Rotating detonation engine having non-circular cross-sectional shape

Abstract

A rotating detonation engine having a non-circular cross-sectional shape provided by the present invention may comprise: a housing; an ethylene plenum provided in the housing; an oxygen plenum surrounding the ethylene plenum; a channel-shaped combustion chamber connected to the ethylene plenum and the oxygen plenum and having a non-circular cross-section; a pre-ignition device for igniting a compound present in the combustion chamber; an oxygen plenum static pressure sensor for measuring the static pressure in the oxygen plenum; a supply port for supplying oxygen to the oxygen plenum; a static pressure sensor for measuring the static pressure in the combustion chamber; and a dynamic pressure sensor for measuring the dynamic pressure in the combustion chamber.

Description

Rotary detonation engine with non-circular cross-section

[0001] The present invention relates to a rotary detonation engine having a non-circular cross-section, and more particularly, to a rotary detonation engine having a free engine cross-section shape suitable for various shapes of aircraft or rockets.

[0002]

[0003] Conventional propulsion systems, such as gas turbine engines, have geometric constraints that require a circular cross-section due to the presence of rotating major components such as compressors and turbines. Consequently, propulsion system designs must be designed with a fixed circular cross-section. In rotary detonation engines, only the detonation "wave" rotates, and since there are no rotating mechanical components, there are no constraints on a circular cross-section. However, due to the stereotype implied by the term "rotary," rotary detonation engines with non-circular cross-sections have rarely been considered. The present invention provides a method for freely defining the cross-sectional shape of an engine to enhance propulsion system design flexibility.

[0004]

[0005] In order to solve the above-mentioned problem, the purpose of the present invention is to provide a propulsion system having a form and function that provides flexibility in shape and design by overcoming the existing limitation of a circular cross-section and providing a combustor with a non-circular cross-section for aircraft integrated design that requires air intakes and nozzles with a non-circular cross-section as a requirement of aircraft engines with stealth functions, cruise missiles, auxiliary power units (APUs), unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), rockets, and missiles with non-circular bodies.

[0006]

[0007] An embodiment of the present invention for achieving the above object shows an example of a configuration of a rotary detonation engine having a non-circular cross-section shape. The rotary detonation engine having a non-circular cross-section shape may include a housing, an ethylene plenum provided in the housing, an oxygen plenum provided surrounding the ethylene plenum, a combustion chamber having a channel shape and a non-circular cross-section and connected to the ethylene plenum and the oxygen plenum, a pre-ignition device for igniting a compound present in the combustion chamber, an oxygen plenum static pressure sensor for measuring the static pressure of the oxygen plenum, a supply port for supplying oxygen to the oxygen plenum, a static pressure sensor for measuring the static pressure of the combustion chamber, and a dynamic pressure sensor for measuring the dynamic pressure of the combustion chamber. In addition to the propellant described above, the rotary detonation engine having a non-circular cross-section shape may operate with various fuels and oxidizers.

[0008] Additionally, the channel may have various shapes that are non-circular but have curvature, such as rectangular, elliptical, or star-shaped.

[0009] The present invention relates to a rotary detonation engine having a non-circular cross-sectional shape. When the channel curvature radius exceeds a specific radius, the cross-sectional shape transition process is short or unnecessary, allowing the engine design to be freely configured to suit the shape of the aircraft. This enables flexible propulsion system design. This advantage is particularly advantageous for aircraft auxiliary power units, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), and small rocket systems, which require non-circular, flexible, and compact engines, overcoming significant shape design constraints.

[0010]

[0011] Figure 1 is a cross-section of a rotary detonation engine, which is one embodiment of the present invention.

[0012] Figure 2 is a perspective view of a rotary tetonation engine, which is one embodiment of the present invention.

[0013] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of a rotary detonation engine configuration.

[0014] Figure 4 shows the results of numerical analysis of the rotational detonation propagation in a non-circular cross-sectional channel shape.

[0015] Figure 5 shows various examples of non-circular channel cross sections.

[0016] Figure 6 is a conceptual diagram of a non-circular cross-section rotary detonation engine applied to an aircraft with a non-circular fuselage.

[0017]

[0018] The advantages and features of the present invention, as well as the techniques for achieving them, will become clearer with reference to the embodiments described below, along with the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments presented and can be implemented in various forms. These embodiments are provided to ensure a complete description of the present invention and to fully convey the contents of the invention to those skilled in the art.

[0019] Meanwhile, the terms used in this specification are for the purpose of describing embodiments and are not intended to limit the present invention. In this specification, singular forms also include plural forms unless specifically stated otherwise. As used in the specification, the terms "comprise" and "comprising" do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other components, steps, operations, and / or elements with the mentioned components, steps, operations, and / or elements.

[0020] Additionally, like reference numerals appearing throughout each drawing designate like elements, and detailed descriptions of well-known features and techniques may be omitted to clarify the description of the described embodiments of the present invention.

[0021] FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 are a cross-sectional view and a perspective view of a rotary detonation engine, which is one embodiment of the present invention.

[0022] In order to achieve the above-described purpose, a rotary detonation engine experimental device (100) having a non-circular cross-section according to an embodiment of the present invention may include a housing (110), an ethylene plenum (120) provided within the housing, an oxygen plenum (130) provided surrounding the ethylene plenum, a combustion chamber (140) having a channel shape and having a non-circular cross-section and connected to the ethylene plenum and the oxygen plenum, a pre-ignition device (150) for igniting a compound present in the combustion chamber, an oxygen plenum static pressure sensor (160) for measuring the static pressure of the oxygen plenum, a supply port (170) for supplying oxygen to the oxygen plenum, a static pressure sensor (180) for measuring the static pressure of the combustion chamber, and a dynamic pressure sensor (190) for measuring the dynamic pressure of the combustion chamber. Here, the channel may have a non-circular shape such as a rectangle, an ellipse, or a star.

[0023] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of a rotary detonation engine configuration.

[0024] Referring to the drawing, a rotary detonation engine is typically configured with a channel in the form of a circular cross-section. Since detonation propagates along the channel, it can be expanded and actually propagates within a single, straight channel. The blue area represents the fresh mixture region, and the detonation wave front that propagates and combusts along the mixture region can be seen. In the exhaust direction of the rotary detonation engine, an oblique shock wave formed by detonation can be observed. This allows the rotary detonation engine to be configured in the form of a closed, non-circular channel, which allows for various shapes while maintaining basic performance.

[0025] Figure 4 shows the results of numerical analysis of rotational detonation propagation in a non-circular cross-sectional channel shape.

[0026] Referring to the drawing, the three channel shapes on the left have non-circular cross-sections but are essentially closed. The figure shows a smoked-foil record, which demonstrates detonation characteristics within a non-circular cross-section through computational simulation. Detonation is maintained and propagates even at curved corners.

[0027] Figure 5 shows various examples of non-circular channel cross sections.

[0028] Referring to the drawing, all cross-sectional shapes have corners with smooth curvature radii, as detonation expands and cannot propagate normally at corners below a certain radius of curvature.

[0029] (101) represents the cross-section of a typical circular channel.

[0030] (102) shows a cross-section of a rectangular channel with curved corners.

[0031] (103) represents a cross-section of a typical elliptical channel.

[0032] (104) has a curved corner and represents a channel cross-section with a changing channel width.

[0033] (105) shows a typical star-shaped channel cross-section.

[0034] Figure 6 illustrates a conceptual diagram of a non-circular cross-section rotary detonation engine applied to an aircraft with a non-circular fuselage. Aircraft, including civilian and military aircraft, and rockets often feature fuselages with various cross-sections in addition to circular ones. Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), which must carry payloads for specific missions, may adopt a wide, rectangular fuselage to secure space for loading, and cruise missiles may also adopt such a fuselage shape to accommodate a warhead with sufficient explosive yield. Furthermore, auxiliary power units for UAVs and aircraft must be installed in small spaces, but given the constraints of space, mounting a small, non-circular rotary detonation engine may be considered. Furthermore, because the rotary detonation engine is non-circular, there is no need to design the external air intake as circular, providing greater freedom in design. Stealth aircraft that install fan blockers and other devices in their air intakes to improve stealth can also maintain stealth by designing their external air intakes in a non-circular shape without these additional structures.

[0035] The rotary detonation engine of the present invention has a non-circular cross-sectional shape and its geometric shape is not limited to a circle. It can have any closed cross-sectional shape except for a shape with a small radius of curvature where the detonation wave does not propagate due to diffraction.

[0036] The rotary detonation engine, a Pressure Gain Combustion (PGC) technology that combines shock waves with combustion to generate additional pressure in the combustor, is expected to contribute to improved combustion efficiency and is actively being researched by various institutions worldwide. Furthermore, the rotary detonation engine utilizes a detonation combustion method that combines shock waves and combustion to achieve a very short combustion region. This allows for a much shorter combustor length compared to conventional premixed and diffusion flame combustion methods, thereby reducing engine size and weight, thereby improving engine performance. Fundamentally, because the rotary detonation engine is a novel combustion method, it is considered not only for existing gas turbine engines and liquid rocket engines, but also for ramjet and scramjet engines. However, application to gas turbine engines, which have rotating components such as compressors and turbines, has been largely limited to cylindrical combustors due to the stereotype attached to the term "rotating." Therefore, research on the application of the rotary detonation engine to liquid rocket engines and ram / scramjet engines, which do not have rotating components, has also been limited to cylindrical combustors. As described above, the non-circular cross-section rotary detonation engine proposed in the present invention provides flexibility in shape while maintaining the basic features and performance of the existing circular cross-section rotary detonation engine.

[0037] As described above, the rotary detonation engine with a non-circular cross-section shape is an engine with far fewer restrictions on cross-section shape compared to existing propulsion engines, and can be applied to many propulsion fields such as propulsion engines for supersonic / hypersonic aircraft such as ramjet engines and scramjet engines, propulsion systems requiring a specific cross-section shape, and stealth systems. Since the present invention can have an arbitrary cross-section shape, it is believed that it can replace a circular cross-section propulsion engine with similar requirements.

Claims

1. Housing and; An ethylene plenum provided within the above housing; An oxygen plenum surrounding the above ethylene plenum; A combustion chamber having a channel shape and a non-circular cross-section, which is connected to the above ethylene plenum and the above oxygen plenum; A pre-ignition device that ignites a compound present in the combustion chamber; An oxygen plenum static pressure sensor that measures the static pressure of the above oxygen plenum; A supply port for supplying oxygen to the above oxygen plenum; A static pressure sensor that measures the static pressure of the combustion chamber; and A dynamic pressure sensor that measures the dynamic pressure of the combustion chamber; A rotary detonation engine having a non-circular cross-sectional shape including 2. In paragraph 1, A rotary detonation engine having a non-circular cross-sectional shape, characterized in that the above channel has a rectangular shape.

3. In paragraph 1, A rotary detonation engine having a non-circular cross-sectional shape, characterized in that the above channel has an elliptical shape.

4. In paragraph 1, A rotary detonation engine having a non-circular cross-sectional shape characterized by the above channel having a star shape.

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