Centrifugal gas compressor method and system

A method for compressing a gas and a liquid fed into radially inboard regions of a rotating container comprising:

• providing, in said container, a plurality of capillary passages fixed in the container which lead radially to radially outboard ends terminating in a substantially annular container space;
• ejecting a plurality of jets of liquid through a gap filled with gas, each liquid jet creating a gas-liquid emulsion which is delivered to a corresponding capillary passage, each said liquid jet being continuously radially aligned with a respective input port of each said capillary passage, said emulsion created by a venturi effect in said gap, the introduction of the gas-liquid emulsion into radially inboard ends of said plurality of capillary passages promotes capillary action on said liquid in said capillary passages;
• isothermally compressing gas bubbles captured in said capillary passages along the radial extent of said capillary passages by centrifugal force;
• collecting the output from said capillary passages in the annular container space which includes the compressed gas bubbles;
• and,
• drawing off said compressed gas from said annular container space.

A method for compressing gas in a liquid-gas mixture fed into a radially inboard region of a rotating container comprising:

• providing in the container a plurality of capillary passages fixed in the container which lead radially to radially outboard ends terminating in a substantially annular container space;
• ejecting a plurality of jets of said liquid-gas mixture through a gap filled with gas, each liquid-gas mixture jet creating a gas-liquid emulsion which is delivered to a corresponding capillary passage, each said liquid jet being continuously radially aligned with a respective input port of each said capillary passage, said emulsion created by a venturi effect in said gap, the introduction of the gas-liquid emulsion into radially inboard ends of said plurality of capillary passages promotes capillary action on said liquid in said capillary passages;
• compressing gas bubbles in said capillary passages by centrifugal force and forcing the resulting compressed gas bubbles and intermediate liquid into the annular container space;
• and,
• collecting compressed gas from the annular container space.

A method for compressing gas in a liquid-gas mixture fed into a radially inboard region of a rotating container comprising:

• providing in the container a plurality of capillary passages fixed in the container which lead radially to radially outboard ends terminating in a substantially annular container space;
• ejecting a plurality of jets of said liquid-gas mixture through a gap filled with gas, each liquid-gas mixture jet creating a gas-liquid emulsion which is delivered to a corresponding capillary passage, each said liquid jet being continuously radially aligned with a respective input port of each said capillary passage, said emulsion created by a venturi effect in said gap, the introduction of the gas-liquid emulsion into radially inboard ends of said plurality of capillary passages promotes capillary action on said gas-liquid emulsion liquid in said capillary passages;
• compressing gas bubbles in said capillary passages by centrifugal force by intermediate liquid between the gas bubbles which unidirectionally move to the annular container space;
• and,
• collecting compressed gas from the annular container space.

A centrifugal gas compressor fed with a gas and a liquid comprising:

• a rotating container rotated by a prime mover about an axis;
• said container having a radially inboard cavity and a plurality of capillary passages fixed in the container and having radially inboard ends open to said radially inboard cavity which lead radially to radially outboard ends terminating in a substantially annular container space;
• each capillary passage defined by a two-piece capillary channel forming a venturi jet of liquid through a gap filled with gas, each venturi jet creating a gas-liquid emulsion which is fed across the gap to a corresponding capillary channel of a respective capillary passage, said two-piece capillary channel being continuously radially aligned;
• emulsion subjected to capillary action as said emulsion passes through said plurality of capillary passages;
• the plurality of capillary passages sized such that gas bubbles in said emulsion are trapped between slugs of liquid in said capillary passages due to centrifugal force of the spinning container, said centrifugal force on the liquid slugs being greater than a buoyancy of said gas bubbles in said capillary passage thereby moving said gas bubbles and liquid slugs to said annular container space and causing said gas to compress in the capillary passages;
• a gas drain passage from said annular container space for drawing off compressed gas from the annular container space;
• and
• a liquid drain passage from said annular container space for drawing off liquid from the annular container space.

A method for compressing a gas entrained in a liquid comprising:

• providing a container rotatable about an axis with a plurality of capillary passages fixed in the container which lead radially to radially outboard ends terminating in a substantially annular container space;
• ejecting a plurality of jets of gas through a gap filled with liquid, each gas jet creating a gas-liquid emulsion which is delivered to a corresponding capillary passage, each said gas jet being continuously radially aligned with a respective input port of each said capillary passage, said emulsion created by a venturi effect in said gap, the introduction of the gas-liquid emulsion into radially inboard ends of said plurality of capillary passages promotes capillary action on said liquid in said capillary passages;
• rotating said container causing formation of gas bubbles in said capillary passages and compressing said gas bubbles towards the radially outboard ends of said capillary passages;
• collecting liquid and entrained compressed gas bubbles in said annular container space;
• and
• drawing off compressed gas released from bubbles buoyantly emerging from the gas-liquid mixture in said annular container space.

A centrifugal gas compressor fed with a gas and a liquid comprising:

• a rotating container rotated by a prime mover about an axis;
• said container having a radially inboard cavity and a plurality of capillary passages fixed in the container and having radially inboard ends open to said radially inboard cavity which lead radially to radially outboard ends terminating in a substantially annular container space;
• each capillary passage defined by a two-piece capillary channel forming a venturi jet of liquid through a gap filled with gas, each venturi jet creating a gas-liquid emulsion which is fed across the gap to a corresponding capillary channel of a respective capillary passage, said two-piece capillary channel being continuously radially aligned;
• emulsion subjected to capillary action as said emulsion passes through said plurality of capillary passages;
• the plurality of capillary passages sized such that gas bubbles in said emulsion are trapped between slugs of liquid in said capillary passages due to centrifugal force of the spinning container, said centrifugal force on the liquid slugs being greater than a buoyancy of said gas bubbles in said capillary passage thereby moving said gas bubbles and liquid slugs to said annular container space and causing said gas to compress in the capillary passages;
• a gas drain passage from said annular container space for drawing off compressed gas from the annular container space;
• and
• a liquid drain passage from said annular container space for drawing off liquid from the annular container space.