Combustion Engine Thrust Vectoring via Differential Fuel Flow
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional gas turbine engines requiring thrust vectoring are complex, heavy, and inefficient due to numerous components, leading to increased vibration, unreliability, and reduced engine performance.
Innovation Solution
A combustion engine design featuring a compressor-combustor array with radially outward rotor blades and pilot combustion chambers, utilizing a flow regulator with independent fuel flow control valves to achieve differential fuel flow across sectors, allowing for vectored thrust without adjustable exhaust nozzles.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If conventional adjustable exhaust nozzles are used for thrust vectoring, then directional control is achieved, but device complexity and weight increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the thrust vectoring function from the exhaust nozzle and relocates it to the combustion chamber sector fuel control system. By removing the need for adjustable nozzles and their associated actuators and control systems, the invention eliminates complex mechanical components while preserving the ability to vector thrust through differential fuel flow control across different sectors of the engine.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention replaces the mechanical thrust vectoring system (adjustable nozzles with actuators) with a fuel control-based system. By using the flow regulator to vary fuel delivery to different combustion sectors, the system achieves thrust vectoring through combustion control rather than mechanical nozzle adjustment, thereby reducing moving parts and mechanical complexity.
2Adaptability or versatility
If conventional adjustable exhaust nozzles are used for thrust vectoring, then directional control is achieved, but weight increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the heavy mechanical components required for nozzle adjustment, including actuators, linkages, and structural housings. The thrust vectoring function is extracted from the exhaust system and implemented through the existing fuel control infrastructure, significantly reducing the weight penalty associated with conventional thrust vectoring systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The flow regulator system serves multiple functions: it controls overall fuel flow to the combustion chambers and simultaneously enables thrust vectoring through differential sector control. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate dedicated thrust vectoring hardware, thereby reducing total system weight while maintaining adaptability.
3Adaptability or versatility
If conventional adjustable exhaust nozzles are used for thrust vectoring, then directional control is achieved, but vibration increases
Solution Approach 1:
By replacing the mechanical nozzle adjustment system with a fuel control system, the invention eliminates the sources of mechanical vibration associated with actuators and moving nozzle parts. The fuel control system varies thrust direction through combustion rate modulation rather than mechanical movement, thereby reducing vibration and improving operational smoothness.
4Adaptability or versatility
If conventional adjustable exhaust nozzles are used for thrust vectoring, then directional control is achieved, but reliability decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the complex mechanical subsystem required for nozzle adjustment, including actuators, linkages, and control systems. By eliminating these additional components with their associated failure modes, the invention improves overall system reliability while maintaining thrust vectoring capability through the more reliable fuel control system.
5Adaptability or versatility
If conventional adjustable exhaust nozzles are used for thrust vectoring, then directional control is achieved, but cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The flow regulator system performs multiple functions: overall fuel flow control and sector-specific thrust vectoring. By making the fuel control system multi-functional rather than adding a separate dedicated thrust vectoring system, the invention reduces total component count and manufacturing complexity, thereby lowering production costs while maintaining adaptability.
6Adaptability or versatility
If conventional adjustable exhaust nozzles are used for thrust vectoring, then directional control is achieved, but engine performance degrades
Solution Approach 1:
The invention replaces the mechanical nozzle system with a fuel control system that achieves thrust vectoring through combustion management. This substitution eliminates interruptions to the exhaust flow path caused by mechanical adjustments and reduces flow resistance, thereby maintaining or improving engine performance while achieving directional control.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The design simplifies thrust vectoring with fewer moving parts, reducing weight and complexity, enhancing reliability, and enabling more robust and compact engine operation with stable hover or vectored flight capabilities.
Implementation Method 1
The flow regulator (100, 200) may comprise a first flow control valve (102) in flow communication with the first fluid reservoir (70a), and a second flow control valve (104) in flow communication with the second fluid reservoir (70b), wherein the first flow control valve (102) and second flow control valve (104) are operable to regulate fuel flow independently of one another.
Implementation Method 2
The first fuel injector (40a) is provided in flow communication with a first fuel reservoir (70a), and the second fuel injector (40b) is provided in flow communication with a second fuel reservoir (70b).
Implementation Method 3
The plurality of chambers (28, 30) comprises: a first pilot combustion chamber (28a) and a second pilot combustion chamber (28b)
Data Source
Figure 1~4
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
A combustion engine (10) comprises a radial compressor (16) in flow communication via a flow passage (22) with a compressor-combustor array (20) radially outward of the radial compressor (16), both rotatable around a central axis (12). The compressor-combustor (20) comprises an array of rotor blades (26). The walls of the blades (26) define a plurality of chambers (28, 30). Each chamber (28, 30) has a flow inlet (32) to receive fluid from the radial compressor (16), and a flow outlet to exhaust fluid radially outwards from the compressor- combustor (20). The plurality of chambers (28, 30) comprises a first pilot combustion chamber (28a) and a second pilot combustion chamber (28b). The first pilot combustion chamber (28a) is provided with a first fuel injector (40a), and the second pilot combustion chamber (28b) is provided with a second fuel injector (40a). The first fuel injector (40a) is in flow communication with a first fuel reservoir (70a), and the second fuel injector (40b) is in flow communication with a second fuel reservoir (70b). The first fuel reservoir (70a) and the second fuel reservoir (70b) are each in fluid communication with a flow regulator (100), the flow regulator (100, 200, 300) operable to vary fuel flow delivery rate to the first reservoir (70a) and vary fuel flow delivery rate to the second reservoir (70b). The differential regulation of fuel flow between pilot combustion chambers results in different levels of thrust being generated downstream of the combustion chambers. In this way the engine is operable to produce vectored thrust.