| 摘要 |
Improvements to an annular, radial flow gas turbine engine and airborne vehicle utilizing the same for jet propulsion are disclosed herein. The engine includes counter-rotating rotors and a compressor section with counter-rotating annular rows of intermeshing compressor blades, an annular combustion section common to both rotors where the combustion zone is defined by oppositely rotating rotor walls, and a turbine section made up of annular rows of counter-rotating exhaust turbine blades. All components are disposed in an engine housing. Improvements to the engine include the addition of a bypass section and fans. The bypass section delivers non-compressed air to a duct section of the engine for mixture with the compressed air from the turbine section in order to increase the available thrust from the engine. The bypass section may include one or more fan stages linked to at least one counter-rotating rotor wall for cooling the air therein, as well as the air within the combustion section. The craft includes a central hub on which the engine rotors rotate on bearings. Additional bearings located within the engine housing at approximately the radius of the turbine section help to maintain rotor tolerances with respect to each other and to non-rotating shell portions above and below the engine rotors. Air inlet guide vanes leading to the compressor section are also housed in the hub portion of the craft. Exhaust gases emitting from the turbine section are selectively ducted through annularly arranged, downwardly directed lift thrust producing ducts and/or rearwardly directed ducts or vanes for generation of forward propulsion. Improved directional control during flight is by selective modulation of one or the other of rotating masses, which draw their energy from the engine rotors, and during high speed flight also by selective control of spoiler surfaces arranged in the upper and lower external surfaces of the craft. |
