Internal-combustion engines – Rotary – With compression volume means in uninterrupted communication...
Patent
1991-11-26
1993-10-12
Bertsch, Richard A.
Internal-combustion engines
Rotary
With compression volume means in uninterrupted communication...
123234, 123241, 417 68, F02B 5300, F04B 3700
Patent
active
052515931
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to liquid ring machines, and is concerned more particularly with a liquid ring thermodynamic machine capable of producing work in response to input of heat, as in an engine, or requiring input of work to produce cooling, as in a refrigerator.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Liquid ring machines are known per se, and conventionally comprise a vaned rotor which is rotatable within a cylindrical drum with the ends of the vanes being maintained in contact with a liquid ring during such rotation. The liquid ring forms a closed chamber with each pair of adjacent vanes on the rotor, and the volume of this chamber varies in dependence on the angular orientation of the rotor due to the fact that the axis of rotation of the rotor is offset from the central axis of the drum. It will be appreciated that such a machine may be used either to compress a working fluid or to provide controlled expansion of the fluid depending on the angular positions at which the fluid depending on the angular positions at which the fluid is introduced into, and discharged from, each chamber.
The functioning of such a liquid ring machine is well known in the art. However, the application of such machines is limited by the fact that they are generally of relatively low efficiency compared with other types of machine, the best efficiency of a typical machine generally being no more than about 50%.
A significant factor affecting the efficiency of such machines is the severe mechanical losses which arise due to the drag on the rotating liquid ring exerted by the adjacent walls of the outer drum. WO 89/12168, published 14 Dec. 1989, discloses a liquid ring compressor in which the drum is rotatable with the liquid ring to reduce the drag on the liquid ring.
It is an object of the invention to provide a liquid ring thermodynamic machine of increased efficiency.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to the present invention there is provided a liquid ring machine having at least one liquid ring assembly comprising a drum having a cylindrical wall surrounding a central axis, a vaned rotor rotatable within the drum about an axis which is parallel to, but offset from, the central axis of the drum, and a liquid disposed within the drum such that, when the rotor rotates at a sufficient speed, the liquid forms a rotating ring adjacent the cylindrical wall of the drum and the ends of the vanes on the rotor are maintained in contact with the liquid during such rotation so that a series of chambers is formed between the vanes of the rotor, the chambers being bounded at the outer periphery by the liquid ring and varying in volume in dependence on the angular orientation of the rotor in view of the offset between the axis of rotation of the rotor and the central axis of the drum, and inlet and outlet means by means of which a working fluid is introduced into, and discharged from, each of the chambers at appropriate angular positions of the rotor, wherein at least the cylindrical wall of the drum is freely rotatable about the central axis to enable the cylindrical wall to be rotated by the liquid ring, characterised in that the liquid ring machine is a thermodynamic machine which comprises a liquid ring compression part having an inlet for fluid and an outlet for compressed fluid, and a liquid ring expansion part having an inlet for fluid and an outlet for expanded fluid, the liquid ring compression part and the liquid ring expansion part being formed by respective portions of said liquid ring assembly or by respective said liquid ring assemblies.
Such a thermodynamic machine has low friction losses and therefore high efficiency. Where the machine is an engine, it will have a large power output in relation to its size and weight, so that such an engine can be used with advantage in a number of applications, such as in microlight aircraft, where high power output in relation to weight is required.
Since the cylindrical wall of the drum can rotate at a speed practically matching the speed of rotation of the liquid r
REFERENCES:
patent: 1094919 (1914-04-01), Nash
patent: 1174439 (1916-03-01), Pelley
patent: 1302138 (1919-04-01), Cooper
patent: 1603613 (1926-10-01), Lee
patent: 1668532 (1928-05-01), Stewart
patent: 1919252 (1933-07-01), Paget
patent: 2231912 (1941-02-01), Holzwarth
patent: 3108738 (1963-10-01), Luhmann
patent: 3240017 (1966-03-01), Boissevain et al.
Bertsch Richard A.
McAndrews, Jr. Roland G.
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