Turbine motor of a rotary atomizer

• US 7,322,793 B2
• Filed: 07/22/2003
• Issued: 01/29/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/22/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Durr Systems Incorporated (Durr AG)
• Original Assignee: Behr America Incorporated (MAHLE-STIFTUNG GmbH)
• Inventors: Baumann, Michael, Nolte, Hans J., Giuliano, Stefano, Lind, Bjo, Herre, Frank, Krumma, Harry
• Primary Examiner(s): Look; Edward K.
• Assistant Examiner(s): HANAN, DEVIN J
• Application Number:
  US10/624,173
• Publication Number:
  US 20040164190A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,652 Days
• Field of Search: 415/202, 415/203, 416/185, 416/186.R
• US Class Current: 415/202
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 3/1035 Driving means; Parts thereof, e.g. turbine, shaft, bearings
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 5/0415 Driving means; Parts thereof, e.g. turbine, shaft, bearings
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 1/22 traversed by the working-fluid substantially radially
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 15/00 Adaptations of machines or engines for special use; Combinations of engines with devices driven thereby
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 15/065 with pressure-velocity transformation exclusively in rotor
• CPC Class Codes: F02C 1/00 Gas-turbine plants characterised by the use of hot gases or unheated pressurised gases, as the working fluid by the use of combustion products F02C3/00, F02C5/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 50/60 Efficient propulsion technologies, e.g. for aircraft

Abstract

A turbine, e.g., with a blade arrangement, which receives an air flow in the radial direction and which is located on a carrier surface of the turbine wheel, is used as a drive motor for a rotary atomizer. The drive channel, which contains the turbine blades and which is limited by the carrier surface, is also closed on its other side by a cover element, which is attached to the turbine wheel and which rotates with the wheel for increasing efficiency. For an additional increase in efficiency, the inlet for the drive air of the turbine is configured as an ultrasonic nozzle with a cross section that expands continuously up to the opening.

Claims

1. A gas turbine motor for use as a drive for a bell-shaped plate of a rotary atomizer comprising:

a housing with an outlet;

a drive shaft of said motor having a bearing unit;

a turbine wheel drivably mounted upon said drive shaft rotatably disposed within a drive channel of said housing and having a plurality of blade elements secured to and extending from a carrier surface;

a gas inlet aligned with said blade elements receiving a driving gas under pressure through said housing and into driving contact with said blade elements of said turbine wheel; and

a substantially flat shielding element fixed to the free ends of said blade elements opposed to said carrier surface and without contacting the carrier surface, thereby limiting said drive channel.

2. A turbine motor according to claim 1, wherein said turbine wheel is formed by two disk elements comprising said carrier surface and said shielding element lying in an opposed relationship in an axial direction and being limited by said drive channel.

3. A turbine motor according to claim 1, wherein said shielding element comprises a disk operably connected to one of said drive shaft and said turbine wheel thereby rotating with said turbine wheel.

4. A turbine motor according to claim 1, wherein said shielding element is welded to said turbine blades.

5. A turbine motor according to claim 1, wherein said shielding element defines at least one outlet for said driving gas.

6. A turbine motor according to claim 5, wherein said opening defined by said shielding element includes a cross-sectional area greater than a smallest cross-sectional area of said inlet.

7. A turbine motor according to claim 6, wherein said inlet is configured as a Laval nozzle having a cross-section expanding after narrowing adjacent said opening leading into the drive channel.

8. A turbine motor according to claim 1, wherein said inlet for driving gas is positioned in said housing spaced from said drive shaft in a radial direction.