Spherical fluid machine with flow control mechanism

A fluid machine comprising:

• a housing defining an interior, the housing having a port in communication with the interior of the housing;
• at least one primary vane disposed within the interior of the housing that rotates about a primary axis;
• at least one secondary vane disposed within the interior of the housing, the secondary vane pivotally oscillating between alternating open and closed positions with respect to the primary vane and defining a chamber within the housing interior having a volume which varies as the primary vane is rotated about the primary axis;
• and
• an actuator that is adjustable to vary the lower limit of the size of the volume of the chamber defined by the primary and secondary vane that is in communication with the port.

A fluid machine comprising:

• a housing defining an interior, the housing having at least two fluid ports in communication with the interior of the housing;
• a primary vane disposed within the interior of the housing;
• a rotary shaft having a primary axis that couples to the primary vane and rotates the primary vane about the primary axis;
• a secondary vane mounted within the housing for pivotal movement between open and closed positions with respect to the primary vane, the secondary vane pivoting about a pivotal axis passing through the primary vane as the primary vane rotates, the primary and secondary vanes dividing the interior of the housing into chambers with the volume of the chambers varying as the secondary vane is moved between the open and closed positions;
• and
• a guide that causes the secondary vane to move between the open and closed positions and directs diametrically opposed points of the secondary vane to rotate about a secondary vane rotational axis that intersects but which is angularly offset from the primary axis as the primary vane is rotated, the primary axis and secondary vane rotational axis defining a control plane;
• and
• wherein the guide can be adjusted to orient the control plane in two or more positions so that communication of the ports with the chambers is adjusted to thereby regulate fluid flow through the machine.

A fluid machine comprising:

• a housing defining a generally spherical interior, the housing having a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet in communication with the interior of the housing;
• a primary vane disposed within the interior of the housing;
• a rotary shaft having a primary axis of rotation mounted to the housing, the primary vane being coupled to the rotary shaft so that the primary vane is rotated about the primary axis by the rotary shaft;
• a fixed shaft which extends into the interior of the housing opposite the rotary shaft, the fixed shaft having a spherical end portion about which the primary vane rotates, the fixed shaft being adjustably mounted to the housing so that the fixed shaft can be oriented in various fixed positions;
• a carrier ring rotatably carried on the spherical end portion of the fixed shaft, the axis of rotation of the carrier ring being oriented at an oblique angle in relation to the primary axis;
• a secondary vane pivotally mounted to the rotary shaft so that the secondary vane is pivotal about an axis perpendicular to the primary axis to allow the secondary vane to pivot between open and closed positions with respect to the primary vane as the primary and secondary vanes are rotated together by the rotary shaft about the primary axis, the primary and secondary vanes dividing the interior of the housing into chambers with the volume of the chambers varying as the secondary vane is moved between the open and closed positions, the secondary vane being pivotally coupled to the carrier ring so that the secondary vane is pivotal about an axis perpendicular to the carrier ring's axis of rotation, the rotation of the carrier ring causing the secondary vane to reciprocate between the open and closed positions as the secondary vane is rotated about the primary axis by the rotary shaft;
• and wherein
• the degree of communication of the inlet and outlet ports with the chambers is adjusted by moving the fixed shaft to a different fixed position.

A method of regulating fluid flow in a fluid machine comprising:

• providing a housing of the machine that defines a housing interior, the housing having a port in communication with the interior of the housing through which fluid from a fluid source is allowed to flow;
• providing at least one primary vane disposed within the interior of the housing that rotates about a primary axis;
• providing at least one secondary vane disposed within the interior of the housing;
• rotating the primary vane about the primary axis with the secondary vane pivotally oscillating between alternating open and closed positions with respect to the primary vane defining a fluid chamber for containing fluid within the housing interior having a volume that varies as the primary vane is rotated about the primary axis;
• and
• varying the point at which the secondary vane reaches the open and closed positions relative to the port so that the degree of communication of the port with the fluid chamber defined by the primary and secondary vanes can be adjusted to vary the fluid flow through the port.

A method of regulating fluid flow in a fluid machine comprising:

• providing a housing of the machine having a hollow interior and having at least two fluid ports in communication with the housing interior, at least one of the ports connected to a fluid source;
• rotating a primary vane within the interior of the housing about a primary axis;
• providing a secondary vane that is mounted within the housing for pivotal movement between open and closed positions with respect to the primary vane, the secondary vane pivoting about a pivotal axis passing through the primary vane as the primary vane rotates, the primary and secondary vanes dividing the interior of the housing into chambers, with the volume of the chambers varying as the secondary vane is moved between the open and closed positions;
• guiding the secondary vane to move between the open and closed positions so that diametrically opposed points on the secondary vane rotate about a secondary vane rotational axis that intersects but which is angularly offset from the primary axis as the primary vane is rotated, the primary axis and secondary vane rotational axis defining a control plane;
• and
• adjusting the orientation of the control plane in two or more positions so that communication of the ports with the chambers is adjusted to thereby regulate fluid flow through the machine.

A method of regulating fluid flow in a fluid machine comprising:

• providing a housing of the machine having a spherical hollow interior and having first and second fluid ports that are spaced apart from each other to provide fluid communication between the exterior of the housing and the interior, at least one of the first and second ports connected to a fluid source;
• providing a primary vane disposed within the housing, the primary vane being rotatable about a primary axis;
• providing a fixed shaft that extends into the housing interior, the fixed shaft having a spherical end portion disposed within the interior about which the primary vane rotates, the fixed shaft being adjustably mounted to the housing so that the fixed shafted can be oriented in various fixed positions;
• providing a carrier ring rotatably mounted on the spherical end portion of the fixed shaft, the carrier ring rotating about a carrier ring axis that is oriented at an oblique angle with respect to the primary axis;
• providing a secondary vane that is pivotally mounted to the primary vane so that the secondary vane is pivotal about an axis perpendicular to the primary axis to allow the secondary vane to pivot between open and closed positions with respect the primary vane as the primary and secondary vane are rotated together about the primary axis, the primary and secondary vanes dividing the interior of the housing into chambers, the secondary vane being pivotally coupled to the carrier ring so that the secondary vane is pivotal about an axis perpendicular to the carrier ring axis;
• rotating the primary and secondary vane about the primary axis while the fixed shaft is in a first fixed position, the rotation of the secondary vane about the primary axis causing the carrier ring to rotate about the carrier ring axis and thus cause the secondary vane to reciprocate between the open and closed positions as the primary and secondary vane are rotated about the primary axis, the primary and secondary vanes defining an inlet chamber as the secondary vane is reciprocated to the open position so that fluid enters the inlet chamber through the first port while the first port is in communication with the inlet chamber, and wherein the primary and secondary vanes define a discharge chamber as the secondary vane is reciprocated to the closed position so that fluid exits the discharge chamber through the second port while the second port is in communication with the discharge chamber;
• and
• moving the fixed shaft to a second position so that the degree of communication of the first and second ports with the inlet and discharge chambers defined by the primary and secondary vanes as the primary and secondary vanes are rotated about the primary axis is changed to vary the fluid flow through the machine.

A race assembly of a spherical fluid machine for causing a reciprocating vane of the fluid machine to oscillate back and forth while rotating about a primary axis within a housing of the fluid machine, the race assembly comprising:

• a carrier ring shaft that mounts within the housing of the fluid machine;
• a carrier ring for coupling to the reciprocating vane, the carrier ring rotatably mounting to the carrier ring shaft so that the carrier ring rotates about a second axis that is at an oblique angle with respect to the primary axis;
• a first shaft end portion that is joined to one end of the carrier ring shaft;
• and
• a second shaft end portion that mounts to the other end of the carrier ring shaft and is secured thereto by at least two removable fasteners that are eccentrically located with respect to the second axis.