Liquid ring turbine and method of use

A liquid ring power system comprising:

• an enthalpy source configured to generate a compressed gas flow;
• a liquid ring turbine configured to receive the compressed gas flow, said liquid ring turbine comprising:
• a casing defining an interior chamber having an axis of symmetry;
• a shaft having a longitudinal axis substantially parallel to the axis of symmetry, said shaft eccentrically positioned with respect to the axis of symmetry;
• an impeller rotatably coupled to said shaft and configured to rotate in a first direction, said impeller comprising a plurality of vanes extending away from said shaft in a second direction at least partially opposite the first direction, said impeller configured to rotate in the first direction within a liquid ring enclosed within said casing such that a plurality of expansion chambers are defined, wherein each expansion chamber of said plurality of expansion chambers is defined between a pair of adjacent vanes of said plurality of vanes and the liquid ring;
• a gas inlet port in fluid communication with a first expansion chamber of said plurality of expansion chambers;
• a gas outlet port in fluid communication with a second expansion chamber
• wherein the second expansion chamber volume is greater than the first expansion chamber volume;
• and
• a load rotatably coupled to at least one of said shaft and said impeller of said liquid ring turbine.

A method for extracting energy from a compressed gas flow using a liquid ring turbine, said method comprising:

• providing a casing including an impeller configured to rotate in a first direction, the impeller including a plurality of vanes extending at least partially in a second direction opposite the first direction, the impeller positioned eccentrically in the casing and configured to rotate within a liquid ring so as to define a plurality of expansion chambers, wherein each expansion chamber of the plurality of expansion chambers is defined between a pair of adjacent vanes and the liquid ring;
• injecting a compressed gas flow into a first expansion chamber of the plurality of expansion chambers, the first expansion chamber defining a first volume, the compressed gas flow having a first temperature and a first pressure;
• impacting at least one vane of the plurality of vanes with the compressed gas flow so as to rotate the impeller;
• and
• expanding the first volume of the first expansion chamber to a second volume greater than the first volume as the impeller rotates, thereby generating an expanded gas flow.