Engine
AssigneeTree Associates Ltd.
InventorBernard Killingbeck
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An engine (1) comprises a compressed gas source (3) and a fluid circuit connected to an output of the compressed gas source such that compressed gas can be driven through the circuit by the compressed gas source. The output of the compressed gas source is connected, through the fluid circuit, to a turbine component (5) connected to a rotating shaft (9) that acts as the output of the engine in use. A heat exchanger (13) receives fluid in the circuit that has passed through the turbine component (5) and is arranged to reduce the temperature and pressure of the fluid. The turbine component (5) comprises a boundary layer turbine comprising a plurality of axially aligned discs (51), wherein each disc comprises an outlet vent (53) arranged towards the centre of the disc.
Claims20
An engine comprising a compressed gas source and a fluid circuit connected to an output of the compressed gas source such that compressed gas can be driven through the fluid circuit by the compressed gas source, the output of the compressed gas source being connected, through the fluid circuit, to a turbine component connected to a rotating shaft that acts as the output of the engine in use;
- a heat exchanger for receiving fluid in the fluid circuit that has passed through the turbine component and arranged to reduce a temperature and pressure of the fluid;
- wherein the turbine component comprises a boundary layer turbine comprising a plurality of axially aligned discs, and
- wherein each disc comprises an outlet vent arranged towards a centre of the disc,
- wherein at least one disc of the plurality of discs comprises a plurality of grooves radially arranged around an edge of the disc for directing fluid to spiral towards the centre of the disc.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.