Back to results
US 2025/0116196 A1Published application
Fluid propulsion system
Assignee3Silk, Inc.
InventorsCharles Pell, Hugh Crenshaw, Ryan Moody
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A propulsor is described in which rotation of the frustum of a right circular cylinder generates thrust. Variants of this basic geometrical shape are also described that enable multiple means for propelling fluid past the propulsor.
Claims20
A device for inducing fluid flow relative to itself, comprising:
- a. a body configured to be brought into contact with a fluid, the body possessing:
- i. a fore end, an aft end, and an axis of rotation about which the body is configured to rotate, and
- ii. a central hub possessing torque acceptance means configured to accept and convey a torque from a torque generator to the body, and where the torque so conveyed manifests as a rotational velocity of the body of the device about the axis of rotation and driving every point on the surface of body with a rotational motion in a plane perpendicular to the axis of rotation,
- iii. at least one monolithic cantilevered lobe extending radially away from the axis of rotation, the lobe possessing one proximal end affixed to the hub, and a distal end, with the lobe further possessing:
- 1. a receding surface substantially inclined with respect to the axis of rotation such that the receding surface recedes away from the fluid as the body rotates, and
- 2. a rump surface that encloses substantially the rest of the lobe, and
- 3. where the receding surface and the rump surface intersect, forming there a receding edge, and
- 4. where receding edge is bordered by an adjacent rump surface that:
- a. from every point on the receding edge extends axially aft along the rump surface from the receding edge at least an axial thickness, and
- b. from every point on the receding edge extends around the rump surface from the receding edge in the direction of rotational motion at least a transverse thickness, and
- iv. where, providing a fluid in contact with the body, the rotational velocity of the body about axis of rotation results in a counter-flow over the device, and the adjacent rump surface being so configured such that counter-flow over the adjacent rump surface
- a. has substantially no radial component, and
- b. has a component in the direction opposite the direction of rotational motion, so that the counter-flow flows past the receding edge at an angle having little or no radial component and with a non-zero component in the direction opposite the rotational motion, and
- v. where the receding surface, being pulled away from the fluid by the rotational velocity thus induces a low-pressure region directly over the receding surface such that the low-pressure region travels with the receding surface as the body rotates with respect to the fluid, and
- vi. where the low-pressure region, being directly adjacent to the counter-flow flowing past receding edge, thus generates a bound edge vortex over a substantial portion of the receding surface, where the bound edge vortex rotates in the opposite direction as the rotational velocity, and
- vii. where the bound edge vortex further reduces the fluid pressure over the receding surface, and,
- viii. the inclination of the receding surface relative to the axis of rotation causes the vortex to have a substantial aft-directed axial component of fluid flow that generates forward thrust on the body of the device.
14 more elements
A device for inducing fluid flow relative to itself, comprising:
- a. a body configured to be brought into contact with a fluid, the body possessing:
- i. a fore end, an aft end, and an axis of rotation about which the body is configured to rotate, and
- ii. a central hub configured to accept and convey a torque from a torque generator to the body, and where the torque so conveyed manifests as a rotational velocity of the body of the device about the axis of rotation,
- iii. at least one monolithic cantilevered lobe extending radially away from the axis of rotation, the lobe possessing one proximal end affixed to the hub, and a distal end, with the lobe further possessing:
- 1. a receding surface substantially inclined with respect to the axis of rotation such that the receding surface recedes away from the fluid as the body rotates, and
- 2. a rump surface that encloses substantially the rest of the lobe, and
- 3. a receding edge intersecting with the receding surface and the rump surface, and
- 4. wherein the receding edge is bordered by an adjacent rump surface that:
- a. from every point on the receding edge extends axially aft along the rump surface from the receding edge at least an axial thickness, and
- b. from every point on the receding edge extends around the rump surface from the receding edge in the direction of rotational motion at least a transverse thickness, and
- c. wherein the receding edge defines a global angle of inclination with the axis of rotation, and wherein the global angle of inclination is between about 15 and 75 degrees.
8 more elements
A method for propelling an object in a fluid comprising:
- a. providing a propulsion device comprising a body having:
- i. a fore end, an aft end, and an axis of rotation about which the body is configured to rotate, and
- ii. a central hub configured to accept and convey a torque from a torque generator to the body, and where the torque so conveyed manifests as a rotational velocity of the body of the device about the axis of,
- iii. at least one monolithic cantilevered lobe extending radially away from the axis of rotation, the lobe possessing one proximal end affixed to the hub, and a distal end, with the lobe further possessing:
- 1. a receding surface substantially inclined with respect to the axis of rotation, and
- 2. a rump surface that encloses substantially the rest of the lobe, and
- 3. a receding edge intersecting with the receding surface and the rump surface, and
- 4. wherein the receding edge is bordered by an adjacent rump surface that:
- d. from every point on the receding edge extends axially aft along the rump surface from the receding edge at least an axial thickness, and
- e. from every point on the receding edge extends around the rump surface from the receding edge in the direction of rotational motion at least a transverse thickness;
- (b) rotating the body about the axis of rotation so that the receding surface recedes away from the fluid as the body rotates, such rotating creating a bound edge vortex over a substantial portion of the receding surface, where the bound edge vortex rotates in the opposite direction as the rotational velocity.
8 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.