Rotary positive displacement machine

A combined compressor and expander, comprising respective machines, comprising an internal combustion engine having an inlet manifold, and at least one machine connected to the inlet manifold, wherein the at least one machine comprises:

• a casing having a circular cylindrical internal surface delimiting an operating chamber;
• a rotor in the operating chamber, the rotor being mounted so as to orbit about a chamber axis which is the axis of the internal surface, the rotor having a circular cylindrical external surface, the chamber axis passing through the rotor, a generatrix of the external surface being adjacent to the internal surface, and a diametrically opposite generatrix being spaced from the internal surface;
• a vane member mounted on the casing and being pivotable about a pivot axis parallel to the chamber axis, the vane member being accommodated in a fluid inlet/outlet aperture in the casing, the vane member having a passageway communicating between the exterior of the casing and the operating chamber, the vane member having an arcuate end face which is coaxial with said pivot axis and which has a length substantially equal to that of the rotor, the vane member having lateral faces extending from the respective lateral ends of the arcuate face towards said pivot axis, and the vane member having an arcuate tip face adjacent the rotor, said faces being sealing faces with respect to corresponding surfaces of the casing aperture and the rotor;
• and
• a linkage which connects the vane member to the rotor so as to keep the tip face of the vane member in sealing contact with the external surface of the rotor, the linkage being connected to the vane member by an articulation having an articulation axis such that a plane containing the articulation axis and the axis of the external surface passes through the region of sealing contact;
• wherein the rotor comprises a rotating inner part and a non-rotating outer part;
• wherein said non-rotating outer part has a shallow arcuate recess which receives the arcuate tip face of the vane member;
• wherein the linkage comprises an appendage connected to said non-rotating outer part at a location between the vane member pivot axis and said arcuate recess and connected to the vane member by said articulation;
• and
• wherein said passageway traverses the vane member between the arcuate tip face and the pivot axis of the vane member, and wherein at least two said machines are connected to the inlet manifold;
• the casings of the two machines being fixed end-to-end and having a common axis, and the rotor of the two machines being operatively connected to orbit in synchronism.

An engine system comprising an internal combustion engine having an inlet manifold, and at least one machine connected to the inlet manifold, wherein the at least one machine comprises:

• a casing having a circular cylindrical internal surface delimiting an operating chamber;
• a rotor in the operating chamber, the rotor being mounted so as to orbit about a chamber axis which is the axis of the internal surface, the rotor having a circular cylindrical external surface, the chamber axis passing through the rotor, a generatrix of the external surface being adjacent to the internal surface, and a diametrically opposite generatrix being spaced from the internal surface;
• a vane member mounted on the casing and being pivotable about a pivot axis parallel to the chamber axis, the vane member being accommodated in a fluid inlet/outlet aperture in the casing, the vane member having a passageway communicating between the exterior of the casing and the operating chamber, the vane member having an arcuate end face which is coaxial with said pivot axis and which has a length substantially equal to that of the rotor, the vane member having lateral faces extending from the respective lateral ends of the arcuate face towards said pivot axis, and the vane member having an arcuate tip face adjacent the rotor, said faces being sealing faces with respect to corresponding surfaces of the casing aperture and the rotor;
• and
• a linkage which connects the vane member to the rotor so as to keep the tip face of the vane member in sealing contact with the external surface of the rotor, the linkage being connected to the vane member by an articulation having an articulation axis such that a plane containing the articulation axis and the axis of the external surface passes through the region of sealing contact;
• wherein the rotor comprises a rotating inner part and a non-rotating outer part;
• wherein said non-rotating outer part has a shallow arcuate recess which receives the arcuate tip face of the vane member;
• wherein the linkage comprises an appendage connected to said non-rotating outer part at a location between the vane member pivot axis and said arcuate recess and connected to the vane member by said articulation;
• and
• wherein said passageway traverses the vane member between the arcuate tip face and the pivot axis of the vane member.

An engine system comprising an internal combustion engine having an inlet manifold, and at least one machine connected to the inlet manifold, and also comprising an exhaust turbine, with the exhaust turbine constituted by a machine comprising:

• a casing having a circular cylindrical internal surface delimiting an operating chamber;
• a rotor in the operating chamber, the rotor being mounted so as to orbit about a chamber axis which is the axis of the internal surface, the rotor having a circular cylindrical external surface, the chamber axis passing through the rotor, a generatrix of the external surface being adjacent to the internal surface, and a diametrically opposite generatrix being spaced from the internal surface;
• a vane member mounted on the casing and being pivotable about a pivot axis parallel to the chamber axis, the vane member being accommodated in a fluid inlet/outlet aperture in the casing, the vane member having a passageway communicating between the exterior of the casing and the operating chamber, the vane member having an arcuate end face which is coaxial with said pivot axis and which has a length substantially equal to that of the rotor, the vane member having lateral faces extending from the respective lateral ends of the arcuate face towards said pivot axis, and the vane member having an arcuate tip face adjacent the rotor, said faces being sealing faces with respect to corresponding surfaces of the casing aperture and the rotor;
• and
• a linkage which connects the vane member to the rotor so as to keep the tip face of the vane member in sealing contact with the external surface of the rotor, the linkage being connected to the vane member by an articulation having an articulation axis such that a plane containing the articulation axis and the axis of the external surface passes through the region of sealing contact;
• wherein the rotor comprises a rotating inner part and a non-rotating outer part;
• wherein said non-rotating outer part has a shallow arcuate recess which receives the arcuate tip face of the vane member;
• wherein the linkage comprises an appendage connected to said non-rotating outer part at a location between the vane member pivot axis and said arcuate recess and connected to the vane member by said articulation;
• and
• wherein said passageway traverses the vane member between the arcuate tip face and the pivot axis of the vane member.

A heat pump including a compressor and an expander, at least one of the compressor and expander being constituted by a machine comprising:

• a casing having a circular cylindrical internal surface delimiting an operating chamber;
• a rotor in the operating chamber, the rotor being mounted so as to orbit about a chamber axis which is the axis of the internal surface, the rotor having a circular cylindrical external surface, the chamber axis passing through the rotor, a generatrix of the external surface being adjacent to the internal surface, and a diametrically opposite generatrix being spaced from the internal surface;
• a vane member mounted on the casing and being pivotable about a pivot axis parallel to the chamber axis, the vane member being accommodated in a fluid inlet/outlet aperture in the casing, the vane member having a passageway communicating between the exterior of the casing and the operating chamber, the vane member having an arcuate end face which is coaxial with said pivot axis and which has a length substantially equal to that of the rotor, the vane member having lateral faces extending from the respective lateral ends of the arcuate face towards said pivot axis, and the vane member having an arcuate tip face adjacent the rotor, said faces being sealing faces with respect to corresponding surfaces of the casing aperture and the rotor;
• and
• a linkage which connects the vane member to the rotor so as to keep the tip face of the vane member in sealing contact with the external surface of the rotor, the linkage being connected to the vane member by an articulation having an articulation axis such that a plane containing the articulation axis and the axis of the external surface passes through the region of sealing contact;
• wherein the rotor comprises a rotating inner part and a non-rotating outer part;
• wherein said non-rotating outer part has a shallow arcuate recess which receives the arcuate tip face of the vane member;
• wherein the linkage comprises an appendage connected to said non-rotating outer part at a location between the vane member pivot axis and said arcuate recess and connected to the vane member by said articulation;
• and
• wherein said passageway traverses the vane member between the arcuate tip face and the pivot axis of the vane member.