Power plants – Combustion products used as motive fluid – Rotating combustion products generator and turbine
Reexamination Certificate
1994-03-14
2003-01-28
Kim, Ted (Department: 3746)
Power plants
Combustion products used as motive fluid
Rotating combustion products generator and turbine
C060S039340, C060S039182, C060S279000, C416S022000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06510683
ABSTRACT:
A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains material which is subject to copyright protection. The owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent document or the patent disclosure, as it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office patent file or records, but otherwise to reserves all copyright rights whatsoever.
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
My invention relates to a novel, revolutionary apparatus and method for the generation of electrical and Mechanical power. More particularly, my invention relates to a power plant driven by thrust modules, which are preferably ramjet engines, and to novel rotors designed to withstand the extremely high tensile stress encountered while rotatably securing such thrust modules. The rotors are design ed for operation at supersonic tip speeds while maintaining low aerodynamic drag, and are constructed of composite carbon fiber and/or metal matrix composites. Power plants of that character are particularly useful for generation of electrical and mechanical power at substantially improved efficiency rates when compared to various conventional power plant types.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
A continuing demand exists for a simple, high efficiency, inexpensive power plant which can reliably provide electrical and mechanical power. A variety of medium size electrical or mechanical power plants could substantially benefit from a prime mover which provides a marked improvement in overall efficiency. Such medium size mechanical or electrical power plants—in the 10 so 100 megawatt range—are required in a wide range of industrial applications, including rail locomotives, marine power systems, aircraft engines, and stationary electric power generating units. Power plants in this general size range are also well suited to use in industrial cogeneration facilities. Such facilities are increasingly employed to service industrial thermal power needs while simultaneously generating electrical power.
Power plant designs which are now commonly found in co-generation applications include (a) gas turbines, driven by the combustion of natural gas, fuel oil, or other fuels, and capturing the thermal and kinetic energy from the combustion gases, (b) steam turbines, driven by the steam which is generated in boilers from the combustion of coal, fuel oil, natural gas, solid waste, or other fuels, and (c) large scale reciprocating engines, usually diesel cycle and typically fired with fuel oils.
Each of the aforementioned types of power plants are complex integrated systems. Such plants often include many subsystems and a large number of individual parts. The parts often must be manufactured to exacting dimensional and mechanical specifications. As a result, such power plants are relatively expensive to manufacture, to install, and to operate. Also, in the event of failure of a part or subsystem, the required repairs are often quite expensive. Frequently, repairs may require substantial disassembly of subsystems to gain access to individual parts, in order to repair or replace the faulty components and return the plant to an operational condition.
Of the currently available power plant technologies, diesel fueled reciprocating and advanced turbine engines have the highest efficiency levels. Base efficiencies are often in the range of 25% to 40%, based on net work produced when compared to the energy value of the fuel source. Unfortunately, at power output levels greater than approximately 1 megawatt, the size of the pistons and other engine components required by reciprocating engine systems become almost unmanageably large, and as a result, widespread commercial use of larger sized reciprocating engine systems has not been accomplished.
Gas turbines perform more reliably than reciprocating engines, and are therefore frequently employed in plants which have higher power output levels. However, because gas turbines are only moderately efficient in converting fuel to electrical energy, gas turbine powered plants are most effectively employed in co-generation systems where, as mentioned above, both electrical and thermal energy can be utilized. In that way, the moderate efficiency of a gas turbine can in part be counterbalanced by increasing the overall cycle efficiency.
Fossil fueled steam turbine electrical power generation systems are also of fairly low efficiency, often in the range of 30% to 40%. Such systems are commonly employed in both utility and industrial applications for base load electrical power generation. This is primarily due to the high reliability of such systems. However, like gas turbine equipment, steam turbine equipment is most advantageously employed in situations where both mechanical and thermal energy may be utilized, thus increasing overall cycle efficiency.
Because of their moderate efficiency in conversion of fuel input to electrical output, the most widely used types of power plants, namely gas turbines and combustion powered steam turbine systems, depend upon co-generation in industrial settings to achieve advantageous commercial electricity cost levels. Thus, it can be appreciated that it would be desirable to be able to generate electrical power at higher overall efficiency rates than is commonly achieved today, especially when compared to the currently utilized gas and steam turbine based power plants.
THE PRIOR ART
Ramjets are widely know and have been utilized, primarily in aerospace applications, since the 1940s. Basically, a ramjet is a fixed geometry combustion chamber which is propelled through an airstream by the thrust reaction of the chamber against escaping combustion gases which have been generated by oxidizing an injected fuel with the incoming air supply. The configuration of ramjet engine inlets, fuel injection requirements, combustion chamber configurations, and ignition requirements have been the subject of much study and technical development over many years.
Early ramjets were described, for example, in German Patent No. 554, 906, issued Nov. 2, 1932 to Ing. Albert Fono. Ramjets have also been experimentally employed to assist in the rotation of helicopter blades about a central shaft. For example, see the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) research memorandum (NACA RM L53DOZ) for a ramjet powered helicopter rotor. However, insofar as I am aware, ramjets have not been employed in commercial power plants for production of electricity.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
I have now invented, and disclose herein, a novel, revolutionary power generation plant design. My power plant design is based on the use of a ramjet engine as the prime mover, and has greatly increased efficiencies when compared to those heretofore used power plants of which I am aware. Unlike most power plants commonly in use today, my power plant design is simple, compact, relatively inexpensive, easy to install and to service, and otherwise superior to currently operating plants of which I am aware.
My novel power plants have a unique low aerodynamic drag rotor portion. The rotor is constructed of metal matrix composites and/or high strength carbon fiber, and can be operated at rotating speeds well above those which would induce tensile and compressive strains that would cause conventional materials such as steel or titanium to fail.
Thus, the rotor design used in my power plant overcomes two important and serious problems: First, at the supersonic tip speeds at which my device operates, the rotor design minimizes aerodynamic drag, thus it minimizes parasitic losses to the power plant due to the drag resulting from the movement of the rotor in an airstream. Second, the composite design provides the necessary tensile and compressive strength, where needed in the rotor, to prevent internal separation of the rotor by virtue of the centrifugal and centripetal forces acting on the rotor materials.
Solving the two aforementioned problems are critical elements of my invention. Operation of a rotary ramjet driven rotating power generation apparatus at the supersonic tip speeds considered desirable for efficie
Goodloe, Jr. R. Reams
Kim Ted
Ramgen Power Systems, Inc.
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