Fluid flow machines

Claim 1

A FLUID FLOW MACHINE COMPRISING A CYLINDRICAL BLADED ROTOR MOUNTED FOR ROTATION ABOUT ITS AXIS IN A PREDETERMINED DIRECTION AND DEFINING AN INTEROIR SPACE, GUIDE MEANS DEFINING WITH THE ROTOR A SUCTION REGION AND A DISCHARGE PRESSURE REGION, THE GUIDE MEANS AND THE ROTOR COOPERATING ON ROTATION OF THE LATTER IN SAID PREDETERMINED DIRECTION TO SET UP A VORTEX HAVING A VELOCITY DISTRIBUTION APPROXIMATELY AS IN A RANKINE VORTEX WITH A CORE REGION ECCENTRIC OF THE ROTOR AXIS AND A FIELD REGION WHICH GUIDES FLUID FROM THE SUCTION REGION THROUGH THE PATH OF THE ROTATING BLADES OF THE ROTOR TO THE INTERIOR OF THE ROTOR AND THENCE AGAIN THROUGH THE PATH OF THE ROTATING BLADES OF THE ROTOR TO THE DISCHARGE PRESSURE REGION, A DIFFUSER HAV ING AN INTAKE OF SMALLER CROSS-SECTIONAL AREA THAN THE CROSS-SECTIONAL AREA OF SAID DISCHARGE PRESSURE REGION AND BEING LOCATED IN SAID DISCHARGE PRESSURE REGION, AND MEANS POSITIONING SAID INTAKE TO COMMUNICATE ONLY WITH FLOW FROM THE FIELD REGION ADJACENT THE VORTEX CORE WHEREBY FLOW FROM THE FIELD REGION REMOTE FROM THE VORTEX CORE IS BYPASSED BY SAID DIFFUSER.