Wave Disk Generator

Abstract

The Wave Disk Engine (WDE) is an innovative prime mover that works on the cutting edge principles of unsteady flow and combustion, and takes advantage of shock waves reducing mechanical parts in the energy conversion process. Currently the main devices to convert chemical energy into motion are the Gas Turbine, the Otto Engine (Gasoline), and Diesel Engine. All three devices use moving mechanical parts to transmit work internally for cycle completion. Such mechanical parts add inertia, weight, and cost to an engine and cause frictional losses reducing efficiency. The WDE is a device that uses principles of both: of internal combustion engines for heat addition, and gas turbine for extracting mechanical energy. It references the Humphrey cycle that is more efficient than the Otto, Brayton, or Diesel cycle. For work extraction, the WDE uses turbomachinery gas-expansion, which is known as a most efficient mechanical way of energy conversion. This is combined with constant volume combustion, which is known as a most efficient way of burning combustible (pressure gain combustion). The combination of high efficiency principles results in a design that has a potential beyond the current state-of-the-art efficiencies. The WDE uses shock waves for generating compression of ingested air or mixture, and confined combustion for generating effective heat release in a device that is relatively simple and cost-effective.