Bimodal combustion system

Abstract

A combustion system may include a detonation combustor comprising one or more detonation chamber walls defining a detonation chamber, a deflagration combustor comprising one or more deflagration chamber walls defining a deflagration chamber, and one or more conjugate chamber walls defining a conjugate chamber, with the conjugate chamber in fluid communication with the detonation chamber and the deflagration chamber. The detonation chamber includes a detonation region and a nozzle region, with the nozzle region providing fluid communication between the detonation region and the conjugate chamber.

1 . A combustion system, comprising:
 a detonation combustor comprising one or more detonation chamber walls defining a detonation chamber;   a deflagration combustor comprising one or more deflagration chamber walls defining a deflagration chamber; and   one or more conjugate chamber walls defining a conjugate chamber, the conjugate chamber in fluid communication with the detonation chamber and the deflagration chamber;   wherein the detonation chamber comprises a detonation region and a nozzle region, the nozzle region providing fluid communication between the detonation region and the conjugate chamber;   wherein the nozzle region comprises a first divergent cone-half angle and a second divergent cone-half angle, wherein the second divergent cone-half angle is greater than the first divergent cone-half angle.   
     
     
         2 . The combustion system of  claim 1 , wherein the nozzle region comprises a detonation nozzle defined by a first one of the one or more detonation chamber walls, the detonation nozzle comprising a detonation throat defining a location of the detonation nozzle that has an annular cross-sectional area with a minimum annular ring width relative to an adjacent portion of the detonation nozzle. 
     
     
         3 . The combustion system of  claim 2 , wherein the detonation nozzle comprises a divergent portion located downstream of the detonation throat, wherein the divergent portion of the detonation nozzle has a cone-half angle of from 1 degree to 10 degrees, and/or wherein the detonation nozzle comprises a convergent portion located upstream of the detonation throat, wherein the convergent portion of the detonation nozzle has a cone-half angle of from 5 degrees to 30 degrees. 
     
     
         4 . The combustion system of  claim 2 , wherein the detonation nozzle comprises a convergent portion and a divergent portion, the convergent portion having a decreasing cross-sectional area upstream from the detonation throat in a direction from the detonation region towards the detonation throat, and the divergent portion having an increasing cross-sectional area downstream from the detonation throat in a direction from the detonation throat towards the conjugate chamber. 
     
     
         5 . The combustion system of  claim 2 , wherein the detonation nozzle is configured as a de Laval type nozzle. 
     
     
         6 . The combustion system of  claim 2 , wherein at least a portion of the detonation nozzle has an over-expanded configuration, as determined with respect to a rated speed and/or a cruising speed of an engine receiving thrust from the combustion system. 
     
     
         7 . The combustion system of  claim 6 , wherein at least a portion of the detonation nozzle has an under-expanded configuration and/or a neutrally-expanded configuration, as determined with respect to the rated speed and/or the cruising speed of the engine. 
     
     
         8 . The combustion system of  claim 2 , wherein:
 a detonation throat-center line defines an annular center of the detonation throat and a detonation chamber plane intersects the detonation throat-center line tangentially normal to the detonation throat-center line;   a deflagration chamber-center line defines an annular center of the deflagration chamber, and a deflagration chamber plane intersects the deflagration chamber-center line tangentially normal to the deflagration chamber-center line;   a conjugate inflection line circumferentially surrounding a longitudinal axis defines a linear inflection delineating a detonation chamber wall and a deflagration chamber wall from one another, or a linear inflection representing a forwardmost oblique angle or a tangent to a forwardmost curve of a conjugate chamber wall disposed between a detonation chamber wall and a deflagration chamber wall;   a conjugate chamber-center line defines a volumetric center of the conjugate chamber as determined with respect to a volume of the conjugate chamber located between the conjugate inflection line and a downstream end of the conjugate chamber;   a conjugate chamber plane intersects the conjugate inflection line and the conjugate chamber-center line; and   the detonation chamber plane and the deflagration chamber plane intersect one another at a normal angle or at an oblique angle.   
     
     
         9 . The combustion system of  claim 8 , wherein the detonation chamber plane and the deflagration chamber plane intersect one another at a conjugate intersection comprising a location within the conjugate chamber that is at least one of:
 coinciding with the conjugate chamber plane, radially inward from the conjugate chamber plane, or radially outward from the conjugate chamber plane; and   coinciding with the conjugate chamber-center line, upstream from the conjugate chamber-center line, or downstream from the conjugate chamber-center line.   
     
     
         10 . The combustion system of  claim 1 , wherein the deflagration chamber and the detonation chamber respectively transition to the conjugate chamber along a longitudinal axis. 
     
     
         11 . The combustion system of  claim 10 , wherein the deflagration chamber and the detonation chamber are located at respectively opposite sides of a conjugate inflection line circumferentially surrounding the longitudinal axis, the conjugate inflection line defining a linear inflection delineating a detonation chamber wall and a deflagration chamber wall from one another, or the conjugate inflection line defining a linear inflection representing a forwardmost oblique angle or a tangent to a forwardmost curve of a conjugate chamber wall disposed between a detonation chamber wall and a deflagration chamber wall. 
     
     
         12 . The combustion system of  claim 11 , wherein the detonation chamber comprises a detonation nozzle defined by a first one of the one or more detonation chamber walls, the detonation nozzle comprising a detonation throat defining a location of the detonation nozzle that has a first annular cross-sectional area with a first minimum annular ring width relative to an adjacent portion of the detonation nozzle;
 wherein a first one of the one or more conjugate chamber walls comprises a conjugate nozzle, the conjugate nozzle comprising a conjugate throat defining a location of the conjugate nozzle that has a second annular cross-sectional area with a second minimum annular ring width relative to an adjacent portion of the conjugate nozzle;   wherein the second annular cross-sectional area corresponding to the conjugate throat extends from the first one of the one or more conjugate chamber walls to a conjugate chamber plane, the conjugate chamber plane intersecting the conjugate inflection line and a conjugate chamber-center line, the conjugate chamber-center line defining a volumetric center of the conjugate chamber as determined with respect to a volume of the conjugate chamber located between the conjugate inflection line and a downstream end of the conjugate chamber, and the first one of the one or more conjugate chamber walls being located on a side of the conjugate chamber plane radially corresponding to the detonation chamber; and   wherein the first annular cross-sectional area corresponding to the detonation throat is less than the second annular cross-sectional area corresponding to the conjugate throat.   
     
     
         13 . The combustion system of  claim 12 , wherein the first annular cross-sectional area is from 1% to 90% less than the second annular cross-sectional area. 
     
     
         14 . The combustion system of  claim 12 , wherein the first divergent cone-half angle corresponds to a first annular region of the detonation nozzle radially proximal to the detonation chamber and radially distal to the deflagration chamber, and wherein the second divergent cone-half angle corresponds to a second annular region of the detonation nozzle radially proximal to the deflagration chamber and radially distal to the detonation chamber. 
     
     
         15 . The combustion system of  claim 14 , wherein the first divergent cone-half angle is from 1 degree to 10 degrees, and/or wherein the second divergent cone-half angle is from 1 degree to 10 degrees. 
     
     
         16 . The combustion system of  claim 14 , wherein the second divergent cone-half angle is from 10% to 200% greater than the first divergent cone-half angle. 
     
     
         17 . The combustion system of  claim 1 , wherein the detonation combustor comprises a detonation fuel manifold coupled to or monolithically integrated with the one or more detonation chamber walls, the detonation fuel manifold configured to supply fuel and/or oxidizer to the detonation chamber. 
     
     
         18 . The combustion system of  claim 1 , wherein the deflagration combustor comprises a plurality of deflagration fuel manifolds respectively configured to supply fuel and/or oxidizer to the deflagration chamber. 
     
     
         19 . The combustion system of  claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the detonation chamber circumferentially surrounds at least a portion of the deflagration chamber, or wherein at least a portion of the deflagration chamber circumferentially surrounds at least a portion of the detonation chamber. 
     
     
         20 . The combustion system of  claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the detonation chamber comprises a torus shape, and/or wherein at least a portion of the detonation chamber comprises parabolic annulus shape.