The RamJamJet Engine – Approved/Published Patent May ’23 US-11643198-B2 ( 11643198 )
The Design
- The RamJamJet Engine is comprised of a standard 4-stroke ICE engine converted to run on propane and connected to a propeller that provides 150 mph intake air (100 hp engine) or 300 mph intake air (200 hp engine).
- This, along with a new style of combustion chamber and exhaust, provides the static thrust needed to support VTOL vehicles and supersonic speeds.
- Once a vehicle reaches around 300 mph, the propeller can be turned to low or off (and the propeller stowed if needed) as the forward momentum is enough to continue to accelerate the vehicle all the way to Mach 2.
(Note the innovative aspects describe below are Patent Pending both domestically and internationally through the K & L Gates Law Firm – Chicago IL)
The process begins with the propeller ramming air into the 3 front intakes. Note that the outer most part of the propeller is used for ramming air into the intakes. This is the highest speed and most efficient part of the propeller blade.
The high speed intake air moves through the tubing to the main combustion chamber
Second stage intakes exist along the side of the vehicle and can be used to increase thrust when needed.
Third stage intakes can be used for an extra burst of thrust when traveling, especially through trans-sonic ranges.
The “Jam”
- The below diagram shows the detail of the “Jam”. Here the high velocity air traveling from the intakes is jammed together at 45 degrees in the main combustion chamber.
- This allows the highest level of compression while limited the reduction in velocity.
- Propane injectors in each tube inject a stream of pressurized propane and the combination ignites.
- As the speed increases beyond 300 mph, the compression increases as well (just like it would in a ramjet.)
- With this process, the amount of compression is much greater and available at much lower speeds than a standard ramjet.
- This type of high compression can generate temperatures hotter than most jet engines can handle. RamJamJet engines contain an interior liner that protects the steel tubing to temperatures approaching 5000 degrees – current jet engines begin to melt at 3000 degrees.
Second and Third Stages
- The Second and Third stages are similar but are smaller and contain smaller propane injectors and there are only 2 each.
- They still add air and propane at 45 degrees to generate additional compression/combustion.
- They can, however, be used with or without the injector turned on. By adding only outside air, the generated thrust theoretically should be cooler and therefore more efficient.
Flexibility and Variable Exhaust
- Before exiting, the high speed thrust passes through a flexible tube that allows directing the thrust forward or aft 45 degrees.
- Finally, the thrust can be vectored another 45 degrees forward or aft as well as squeezed or expanded through the variable geometry exhaust.
- Note that at take off, the thrust is directed slightly forward to compensate for the forward momentum of the propeller keeping the VTOL steady,
