Jet Pump

• US 20080310970A1
• Filed: 07/29/2005
• Published: 12/18/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pursuit Marine Drive Limited (Cellulac Limited)
• Original Assignee: Pursuit Dynamics plc (Gaming Realms, PLC)
• Inventors: Fenton, Marcus Brian Mayhall, Wallis, Alexander Guy
• Granted Patent: US 8,419,378 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 417/198
• CPC Class Codes: F04F 5/14 the inducing fluid being elastic fluid
• CPC Class Codes: F04F 5/465 with supersonic flow mixing of supersonic fluids B01F25/20

Abstract

A fluid mover (1) includes a hollow body (2) provided with a straight-through passage (3) of substantially constant cross section with an inlet end (4) an outlet end (5) for the entry and discharge respectively of a working fluid. A nozzle (16) substantially circumscribes and opens into the passage (3) intermediate the inlet (4) and outlet (5) ends. An inlet (10) communicates with the nozzle (16) for the introduction of a transport fluid and a mixing chamber (3A) is formed within the passage (3) downstream of the nozzle (16). The nozzle internal geometry and the bore profile immediately upstream of the nozzle exit are disposed and configured to optimise the energy transfer between the transport fluid and working fluid. In use, through the introduction of transport fluid, the working fluid or fluids are atomised to form a dispersed vapour/droplet flow regime with locally supersonic flow conditions within a pseudo-vena contracta, resulting in the creation of a supersonic condensation shock wave (17) within the downstream mixing chamber (3A) by the condensation of the transport fluid. Methods of moving and processing fluids using the fluid mover are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A fluid mover comprising:

a hollow body provided with a straight-through passage of substantially constant cross section with an inlet at one end of the passage and an outlet at the other end of the passage for the entry and discharge respectively of a working fluid;

a nozzle substantially circumscribing and opening into said passage intermediate the inlet and outlet ends thereof;

an inlet communicating with the nozzle for the introduction of a transport fluid; and

a mixing chamber being formed within the passage downstream of the nozzle;

wherein the nozzle internal geometry and the bore profile of the passage immediately upstream of the nozzle exit are so disposed and configured to optimise the energy transfer between the transport fluid and working fluid that in use through the introduction of transport fluid the working fluid or fluids are atomised to form a dispersed vapour/droplet flow regime with locally supersonic flow conditions within a pseudo-vena contracta, resulting in the creation of a supersonic condensation shock wave within the downstream mixing chamber by the condensation of the transport fluid.

2. The fluid mover according to claim 1, wherein the passage is a substantially circular passage and the nozzle is an annular nozzle substantially circumscribing the passage.

3. The fluid mover according to claim 1, wherein the nozzle is of a convergent-divergent geometry internally thereof.

5. The fluid mover according to claim 1, wherein the bore profile of the passage immediately upstream of the nozzle is configured to encourage working fluid atomisation.

6. The fluid mover according to claim 1 and comprising:

a plurality of nozzles substantially circumscribing and opening into said passage intermediate the inlet and outlet ends thereof;

a plurality of inlets, each inlet communicating with a respective nozzle for the introduction of a transport fluid; and

a plurality of mixing chambers, each mixing chamber being formed within the passage downstream of a respective nozzle.

4. The fluid mover according to claim 4, wherein the nozzle is configured to give the supersonic flow of transport fluid within the passage.

7. A method of moving a working fluid, the method comprising the steps of:

presenting a fluid mover to the working fluid, the mover having a straight-through passage of substantially constant cross section;

applying a substantially circumscribing stream of a transport fluid to the passage through an annular nozzle;

atomising the working fluid to form a dispersed vapour and droplet flow regime with locally supersonic flow conditions;

generating a supersonic condensation shock wave within the passage downstream of the nozzle by condensation of the transport fluid;

inducing flow of the working fluid through the passage from an inlet to an outlet thereof; and

modulating the condensation shock wave to vary the working fluid discharge from the outlet.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the modulating step includes modulating the intensity of the condensation shock wave.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the modulating step includes modulating the position of the condensation shock wave.

10. The method of claim 7, further comprising the step of introducing an instability in working fluid flow immediately upstream of the nozzle.

12. The method according to claim 7, wherein the transport fluid is steam.

11. A method of processing a working fluid, the method comprising the steps of:

presenting a fluid mover to the working fluid, the fluid mover having a straight-through passage of substantially constant cross section;

applying a substantially circumscribing stream of a transport fluid to the passage through an annular nozzle;

atomising the working fluid to form a dispersed vapour and droplet flow regime with locally supersonic flow conditions;

generating a supersonic condensation shock wave within the passage downstream of the nozzle by condensation of the transport fluid, the position of the condensation shock wave remaining substantially constant under equilibrium flow;

inducing flow of the working fluid through the passage from an inlet to an outlet thereof; and

changing the position of the condensation shock wave to vary the working fluid discharge from the outlet.