Multi-phase rotor, system and method for maintaining a stable vapour cavity
AssigneeCre 8 Technologies Limited
InventorsAlan Buys, Clifford Roy Warner
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A multi-phase rotor comprising a disk body, an inlet to receive a liquid into the rotor, and at least one outlet configured to expel the liquid from the internal rotor cavity. A flow path is provided between the inlet and the at least one outlet by a liquid intake channel and internal rotor cavity. The rotor is configured to be rotatable about an axis of rotation and a continuous stable vapour cavity is formed in the internal rotor cavity as the rotor rotates above a stable cavity threshold rotational speed.
Claims19
A multi-phase rotor comprising:
- a disk body, the rotor configured to be rotatable about an axis of rotation;
- an inlet to receive a liquid into the rotor;
- a liquid intake channel extending from the inlet;
- an internal rotor cavity extending radially around the liquid intake channel, the internal cavity is inside the disk body;
- and
- at least one outlet configured to expel the liquid from the internal rotor cavity;
- wherein a flow path is provided between the inlet and the at least one outlet by the liquid intake channel and internal rotor cavity;
- and
- wherein a continuous stable vapour cavity is formed in the internal rotor cavity as the rotor rotates above a stable cavity threshold rotational speed;
- wherein the inlet comprises an inlet restriction configured to constrain an inlet liquid mass at the inlet forming a liquid seal at the inlet as the rotor rotates about the axis of rotation;
- and
- wherein the at least one outlet comprises an outlet restriction configured to retain an outlet liquid mass towards the outlet forming a liquid seal at the outlet as the rotor rotates about the axis of rotation.
A stable vapour cavity forming system comprising:
- a multi-phase rotor as claimed in any one of the previous claims;
- and
- a liquid source.
A method for maintaining a stable vapour cavity comprising:
- providing a multi-phase rotor comprising:
- a disk body, the rotor configured to be rotatable about an axis of rotation;
- an inlet to receive a liquid into the rotor;
- a liquid intake channel extending from the inlet;
- an internal rotor cavity extending radially around the liquid intake channel;
- and
- at least one outlet configured to expel the liquid from the internal rotor cavity;
- wherein a flow path is provided between the inlet and the at least one outlet by the liquid intake channel and internal rotor cavity;
- and
- wherein a continuous stable vapour cavity is formed in the internal rotor cavity as the rotor rotates above a stable cavity threshold rotational speed;
- introducing a liquid to the rotor through the inlet;
- and
- spinning the rotor;
- the multi-phase rotor operates in a pre-cavitation phase, inter-cavitational phase and a post-cavitation phase and the stable vapour cavity is formed and maintained in the post-cavitation phase;
- and
- in the post cavitation phase the continuous stable vapour cavity forms around the liquid intake channel.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.