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US 12,704,069 B2Granted
Sliding vane pump or turbine having track followers
AssigneeAmorphic Tech Ltd
InventorAndrew Schevets
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A positive-displacement pump or turbine includes a rotor casing that defines a rotor chamber having a contoured wall that forms a plurality of lobes. A rotor is positioned within the rotor chamber, and has an outer rotor surface spaced inward from the contoured wall at the lobes. Vanes are mounted around the outer rotor surface, and structures associated with the vanes follow a track or groove defined by the rotor chamber as the rotor spins, thereby forcing the vanes radially inwardly and outwardly to follow a curvature of the contoured wall.
Claims16
A positive-displacement pump or turbine comprising:
- a rotor casing defining a rotor chamber having a contoured wall forming a plurality of lobes around a central axis, and a pair of sidewalls defining respective curved tracks spaced radially inwardly from said contoured wall, said curved tracks each comprising a groove formed in a respective one of said sidewalls;
- a rotor positioned in said rotor chamber and having a rotational axis at said central axis, said rotor having a cylindrical outer rotor surface spaced inwardly from said contoured wall at said lobes, said rotor defining a plurality of blind slots open at said outer rotor surface and each having a continuous slot width extending from proximate said outer rotor surface to proximate a blind inboard end;
- a plurality of vanes mounted at said rotor and spaced circumferentially around said outer rotor surface, said vanes comprising (i) distal ends configured to slidably engage said contoured wall along the width of said contoured wall including said plurality of lobes, (ii) proximal ends received in respective ones of said blind slots in said rotor, and (iii) recessed dimples formed in opposite side edges of said vanes, said recessed dimples spaced between said distal and proximal ends of said vanes;
- and
- track followers engaging said curved tracks, said track followers comprising balls captured between said grooves and respective ones of said recessed dimples;
- wherein each of said balls has a diameter not exceeding a thickness of a respective one of said vanes at said recessed dimple;
- wherein said vanes are forced radially inwardly and outwardly relative to said rotor by engagement of said track followers with said curved tracks during rotation of said rotor and said vanes;
- and
- wherein said curved tracks are spaced a uniform distance from said contoured wall including said plurality of lobes around said rotor chamber.
6 more elements
A pump or turbine comprising:
- a rotor casing comprising a contoured wall including a lobe, and spaced-apart side surfaces defining respective continuous grooves that are spaced inwardly from said contoured wall, said contoured wall cooperating with said side surfaces to define a non-circular rotor chamber having a central axis;
- a rotor positioned in said rotor chamber and having a rotational axis at said central axis, said rotor defining a plurality of blind slots open at a cylindrical outer rotor surface, each of said blind slots having a continuous slot width extending from proximate said outer rotor surface to proximate a blind inboard end;
- and
- a plurality of vanes at respective ones of said blind slots of said rotor, each of said vanes comprising a radial locator, opposite edges, and a distal end configured to slidably engage said contoured wall along the width of said contoured wall including said plurality of lobes;
- wherein said radial locator comprises a pair of balls configured to follow respective ones of said grooves to drive said vane radially inwardly and outwardly in response to rotation of said rotor;
- wherein each of said balls has a diameter not exceeding a thickness of a respective one of said vanes at each of said balls;
- and
- wherein said side surfaces of said rotor casing cooperate with said opposite edges of said vane to form fluid-tight barriers, and said distal end of said vane forms a fluid-tight barrier with said contoured wall including said lobe.
5 more elements
A method of operating a positive-displacement pump or turbine, said method comprising:
- rotatably driving a pump or turbine rotor located within a rotor chamber, the rotor having a rotational axis at a central axis of the rotor chamber, the rotor having a plurality of vanes mounted at respective blind slots formed in cylindrical outer rotor surface thereof, the blind slots each having a continuous slot width extending from proximate the outer rotor surface to proximate a blind inboard end, the vanes having track followers, the track followers having a thickness not exceeding a thickness of the vanes at the track followers;
- and
- urging the vanes radially inwardly and outwardly via engagement of the track followers with a curved track formed in a sidewall of the rotor chamber to maintain distal ends of the vanes in sliding engagement with a contoured wall of the rotor chamber along the width of the contoured wall, the contoured wall including a lobe;
- wherein the curved track is spaced a fixed distance from the contoured wall including the lobe.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.