Abstract:
Several examples of a pressure balancing system for a pump. In one example, the pressure balancing system comprises: a housing; a first rotor within the housing having a first axis of rotation, a first shaft, a first face surface; a second rotor having an axis of rotation, a second face surface adjacent the first face surface of the first rotor; the face of the first rotor, the face of the second rotor, and an inner surface of the housing forming at least one working fluid chamber; an annular ring fitted around a shaft, adjacent a first pressure chamber having a fluid connection through the housing; the annular ring configured to bias the first rotor toward the second rotor when fluid is supplied under pressure to the first pressure chamber; a fluid conduit is configured to convey fluid to a pressure chamber between the housing and the annular ring to bias the annular ring against a radial extension of the first shaft thus biasing the first rotor toward the second rotor.
Abstract:
Disclosed herein is a constant velocity coupling of a new design and manufacture comprising an input shaft having a first wave surface thereupon, wherein the first wave surface comprises mounds and valleys. The constant velocity coupling additionally comprises an output shaft having a second wave surface thereupon, wherein the second wave surface comprises mounds and valleys. The constant velocity coupling additionally comprises a housing substantially enclosing the first wave surface and second wave surface, wherein rotational force exerted upon the input shaft is translated through the lobes of the first wave surface to the lobes of the second wave surface and to the output shaft in turn, and wherein the first wave surface and second wave surface transmit rotational force therebetween through any range of angles to a maximum output angle between a rotational axis of the input shaft relative to a rotational axis of the output axis.
Abstract:
The disclosed finger seals are designed to be operational under rotational velocity or a stationary condition. The contact surface of the finger seals is inclined in an axial direction. This incline causes a convergent leakage path between the finger foot surface and the bore. Therefore, the leakage flow passing through this gap exerts hydrodynamic lift on the finger and lifts the finger from the bore surface at design pressure. Since the slope is in the axial direction, the rotational velocity of the bore does not affect the hydrodynamic lift and the finger seals can operate at any rotational speed, unlike prior finger seal where the hydrodynamic lift is generated by rotational velocity. Each finger seal is pressure balanced. The pressure chambers on the two sides of each finger seal are connected through the finger cutouts. The finger seal design is such that the fingers lift and move away from the bore surface in radial direction. Therefore, the angle between the finger seal foot and the bore is constant at any lifted distance. In each seal stack up, in one form, each finger seal is designed with the specific required length to allow sufficient surface area for the hydrodynamic force such that the finger seals would be lifted from the bore surface at the design pressure.
Abstract:
Provided herein are multiple variations, applications, and variations for producing electrical power from a flowing fluid such as a gas or liquid under pressure, for example natural gas flowing through a pipeline, by means of one or more positive displacement devices that drive one or more electrical generators. The electrical generators may be immersed in the flow stream together with the positive displacement devices as disclosed, or alternately may be isolated from the flow stream, such as by magnetic coupling, in order to promote longevity and to decrease the risk of accidental discharge or explosion of the fluid in the flow stream. To further decrease such risks, the positive displacement devices may isolate the drive fluid from the environment without the use of dynamic seals.
Abstract:
A method of controlling operation of a pressure gain combustor comprises: determining a fuel injector duty cycle and a combustion frequency that meets a target load set point and a target fill fraction of the combustor; determining a fuel supply pressure setting, a fuel injector timing setting and an ignition timing setting that achieves the determined fuel injector duty cycle and combustion frequency; and sending a fuel supply pressure control signal with the fuel supply pressure setting to a fuel pressurizing means of the combustor, a fuel injector control signal with the fuel injector timing setting to a fuel injector of the combustor, and an ignition timing control signal with the ignition timing setting to an ignition assembly of the combustor.
Abstract:
Disclosed herein is a valveless multitube pulse detonation engine including: a plurality of detonation tubes, wherein each detonation tube comprises an independent discharge outlet, and the plurality of detonation tubes interconnected at a common air/fuel mixture intake port. In the disclosed engine, an air and fuel mixture is detonated in the detonation tubes simultaneously, and the common air/fuel mixture intake port minimizes back-pressure caused by detonating the air/fuel mixture by directing multiple reverse shock waves into one another and effectively using the back-pressures as reacting surfaces for one another and effectively reducing the effect of back flowing shock waves moving towards upstream. The detonation tubes may be non-linear, and may have independent discharges. The independent discharges may be coupled to an adapter nozzle terminating in a combined exhaust outlet.
Abstract:
An indexing system for a rotor assembly where the indexing system can regulate the rotational location of drive rotors that are configured to rotate about a shaft in one form.
Abstract:
A positive displacement device that converts energy, namely positive displacement compressors that rotate in a single rotational direction to displace working fluid contained in operating chambers. The device described herein is particularity advantageous for the ability to achieve high compression ratios in combination with high discharge pressure and high volumetric throughput in a single stage.
Abstract:
This disclosure concerns an advanced nutating positive displacement device having a high power to mass ratio and low production cost. This device in one example forms an exemplary pump as will be discussed in detail. The examples disclosed herein are of the rotary positive displacement type, but in a class by themselves. The devices are formed by a nutating rotor having a face comprising lobes and valleys, and a fixed stator also having a face with lobes and valleys. The face of the rotor opposes and cooperates with the face of the stator. The opposing faces define chambers that change volume with rotation of the rotor.
Abstract:
A pressure gain combustor comprises a detonation chamber, a pre-combustion chamber, an oxidant swirl generator, an expansion-deflection (E-D) nozzle, and an ignition source. The detonation chamber has an upstream intake end and a downstream discharge end, and is configured to allow a supersonic combustion event to propagate therethrough. The pre-combustion chamber has a downstream end in fluid communication with the detonation chamber intake end, an upstream end in communication with a fuel delivery pathway, and a circumferential perimeter between the upstream and downstream ends with an annular opening in communication with an annular oxidant delivery pathway. The oxidant swirl generator is located in the oxidant delivery pathway and comprises vanes configured to cause oxidant flowing past the vanes to flow tangentially into the pre-combustion chamber thereby creating a high swirl velocity zone around the annular opening and a low swirl velocity zone in a central portion of the pre-combustion chamber. The E-D nozzle is positioned in between the pre-combustion chamber and detonation chamber and provides a diffusive fluid pathway therebetween. The ignition source is in communication with the low swirl velocity zone of the pre-combustion chamber. This configuration is expected to provide a combustor with a relatively low total run- up DDT distance and time, thereby enabling high operating frequencies and corresponding high combustor performance.