Aerodynamic pressure-wave machine

• US 3,879,937 A
• Filed: 09/04/1973
• Issued: 04/29/1975
• Est. Priority Date: 10/25/1972
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Ernst Jenny
• Original Assignee: Ernst Jenny
• Inventors: Jenny, Ernst
• Primary Examiner(s): Husar, C. J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ross, Thomas I.
• Application Number:
  US05/393,818
• Time in Patent Office: 602 Days
• Field of Search: 60/39.45 417/64
• US Class Current: 60/39.45
• CPC Class Codes: F02C 3/02 using exhaust-gas pressure in a pressure exchanger to compress combustion-air pressure exchangers per se F04F13/00
• CPC Class Codes: F02C 3/14 characterised by the arrangement of the combustion chamber in the plant combustion chambers per se F23R; F02C3/205 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F04F 13/00 Pressure exchangers

Abstract

An aerodynamic pressure wave machine for effecting an exchange of energy between two gases, a hot gas being expanded from a higher to a lower pressure level and a cold gas being compressed from a lower pressure to a higher pressure, by means of a celled rotor, wherein the rotor cells are inclined with respect to the axis such that opposite ends of the cells lie on different diameters, the hot gas entering and also leaving at the end of the rotor having the greater cell diameter and the cold gas entering and also leaving at the end of the rotor having the smaller cell diameter. This structural arrangement of the rotor cells is particularly advantageous in a case where the pressure of the compressed cold gas and the hot gas to be expanded differ only slightly in the high-pressure zone, whereas the pressure of the expanding hot gas in the low-pressure zone is substantially higher than the pressure of the cold gas to be compressed. If desired, the radial height of the cells can be varied between one end of the rotor and the other, and the variation in height can be designed in such manner that the cell cross-section area remains constant over the length of the cells.

Claims

1. In an aerodynamic pressure-wave machine having a rotor provided with cells extending from one end thereof to the other, the respective ends of the rotor being located between two stationary side portions of the machine, and wherein one of said side portions incorporates inlet and exhaust ports for hot gas to be expanded and the other side portion incorporates inlet and exhaust ports for cold gas to be compressed, the improvement wherein particularly for operation of the machine under conditions where the pressure of the compressed cold gas and the hot gas to be expanded differ but little in the high-pressure zone whereas the pressure of the expanded hot gas in the lowpressure zone is substantially higher than the pressure of the cold gas to be compressed, the cells of said rotor are inclined with respect to the rotor axis such that opposite ends of the cells lie on different diameters, the hot gas entering and also leaving at the end of the rotor having the greater cell diameter and the cold gas entering and also leaving at the end of the rotor having the smaller cell diameter.

2. An aerodynamic pressure-wave machine as defined in claim 1 wherein the radial height of the rotor cells from the inner to the outer boundary walls thereof varies between one end of the rotor and the other.

3. An aerodynamic pressure-wave machine as defined in claim 2 wherein the radial cell height decreases with increasing cell diameter in such manner that the cell cross-section area remains constant over the length of the cells.