Rotary kinetic fluid motors or pumps – Smooth runner surface for working fluid frictional contact
Patent
1991-11-01
1994-03-29
Look, Edward K.
Rotary kinetic fluid motors or pumps
Smooth runner surface for working fluid frictional contact
415 532, 4151981, 415206, 416198R, 416204R, 416223B, F01D 136
Patent
active
052979261
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a flow generating apparatus such as an air blower or pump for supplying fluid and also relates to a method of manufacturing the apparatus.
There is known a disc type flow generating apparatus in which a plurality of annular flow generating plates are arranged in directions perpendicular to a rotational axis thereof and adapted to be rotated about the rotational axis, and in which fluid is fed due to a frictional force caused between surfaces of these flow generating plates and the fluid, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. 58-17359 (17359/1983), for example.
The flow generating apparatus of this known type has a simple structure, thus being advantageous in its manufacturing cost, but involves a problem of inadequate performance with respect to the flow rate.
An induction motor has been usually utilized for driving a flow generating apparatus. Since the maximum rotational speed of the induction motor is generally determined on the basis of the power source frequency, a maximum value of the rotational speed of the flow generating apparatus is limited. Such limitation of the rotational speed also depends upon the durability of the shaft bearings used, for example. Such limitation of the maximum rotational speed necessitates an improvement of a space efficiency of the flow generating apparatus, i.e. increasing the flow rate with the same size of the apparatus, instead of increasing the rotational speed in a case where a greater flow rate is needed.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to increase the performance of such flow generating apparatus to an extreme limit. Another object of the present invention is to provide a method of manufacturing a flow generating apparatus having such increased performance.
The flow generating apparatus according to the present invention is characterized by comprising a plurality of flow generating plates arranged with clearances therebetween perpendicularly to a rotational axis thereof, and means for rotating the flow generating plates about the rotational axis, wherein each of the flow generating plates is provided with a surface for moving a fluid only by an adhesion phenomenon between the surface and the fluid in contact with the surface, the surface extends radially of the flow generating plate to an outer peripheral edge thereof from which the fluid moved by the adhesion phenomenon along the surface is finally separated, and the clearances between adjacent flow generating plates are set to be twice an intermediate value of a distance between a surface of the flow generating plate contacting a close fluid boundary layer which has a strong adhesion to said surface and hence is moved substantially together with the flow generating plate and a remote fluid boundary layer which has a weak adhesion to said surface so as not to be subjected to an effect of centrifugal force due to the rotation of the flow generating plate, whereby, the centrifugal force is most effectively exerted on the fluid.
Further, according to the present invention, there is provided a method of manufacturing a flow generating apparatus provided with a plurality of flow generating plates arranged with clearances therebetween perpendicularly to a rotational axis thereof, and means for rotating the flow generating plates about the rotational axis, the method being characterized in that the flow generating plates are assembled such that a distance is determined from a surface of the flow generating plate to a boundary layer of a fluid which has a weak adhesion to the plates and is substantially not influenced by centrifugal force caused by the rotation of the flow generating plate, and each of said clearances between adjacent two flow generating plates is set to be twice an intermediate value of the aforementioned distance from the surface of the flow generating plate to the fluid boundary layer.
According to the flow generating apparatus, when the flow generating plate is driven and rotated, the close fluid
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Look Edward K.
Nissho Giken Kabushiki Kaisha
Verdier Christopher
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