US1284096A - Ignition for combustion-chambers. - Google Patents

Description

LA. IIAIIIES.

IGNITION FOR COI'IIIIUSTION CHAMBERS.

APPLICATION FILED ocr. 1, IsII'.

IzItenIed NOI'. 5, 1918.

z SHEETS- suur I.

IIIIZII I MIMI L. A. HAINES. AIGNITION FOR CUMBUSTION CHAMBERS.

' APPLICATION FILED ocr. I, I9I1.

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specification oi Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 5, 11n..

application tiled October 1, 1917. aerial No. 1941,1931.

.To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I Lewis A. Hamas, citizen ofthe lUnited tates, residing at Columbus, in the county of Franklin and State of Ohio', have invented new and useful 1mprovements in Direct Electric ll ition for Combustion-Chambers for Gasurbines, of

. which the following is a specification.

. This invention relates to electric ignition means for the combustion chambers of gas turbines, and consists of an improvement on the ignition means-and correlativa parts of the cylinders and combustion chambers disclosed by my lU. S. Patents Nos. 1,219,297 and 1,219,298 granted March 13, 1917.' lin -the said patents, the cylinders` and reciproeating pistons therein are disposed around a drive or turbine operate in succession and in varied numbers to compress and ignite charges of an explosive motive agent and `deliver the exploded and highlyheated charges to rotors or turbine devices for generating power and simultaneously operating the active parts of the turbine or motor as a whole to control shaft and automaticallythe supply of the motive agent to the cylinders and pistons, the regular reciprocation of said pistons. and the admission to the com'f pression and ignition chambers of charges of scavenging air which'also serve to cool the heated parts of the'turbine. 1n said patents also, the ignition and combustion of the compressed motive agent is produced by means exterior of the combustion chambers at points distant from the outlets'to the rotor or turbine device with a certain delay in the release and a deterioration of the burned motive l'agent' and its e'ectiveness as anv actuating medium relatively to the said rotor or turbine device. 1n the present improvement'the ignition ofthe charges of motive agent takes place through the opera"` tion of means located directly in the conupression chambers of the reciprocating pisn -tons subsequent to and during the retention means also the firing of the charges' sparks are produced within the compressed a charges.

One very effective and practical ystructure embodying the features of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, and therein: 4

Figure 1 is a cross section through a group ofcylinders, pistons, drive shaft and other correlated parts of a gas turbine, showing the features of the present invention embodied therein.

Figj2 is a slightly enlarged sectional'view of one of the cylinders and pistons and intimately related parts thereof, showing the piston at the full limit of its instroke and in a position/to discharge the burned motive agent from the compression chamber thereof.

Fig. 3 is al view similar to Fig. 2 showing the piston at the full limit of its outstrolre and the chamber thereof in position to receive a charge of the motive agent.

Fig. L1 is an elevation of a portionoffone of the'cylinderlinlet valves andfoperating means for opening the valve at intervals.

rllhe numeral 5 designates a turbine or main driving shaft around which a series' of cylinders 6 and pistons 7 are located, the pistons being operatively connected to the shaft, as shown by Fig. 1, and similarly to the pistons shown in my patents aforesaid and, therefore, this known piston connection neednot be further described as it forms no part of the present invention. rlFhe cylin- `ders 6 have outer heads 8 secured thereto and fully open inner end 10. rlihe cylinders 6 and their heads 8 also have water jacketsv 9 which will beprovided with a suitable water circulating means. Each head has a central 'open space or bore 11 extending fully therethrough, and around the inner portion of said space or bore is a motive agent receiving chamber 12 having an inner terminating valve seat 13. A valve 111 is mounted to operaterelatively to the seat 13 to con-.

trol communication between the chamber 12' and the interiorof the cylinder 6. rllhis valve 14 has va tubular stem 15 which has a close sliding fit in the space or bore 11 of the head 8, the valve being centrally bored, as at 16. To the outer end of the valve stem 15 a coupling` head 17 is fixed, preferably by a separable 4screw thread connection, as shown, and the free end of a rocking lever 18 is movably attached to the said head 17 for imparting to the valve stem 15 and valve thereby regularly. charge the cylinder 6 with the motive agent. The lever 18 is movably held on a fulcrum support 19 which in turn will be suitably swiveled or mounted to move on a part of the turbine casing as in my prior patented structures hereinbefore noted. The end of the rocking lever 18 opposite that attached to the coupling head 17 is engaged by a push-rod 20 arranged and actuated similarly to the corresponding rod shown and described in my Patent No. 1,219,297.

Within the tubular valve stem 15 a tubular insulator 21 is xed to move therewith, said insulator being formed of porcelain or other suitable material and provided with an outer hemi-spherical closed head 22 and an inner open end 23. Within the insulator 21 is a tubular conductor 24 having its inner surface lushwith the similar surfacaof said insulator, the conductor 24 being preferably set in an annular recess 25 of the insulator. The conductor is a current gathering and storing medium and is fully open at both ends, and between the inner ends of the insulator. 21 and conductor 24 and the body of the valve 14 around the bore 16 where an annular shoulder 26 is formed an insulat 1g washer 27 is interposed and provides a tig `t vnon-leakable electric joint with the said adjacent parts.. Near the outer extremity of the'insulator, metal or other conducting contacts 28 are set in diametrically opposite portions thereof and expand through openings 29 formed in the valve stem 15. The contacts l28 are fully in engagement with the conductor 24 and continually bearing thereagainst are the inner reduced ends of transmission electrodes 30 of carbon or other suitable material and movably held in= tubular carriers 31 of non-conducting material. The carriers 31 are materially longer than the electrodes 30, and between the outer ends of the latter and an interiorly formed annularshoulder 32 of the carriers springs 33 are -mounted and have their respective terminals engaging the said outer ends of the electrodes and the heads 34 of bolts or pins 35 extending outwardly through the carriers and conducting binding collars 36 held by nuts 37 against the outer ends of said carriers. The carriers 31 are mounted in sockets 38 exteriorly screw-threaded to engage laterally projecting seats 39 forming portions of each head 8, the sockets having stop anges 40 to bear against the outer margins or edges of the seats. The carriers 31 are held in fixed adjustable positions in the sockets 38.by set nuts 41which engage the outwardly projecting threaded extremities of the said sockets and annular flanges 42 of the carriers. It will be seen that the electrodes 30 are` held by insulating means and have ayielding and self-adjusting movement relatively to the contacts 28 owing to the interposed springs 33 which always insure a positive 'and reliable engagement of the electrodes 30 With the contacts 28, and especially in view of the inner reduced ends'or points of said contacts. If vibration should affect the electrodes 30 and cause them to have a tendency to move or jump away from the contacts 28, the springs 33 will immediately restore the engagement of the electrodes with the contacts. Wires or conductors 43 are attachedto the collars 36 and may run from a magneto and battery, a battery alone, or any other source of electrical generation. The current passes from the collars 36 by way of the bolts or pins 35 to the springs 33 and thence to the electrodes 30 which in turn transmit the current to the contacts 28 to electrically-charge or saturate the tubular cnductor 24.

Each piston 7 has a compression chamber 44 adjacent to its outer extremity, the latter having a funnel-shaped extension 45 connected thereto leading to said chamber and provided with an inner valve seat 46 with which a valve 47` has movable association. The peripheraledge 48 of the valve 47 and the valve seat or edge 46 are so formed that the valve will close against said seat in an --outward direction, the valve forming a part of the outer wall or top of the chamber 44. The valve 47 has a stem 50 projecting outwardly therefrom and slidable through the bore 16 of the valve 14 and in the tubular conductor 24. The stem 50 is of metal and tubular, and between the inner endthereof and the valve 47 an insulating ring 49 is mountedto prevent transmission and lcakage of the electric current at this point of jointure ofthe said valve and its stem. A porcelain or other non-conducting tubular inclosure or plug 51 is inserted in the valve 'stem 50,'terminating short of the outer end of said stem where a transmission head 52 is provided. rIhe plug 51 extends through the valve 47 and is shouldered against the inner side around the'center of said valve, as at 53, and into an inwardly projecting tubular stop 54 forming part of said valve and carrying opposed inwardly extending sparking terminals or pins 55 having a ground connection through the valve 47, extension 45, piston 7, cylinder 6 and the turbine casing. Extendingcentrally through and secured in the head 52 of the `stem 50 and plug 51 is a conducting rod 56 which projects inwardly beyond 'the inner end of the said plug and into the center of the tubular stop 54 and serves as the electrically active sparking medium relatively to the terminals, pins or points 55, and whereby an ignition means is located directly in the compression chamber of the piston. The stop 54 of the valve 47 is disposed opposite and is adapted to contact larly constructed and equipped with the'elecf.

tamper with a corresponding stop 57 at thev inner wall of the chamber 44'to limit the inward.

tric current conveying and transmission .devices hereinbefore described and operating at proper intervals or times relatively to each cylinder and piston.

rlhe chambers 12 will be supplied with the vmotive agent in proper mixture as in my.

patents aforesaid, and the release or 'eX- hanst of the burned motive agent is edected through outlets 58 in the'chamber walls and adapted to register with similar outlets 59" through the cylinder walls, said outlets in the complete turbine structure opening into ducts leading to rotors or turbine devices as shown by my Apatents herein noted. ln this instance also air under pressure from a suitable source is admitted into the cylinders immediately subsequent to the inition and discharge of the motive agent to scavenge the cylinders and also to cool the heated parts of the turbine, such as the cylinders, pistons,

turbine blades, and the connections rand ducts. rlhe admissionof this airis through a port 60 having avalve .61 operated' at intervals between the 1 charging of the chambers 44 and discharge of the burned motive agent from said chambers in a manner similar to the air admission controllingvalveI of my aforesaid patents. The motive agent mixture is regularly supplied to the chamber 12 in the head 8 of each cylinder at proper intervals and the valve 14 vis also opened at corresponding. intervals after, the charge has been received in said chamber and the supply thereto cut ed; 'lhe valve 14.v is opened to admit the. charge from ythe chamber l2 in the cylinder 6 by operation of the 4stem 15 throu h the medium of the mecha nism hereinbe ore described, -all of the mov-V able parts acting with timed movements .without interference. The charging of the chamber 44 ofthe piston. 7 ensues during the outstrokeof said piston -and subsequent, to the full discharge ofa burned charge from said chamber 44, and also after the cylinders 6 and said chamber 44 having been fully scavenged by the air under pressure admitted to the cylinder and chamber `just as the piston starts on its outstroke. its the pisi ton starts on its outstroke, through the operation of the connection therefor relatively to 'the shaft 5 from the position shown byFig.

2' sudicient inward force is exerted'on the stem 50 by reason of its close fitting engagementfwith the tubular conductor 24 and also the valve 47 to-open the latter valve' While ,the piston continues to movevoutwardly and the air adltted tothe cylinder passes into the l outwardly 'ductor," to the conducting rod 56' from charge is admitted into the" cylinder in suitable predetermined volumes the valve 14l is closed and the pistonvcontinues to move and the motive agent is forced into the chamber 44 under pressure. 'lhe charge in thechamber 44 causes the valve 47 to close when the ressure of said charge reaches a degree su mechanical resist'ances to such valve closure,

- and when the piston reachesthe limit of its outer stroke, as shown by Fig. 3, the valve 47 will have been tightly lclosed and will so remain during the full instroke of said piston. During'the inward movement of the motive agent charged piston, the conductor cient lto overcomeall 24 is electrically charged, the stem 50 of the valve 47 taking up and conveying the electricity or current from the said conductor, during movement of the stem inthe conwhence it is discharged relatively to the, pins or points 55 to Iproduce the ignition spark directly in the compression chamberl 44 of the piston. By means of suitable tim ing mechanism, this ignition spark will be produced 'by the means just specified at such intervals as will be most' edective in igniting the charge of motive agent in the chamber y 44. 'llhe ignition of the motive agent in the chamber 44 will take place when the piston is far enough out from .the cylinder outlets 59 to permit the 'confined mbtive agent charge to be completely r[burned prior to the vregistration of. the outlets. 58 bf the chamber 44 with the cylinderl outlets 59. llt will be understood that the sparkingbetween the inner end of the rod 56. andthe terminals, pins or points 55 will be eHectedl by the action ofthe timer that will be included in the circuit with the 'wires48 while the several' insulating or-non-conducting ele- `ments. are in adjacent relationship orl in such positions as to defeat any possibility of a `full loutstroke of the pistons.v i ln the arshort circuit current ensuing, and, prefer# rangement shown, the insulating washers or collars 27 and 49 are contiguous when each piston is at the limit of its outstrolre` and, hence, there could be no short circuit of the current'possi'ble and prevention of the short circuit would ensue lfor some little time during the inward movement ofthe piston fromits full outstrolie positionpor ian so long as the said insulating washers or collars were in such adj acency as to prevent exposure of the metal parts to the stem 50. It will also be understood that the moment at which the sparking and ignition is effected with relation to each piston may be obviously modied by changing the position ofv the insulating devices just explained. The purpose of igniting the charge in cach piston at some part of the outstroke or ad- ,Jacent to the limit of the outstroke thereof is to effect a thorough burning of the charge within the piston chamber before the charge is liberated through the outlets 59 and then to the blades of the turbine. When this outlet registration does ensue, the burned motive agent charge instantly discharges to the rotor or turbine device and the cylinder 6 and chamber 44 are then promptly scav enged or cleaned by a charge of air, as hereinbefore explained. A similar operation will be effected in all the cylinders and pistons at regular intervals, or, -in only a par-t of the ,cylinders and-pistons 1n accordance with the vload on the turbine, as clearly described in my patents herein noted. The cylinder and piston operations above described will also able with said chamber, and driven means to which the piston is connected.

2. A cylinder for a gas turbine having a reciprocating piston provided with a compression chamber for a motive agent, ignition means having sparking components lo cated directly in said chamber and movable with the latter and the piston, and driven means to which the piston is connected.

3. A cylinder for a gas turbine having a reciprocating member provided with a compression chamber for a motive agent, and igi Intion means havlng sparkm `components j located directly in said cham er and movable therewith. l

4.l A cylinder fora gas turbine having a reciprocating piston provided with acompression chamber for a motiveV agent, ignition means comprising an electrical accumulating device and acondllcting means movablein the said accumulating device and in part extending into the compression chamber, the said chamber also having sparking devices co-v operating withl theconducting means, and

ition means having spark-- driven means to Which'the piston is connected.

5. A cylinder for a gas turbine having a reciprocating piston provided with a compression chamber for a motive agent, ignition means comprising a tubular electrlcal accumulator,means for :supplying current to said accumulator, a conductor movable in the accumulator and also projecting into and having fixed position in the compression chamber, the compression chamber being also provided with sparking components to cooperate with the conductor, and driven means to which the pi'ston is connected.

6. A cylinder for a gas turbine having a reciprocating piston provided with a compression chamber for a motive agent, ignition means'comprising a movable accumulator and a movable conductor Working in the accumulator and in part projecting into and havin a fixed position in the compression chamber, the said chamber being also provided with sparking devices coperating with the conductor, and driven means to Which the piston is connected.

7. A cyllnder for a gas turbine having a reciprocating piston provided with a compression chamber for a motive agent, the said chamber also having a motive agent receiving chamber provided with a valve having a reciprocating tubular stem, an electrical tubular conductor mounted in said valve stem, insulating means forthe stem and conductor, contact devices engaging opposite portions of the conductor, electrodes yieldingly engaging the contact devices and connectible to a source of electrical energy, a valve forming part of the compression chamber and having a stem with a conductor therein, the conductor being insulated and having conducting means between the same and the said tubular conductor and valve stem in which the compression chamber valve stem has sliding movement, the conductor of the compression chamber valve stem projecting into and having iixed position in the compression chamber, and sparking devices alsoheld within the-compression chamber in coperative relation`to the said conductor of the compression chamber valve stem. A

8. A cylinder for a gas turbine having a reciprocating piston therein provided with'a y compression chamber for a motive agent, said cylinder also having a motive agent receiving chamber, a valve controlling the admission cf the motive agent from the ref ceiving chamber into the cylinder, said valve being provided with a tubular stem having an electrical conducting accumulator therein also of tubular form, insulating devices between the'tubular accumulator 'and the the said tubular accumulatoryie1dingly -said valve stem, contact devices engaging Lawns mounted electrodes engaging the contact devices, means for reciprocating' the valve stem and the conducting accumulator to open and close the valve of the motive agent receiving chamber, an automatically operating compression chamber valve having sparking devices fixed thereto and provided With a stem extending' upwardly through the first mentioned valve into the tubularl conducting accumulator, and a conductor held Within the stem of the valve of the compression chamber and exposed with a lln testimony whereof l[ have hereunto sety my hand in presence oftwo subscribing witnesses.

LEWllS A. HAUTES. Witnesses:

JOHN STODDARD, ANTOINETTE LGER.

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