US2735261A - Blast director for fluid streams - Google Patents

Description

Feb. 21, 1956 w. c. WALKER BLAST DIRECTOR FOR FLUID STREAMS Filed Sept. 8. 1950 INVENTOR. -/1 '///'a/72 G ha/ker United States Patent BLAST DIRECTOR FOR FLUID STREAMS William c. Walker, Granite City, in.

Application September 8, 1950, Serial No. 183,756

4 Claims. (Cl. 60-355) The invention relates to the use of fluid under relatively high pressure to entrain a greater quantity of fluid under relatively low pressure to react against a mass of the lattermentioned fluid to effect propulsion of a vehicle through the mass.

The main object of the invention is to utilize a blast director to obtain a relatively large and effective discharge of a stream of mixed motive and entrained fluid, such as steam and water, or gas and air. Another object is to effectively deliver a stream of the motive fluid to the director transversely of the direction of flow of the entrained fluid and, at the same time, effect substantially equal distribution of the entrained fluid about the axis of the director and without undesirable interference by the conduit for the motor fluid.

The invention includes a series of concentric cylinders, one within the other, alternate spaces between the cylinders forming motive fluid discharge chambers and the other spaces forming through passages for the entrained fluid, there being a conduit for the motive fluid extending through the cylinders transversely of their axis with outlets to the motive fluid passages.

Preferably the invention comprises two units of cylinders, as described above, arranged substantially end to end but with their cylinders of one unit being offset radially of the cylinders of the other unit.

It is another object to construct and assemble such units simply and effectively into a single complete structure which may be applied to a vehicle for propulsion purposes.

These and other detailed objects of the invention are attained by the structure illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a vertical, longitudinal, central section through a blast director.

Figures 2 and 3 are vertical transverse sections taken on the lines 22 and 33 respectively, of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a horizontal section taken on the line 44 of Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a detailed horizontal section taken approximately on an arcuate line 555 of Figure 2 to show elements of Figure 7 in section throughout their length.

Figure 6 is a detailed elevation of the positioning plates for the cylinders shown before assembly with each other.

Figure 7 is a detail of one of the baffle plates used in the motive fluid chambers.

The device embodies a primary director unit A which receives the motive fluid and entrains what may be considered a series of streams of the surrounding fluid and discharges them into a secondary unit B which serves as a director for an additional quantity of entrained fluid. Unit A could be used independently of unit B but their assembly is the preferred arrangement.

Unit A (Figures 1-5) consists of a series of concentric cylinders 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, each succeeding cylinder being of increased diameter and enclosing the next smaller cylinder. Cylinder 1 is open from end to end of the unit; a closure 7 extends between the right-hand ends of cylinders 2,735,261 Patented Feb. 21, 1956 1 and 2. The space C between cylinders 2 and 3 is open from end to end of the unit. A closure 8 extends between the right-hand ends of cylinders 3 and 4, being inclined to facilitate the flow of the surrounding fluid into the open cylinders. This inclination is shown more abrupt than in actual use because of the reduced scale of the drawings, but it will be understood the inclination of the ends will be adapted for the intended purpose. The space D between cylinders 4 and 5 is open from end to end of the unit. A closure 9 extends between the right-hand ends of cylinders 5 and 6.

Positioning plates 10, 11, 12 are slotted as indicated at 13, Figure 6, to receive pairs of adjacent cylinders 1 and 2, 3 and 4, and 5 and 6, and will be secured to the cylinders by welding or otherwise to hold them in spaced relation.

The spaces E between the cylinders connected by closures 7, 8 and 9 may be called motive fluid discharge passages and preferably their cross section areas are substantially smaller than the areas of the through spaces C, D, E within cylinder 1 and between cylinders 2 and 3 and cylinders 4 and 5.

An impulse fluid conduit 14 extends transversely through the unit, preferably near the unit end adjacent to closures 7, 8, and 9 and is provided with lateral discharge openings 15 leading into the motive fluid passages E. Quadrant-like baffles 16 extend from the mid-point of each opening 15 forwardly and downwardly to insure the distribution of approximately half of the motive fluid passing through that opening to the lower portion of the discharged passage.

Preferably conduit 14 is flattened transversely of the unit to present sharply inclined surfaces to the streams of entrained fluid, facilitating its passage through the unit with minimum turbulence.

Unit B comprises a series of cylinders 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, arranged similarly to the arrangement of cylinders in unit A but of different diameters. Inner cylinder 17 is of larger diameter than cylinder 2 of unit A; cylinder 18 is of smaller diameter than cylinder 3 of unit A; cylinder 19 is of larger diameter than cylinder 4 of unit A; cylinder 20 is of smaller diameter than cylinder 5 of unit A; cylinder 21 is of larger diameter than cylinder 6 of unit A; and cylinder 22 is of still larger diameter and substantially longer, forming a discharge shell for the combined motive and entrained fluids. The arrows X indicate the flow of fluids.

The cylinders of unit B are positioned relative to each other by plates 23, 24, 25 corresponding generally to plates 10, 11, 12, having deep slots 26 to receive individually spaced cylinders of unit B. The plates are not slotted for the ends of the cylinders in unit A, but terminate at the ends of those cylinders. Plates 10, 11, 12, and 23, 24, and 25 are overlapped at 27 and welded together to form a rigid unit. Plates 23, 24, and 25 have their left-hand edges inclined from the axis of the unit to its outer periphery.

With this construction, steam, or other motive fluid, is admitted through conduit 14 and passes through outlets 15 into the restricted discharge passages E between the cylinders of unit A and the discharge of this motive fluid through annular outlets at the left-hand end of unit A entrains a quantity of fluid through the other annular passages C, D between the unit cylinders. As the motive fluid is discharged from unit A, it expands into the outer annular passages therefor in unit B adding further impetus to the entrained fluid, the flow of which is maintained in a direction parallel to the length of the units with a minimum of turbulence due the cylinders of unit B. The extension of the discharge shell 22 directs the combined annular streams of motive and entrained fluid into the surrounding fluid to effect a forceful reaction tending centric substantially straight-sided a nnularchambers of progressively larger diameters, said units being arranged substantially end to end With the Walls of the chambers of one unit disaligned with the Walls of thechambers of theotherunigand a conduit for conveying a-b1ast= to allof the chambers ofone unit near the endof the latter remote from the other unit and directing the discharge from-said conduittowards the other unit.

2. Ina fluid blast director, atprimary unit structure and: a-secondary unit structure, each comprising aseriesof concentric cylinders, one within the other, and spaced apart to form annular chambers between successive cylindersextending the full lengthof the respective structure,

the. two unit structures being spaced substantially end-toeudzand the cylinders of one structure being-offset radially from: the? cylinders of the other structure, closures for alternate chambers at the outer endof each cylinder of the primary structure, and a conduit extending transversely of the cylinders of said primary structure with outlets into the chambers provided with said'closures;

3; A fluid blast director as described in claim 1' which includes plates extending lengthwise of each unit and holding. the chamber walls in spaced relation, the adjacent ends of. the plates of the two units being connected to each other.

4. In a blast director, a structure comprising a series of concentric cylinders, onewithintheother, and spaced.

apart to form annular chambers between successive cylinders, extending substantially the full length of the cylinders, a closure at one end of said structure for the chamber between each cylinder and one adjacent cylinder, the alternate chambers forming through passages from end to end of the structure, a}n1otive fluid conduit extending laterally through the cylinders with openings into the chambers provided-With a closure, and-bafile elements extending through the upper halfn of thechambers provided with a closure, said bafile elements being positioned between the openings in theunotive-fluidconduit and the open ends of said chambers.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS lmi r:-Ir- :"z:.:-.-=- r- 387,117 Murphy July 31, 1888- 467,427 McQlave. Jan. 19, 1892' 6,36 ,953; Chapmana c Nov. 14, 1899 1,362,997 Kolerofi Dec. 21, 1920 2,165,889; Arlcinepal. July 11, 1939 2 1 2. M fl t n---1--?-.-- D 1 2,564,671 Brown; Aug. 21, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS 148,905 Austria Mar. 10, 1937 584E685 France Nov. 24, 1924 Great Britain Nov. 17, 1909

Images