is selected and kept stable where possible. In this case, the rotor's engine efficiency is controlled by varying the blade angle of attack and the corresponding reaction thrust to maintain the optimal rotational speed.

[0055] There are several options for placing the fuel source. It can be located directly within the rotor. However, the volume and weight of the fuel tank are limited by the rotor's design and performance requirements. The best option is to place the fuel tank in a fixed part of the system. In this case, the fuel must enter the rotor through a fuel line, reaching the position where the rotor is attached to the rotor shaft.

[0056] Various configurations exist in which fuel can be supplied from a source to the engine. For example, in some versions where liquefied fuel is stored in a fuel reservoir or tank, fuel can be introduced into the delivery space during evaporation, whereby the liquid fuel is converted into a gaseous state under centrifugal force and injected into the enclosed space, i.e., within the rotor core or inner tube. Alternatively, a gas delivery pipe can be attached to the outside of the rotor. In both cases, centrifugal force acts on the gas in the delivery space, accelerating it radially outward and increasing its pressure upon reaching the engine.

[0057] In an alternative, the fuel storage system may simply comprise gaseous fuel held under pressure, which can be used to transfer the already gaseous fuel to the rotor's fuel delivery device via centrifugal force before it reaches the rotor's tip. In both cases, the gaseous fuel is introduced from the source into the rotor's fuel delivery device.

[0058] To reduce fuel storage costs, a preferred approach is to store fuel in a liquid phase, which significantly reduces the required storage volume. To supply fuel in a liquefied phase, an intermediate step of converting the liquid fuel into a gaseous phase is required. The optimal form in this case is fuel selection where the fuel evaporates and expands due to the fuel delivery system entering the rotor, and during this expansion, the boiling point of the fuel begins to exceed ambient temperature due to the pressure drop caused by the expansion. In this case, no additional energy is required to transfer the fuel to the gaseous phase. If the fuel boils at a temperature between -60°C and -0°C, then for its evaporation, it is sufficient to inject the fuel from the tank through a liquid fuel conduit into a cavity with a volume larger than the fuel conduit. In this case, the fuel evaporates naturally, expanding and cooling in the process. In versions using fuel that evaporates at temperatures above 0°C, forced evaporation of the fuel must be achieved by heating from an external heat source. In certain cases, this could be electric heating.

[0059] The location where the liquefied fuel is injected into the chamber during subsequent expansion and evaporation can be positioned anywhere within the rotor body, but it must be optimized so that the time and distance by which the fuel reaches the end of the rotor are sufficient for the gaseous fuel to be received under the action of centrifugal force at the optimal pressure level for the engine operating parameters.

[0060] As fuel options, preferred choices include liquefied hydrocarbon fuels (LPG) (LPG has a density 250 times that of gaseous hydrocarbons at their boiling point), liquefied dimethyl ether (liquefied ether has a density 315 times that of gaseous hydrocarbons at their boiling point), and liquefied hydrogen. The use of liquefied hydrogen requires specialized cryogenic storage techniques and is unsafe because a mixture of hydrogen and air is explosive under natural conditions; a spark with an energy of 17 microjoules is sufficient to ignite it. Therefore, some very specific versions of these inventions may involve the use of liquid hydrogen, but this is considered a rare exception.

[0061] The preferred gaseous fuel for subsequent detonation combustion is a hydrocarbon fuel. Its advantages are determined by its low cost, high availability, ease of storage in a liquefied state, and subsequent use. Furthermore, some hydrocarbon fuels have the advantage of evaporating at temperatures between -50°C and 0°C, which is the natural operating temperature of this method, and requires no additional energy consumption for evaporation. Therefore, among the best-anticipated versions of these methods, one of the most preferred fuels is liquefied petroleum gas (LPG).

[0062] In one particular form of these methods, fuel is supplied from a reservoir in which it is stored as a liquefied phase in a large cavity under a certain overpressure above atmospheric pressure. The composition of the fuel affects the operating temperature range of the process and depends on the boiling points of the gases contained in the mixture. Furthermore, the pressure in the reservoir depends on the fuel composition, which maintains the fuel in a two-phase state within the reservoir and allows for optimal use of the reservoir volume for its storage over a wide temperature range of the process, and allows for reliable supply to the system.

[0063] For specific versions of these methods, various types of propane, butane, and mixtures thereof can be used. Propane is the optimal choice for operating the process over a wide operating temperature range of -50 to 20 degrees Celsius because the pressure of propane's saturated vapor is higher than that of butane, ensuring its full evaporation at low temperatures, which is especially important when the rotor is operating at high altitudes as an aircraft propeller. However, at high operating temperatures, the proportion of butane in the mixture must be increased to prevent high overpressures in the gaseous fuel mixture during high-temperature storage and when the aircraft is at low altitudes or on the ground.

[0064] After the fuel is introduced from the fuel supply device into the fuel delivery chamber, the liquefied fuel expands and evaporates. This stage results in a significant volume expansion of propane when the transfer from the liquefied to the gas phase is as high as 250 times or more.

[0065] 2. Mix the gaseous fuel with the oxidizer to form a mixture.

[0066] The mixing of gaseous fuel and oxidizer can occur before or after the fuel is delivered to the rotor tip via the rotor. The fuel and oxidizer mix together to form an explosive mixture. Because the mixture of gaseous fuel and oxidizer is not only capable of detonation in most cases but also poses an explosion hazard, an explosion may occur before the mixture is injected into the combustion chamber. In the rotor rotation method, the optimal location for the mixing step is to place it as close as possible to the detonation chamber at the moment of detonation. The pressure, density, and feed rate of the gaseous fuel and oxidizer must correspond to the engine design to provide the fuel-to-oxidizer ratio in the mixture required to stabilize the detonation process.

[0067] Mixing with gaseous fuel requires an oxidizer. For the methods described in this invention, any method of supplying an oxidizer to a space for mixing with gaseous fuel is considered part of this invention. For high-quality mixing, the oxidizer in the space for mixing with gaseous fuel must be gaseous. This is particularly important if centrifugal force acts on a rotor rotating with a high-performance jet engine, which can lead to stratification of the mixture, deterioration of homogeneity, and therefore, reduction of its explosive power, especially when there is a significant difference in the density of the fuel and oxidizer. When the gas phases of the fuel and oxidizer are similar, the primary requirement is that the oxidizer pressure should correspond to the fuel pressure to optimize the stable detonation ratio of the fuel-oxidizer mixture. Therefore, when using this method, the fuel pressure entering the detonation engine must correspond to its operating method, its design, and the conditions for supplying the oxidizer.

[0068] Gaseous oxidants can be provided in a variety of ways. In the form where the oxidant is supplied from a reservoir, the pressure of the oxidant can be increased, in addition to the initial pressure in the reservoir, by pumping from a compressor. It can be a liquefied oxidant from a reservoir, pre-evaporated in the oxidant delivery system. It can also be a gaseous oxidant supplied from a pressurized reservoir. All of these options are included in this invention.

[0069] The preferred oxidant is oxygen. In some versions, liquid oxygen can be evaporated and enter the rotor oxidant delivery path.

[0070] The preferred method for using oxygen as an oxidant is to use air. Air is readily available in the environment, and its density is sufficient for use in the explosion of hydrocarbon fuels—suitable mixtures—at altitudes above 8000m above sea level.

[0071] When using air as the oxidizer, there are several options for the air supply process. Air can be received directly from the atmosphere into the engine through an intake port that is part of the engine. This direct flow method is used in ramjet engines. The air pressure is provided by the speed of the rotor and the engine at the rotor tip, which determines the speed of the intake port on the engine. However, this air supply method has disadvantages related to the fact that during rotor rotation, the intake port enters the detonation product region from the engine itself or another engine located at the tip of a similar rotor of the same length, which is the preferred option for creating a rotating rotor balancing system. Combustion products mix with air and enter the space mixed with fuel. The mixture of fuel and air with the mixture of explosion products has significantly lower detonation capability, and the detonation process becomes unstable, which reduces the performance and reliability of this choice of rotor rotation method.

[0072] A preferred method is to place the air intake on the rotor at a sufficient distance from the jet engine to prevent knock products from entering the air intake during rotor rotation.

[0073] It can be one or more air inlets. The air inlet can be located anywhere along the rotor length, but a preferred option is an air inlet at the rotor root or around the rotor axis. This arrangement allows for the use of a single air inlet for multiple rotors rotating on the same shaft. At this location, the possibility of explosion products entering the air inlet is completely eliminated. The reliability of this solution is complemented by the simplicity of the air inlet design, which is common to several rotors.

[0074] As the rotor rotates, the air introduced in this way is compressed as it passes toward the rotor tip due to centrifugal force. This is the preferred method because it establishes a correspondence between the pressures of the gaseous fuel and the oxidant, which depend on the centrifugal force from the rotating rotor.

[0075] When using liquefied fuel introduced into the delivery path, the fuel is cooled during evaporation. When supplying oxidizer and fuel to a jet engine using centrifugal force, it may be necessary to increase the relative density of the oxidizer to match the oxidizer-to-fuel ratio. For this purpose, in one option of the method, a step of cooling the oxidizer is used. One option for this cooling is to transfer heat from the oxidizer to the fuel via a heat transfer medium. In some versions, this can be achieved using a heat exchanger structure (e.g., a heat sink). In this way, cooling from fuel evaporation is transferred to the oxidizer, and vice versa, heat from the oxidizer is transferred to the gaseous fuel. In the most preferred specific case where jet fuel and oxidizer are used simultaneously with the aforementioned centrifugal force, the fuel and oxidizer pass through cavities of uniform length associated with the rotor. In this case, these cavities may have a common heat transfer medium, which ensures heat transfer from the oxidizer to the fuel. As the fuel expands and cools during evaporation, the oxidizer is also cooled.

[0076] The optimal ratio of fuel to oxidizer in the mixture depends on the mixture temperature, the fuel and oxidizer used, and the detonation method. Therefore, under specific conditions, for mixtures of gaseous hydrocarbon fuel and air, with a temperature range of 20-110°C, the in-pipe detonation ratio should be in the range of 2-10% of the hydrocarbon fuel in the mixture. In some versions, the fuel and oxidizer are mixed in a special chamber before being injected into the engine combustion chamber, while in other versions, they are mixed during the injection step, thus injecting the fuel and oxidizer separately in a manner that produces a mixture before detonation. In both cases, the fuel and oxidizer, delivered by the rotor at preferred pressures and gas velocities, are mixed together in a specific ratio to produce a mixture that supports a combustion reaction characterized by detonation.

[0077] In pre-mixing treatment, gaseous fuels are subjected to processes that increase their knocking ability. This treatment is a method of altering the physical or chemical properties of the fuel. These steps may include heating the fuel, increasing its feed rate to increase kinetic energy, mixing the fuel with prescribed additives that further increase its knocking ability, and other steps that improve the fuel's ability to support a violent knocking response.

[0078] Similarly, the fuel and oxidizer mixture can undergo special pre-treatment before detonation to further enhance its detonation capability. This treatment involves altering the physical or chemical properties of the fuel and oxidizer mixture. After mixing the fuel and oxidizer, the mixture...

[0079] - May cause ionization through a magnetic field;

[0080] - Increase the velocity of the gas mixture to increase its kinetic energy; and

[0081] - The mixture is supplied to the pre-combustion chamber to allow partial combustion of the mixture;

[0082] In other processes, the ability of the mixture to undergo detonation reactions more effectively can be improved.

[0083] In a preferred embodiment, the velocity of the mixture is increased by injecting it into the combustion chamber through a narrow nozzle. In this step, the pressure of the gaseous fuel mixed with the oxidizer is converted into jet velocity, which can be hypersonic. This mixture possesses a significant amount of kinetic energy, which is used to heat the mixture. In certain cases, this may occur due to the flow and deceleration of the mixture in a specific area, during which the mixture is heated. This heating further enhances the knocking capability of the mixture. All these steps aim to bring the fuel and oxidizer mixture closer to knock activation.

[0084] To achieve a stable detonation process, in addition to ensuring the detonation capability of the mixture of gaseous fuel and oxidizer, maximum mixture homogeneity must also be ensured. This is important because the detonation wave will only rapidly propagate through the detonable mixture if the mass of the mixture is uniform and sufficient to sustain such diffusion. Conversely, the detonation wave may weaken or even disintegrate. Various methods can be used to obtain a more homogeneous mixture of gaseous fuel and oxidizer. One method is through mechanical means, such as by forcibly mixing the fuel and oxidizer using a rotating fan. Another method is to use a mixing chamber for mixing, into which the flow of gaseous fuel and oxidizer is supplied in a manner that provides uniform mixing through its chaotic windings. The most preferred approach is to deploy a process that does not require additional energy consumption. For example, the flow of gaseous fuel and oxidizer in the mixing chamber space is distributed by supplying them through narrow slots adjacent to each other. In this case, the distributed flow is mixed as uniformly as possible due to the uniform flow throughout the entire volume of the mixing chamber. In this case, the methods for supplying the oxidizer for mixing with the gaseous fuel can be varied and will be discussed in separate paragraphs below in this specification. All of these methods are included in the alternatives of the invention.

[0085] 3. Detonate the mixture of gaseous fuel and oxidizer to form a jet stream.

[0086] The mixture of gaseous fuel and oxidizer is preferably in a state very close to detonation initiation before detonation. Detonation of the mixture occurs in the combustion chamber. Detonation can occur as continuous detonation or pulse detonation.

[0087] The operation of a detonation engine can be any of many possible methods, but it must operate at a pressure level of the gaseous fuel that can be provided by the centrifugal force of the rotating rotor. Any detonation method can be applied to this invention, and is a particular case thereof. This depends on the propagation speed of the detonation wave in the engine-related coordinate system, static detonation, rotating detonation, transient detonation when the detonation is stationary in the rotating coordinate system, and pulse detonation. Therefore, detonation engines with continuous detonation (CDE), rotating detonation (RDE), and pulse detonation (PDE) can be created as included versions of this invention.

[0088] Detonation can be induced or triggered in various ways by increasing the pressure and / or temperature of the mixture to a critical level to induce detonation:

[0089] - Under the influence of the shock wave;

[0090] - Under the mechanical influence of moving structures (pistons, cavitation units, etc.);

[0091] - Under the influence of low-pressure waves;

[0092] - Under the influence of physical heat pulses from various sources (spark plugs, lasers, etc.) and any other source.

[0093] Various alternative methods for triggering detonation are possible, and the essence of the present invention does not depend on any of them. Therefore, any means of triggering detonation should be considered as variations of these inventions.

[0094] A preferred approach that makes this method most economical, efficient, and reliable is to operate the engine in pulse detonation mode. Pulse detonation is a repeating sequence of detonation cycles at a specific frequency. The detonation cycle includes the following main steps:

[0095] - Inject fuel and oxidizer into the area of ​​detonation.

[0096] - Activate the mixture of fuel and oxidizer to a level close to spontaneous combustion.

[0097] - The occurrence of detonation in the fuel and oxidizer mixture,

[0098] - It propagates the blast wave throughout the detonation zone and stops the supply of fuel and oxidizer.

[0099] -Exhaust from knock-off products

[0100] - The appearance of a low-pressure wave points from the exhaust port towards the detonation space.

[0101] - The next jet cycle of fuel and oxidizer

[0102] The knock space is typically formed as a knock chamber. The injection of fuel and oxidizer into the combustion chamber can be separate or a mixture as described above. If fuel and oxidizer are injected separately, they will mix in the combustion chamber. The activation of the mixture can be provided in any way, including those already described. In pulse knock mode, the optimal method is when the knock of the fuel and oxidizer mixture is activated by a resonant combustion process, which can be achieved through special mechanical design of the combustion chamber and exhaust nozzles.

[0103] The supply of fuel and oxidizer in the combustion chamber can be stopped by any means, including mechanical valves or gas dynamic methods, which stop the supply of fuel and oxidizer by the high pressure of the detonation shock wave after detonation occurs, thus locking the fuel and oxidizer outside the combustion chamber.

[0104] To ensure the reliability of pulse detonation, a preferred option is to use an initiator triggered by one of the methods described above. A preferred detonation initiator is arranged as the source of the physical pulse, such as a shock wave with sufficient energy for detonation initiation. A key difference between physical pulse detonation initiators and other fuel and oxidizer mixture initiation methods is their short duration, focus on the detonation space, and use when the detonation capability of the fuel and oxidizer mixture is closest to spontaneous detonation. For improved efficiency and reliability, a preferred initiation method is one that does not use additional energy or mechanical motion.

[0105] The low-pressure wave is an important component of the cycle because it allows for the injection of fuel and oxidizer under dynamic gas jet management. Simultaneously, the low-pressure wave excites the fuel-oxidizer mixture, enhancing its explosive potential.

[0106] Among these methods, the most important is the concept of detonation causing rotor rotation. To drive the rotor about its axis of rotation, the detonation products must be mechanically redirected into an organized, directional flow of engine exhaust gas. The natural configuration of a detonation reaction is often a basic spherical expansion of gas outward from the detonation zone. Therefore, to form a preferred directional flow, these expanding gases are reflected or otherwise redirected from the shaped mechanical elements, resulting in a flow that is essentially along the system axis. To further improve the directionality of the jet and adjust its physical properties, these methods involve further shaping the jet flow with exhaust nozzles. One of the best methods for using this approach is a combustion chamber in the form of a reflector, which participates in the formation of the jet flow by reflecting and redirecting the detonation products in a common, preferred direction.

[0107] 4. The rotor rotates due to the thrust of the jet stream.

[0108] A jet engine produces a jet stream with the desired thrust, which is essentially linear. The direction of the thrust depends on the engine design and, as mentioned above, is determined by the design of the combustion chamber and exhaust nozzles. To make the rotor rotate as efficiently as possible, the engine is located at the rotor tip and is as orthogonal as possible to the rotor radius and oriented as much as possible in the rotor's plane of rotation.

[0109] Depending on the application, the rotor can have various designs. If the rotor is used for an aircraft propeller, it has a blade shape. In some propellers, the blades may change the propeller's thrust by altering the angle of attack. If the engine is located at the tip of such a blade and rigidly connected to its structure, then the thrust vector of this engine changes direction with the angle of attack of the blade and deviates from the rotor's plane of rotation. In this case, the rotational efficiency due to the thrust of the jet engine decreases according to the value of the angle of deflection of the thrust wind from the rotor's plane of rotation. In this case, the best version is a propeller design in which the blades rotate around a support structure inside the rotor, are rigidly fixed on the rotor's axis of rotation, and remain stationary when the blade angle of attack changes. In this case, the jet engine is attached to the structure, and its orientation remains unchanged during blade rotation, as well as the rotor rotational force when the thrust vector coincides with the maximum rotor plane of rotation. All these variations are part of the invention.

[0110] Since the thrust of the jet engine, which is used for the most efficient rotation, must be applied to the tip of the rotor, the strength of the connection between the rotor and the jet engine must be taken into account in its design.

[0111] When using a rotor as the aircraft rotor in a helicopter configuration, the size and weight of the jet engine at the rotor tip are important because the high weight significantly increases the centrifugal force acting on the engine joint with the rotor. On the other hand, the additional weight at the rotor blade tips allows for the storage of kinetic energy from rotational inertia during rotation, which is useful in the event of engine failure and for using autorotation as a method of emergency landing. All these aspects should be considered when developing a jet-driven rotor design based on the disclosed invention.

[0112] 5. System startup

[0113] Before reaching a stable operating state, the rotor is stationary or its speed is insufficient to support the appropriate pressure of the fuel and oxidizer for proper mixing. In this state, the rotor has not yet generated sufficient centrifugal force to properly deliver the gas in the rotor delivery system. Centrifugal force is absent or very small, and in versions that use centrifugal force to inject the oxidizer, the initial pressure of the oxidizer at the jet engine inlet is insufficient. To provide the pressure required for mixing with the fuel and the detonation capability of the mixture, an oxidizer injection step is used, provided by an externally started compressor or other device to increase the oxidizer pressure, until the oxidizer is supplied to the rotor chamber. In this case, the pressure of the gaseous fuel after evaporation in the chamber will still be sufficient to mix with the oxidizer and form a mixture suitable for detonation and allowing the detonation jet engine to start. When air is used as the oxidizer, after the rotor speed is established and the centrifugal force increases to a level that allows the oxidizer pressure to be sufficient for stable operation of the detonation engine, the air supply is switched from a pressurization source (e.g., a compressor) to a supply from the inlet.

[0114] Preferred embodiments of the present invention

[0115] The operation method of jet-driven rotors has several main steps, such as Figure 1 As shown. These steps include:

[0116] The gaseous fuel (101) is delivered into the combustion space by the centrifugal force of the rotating rotor;

[0117] Mixed gas fuel and gaseous oxidant (102);

[0118] Ignite the gaseous fuel and oxidizer mixture (103) to form a jet stream and

[0119] The rotor is rotated by the thrust of the jet stream (104).

[0120] The optimal version of this method is implemented as a propulsion system for aircraft, where a rotor is used as the main propeller. In this case, the rotor has the shape of propeller blades. The aircraft's thrust depends on the blade angle of attack, the blade size, and the propeller's rotational speed. The blade angle of attack and size determine the force of airflow drag, and together with the rotational speed, determine the force required to rotate a given rotor at the desired rotational speed. To rotate the rotor, this method uses the thrust of the jet stream generated by an engine located at the rotor tip. Therefore, a sufficiently high level of jet stream thrust must be generated for the rotor to rotate with given characteristics.

[0121] A detonation engine is used to generate a jet stream. Its efficiency depends on its design and operating method, which is based on the detonation combustion of a fuel-oxidizer mixture in the combustion chamber. The engine thrust requirements, combined with its design and operating method, determine the requirements for the gaseous fuel-oxidizer mixture entering the detonation chamber. These characteristics include the feed rate of the mixture, the fuel-oxidizer ratio, the homogeneity of the mixture, the level of detonation initiation, and the influence of external physical pulses on the mixture; these collectively enable a stable detonation process. The feed rate of the mixture and the fuel-oxidizer ratio in the mixture depend on the engine design and the feed rate, density, and pressure levels of the fuel and oxidizer during mixing. When centrifugal force is used to deliver fuel to the engine, the fuel density and pressure depend on the design of the fuel delivery system and the centrifugal force used to deliver fuel to the engine. The centrifugal force acting on the fuel in the rotor fuel delivery system, in turn, depends on the rotor size and speed. Therefore, all the main steps of this method are interrelated and interdependent, and also significantly depend on the design of the rotor and the detonation engine.

[0122] In some versions, the step (105) of supplying fuel from a fuel source such as a pressurized storage tank precedes the delivery of gaseous fuel by centrifugal force. Additionally, some versions include an optional step following the fuel supply step, which includes regulating the fuel quantity in a control step (208).

[0123] The step of mixing the gaseous fuel with the oxidant (102) is further defined more precisely as occurring before the step of supplying the oxidant (106).

[0124] In other important versions, another optional step includes processing the gaseous fuel to increase the knocking capability (203).

[0125] Another optional step after mixing the gaseous fuel and oxidizer is to process the mixture to increase its excitation in order to achieve the conditions for improved detonation (200).

[0126] Figure 2 A preferred embodiment of the method with all steps is shown in the diagram. In this diagram, the main steps are broken down into specific versions of preferred sub-steps. As a result, the sub-steps are combined into the main steps by blocks indicated by thick lines or bold lines.

[0127] Transporting gaseous fuel

[0128] The first major process step in delivering gaseous fuel is the initial step of the preferred method. The main purpose of this step is to supply fuel to the engine as described above at the desired supply rate and pressure level.

[0129] The rotor rotates due to the thrust of the jet stream from the detonation engine. The optimal location of the engine as the jet source is to rotate the rotor tip most efficiently. The location of the fuel reservoir within the rotor is possible, but the optimal location requires a substantial and appropriate weight within the fixed portion of the aircraft. In this case, the fuel delivery system is structurally integrated with the rotor. Fuel is supplied (105) to the rotor root at its axis of engagement via fuel conduits arranged along the rotor axis. The fuel delivery system allows fuel to move freely radially (202) from the rotor root toward its tip. A crucial requirement for the system in this case is minimal resistance to fuel flow, which allows for the most efficient use of the centrifugal force from the rotor rotation to deliver fuel to the engine. The fuel pressure at the rotor tip depends on the pressure of the fuel entering the fuel delivery system from the reservoir and the effect of centrifugal force. The greater the centrifugal force acting on the fuel, the faster the rotor rotates, and the force increases as the fuel moves away from the axis of rotation. To apply this approach, the design of the fuel supply system within the rotor is calculated in conjunction with other system components based on the laws of gas dynamics, such that the fuel pressure at the engine is matched to the engine performance parameters.

[0130] Fuel reservoirs are most efficient in aircraft when fuel is concentrated in a minimal volume. In this invention, while jet engines require gaseous fuel, the optimal solution for fuel reservoirs is to use fuel in a liquefied state, allowing it to be stored in a small volume. This choice results in fuel vaporization (201) en route from the reservoir to the engine. This can occur in various locations, such as within the reservoir itself, within the fuel delivery system, or directly into the engine. Fuel evaporates when it reaches a specific combination of pressure and its corresponding boiling point. For this purpose, an external heat source can be used to heat the liquefied fuel, but the optimal solution in terms of efficiency is to jettison the liquid fuel from a small nozzle into a larger chamber where the fuel pressure drops rapidly and the boiling point rises above ambient temperature, after which the fuel evaporates and expands, causing its pressure to drop.

[0131] One optimal method of implementing this method is to supply liquefied fuel into a chamber of the fuel delivery system in the rotor near the rotor root, which allows the pressure to be increased to the level necessary for stable operation of the method due to centrifugal force before the gaseous fuel is fed into the engine.

[0132] When an aircraft propulsion system is in operation, it is necessary to control the propulsion power of the system. This change is achieved due to variations in the thrust of the jet engine, which requires altering the ratio of fuel to oxidizer in the mixture. This ratio depends on the fuel supply rate at the point where the fuel and oxidizer are mixed. To change this level, a step is required in which the rate of fuel supply is altered by, for example, using a flow rate valve (208) to regulate a section of the fuel line. The fuel flow rate can be continuously controlled while the engine is running. An optimal approach for controlling propulsion power is to regulate the rate of fuel introduced into the fuel duct before jetting into the delivery system in the rotor. This step is necessary because the pressures of the fuel and oxidizer must be coordinated with each other, and this is achieved through the coordinated operation of the fuel and oxidizer delivery systems, which will be further described in the section on "Oxidizer Supply".

[0133] In the preferred version, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) is used as fuel. LPG is relatively inexpensive and readily available. The optimal composition of LPG is propane. This is because propane is superior to other gaseous hydrocarbon fuels in terms of calorific value and boiling point, which allows the method to operate at the low ambient temperatures (up to -50 degrees Celsius) common in high-altitude areas where aircraft may fly. The LPG enters the fuel delivery system inside the rotor at its root, near the rotor axis. Fuel can be supplied from the reservoir (105) through a relatively narrow pipe, such as a fuel supply pipe or tube that injects fuel into the fuel delivery system inside the rotor. To promote efficient evaporation (201), the space of the fuel delivery system is larger than that of the fuel pipe. Therefore, at this point, the LPG expands more than 200 times and evaporates into a gaseous state. This optimizes the design of the fuel delivery system to facilitate the evaporation process.

[0134] Oxidizing agent supply

[0135] Oxidant is also supplied to the engine (5) while the gaseous fuel is being delivered. In some versions, oxidant can be supplied from a storage tank. In this case, the method of oxidant supply is similar to the fuel delivery steps described in the previous section.

[0136] In the preferred version, air is used as the oxidant. Air is provided from the surrounding environment, containing a sufficient amount of oxygen in its mixture with other gases. Air is readily available from the environment at any time and in any location. The oxygen requirement will also be limited to an altitude of approximately 8000m using this method.

[0137] Air can be supplied from inlets (210) located at different positions. The purpose of the oxidant supply step is to supply the oxidant in parallel with the gaseous fuel, having an optimal mixing rate and pressure level. The optimal propane and air pressure levels and their ratio at the rotor tip depend on the engine's operating method and its specific physical design. In a preferred method, the propane pressure in the cavity at the rotor tip is preferably in the range of 2-7 atmospheres, and the air pressure is in the range of 3-10 atmospheres, where the air pressure exceeds the propane pressure by about 1.5 times. This ratio of propane and air pressures, combined with their densities (depending on their temperatures), allows for a mixture to be obtained at the optimal propane and air ratio during mixing (204). In the most preferred method for obtaining optimal propane and air conditions, the propane and air mixing ratio in a mixture with a high knock ratio between propane and air is in the range of 5-10% fuel and 90-95% air.

[0138] The propane pressure at the fuel delivery system outlet depends on the rotor speed and the centrifugal force it generates (202). The optimal method to achieve propane and air pressure correspondence at the engine inlet is to use centrifugal force, which also directs air toward the rotor tip (209). This version uses only centrifugal force, without expending any energy to pump the oxidant, thus improving the overall efficiency of the method.

[0139] In a preferred embodiment, air flows into an air delivery system (209) located inside the rotor via an air inlet simultaneously with fuel supply. The preferred location of the air inlet is on the rotor axis, as one inlet can be used for multiple rotor blades. However, the air inlet can be located in alternative locations, and these versions are also considered to be included in this invention. A preferred embodiment includes a rotor with a minimum rotational speed sufficient to generate enough centrifugal force to provide air pressure at the rotor tip inside the air delivery system, which is required for the operation of the method (29). This pressure level depends on the specific method configuration and the design of the rotor and engine assembly. Finally, the pressure should be suitable for preparing a detonable mixture of propane and air and for providing detonation of the mixture. For the preferred version, the minimum air pressure should be approximately 1.5 atm.

[0140] For versions that use the rotor as a propeller for aircraft propulsion, Figure 3 The image shows a cross-section of the rotor blade design. The fuel chamber is inside the air chamber, and both are inside the rotor.

[0141] Heat transfer

[0142] To achieve a propane-air mixture ratio within the range of 5-10% propane and 90-95% air, the pressure ratio at the outlet of the propane (202) and air (209) supply system may be insufficient due to centrifugal force, and the air fraction may be less than required for stable process operation. Therefore, it is necessary to increase the air density. The optimal method for increasing the air density in the air delivery system is to cool the air (211). Simultaneously, for overall system efficiency, cooling preferably does not consume additional energy.

[0143] When liquefied petroleum gas is supplied to a fuel delivery system, it expands and evaporates. The evaporation of propane is accompanied by cooling.

[0144] The design of the walls of the fuel cavity facilitates efficient heat exchange with the air delivery system cavity (212). As a result, the air is cooled, which increases its density. The propane gas is then heated, which can also be used to further process the propane to increase its explosive potential. Heat sinks are used to improve heat transfer between the fuel and air delivery system cavities because they increase the surface area between the delivery system cavities.

[0145] To efficiently transfer heat from air to fuel, it is important to maximize the thermal coupling between the air and fuel paths. Since propane and air are supplied in parallel through their delivery systems within the rotor, the system design preferably provides thermal conductive contact between the systems along the entire length of the rotor. The optimal solution for this heat transfer is to place the fuel delivery system (302) within the air delivery system (301) along the entire length of the rotor (30) and to ensure heat transfer by using heat sinks (303) with increased surface area. The rotor cross-section of this design is as follows... Figure 3 As shown.

[0146] Mixing of gaseous fuels and oxidizers

[0147] The gas fuel and oxidant delivery system independently supplies fuel and oxidant to the engine located at the tip of the rotor for mixing there (204).

[0148] For efficient engine operation, a preferred method is to use a fuel conditioning step that treats the gaseous fuel to increase knock capability before mixing the gaseous fuel with the oxidizer. Several such fuel conditioning methods exist, and all of these can be included in various alternatives of the invention. A preferred form of this step is propane pyrolysis (203), which occurs when the fuel stream is heated in contact with a hot surface. The initial stage of this step is the injection of propane into a pyrolysis chamber having a hot surface. As the heat source for this surface, any source can be used, either as a hot part of the engine structure or an external (e.g., electric) heater. A preferred method is to heat the propane stream with the heat from the combustion chamber wall. For optimal heating, it is important that the fuel stream is in contact with the wall for a prolonged period. Various methods can also be used to increase the duration of contact between the flowing fuel and the hot surface. For example, this can be achieved by using a coiled fuel conduit or by guiding the fuel stream along the surface through a mechanical structure such as a heat sink. In a preferred method, propane is injected from a nozzle into the pyrolysis chamber, causing the fuel stream to swirl around the walls of the combustion chamber. This increases the length of the flow path along the walls, thereby increasing the heating time of the propane and the efficiency of its pyrolysis. Pyrolysis produces a variety of chemicals, including hydrogen, whose mixture has a much higher knocking potential than pure propane. The process is highly efficient because it consumes no additional energy and utilizes the heat generated by the combustion of the fuel and oxidizer mixture in the combustion space. Another benefit of heating and pyrolyzing the fuel stream is the cooling of the combustion chamber walls and maintaining thermal equilibrium throughout the structure, which is important for the reliability of the process and the robustness of the structure used in the method.

[0149] In parallel with this method, air is supplied to a mixing chamber where it can be mixed with fuel (204). A preferred method is to inject air into a special cavity designed to prepare the airflow for injection into the fuel-mixing location. Therefore, the design of this cavity at the outlet of the mixing point must correspond to the design of the propane pyrolysis chamber, ensuring a highly homogeneous mixture of fuel and air is formed after injection into the mixing location, ready for injection into the combustion space. To ensure this homogeneity, not only the spatial distribution of the fuel and air flow (provided by the design of the corresponding cavity) is important, but also the ratio of fuel to air pressure. Besides the homogeneity of the mixture, the ratio of fuel to air in the mixture is also important, as this will ensure its knock stability. As described, in the most preferred method, this ratio is in the range of 5-10% fuel and 90-95% air.

[0150] The space in which fuel and air mix depends on the engine design and can occur either directly within or outside the combustion chamber. In a preferred method, this takes place in a special mixing chamber. When injected into the mixing chamber, fuel and air mix in a chaotic pattern, forming a highly homogeneous mixture. Achieving such high homogeneity is more difficult when mixing fuel and air directly in the combustion chamber.

[0151] Processing gaseous fuel and oxidizer mixtures to improve knock capability

[0152] In preferred methods, the fuel and oxidizer mixture can be treated to increase knock capability or to induce a near-auto-detonation state. Various steps can be used for this purpose when the mixture enters the combustion chamber. The best mixture treatment steps do not consume additional energy and utilize the internal energy of the naturally occurring processes within the method.

[0153] In some preferred versions of processing mixtures:

[0154] -Increase in the kinetic energy of the fuel and oxidizer mixture (213)

[0155] - Use detonation products to generate a low-pressure wave (214) in the fuel and oxidizer mixture and

[0156] - The knock initiator (215) ignites the fuel and oxidizer mixture.

[0157] One optimal method for increasing the kinetic energy (213) of the fuel and oxidizer mixture is to inject the mixture into the combustion chamber via a supersonic nozzle. In this step, the mixture acquires high speed and kinetic energy. As a result of this injection, depending on the design of the combustion chamber and the injection system, the kinetic energy can be converted into thermal energy to heat the mixture, thereby further increasing its knock capability. In a preferred embodiment, an annular nozzle is used, positioned along the periphery of the annular portion of the combustion chamber, the nozzle being a rotating body. It can be a tube with a rotating axis, a hemisphere, or any other shape. The nozzle directs the mixture towards the axis of the combustion chamber at high speed. Near the axis of the combustion chamber, the mixed airflow meets at the center and is compressed. Therefore, the kinetic energy of the flow is converted into thermal energy, thereby heating the mixture and further increasing its knock capability.

[0158] In a preferred embodiment, the initiation of the fuel and oxidizer mixture by a low-pressure wave (214) and a detonation initiator (215) is the result of periodic detonation during a detonation process phase using detonation products from a previous cycle. These steps will be further described in the following section, “Detonation of the Fuel and Oxidizer Mixture.”

[0159] The common result of the fuel and oxidizer treatment steps is to obtain a mixture of fuel and oxidizer in a certain proportion with high homogeneity and activation level, making it close to the conditions for spontaneous detonation.

[0160] Knock of fuel and oxidizer mixture

[0161] The detonation process of the fuel and oxidizer mixture (103) can be any of a variety of possible alternatives. All of these should be considered as alternative versions of the invention.

[0162] In a preferred embodiment, detonation (205) occurs in the combustion chamber. The best method is pulse resonance detonation, which provides stable cyclic detonation. As a result of detonation, shock waves and explosion waves are generated, which ensure that the fuel and oxidizer mixture burns rapidly and explosively in the combustion chamber, forming combustion products with high temperature and high pressure. These combustion products are directed as jet streams (206) to the exhaust nozzles and generate thrust from their high kinetic exhaust energy.

[0163] At the same time, as the pressure of the combustion products drops rapidly after leaving the exhaust nozzle, a vacuum wave is formed in the exhaust, which provides low pressure and conditions in the combustion chamber for the injection of the new part of the fuel and oxidizer mixture and its activation (214).

[0164] To increase the stability of cyclic detonation, the detonation initiation step (215) may, in a preferred embodiment, be included as part of the treatment of the fuel and oxidizer mixture. Many alternative methods for initiating detonation exist, and all of these are considered to include variations of the invention. One most preferred initiation method is as follows: After the formation of the shock wave of the detonation products, some of them are directed into a tube of a certain length, positioned such that it is open in one area of ​​the combustion chamber and closed on the other. A small amount of the shock wave of the hot combustion products is reflected from the closed end of the tube and returns to the combustion chamber at the location of the fuel and oxidizer mixture. The length of the tube is chosen so that this occurs at the moment of a pulsating detonation cycle, in which a new portion of the mixture is injected into the chamber. The high speed and temperature of the combustion products of this shock wave excite the subsequently circulated mixture to induce its detonation. The diameter of the tube is chosen in such a way that the amount of combustion products is sufficient to induce detonation in the mixture.

[0165] If the energy of the shock wave is insufficient to initiate detonation, an alternative initiation method can be used temporarily. This could be done, for example, during the initiation of pulse detonation resonance, or if pulse detonation is interrupted by any external factor, such as a low fuel supply rate cycle or any other reason. In this case, the preferred form of detonation initiator is an external source of physical pulse, such as a spark plug. The management of spark plug operation involves specific procedures, including procedures for detecting the interruption of pulse detonation resonance or the start of rotor rotation.

[0166] The entire operation of the system enters resonance, and the detonation combustion (205) occurs at extremely high frequencies. In the preferred embodiment of the method, the frequency is 1,000 Hz to 15,000 Hz.

[0167] Simultaneously with the detonation, the walls of the combustion chamber are heated due to the high temperature of the combustion products. This heat is used in the propane pyrolysis step (203) described above.

[0168] The jet thrust causes the rotor to rotate.

[0169] The jet stream formatted in the previous steps has a high speed and generates thrust for the jet engine located at the rotor tip. The axis of the exhaust nozzle is orthogonally oriented relative to the radius of the rotor. The thrust of the jet stream thus guided causes the rotor (207) to rotate. The rotating rotor provides the necessary centrifugal force to deliver fuel and air in an optimal manner to the engine within the rotor delivery system. These methods are closed, self-sustaining, and can operate continuously and stably.

Claims

1. A method for driving a rotor to rotate using at least one jet engine, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: -The gaseous fuel is transported to the combustion chamber by the centrifugal force generated by the rotating rotor; Gaseous fuel is mixed with an oxidant to form a mixture in a mixing space; The mixture is conveyed from the mixing space to the combustion chamber, wherein the mixing of the gaseous fuel and oxidant takes place outside the combustion chamber wall and before the mixture is conveyed to the combustion chamber; The mixture of the gaseous fuel and oxidant is treated prior to detonation to increase detonation capability; - Ignite the mixture in the combustion chamber to generate a jet stream; - The rotor is rotated by the thrust of the jet stream.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The step of "rotating the rotor by the thrust of the jet stream" further includes forming a jet stream having an orientation in a direction substantially orthogonal to the rotor radius, thereby driving the rotor to rotate about an axis by the reaction force generated by the jet stream.

3. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a step of treating the gaseous fuel before mixing it with an oxidizer to increase its knocking capability.

4. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The step of "processing the mixture of gaseous fuel and oxidant" also includes the step of partially burning the mixture.

5. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The step of "processing the mixture of gaseous fuel and oxidizer" further includes increasing the kinetic energy of the mixture by injecting the mixture radially inward from at least one annularly arranged jet that is directed into the common detonation chamber into the combustion chamber.

6. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The step of "processing the mixture of the gaseous fuel and oxidizer" also includes activating the mixture by means of a detonation initiator, which is the source of the physical pulse.

7. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The step of "treating the mixture of gaseous fuel and oxidant" further includes exciting the mixture by a low-pressure wave formed by the exhaust gas reflected back into the combustion space.

8. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that, The "steps for processing gaseous fuels" also include the pyrolysis of the gaseous fuels, wherein the pyrolysis occurs through contact with a heat source.

9. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, Before the "transportation of gaseous fuel", the liquid fuel is first evaporated into a gaseous state, and then the gaseous fuel is subjected to centrifugal force, which causes the gaseous fuel to move toward the mixing space.

10. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, Prior to the step of "mixing gaseous fuel with oxidant", the oxidant is delivered to the mixing space by centrifugal force generated by the rotating rotor.

11. The method as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The oxidant is characterized as ambient air, which is drawn in from an air inlet near the tip of the rotor.

12. The method as described in claim 10, characterized in that, The oxidant is characterized by ambient air drawn in from an inlet between the rotor tip and the rotor axis, whereby the air drawn in at the inlet is subjected to centrifugal force as it is delivered to the mixing space at the rotor tip.

13. The method according to claim 10, characterized in that, It also includes transferring heat between the gaseous fuel delivery path and the oxidant delivery path, thereby providing heat transfer through a common thermally conductive structure of the paths.

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