Balanced Regenerator and Core Driving System

The Balanced Regenerator and Core Driving System is a methodical design approach to solve many long standing problems found in current ceramic core regenerative gas turbine engines. The regenerator core is balanced by fluid forces and the ring gear is connected to the core matrix by a unique rigid clamp.

The Low Pressure Regenerative Gas Turbine Engine air flow path is modified to direct fluid exiting the compressor to pass through a heated ceramic disc regenerator core twice before entering the combustion chamber. This two pass design, while impacting thermal performance, addresses several major concerns such as balancing the pressure forces acting on the core, reducing the core's tendency to cock during operation and minimizing the parasitic seal drag and gear losses due to core cocking and thus produces significant advantages. The two pass fluid flow design also offers the added benefit of permitting a simplified dirt extraction system to be installed in between fluid passes through the core. An edge compressive core clamping design is utilized to overcome ring gear separation and torsional wind-up problems experienced by many gas turbine engines employing radial disc regenerators.