Sieve RDE Injector With Variable Oxidant Inlet Area
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Solution Overview
Problem
Rotating detonation engines require improved structures and wall configurations to promote fuel-oxidant mixing and maintain a consistent combustor pressure drop across varying operating conditions.
Innovation Solution
A combustor design featuring an inner and outer wall with fuel and oxidant ports, a movable valve element, and a controller to adjust the oxidant inlet area, allowing for variable pressure drop and flow rate control through translational movement of the valve element.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a fixed oxidant inlet area is used, then the structure is simple, but the pressure drop cannot be maintained consistent across varying operating conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies a movable valve element that can translate along the combustor axis to dynamically adjust the oxidant inlet area. This dynamic adjustment allows the system to maintain consistent pressure drop across varying operating conditions by adapting the inlet area in real-time, resolving the contradiction between structural simplicity and operational reliability.
2Productivity
If the oxidant inlet area is increased, then the flow rate increases, but the pressure drop increases
Solution Approach 1:
The movable valve element enables dynamic balancing of flow rate and pressure drop. By translating the valve to different positions, the system can adjust the inlet area to achieve desired flow rates while maintaining acceptable pressure drops, allowing optimization of the trade-off between productivity and pressure stress.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the geometric parameter of the inlet area by moving the valve element, which alters the flow characteristics. This parameter change allows the system to operate at different flow rates while maintaining pressure drop within acceptable ranges, resolving the contradiction between flow rate and pressure drop.
3Adaptability or versatility
If a movable valve element is added to adjust oxidant inlet area, then pressure drop can be controlled, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a relatively simple movable valve element that translates along the combustor axis to adjust the inlet area. This dynamic component provides pressure drop control capability while adding minimal structural complexity compared to more complex flow control mechanisms, achieving adaptability with acceptable complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
A combustor and a combustor assembly includes an inner wall, an outer wall, an end wall, and a valve element. The outer wall and the inner wall are spaced to form a combustion chamber, and the end wall joins the inner wall to the outer wall. A plurality of fuel ports extends through one of the inner wall and the outer wall. A plurality of oxidant openings extends through one or more of the inner wall, the outer wall, and the end wall. The valve element is arranged concentrically with one or more of the inner wall and the outer all and is translatable from a first position towards a second position and from the second position towards the first position. The valve element overlaps at least one oxidant opening as the valve element translates towards the second position.