Fluid motor

A fluid motor comprising:

• (a) a rotor supported for rotation about a generally horizontal axis;
• (b) said rotor having a working volume defined by a plurality of chambers each having a leading wall portion and a trailing wall portion, said wall portions circumferentially spaced apart relative to the axis with said leading wall portion spaced from said trailing wall portion in the direction of rotation of said rotor;
• (c) means, including first valve means, defining a relatively large area flow passage extending from the trailing wall portion of each chamber to a succeeding chamber to enable fluid flow between said chambers in a direction opposite to the direction of rotation of the rotor;
• (d) a working fluid partially occupying said working volume;
• (e) intake means, including second valve means, for introducing a motive fluid into said working volume, said intake means directing said motive fluid into successive chambers which are disposed within a predetermined angular range relative to said axis, said motive fluid substantially confined in said chambers in said angular range and displacing said working fluid from said chambers through said respective flow passages, said working fluid having a greater density than said motive fluid;
• and,
• (f) exhaust means, including third valve means, communicating with successive chambers disposed within a second angular range relative to said axis for enabling motive fluid to flow from said chambers.

A fluid motor comprising:

• (a) a rotor extending along a rotation axis and defined in part by a series of axially extending circumferentially spaced apart fixed volume fluid receiving chambers with a working fluid in at least some of said chambers;
• (b) tubular shaft structure supporting said rotor for rotation about said axis, said shaft structure rotating with said rotor and defining axially elongated fluid ports directly communicating, respectively, with said chambers;
• and
• (c) intake valving means for communicating selected ones of said fluid receiving chambers to a source of motive fluid which is less dense than said working fluid, said valving means comprising a valving member supported within said shaft structure and fixed against rotation with said shaft structure, said valving member defining an axially extending motive fluid passage having a portion alignable with successive ones of said fluid ports as said shaft structure rotates so that successive rotor chambers are communicated with said fluid source;
• (d) valve means enabling one-way fluid communication between said chambers with said motive fluid displacing said working fluid from one chamber via said valve means to another chamber;
• and,
• (e) exhaust valving means for exhausting motive fluid from said chambers.

A fluid operated motor, comprising:

• (a) a rotor mounted for rotation about an axis;
• (b) said rotor defining an internal working volume comprised of a plurality of chambers located circumferentially about and radially from said axis;
• (c) first valve means enabling one way fluid communication between said chambers;
• (d) a working fluid disposed in said working volume, said working fluid occupying chambers in said working volume;
• (e) intake means, including second valve means, directing motive fluid into said working volume and displacing working fluid from at least a chamber of said working volume via said first valve means, said motive fluid having a lower density than said working fluid;
• and,
• (f) exhaust means, including third valve means, for directing motive fluid from said rotor.

A fluid operated motor comprising:

• (a) a rotor mounted for rotation about a generally horizontally extending axis, the path of said rotor being herein defined in terms of a 360 degree circuit with its zero reference angle at bottom dead center and increasing in the direction of rotor rotation;
• (b) said rotor defining an internal working volume comprised of a plurality of chambers located circumferentially about and radially from said axis;
• (c) first valve means enabling one way fluid communication between said chambers;
• (d) a relatively high density working fluid disposed in said working volume, said working fluid occupying chambers of said working volume located below said axis when said rotor is at rest;
• (e) intake means for communicating motive fluid to said working volume, said intake means including second valve means operative to admit relatively low density motive fluid to each working chamber as it passes through a portion of its arcuate path between zero degrees and 180 degrees;
• and,
• (f) exhaust means including third valve means operative to exhaust the motive fluid from each working chamber as it passes through some portion of its arcuate path between 90 degrees and 360 degrees, said portions of the arcuate path along which said motive fluid is admitted and exhausted being spaced angularly apart.