Rotary heat engine

1. A jet-propelled rotary engine comprising:

a stator;

a rotor operatively coupled to the stator for rotation of the rotor relative to the stator about a rotor axis, the rotor comprising at least first and second thrust matter jet assemblies and at least at least first and second steam jet assemblies, the first thrust matter jet assembly defining a first thrust matter converging flow region, a first thrust matter diverging flow region downstream of the first thrust matter converging flow region, and a first thrust matter discharge port, the second thrust matter jet assembly defining a second thrust matter converging flow region, a second thrust matter diverging flow region downstream of the second thrust matter converging flow region, and a second thrust matter discharge port, the first steam jet assembly defining a first steam converging flow region, a first steam diverging flow region downstream of the first steam converging flow region, and a first steam discharge port, the second steam jet assembly defining a second steam converging flow region, a second steam diverging flow region downstream of the second steam converging flow region, and a second steam discharge port, the rotary engine being adapted and configured to channel steam through the steam discharge ports of the first and second steam jet assemblies; and

a combustion region having an upstream portion, the upstream portion of the combustion region being defined at least in part by the stator, the rotary engine being adapted to cause a combustion reaction of an oxygen-fuel mixture in the combustion region in a manner to form combustion reaction products which comprise at least a part of thrust matter to be discharged through the thrust matter discharge ports of the first and second thrust matter jet assemblies, the rotary engine being adapted to combust at least some of the oxygen-fuel mixture in the upstream portion of the combustion region such that at least a portion of the combustion reaction occurs in the upstream portion of the combustion region, the rotary engine being adapted and configured to channel at least some of the thrust matter formed in the upstream portion of the combustion region through the thrust matter discharge ports of the first and second thrust matter jet assemblies.

2. A jet-propelled rotary engine as set forth in claim 1 wherein the rotary engine is configured and adapted to discharge the thrust matter from the discharge ports of the first and second thrust matter jet assemblies at a first supersonic velocity, the rotary engine also being configured and adapted to discharge steam from the steam discharge ports of the first and second steam jet assemblies at a second supersonic velocity, the second supersonic velocity being greater than the first supersonic velocity.

3. A jet-propelled rotary engine as set forth in claim 2 wherein the first discharge port of the first thrust matter jet assembly is positioned radially inwardly of the first steam discharge port of the first steam jet assembly, the second discharge port of the second thrust matter jet assembly being positioned radially inwardly of the second steam discharge port of the second steam jet assembly.

4. A jet-propelled rotary engine as set forth in claim 1 wherein:

the jet assembly is adapted for supersonic discharge of a first jet stream of the thrust matter from the first thrust matter discharge port with the jet stream having a first jet stream centerline as the thrust matter is being discharged from the first thrust matter discharge port; and

at least a portion of the upstream portion of the combustion region is spaced from the rotor axis a distance not greater than 90% of R, where R is the shortest distance between the rotor axis and the first jet stream centerline.

5. A jet-propelled rotary engine as set forth in claim 4 wherein the at least a portion of the upstream portion of the combustion region is spaced from the rotor axis a distance not greater than 25% of R.

6. A jet-propelled rotary engine as set forth in claim 4 wherein the second thrust matter jet assembly is adapted for supersonic discharge of a second jet stream of the thrust matter from the second thrust matter discharge port with the second jet stream having a second jet stream centerline as the thrust matter is being discharged from the second thrust matter discharge port, the second jet stream centerline being spaced from the rotor axis a distance equal to R.

7. A jet-propelled rotary engine comprising:

a stator;

a rotor operatively coupled to the stator for rotation of the rotor relative to the stator about a rotor axis, the rotor comprising at least first and second thrust matter jet assemblies and at least first and second steam jet assemblies, the first thrust matter jet assembly defining a first thrust matter converging flow region, a first thrust matter diverging flow region downstream of the first thrust matter converging flow region, and a first thrust matter discharge port, the second thrust matter jet assembly defining a second thrust matter converging flow region, a second thrust matter diverging flow region downstream of the second thrust matter converging flow region, and a second thrust matter discharge port, the first steam jet assembly defining a first steam converging flow region, a first steam diverging flow region downstream of the first steam converging flow region, and a first steam discharge port, the second steam jet assembly defining a second steam converging flow region, a second steam diverging flow region downstream of the second steam converging flow region, and a second steam discharge port, the rotary engine being adapted and configured to channel steam through the steam discharge ports of the first and second steam jet assemblies; and

a combustion region having an upstream portion defined by the stator, the rotary engine being adapted to cause a combustion reaction of an oxygen-fuel mixture in the combustion region in a manner to form combustion reaction products which comprise at least a part of thrust matter to be discharged through at least one of the thrust matter discharge ports of the first and second thrust matter jet assemblies, the rotary engine being adapted to combust at least some of the oxygen-fuel mixture in the upstream portion of the combustion region such that at least a portion of the combustion reaction occurs in the upstream portion of the combustion region.

8. A jet-propelled rotary engine as set forth in claim 7 wherein the rotary engine is configured and adapted to discharge the thrust matter from the thrust matter discharge ports of the first and second thrust matter jet assemblies at a first supersonic velocity, the rotary engine also being configured and adapted to discharge steam from the steam discharge ports of the first and second steam jet assemblies at a second supersonic velocity, the second supersonic velocity being greater than the first supersonic velocity.

9. A jet-propelled rotary engine as set forth in claim 8 wherein:

the first thrust matter discharge port of the first thrust matter jet assembly is positioned radially inwardly of the first steam discharge port of the first steam jet assembly;

the second thrust matter discharge port of the second thrust matter jet assembly is positioned radially inwardly of the second steam discharge port of the second steam jet assembly.

10. A jet-propelled rotary engine as set forth in claim 7 wherein:

the jet assembly is adapted for supersonic discharge of a first jet stream of the thrust matter from the first thrust matter discharge port with the jet stream having a first jet stream centerline as the thrust matter is being discharged from the first thrust matter discharge port; and

at least a portion of the upstream portion of the combustion region is spaced from the rotor axis a distance not greater than 90% of R, where R is the shortest distance between the rotor axis and the first jet stream centerline.

11. A jet-propelled rotary engine as set forth in claim 10 wherein the at least a portion of the upstream portion of the combustion region is spaced from the rotor axis a distance not greater than 25% of R.

12. A jet-propelled rotary engine as set forth in claim 10 wherein the second thrust matter jet assembly is adapted for supersonic discharge of a second jet stream of the thrust matter from the second thrust matter discharge port with the second jet stream having a second jet stream centerline as the thrust matter is being discharged from the second thrust matter discharge port, the second jet stream centerline being spaced from the rotor axis a distance equal to R.

13. A jet-propelled rotary engine comprising:

a stator;

a rotor operatively coupled to the stator for rotation of the rotor relative to the stator about a rotor axis, the rotor comprising at least first and second thrust matter jet assemblies, the first thrust matter jet assembly defining a first thrust matter converging flow region, a first thrust matter diverging flow region downstream of the first thrust matter converging flow region, and a first thrust matter discharge port, the second thrust matter jet assembly defining a second thrust matter converging flow region, a second thrust matter diverging flow region downstream of the second thrust matter converging flow region, and a second thrust matter discharge port; and

a combustion region having an upstream portion defined by the stator, the rotary engine being adapted to cause a combustion reaction of an oxygen-fuel mixture in the combustion region in a manner to form combustion reaction products which comprise at least a part of thrust matter to be discharged through at least one of the thrust matter discharge ports of the first and second thrust matter jet assemblies, the rotary engine being adapted to combust at least some of the oxygen-fuel mixture in the upstream portion of the combustion region such that at least a portion of the combustion reaction occurs in the upstream portion of the combustion region;

the jet assembly is adapted for supersonic discharge of a first jet stream of the thrust matter from the first thrust matter discharge port with the jet stream having a first jet stream centerline as the thrust matter is being discharged from the first thrust matter discharge port; and

at least a portion of the upstream portion of the combustion region is spaced from the rotor axis a distance not greater than 25% of R, where R is the shortest distance between the rotor axis and the first jet stream centerline.

14. A jet-propelled rotary engine as set forth in claim 13 wherein a majority of the upstream portion of the combustion region is spaced from the rotor axis a distance not greater than 25% of R.

15. A jet-propelled rotary engine as set forth in claim 13 wherein all of the upstream portion of the combustion region is spaced from the rotor axis a distance not greater than 25% of R.