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US 2015/0315912 A1Published application
Rotary machine
AssigneeLumenium LLC
InventorsWilliam Anderson, Trent Lukaczyk, William Lukaczyk, Riccardo Meldolesi, Clive B. Lacy
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The disclosure provides rotary machines that include, in one embodiment, a rotatable shaft defining a central axis A, the shaft having a first end and a second end. The shaft can have an elongate first island disposed thereon. The first island can have a body with a volume generally defined between front and rear surfaces that are spaced apart. The front and rear surfaces can lie in a plane parallel to a radial axis R. The perimeters of the front and rear surfaces can define a curved perimeter surface therebetween. The disclosure further provides embodiments having stationary islands and casings that rotate about the island.
Claims20
A rotary machine, comprising:
- a) a rotatable shaft defining a central axis A, the shaft having a first end and a second end, the shaft having an elongate first island disposed thereon, the first island having a body with a volume generally defined between front and rear surfaces that are spaced apart along the rotatable shaft, the front and rear surfaces lying in a plane parallel to a radial axis R, the front and rear surfaces having a rounded, non-circular shape, the perimeters of the front and rear surfaces defining a curved perimeter surface therebetween, the first island defining a plurality of valve cavities therein for receiving rotatable valves;
- b) a front side plate disposed adjacent to the front surface of the first island;
- c) a rear side plate disposed adjacent to the rear surface of the first island;
- d) a first contour assembly disposed between the front side plate and the rear side plate, the first contour assembly being defined by a pair of opposed outwardly facing arcuately shaped front and rear surfaces that are connected by a concave inwardly facing surface, the concave inwardly facing surface of the contour assembly facing the curved perimeter surface of the first island, the concave inwardly facing surface and the curved perimeter surface of the island and the front side plate and rear side plate cooperating to form a working volume, the rotatable shaft and first island being configured to rotate with respect to the first contour assembly;
- and
- e) a plurality of rotatable valves disposed in the valve cavities defined in the island, the rotatable valves being configured to rotate within the valve cavities when the island rotates with respect to the first contour assembly about the central axis.
3 more elements
A rotary machine, comprising:
- a) a rotatable casing defining a central axis A, the casing defining a cavity therein for receiving a stationary first island;
- b) a stationary first island disposed in the cavity of the rotatable casing, the first island having a body with a volume generally defined between front and rear surfaces that are spaced apart, the front and rear surfaces lying in a plane parallel to a radial axis R, the front and rear surfaces having a rounded, non-circular shape, the perimeters of the front and rear surfaces defining a curved perimeter surface therebetween, the stationary first island defining a first set of fluid passages therethrough for passing a working fluid therethrough, and a second set of fluid passages for passing a coolant therethrough;
- b) a stationary front side plate disposed adjacent to the front surface of the first island;
- c) a stationary rear side plate disposed adjacent to the rear surface of the first island, the stationary rear side plate defining a plurality of ports passing therethrough in fluid communication with the first and second sets of fluid passages;
- and
- d) a first contour assembly disposed between the front side plate and the rear side plate, the first contour assembly being attached to the casing proximate an outer region thereof, the first contour assembly being defined by a pair of opposed outwardly facing arcuately shaped front and rear surfaces that are connected by a concave inwardly facing surface, the concave inwardly facing surface of the contour assembly facing the curved perimeter surface of the first island, the concave inwardly facing surface and the curved perimeter surface of the island and the front side plate and rear side plate cooperating to form a working volume, the casing and first contour assembly being configured to rotate about the axis A with respect to the stationary island.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.