Constant static pressure runner in an axial flow turbine

Claim 2

An axial flow turbine comprising: a jacket; a rotor positioned inside said jacket and having a longitudinal central axis, an intake end and a discharge end, said rotor including a movable blade rotatable about said longitudinal central axis, said blade having a continuously varying angle of inclination providing means for angular acceleration of fluid in said jacket, said angular acceleration causing a first pressure gradient in the fluid, said rotor also including a rotor core, said rotor core and said jacket cooperating to define a fluid transit area, said fluid transit area having a cross-sectional area varying in magnitude from said intake end to said discharge end and provides means for changing an axial velocity of the fluid and forming a second pressure gradient which substantially counteracts said first pressure gradient caused by said angular acceleration to maintain a pressure in the fluid transit area substantially constant.

Claim 3

An axial flow turbine according to claim 1, wherein: said rotor and said jacket cooperate to increase said cross sectional area of said fluid transit area from said intake end to said discharge end, said increase of said cross sectional area of said fluid transit area causing a decrease in said axial velocity and an increase in said second pressure gradient of the fluid from said intake end to said discharge end; said angular inclination of said blade increases frown said intake end to said discharge end, to decrease said first pressure gradient substantially complementary to said increase of said second pressure gradient and maintain a pressure of the fluid substantially constant from said intake end to said discharge end.

Claim 4

An axial flow turbine according to claim 2, further comprising: a fixed section positioned at one of an upstream and downstream end of said rotor, said fixed section including a hub and jacket cooperating to vary a cross sectional area of the fluid to said magnitude of said fluid transit area of said rotor, said fixed section also including a blade to vary an angular velocity of the fluid.

Claim 5

An axial flow turbine according to claim 3, wherein: said fixed section is positioned adjacent to said intake end of said rotor, and said jacket and said hub of said fixed section reduce said cross sectional area of the fluid as the fluid approaches said intake end of said rotor to increase axial velocity of the fluid and decrease a pressure of the fluid, said blade of said fixed section increasing angular acceleration of the fluid and decreasing said pressure of the fluid.

Claim 6

An axial flow turbine according to claim 1, wherein: said rotor is driven and the fluid flows from said discharge end to said intake end to transfer energy from ,said rotor to the fluid.

Claim 7

An axial flow turbine according to claim 1, wherein: said angle of inclination of said blade of said rotor extends for substantially one half of a revolution.

Claim 8

An axial flow turbine according to claim 3, wherein: said angle of inclination of said blade of said fixed section extends for substantially one half of a revolution.

Claim 9

An axial flow turbine in accordance with claim 1, wherein: said first and second pressure gradients balance each other to cause a constant pressure from said intake end to said discharge end.

Claim 10

An axial flow turbine comprising: a rotor core having an outer diameter; a jacket surrounding said rotor core, said jacket being radially spaced from said rotor core, an inner diameter of said jacket and said outer diameter of said rotor core defining a fluid transit area, said fluid transit area having a first end and having a second end, one of said inner diameter of said jacket and said outer diameter of said rotor core varying in magnitude from a first end to a second end of said fluid transit area in order to change a magnitude of a cross sectional area of said fluid transit area and create a pressure gradient in fluid flowing from said first end to said second end of said fluid transit area; a blade positioned in said fluid transit area and rotatable about a longitudinal axis of the axial flow turbine, said blade having a varying angular inclination and corresponding angular position in said fluid transit area as said blade extends from said first end to said second end of said fluid transit area, said varying angular inclination and corresponding angular position of said blade providing means for transferring energy between said blade and the fluid in said fluid transit area by changing an angular velocity of the fluid, said changing of said angular velocity causing a pressure gradient which is substantially opposite in magnitude and direction to said pressure gradient caused by said change in magnitude of said fluid transit area and causes a pressure in said fluid transit area to be substantially constant.

Claim 11

An axial flow turbine comprising: a rotor core having an outer diameter; a jacket surrounding said rotor core, said jacket being radially spaced from said rotor core, an inner diameter of said jacket and said outer diameter of said rotor core defining a fluid transit area, said fluid transit area having a first end and having a second end, one of said inner diameter of said jacket and said outer diameter of said rotor core varying in magnitude from a first end to a second end of said fluid transit area in order to change a magnitude of a cross sectional area of said fluid transit area and create a pressure gradient in fluid flowing from said first end to said second end of said fluid transit area; a blade positioned in said fluid transit area and rotatable about a longitudinal axis of the axial flow turbine, said blade having a varying angular inclination and corresponding angular position in said fluid transit area as said blade extends from said first end to said second end of said fluid transit area, said varying angular inclination and corresponding angular position of said blade providing means for transferring energy between said blade and the fluid in said fluid transit area by changing an angular velocity of the fluid, said changing of said angular velocity causing a pressure gradient which is substantially opposite in magnitude and direction to said pressure gradient caused by said change in magnitude of said fluid transit area and causes a pressure in said fluid transit area to be substantially constant.

Claim 12

A turbine in accordance with claim 9, wherein: said magnitude of said cross sectional area of said fluid transit area is varied by continuously varying said outer diameter of said rotor core; said varying inclination and corresponding angular position of said blade is continuous through said fluid transit area; said blade is connected to one of said rotor core and said jacket.

Claim 13

A turbine in accordance with claim 9, wherein: said blade changes an angular velocity of the fluid, said changing of said angular velocity being substantially constant from said first end to said second end of said fluid transit area.

Claim 14

A turbine in accordance with claim 9, wherein: said positions of said blade and said magnitude of said cross sectional area of said fluid transit area cooperating to change said angular and axial velocities of the fluid and provide a substantially constant pressure in the fluid of said fluid transit area which precludes cavitation.

Claim 15

An axial flow turbine in accordance with claim 9, wherein: a curvature of said blade and said magnitude of said cross-sectional area are varied from said first end to said second end to have respective said pressure gradients cancel each other and to have a pressure of the fluid be constant from said first end to said second end.

Claim 18

A method according to claim 14; wherein: said changing of said magnitude of said fluid transit area is performed to maintain the fluid in a condition that precludes cavitation.

Claim 19

A method in accordance with claim 14, wherein: said varying of said fluid transit area nullifies said first pressure gradient.

Claim 20

An axial flow turbine comprising: a jacket; a rotor positioned inside said jacket and having a longitudinal central axis, an intake end and a discharge end, said rotor including a movable blade rotatable about said longitudinal central axis, said blade having a continuously varying angle of inclination providing means for angular acceleration of fluid in said jacket, said angular acceleration causing a first pressure gradient in the fluid, said rotor also including a rotor core, said rotor core and said jacket cooperating to define a fluid transit area, said fluid transit area having a cross-sectional area varying in magnitude from said intake end to said discharge end and providing means for changing an axial velocity of the fluid and forming a second pressure gradient which substantially counteracts said first pressure gradient caused by said angular acceleration, said fluid flows from said intake end to said discharge end and transfers energy from the fluid to said rotor.

Claim 21

An axial flow turbine comprising: a jacket; a rotor positioned inside said jacket and having a longitudinal central axis, an intake end and a discharge end, said rotor including a movable blade rotatable about said longitudinal central axis, said blade having a continuously varying angle of inclination providing means for angular acceleration of fluid in said jacket, said angular acceleration causing a first pressure gradient in the fluid, said rotor also including a rotor core, said rotor core and said jacket cooperating to define a fluid transit area, said fluid transit area having a cross-sectional area varying in magnitude from said intake end to said discharge end and providing means for changing an axial velocity of the fluid and forming a second pressure gradient which substantially counteracts said first pressure gradient caused by said angular acceleration, said fluid flows from said intake end to said discharge end and transfers energy from the fluid to said rotor.