Axial load in helical trochoidal rotary machines
AssigneeRotoliptic Technologies Incorporated
InventorsGreg John Montie, Peter Thomas Christopher Suke, Bryan Allen Callaway
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Rotary positive displacement machines based on trochoidal geometry and including a helical rotor that undergoes planetary motion relative to a helical stator can be designed and configured so that the axial load or rotor pressure force is positive, negative, or neutral. In some embodiments, a change in axial load, caused by a change in differential pressure across the machine, can be used to trigger a change in a mechanical configuration of the machine.
Claims20
A helical trochoidal rotary pump comprising:
- an outer member having an outer member helical profile and an outer member axis;
- and
- a rotor disposed within said outer member, said rotor having a rotor helical profile and a rotor axis;
- said rotor having a rotor shape at any cross-section transverse to said rotor axis that is based on a trochoidal shape, or said outer member having an outer member shape at any cross-section transverse to said outer member axis that is based on a trochoidal shape;
- wherein said helical trochoidal rotary pump is configured so that during operation of said helical trochoidal rotary pump:
- said rotor undergoes planetary motion relative to said outer member;
- an axial load on said helical trochoidal rotary pump varies with differential pressure across said helical trochoidal rotary pump;
- and
- when a threshold differential pressure across said helical trochoidal rotary pump is reached, a corresponding axial load on said helical trochoidal rotary pump causes a change in a mechanical configuration of said helical trochoidal rotary pump.
A method of operating a helical trochoidal rotary pump, said helical trochoidal rotary pump comprising:
- an outer member having an outer member helical profile and an outer member axis;
- and
- a rotor disposed within said outer member, said rotor having a rotor helical profile, and a rotor axis;
- said rotor having a rotor shape at any cross-section transverse to said rotor axis that is based on a trochoidal shape, or said outer member having an outer member shape at any cross-section transverse to said outer member axis that is based on a trochoidal shape;
- wherein said method comprises:
- driving at least one of said rotor or said outer member so that said rotor undergoes planetary motion relative to said outer member, and an axial load on said helical trochoidal rotary pump varies with differential pressure across said helical trochoidal rotary pump;
- and
- using an axial load corresponding to a threshold differential pressure to cause a passive change in a mechanical configuration of said helical trochoidal rotary pump at said threshold differential pressure.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.