Fluid displacement apparatus and method
First Claim
Patent Images
1. An engine comprising:
- a housing having an interior space;
a revolving structure positionable in said interior space for a circuitous, revolving movement; and
a plurality of articulated displacement members positionable in said interior space and defining in said interior space a plurality of displacement zones, each said displacement zone having a flow opening through which said fluid alternately both enters and exits said displacement zone in a bi-directional flow cycle,wherein each of said articulated displacement members has a proximal end portion pivotably mountable on said revolving structure and a distal end portion pivotably securable in said housing at a substantially fixed position,wherein each of said displacement zones has a maximum volume and a minimum volume and said articulated displacement members are operable for cycling said displacement zones to and from said maximum and minimum volumes, andwherein each of said displacement zones is a closed fluid system, and each of said displacement zones is hydraulically isolated from each other displacement zone.
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Abstract
The present invention relates generally to fluid displacement apparatuses and methods. The inventive apparatus comprises: a housing having an interior space; a crankpin positionable in the interior space; and a plurality of articulated displacement members positionable in the interior space such that the articulated displacement members extend from the crankpin and define in the interior space a plurality of displacement zones. The inventive apparatus can be embodied as a pump, a compressor, a fluid flow meter, a stirling-type engine, a relay system, an actuator, and many other devices.
50 Citations
26 Claims
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1. An engine comprising:
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a housing having an interior space; a revolving structure positionable in said interior space for a circuitous, revolving movement; and a plurality of articulated displacement members positionable in said interior space and defining in said interior space a plurality of displacement zones, each said displacement zone having a flow opening through which said fluid alternately both enters and exits said displacement zone in a bi-directional flow cycle, wherein each of said articulated displacement members has a proximal end portion pivotably mountable on said revolving structure and a distal end portion pivotably securable in said housing at a substantially fixed position, wherein each of said displacement zones has a maximum volume and a minimum volume and said articulated displacement members are operable for cycling said displacement zones to and from said maximum and minimum volumes, and wherein each of said displacement zones is a closed fluid system, and each of said displacement zones is hydraulically isolated from each other displacement zone. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. An apparatus for fluid displacement comprising:
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a housing having an interior space; a revolving structure positionable in said interior space for a circuitous, revolving movement; a plurality of articulated displacement members positionable in said interior space and defining in said interior space a plurality of displacement zones, each said displacement zone having a flow opening through which said fluid alternately both enters and exits said displacement zone in a bi-directional flow cycle, wherein each of said articulated displacement members has a proximal end portion pivotably mountable on said revolving structure and a distal end portion pivotably securable in said housing at a substantially fixed position, wherein each of said displacement zones has a maximum volume and a minimum volume and said articulated displacement members are operable for cycling said displacement zones to and from said maximum and minimum volumes; a plurality of piston chambers; and
,a plurality of pistons, each of said piston chambers having one of said pistons reciprocatably positionable therein and wherein each of said pistons divides said chamber into two parts and each of said displacement zones is in fluid communication with one said part of a separate one of said piston chambers. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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26. An apparatus for fluid displacement comprising:
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a housing having an interior space; a revolving structure positionable in said interior space for a circuitous, revolving movement; and a plurality of articulated displacement members positionable in said interior space and defining in said interior space a plurality of displacement zones, each said displacement zone having a flow opening through which said fluid alternately both enters and exits said displacement zone in a bi-directional flow cycle, wherein each of said articulated displacement members has a proximal end portion pivotably mountable on said revolving structure and a distal end portion pivotably securable in said housing at a substantially fixed position, wherein each of said displacement zones has a maximum volume and a minimum volume and said articulated displacement members are operable for cycling said displacement zones to and from said maximum and minimum volumes, and, wherein each of said displacement zones is a closed fluid system, and each of said displacement zones is hydraulically isolated from each other displacement zone, a proximal pivot point of said articulated displacement members, said proximal pivot point having a center; and
,a first mounting post secured to said housing, said first mounting post being for the mounting of a corresponding distal end portion of a first articulated displacement member thereon, said first mounting post having a center; a second mounting post secured to said housing, said second mounting post being for the mounting of a corresponding distal end portion of a second articulated displacement member thereon, said second mounting post having a center, said second mounting post being adjacent to said first mounting post; wherein each of said proximal end portions has a fixed length and each of said distal end portions has a fixed length; wherein said revolving structure has a center; wherein said lengths of said proximal and distal end portions are selected to produce at least one particular displacement zone having a cross sectional area and a predetermined duty cycle determined according to the following equation;
space="preserve" listing-type="equation">A=A.sub.1 +A.sub.2 -A.sub.3where, A is said cross sectional area of said particular displacement zone, A1 is a first triangular area, A2 is a second triangular area, and A3 is a third triangular area; where A1 has three sides of length D1, D2, and D3, respectively and where said A1 side of length D1 and said side of length D2 intersect at said center of said proximal pivot point; where A2 has three sides of length L1, L2, and D2, respectively, and wherein said A2 side of length D2 is a common side with said A1 side of length D2 ; where A3 has three sides of length L3, L4, and D1, respectively, and wherein said A3 side of length D1 is a common side with said A1 side of length D1 ; where said length of said proximal end portion is L3 ; where said length of said distal end portion is L4 ; where, D1 is a distance from said center of said proximal pivot point to said center of said first post; where D2 is a distance from said center of said proximal pivot point to said center of said second post; where D3 is a distance from said center of said first mounting post to said center of said second mounting post; where, ##EQU4## where, S1, S2, and S3, are one-half of a perimeter of said first, second, and third triangular areas respectively,
space="preserve" listing-type="equation">S.sub.1 =(D.sub.1 +D.sub.2 +D.sub.3)/2,
space="preserve" listing-type="equation">S.sub.2 =(L.sub.1 +L.sub.2 +D.sub.2)/2,
space="preserve" listing-type="equation">S.sub.3 =(L.sub.3 +L.sub.4 +D.sub.1)/2;where,
space="preserve" listing-type="equation">Y.sub.CA =SIN ((180-PA)/2)·
R.sub.C ;where Rc is a distance between said revolving structure center and said center of said first mounting post; and
,where PA is an angle between said center of said first post and said center of said second post as measured from said center of said revolving structure.
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Specification