Sliding vane pump or turbine
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.
Claims17
A positive-displacement pump or turbine comprising:
- a rotor casing defining a rotor chamber having a contoured wall forming a plurality of lobes, and a sidewall defining a curved track spaced radially inwardly from said contoured wall;
- a rotor positioned in said rotor chamber, said rotor having an outer rotor surface spaced inwardly from said contoured wall at said lobes;
- and
- a plurality of vanes mounted at said rotor and spaced circumferentially around said outer rotor surface, said vanes comprising (i) distal end portions configured to slidably engage said contoured wall, and (ii) track followers engaging said curved track;
- wherein said vanes are forced radially inwardly and outwardly relative to said rotor by engagement of said track followers with said curved track during rotation of said rotor and said vanes.
A pump or turbine comprising:
- a rotor casing comprising a contoured wall 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 rotor chamber;
- a rotor positioned in said rotor chamber;
- and
- a vane at an outer surface of said rotor, said vane comprising a radial locator;
- and
- wherein said radial locator is configured to follow said grooves to drive said vane radially inwardly and outwardly in response to rotation of said rotor.
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 plurality of vanes mounted at an outer surface thereof, the vanes having 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 end portions of the vanes in sliding engagement with a contoured wall of the rotor chamber.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.