High efficiency low hydrocarbon emmisson hybrid power plant using operational aspects of both internal combustion and jet engines
The method and apparatus of the present invention discloses a power plant operating at low inlet pressure and temperature using a combination of conventional internal combustion engine techniques and jet engine techniques. The combination of a unique combustion chamber design, a novel variable impedance blade set turbine and a closed loop control system allows a variable resonant frequency for combusted gases. As the resonant frequency is approached a control mechanism uses sensor data to maintain the operating point such that maximum power output is achieved for a given throttle setting. The combination of the unique combustion chamber design, multiple fuel injector/sparking device pairs, finely atomized fuel, excess oxygen and the closed loop control system further provides a very linear power curve with low exit hydrocarbon pollution levels and high fuel efficiency.
1. A hybrid power plant apparatus wherein certain physical aspects of an internal combustion engine and a high pressure turbine jet engine are combined, comprised of:
a tuned port combustion chamber formed by a hemispherical section at the inlet end with a single inlet valve centered at the cap of said hemispherical section, a cylindrical center section containing one or more fuel injector and sparking device pairs disposed longitudinally, radially or a combination of both within said cylindrical center section, and a conical outlet section with a tunable variable geometry output port, said tunable variable geometry output port coupled to a turbine such that a constant volume of modulated low pressure air impulsed at said single inlet valve and fuel injected into said tuned port combustion chamber by said one or more fuel injectors are ignited by said one or more sparking devices creating a pulse of energy which is impinged on said turbine, said low pressure and said fuel being repetitively introduced into said tuned port combustion chamber to create a continuous series of energy pulses, said continuous series of energy pulses occurring at or near a resonant frequency determined by the physical construction of said tuned port combustion chamber.
2. The hybrid power plant of claim 1 wherein a single injector and a single sparking device are used.
3. The hybrid power plant of claim 1 wherein a two or more injectors and a two or more sparking devices are used.
4. The hybrid power plant apparatus of claim 1 wherein said hybrid power plant apparatus is a vehicle engine.
5. The hybrid power plant apparatus of claim 1 wherein said hybrid power plant apparatus is an aircraft engine.
6. The hybrid power plant apparatus of claim 1 wherein said hybrid power plant apparatus is used in combination with an electrical generator.
7. The hybrid power plant apparatus of claim 1 wherein said hybrid power plant apparatus is used in combination with a jet pump.
8. A method for controlling a hybrid power plant wherein operational aspects of an internal combustion engine and a high pressure turbine jet engine are combined, comprised of:
controlling low pressure air at the input opening of a tuned port combustion chamber, said tuned port combustion chamber shaped to achieve resonance at a specified explosion rate;
modulating a valve to prevent said low pressure air at said input opening of said tuned port combustion chamber from escaping back through said input opening;
pulsing said low pressure air into said tuned port combustion chamber at a frequency of resonance of said tuned port combustion chamber;
injecting fuel into said tuned port combustion chamber via a one or more fuel injectors at the same frequency as said pulsing of said low pressure air;
igniting one or more ignition devices at the same frequency as said pulsing of said low pressure air such that the combination of said low pressure air and said injected fuel create an explosion that completely expends said injected fuel before the following pulse of said injected fuel and said low pressure air enters said tuned port combustion chamber;
tuning a variable geometry output port of said tuned port combustion chamber such that at said resonance a constant velocity of expended gas exits said tuned port combustion chamber, said expended gas capable of driving a load, and;
coupling said output port of said tuned port combustion chamber to a turbine such that said constant velocity of expended gas impinges upon the vanes of said turbine thereby generating rotational power.
9. The method for controlling a hybrid power plant of claim 8 wherein said method is implemented by an apparatus comprised of:
a single chip microprocessor, said single chip microprocessor further comprised of;
a central processing unit;
a memory, said memory containing the necessary software instructions to operate and control a hybrid power plant;
an analog-to-digital converter;
a digital-to-analog converter implemented in software, and;
a plurality of input and output interface ports;
a plurality of sensors electrically connected to said plurality of input ports of said single chip processor, and;
a plurality of electrically actuated mechanical controls connected to said plurality of output ports of said single chip processor such that said software instructions contained in said memory within said single chip microprocessor receives electrical signals from said plurality of said sensors connected to said input ports of said single chip processor, operates upon said received signals, then delivers output signals to said electrically actuated mechanical controls connected to said plurality of output ports of said single chip processor in such a way as to cause said hybrid power plant to operate at or near a predetermined frequency.
10. The control method of claim 8 wherein the operating point of a hybrid power plant is determined by varying one or more of input air pressure, input valve frequency, input fuel quantity, output port opening, and vane position of a variable vane turbine.