A power generation system comprising:
- a compressor to compress material from a low pressure gaseous state to a high pressure gaseous state;
- a condenser coil to condense the material in the high pressure gaseous state to a high pressure liquid state, therein providing high pressure liquid;
- a turbine having;
- a housing having a sidewall and inlet and exhaust ports in an inner surface of the sidewall, the inner surface being fixed in position relative to the housing;
- a turbine blade within the housing and having an outer surface along a perimeter that faces the inner surface of the sidewall, the outer surface of the turbine blade having recesses with a majority of a surface area thereof facing the inner surface of the sidewall;
- and
- a shaft within the housing, coupled to the turbine blade and having an axis of rotation about which the turbine blade and shaft are configured to rotate, the turbine being coupled to the compressor and condenser coil for receiving the high pressure liquid, the turbine being configured and arranged with the compressor and condenser coil to generate power using the high pressure liquid to drive the turbine blade and turn the shaft, and to output the material as a low pressure gas, the surface area of the recesses and the inner surface of the sidewall defining enclosed chambers having sidewalls that:
- consist of the outer surface of the turbine blade and the inner surface of the sidewall, and
- rotate about the shaft within the chamber to receive the high pressure liquid via the inlet port and exhaust low pressure gas via the exhaust port;
- and
- a gas conduit to deliver the low pressure gas to the compressor, wherein the turbine blade, shaft, and housing are configured and arranged to:
- in an intake stage, draw fluid in the chamber through the inlet port with leading and trailing surfaces of the chamber engaged with the sidewall on opposite sides of the inlet port;
- contain the fluid within the chamber as defined by the recesses and the inner surface of the sidewall as the chambers rotate beyond the inlet port via which the gas is drawn;
- in an expansion stage, provide an expansion chamber between the sidewall and the leading and trailing surfaces as the chamber rotates past the inlet port, expand the fluid in the expansion chamber, and utilize the expanded fluid to apply pressure that rotates the turbine blade and therein drives the shaft;
- and
- upon rotation of the chambers to the exhaust port, exhaust the expanded fluid from the chamber as the chamber passes the exhaust port with the leading and trailing surfaces of the chamber engaged with the inner surface of the sidewall on opposite sides of the exhaust port.