Energy transfer machine

Claim 2

An energy transfer machine comprising a housing having a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet generally adjacent to each other, and forming a generally toroidal volume between said inlet and outlet; a stator ring suspended within the toroidal volume and combining with said housing to define a generally circumferential flow passage having an annular cross section, said stator ring including an enlarged block seal interposed between said fluid inlet and outlet to cause fluid flowing through said housing to flow through said flow passage; a rotatable rotor including a cascade of blades operably disposed for energy transfer coaction with fluid in the flow passage and configured to cause the fluid to flow upon rotor rotation in a generally spiralling path about said stator ring; and means for controllably preventing the fluid from flowing in a generally spiralling path about said stator ring for controllably unloading the machine, said means comprising a plate rotatable with said rotor and axially translatable with respect thereto, said plate including a plurality of axially projecting pins received through holes formed in said rotor between adjacent pairs of blades of said cascade, and means for selectively moving said plate between an inoperative position with said pins withdrawn from between said blades to allow spiralling fluid flow about said stator ring, and an operating position with said pins projecting between each adjacent pair of blades to block fluid flow radially through said cascade of blades and thereby prevent spiralling fluid flow about said stator ring.

Claim 3

An energy transfer machine as set forth in claim 1 wherein the blades of said cascade are positioned in close running clearance with said stator ring.

Claim 4

An energy transfer machine as set forth in claim 2 wherein the radially inner edges of the blades of said cascade are elongated with respect to the radially outer edges to define angularly set blade tips on said blades, and said stator ring is formed to have an angularly set face matingly corresponding with said blade tips.

Claim 5

An energy transfer machine as set forth in claim 1 wherein said means for moving said plate comprises an actuator on said housing and an actuator shaft coupled between said housing and said plate, said actuator and actuator shaft being operable to move said plate between said inoperative and operating positions.

Claim 6

In an energy transfer machine having a housing with a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet generally adjacent to each other and communicating with a generally toroidal volume, a stator ring suspended within the toroidal volume and combining with the housing to define a generally circumferential flow passage of annular cross section, said stator ring including an enlarged block seal interposed between said fluid inlet and outlet to cause fluid flowing through said housing to flow through said flow passage, and a rotor mounted for rotation about an axis common to the stator ring and including a cascade of blades operably disposed for energy transfer coaction with fluid in the flow passage and configured to cause the fluid to flow in a generally spiralling path about the stator ring, apparatus for unloading the machine comprising means disposed adjacent the rotor for controllably and selectively preventing fluid flow between each adjacent pair of blades of said cascade, and thereby preventing spiralling fluid flow about said stator ring to unload the machine, said means comprising a plate rotatable with said rotor and axially translatable with respect thereto, said plate including a plurality of axially projecting pins received through holes formed in said rotor between adjacent pairs of blades of said cascade, and means for selectively moving said plate between an inoperative position with said pins withdrawn from between said blades to allow spiralling fluid flow about said stator ring, and an operating position with said pins projecting between each adjacent pair of blades to block fluid flow radially through said cascade of blades, and thereby prevent spiralling fluid flow about said stator ring.

Claim 7

In an energy transfer machine having a housing with a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet generally adjacent to each other and communicating with a generally toroidal volume, a stator ring suspended within the toroidal volume and combining with the housing to define a generally circumferential flow passage of annular cross section, said stator ring including an enlarged block seal interposed between said fluid inlet and outlet to cause fluid flowing through said housing to flow through said flow passage, and a rotor mounted for rotation about an axis common to the stator ring and including a cascade of blades operably disposed for energy transfer coaction with fluid in the flow passage and configured to cause the fluid to flow in a generally spiralling path about the stator ring, apparatus for unloading the machine comprising means disposed adjacent the rotor for controllably and selectively preventing fluid flow between each adjacent pair of blades of said cascade, and thereby preventing spiralling fluid flow about said stator ring to unload the machine, said means comprising a plate rotatable with said rotor and axially translatable with respect thereto, said plate including a plurality of axially projecting pins received through holes formed in said rotor between adjacent pairs of blades of said cascade, and means for selectively moving said plate between an inoperative position with said pins withdrawn from between said blades to allow spiralling fluid flow about said stator ring, and an operating position with said pins projecting between each adjacent pair of blades to block fluid flow radially through said cascade of blades, and thereby prevent spiralling fluid flow about said stator ring.

Claim 8

An energy transfer machine comprising a housing having a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet generally adjacent to each other, and forming a generally toroidal volume between said inlet and outlet; a stator ring suspended within the toroidal volume and combining with said housing to define a generally circumferential flow passage having an annular cross section, said stator ring including an enlarged block seal between said fluid inlet and outlet to cause fluid flowing through said housing to flow through said flow passage; a rotatable rotor including a cascade of blades operably disposed for energy transfer coaction with fluid in the flow passage and configured to cause the fluid to flow upon rotor rotation in a generally spiralling path about said stator ring; a plate rotatable with said rotor and axially translatable with respect thereto, said plate including a plurality of axially projecting pins received through holes formed in said rotor between adjacent pairs of blades of said cascade; and means for selectively moving said plate between an inoperative position with said pins withdrawn from between said blades to allow spiralling fluid flow about said stator ring, and an operating position with said pins projecting between each adjacent pair of blades to block fluid flow radially through said cascade of blades, and thereby prevent spiralling fluid flow about said stator ring.

Claim 9

An energy transfer machine comprising a housing having a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet generally adjacent to each other, and forming a generally toroidal volume between said inlet and outlet; a stator ring suspended within the toroidal volume and combining with said housing to define a generally circumferential flow passage having an annular cross section, said stator ring including an enlarged block seal between said fluid inlet and outlet to cause fluid flowing through said housing to flow through said flow passage; a rotatable rotor including a cascade of blades operably disposed for energy transfer coaction with fluid in the flow passage and configured to cause the fluid to flow upon rotor rotation in a generally spiralling path about said stator ring; a plate rotatable with said rotor and axially translatable with respect thereto, said plate including a plurality of axially projecting pins received through holes formed in said rotor between adjacent pairs of blades of said cascade; and means for selectively moving said plate between an inoperative position with said pins withdrawn from between said blades to allow spiralling fluid flow about said stator ring, and an operating position with said pins projecting between each adjacent pair of blades to block fluid flow radially through said cascade of blades, and thereby prevent spiralling fluid flow about said stator ring.

Claim 10

In an energy transfer machine having a housing with a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet generally adjacent to each other and communicating with a generally toroidal volume, a stator ring suspended within the toroidal volume and combining with the housing to define a generally circumferential flow passage of annular cross section, said stator ring including an enlarged block seal interposed between said fluid inlet and outlet to cause fluid flowing through the housing to flow through the flow passage, and a rotor mounted for rotation about an axis common to the stator ring and including a cascade of blades operably disposed for energy transfer coaction with fluid in the flow passage and configured to cause the fluid to flow in a generally spiralling path about the stator ring, a method of unloading the machine comprising the steps of mounting a plate rotatable with the rotor and axially translatable with respect thereto; forming a plurality of axially projecting pins on the plate receivable through holes in the rotor between adjacent pairs of blades of said cascade for preventing fluid flow between each adjacent pair of blades of the cascade; and controllably and selectively positioning said plate and pins between a first position with said pins withdrawn from between said blades for allowing spiralling fluid flow about the stator ring, and a second position with said pins projecting between each adjacent pair of blades for preventing fluid flow between adjacent blades to prevent spiralling fluid flow to unload the machine.

Claim 11

In an energy transfer machine having a housing with a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet generally adjacent to each other and communicating with a generally toroidal volume, a stator ring suspended within the toroidal volume and combining with the housing to define a generally circumferential flow passage of annular cross section, said stator ring including an enlarged block seal interposed between said fluid inlet and outlet to cause fluid flowing through the housing to flow through the flow passage, and a rotor mounted for rotation about an axis common to the stator ring and including a cascade of blades operably disposed for energy transfer coaction with fluid in the flow passage and configured to cause the fluid to flow in a generally spiralling path about the stator ring, a method of unloading the machine comprising the steps of mounting a plate rotatable with the rotor and axially translatable with respect thereto; forming a plurality of axially projecting pins on the plate receivable through holes in the rotor between adjacent pairs of blades of said cascade for preventing fluid flow between each adjacent pair of blades of the cascade; and controllably and selectively positioning said plate and pins between a first position with said pins withdrawn from between said blades for allowing spiralling fluid flow about the stator ring, and a second position with said pins projecting between each adjacent pair of blades for preventing fluid flow between adjacent blades to prevent spiralling fluid flow to unload the machine.

Claim 12

In an energy transfer machine having a housing with a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet communicating with a generally toroidal volume, a stator ring suspended within the toroidal volume and combining with the housing to define a generally circumferential flow passage of annular cross section, and a rotor mounted for rotation about an axis common to the stator ring and including a cascade of blades operably disposed for energy transfer coaction with fluid in the flow passage and configured to cause the fluid to flow in a generally spiralling path about the stator ring, a method of unloading the machine comprising the steps of mounting a plate rotatable with the rotor and axially translatable with respect thereto, forming a plurality of axially projecting pins on said plate receivable through holes formed in said rotor between adjacent pairs of blades of said cascade; and positioning said plate and pins between an inoperative position with said pins withdrawn from between said blades to allow spiralling fluid flow about the stator ring and an operating position with said pins projecting between each adjacent pair of blades to block fluid flow through said cascade of blades and thereby unload the machine.

Claim 13

In an energy transfer machine having a housing with a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet communicating with a generally toroidal volume, a stator ring suspended within the toroidal volume and combining with the housing to define a generally circumferential flow passage of annular cross section, and a rotor mounted for rotation about an axis common to the stator ring and including a cascade of blades operably disposed for energy transfer coaction with fluid in the flow passage and configured to cause the fluid to flow in a generally spiralling path about the stator ring, a method of unloading the machine comprising the steps of mounting a plate rotatable with the rotor and axially translatable with respect thereto, forming a plurality of axially projecting pins on said plate receivable through holes formed in said rotor between adjacent pairs of blades of said cascade; and positioning said plate and pins between an inoperative position with said pins withdrawn from between said blades to allow spiralling fluid flow about the stator ring and an operating position with said pins projecting between each adjacent pair of blades to block fluid flow through said cascade of blades and thereby unload the machine.