Liquid ring turbine and method of use

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9803480-B2
Application number	US-201414576502-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 19, 2014
Priority date	Dec 19, 2014
Publication date	Oct 31, 2017
Grant date	Oct 31, 2017

Abstract

A liquid ring turbine has a casing defining an interior chamber with a symmetry axis. A shaft, having an axis substantially parallel to the symmetry axis, is eccentrically positioned to the symmetry axis. An impeller is coupled to the shaft and is configured to rotate in a first direction. The impeller includes a plurality of vanes extending away from the shaft in a second direction at least partially opposite the first direction. The impeller rotates within a liquid ring enclosed in the casing such that a plurality of expansion chambers are defined. Each expansion chamber is defined between adjacent vanes and the liquid ring. A gas inlet port is in fluid communication with a first expansion chamber defining a first volume. A gas outlet port is in fluid communication with a second expansion chamber. The second expansion chamber defines a second volume that is greater than the first volume.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A liquid ring turbine comprising:
a casing defining an interior chamber having an axis of symmetry;
a shaft having a longitudinal axis substantially parallel to the axis of symmetry, said shaft eccentrically positioned with respect to the axis of symmetry;
an impeller rotatably coupled to said shaft and configured to rotate in a first direction, said impeller comprising a plurality of vanes extending away from said shaft in a second direction at least partially opposite the first direction, said impeller configured to rotate in the first direction within a liquid ring enclosed within said casing such that a plurality of expansion chambers are defined, wherein each expansion chamber of said plurality of expansion chambers is defined between a pair of adjacent vanes of said plurality of vanes and the liquid ring;
a gas inlet port in fluid communication with a first expansion chamber of said plurality of expansion chambers;
a gas outlet port in fluid communication with a second expansion chamber; and
wherein the second expansion chamber volume is greater than the first expansion chamber volume.

2. The liquid ring turbine in accordance with claim 1 , wherein said plurality of vanes are equispaced about said shaft.

3. The liquid ring turbine in accordance with claim 1 , wherein each vane of said plurality of vanes is straight and is inclined at an angle α with respect to a radial line extending from the longitudinal axis.

4. The liquid ring turbine in accordance with claim 3 , wherein said angle α is determined based on at least one of an eccentricity between said shaft and the axis of symmetry of said casing, a liquid ring fill level, a rotational speed of said impeller, and a diameter of said interior chamber.

5. The liquid ring turbine in accordance with claim 4 , wherein said angle α is substantially equal to an angle of a radially outward force generated by a gas enclosed in said first expansion chamber of said plurality of expansion chambers.

6. The liquid ring turbine in accordance with claim 1 , wherein each vane of said plurality of vanes comprises a convex side and a concave side defining a vane curvature, wherein said convex side leads said concave side in the first direction.

7. The liquid ring turbine in accordance with claim 6 , wherein the vane curvature is determined based on at least one of an eccentricity between said shaft and the axis of symmetry, a liquid ring fill level, a rotational speed of said impeller, and a diameter of said interior chamber.

8. The liquid ring turbine in accordance with claim 6 , wherein the vane curvature is determined such that a direction of a radially outward force generated by a gas enclosed in said first and second expansion chambers is substantially equal to a direction of said each vane at an interface of the gas and the liquid ring within said first and second expansion chambers, respectively.

9. A liquid ring power system comprising:
an enthalpy source configured to generate a compressed gas flow;
a liquid ring turbine configured to receive the compressed gas flow, said liquid ring turbine comprising:
a casing defining an interior chamber having an axis of symmetry;
a shaft having a longitudinal axis substantially parallel to the axis of symmetry, said shaft eccentrically positioned with respect to the axis of symmetry;
an impeller rotatably coupled to said shaft and configured to rotate in a first direction, said impeller comprising a plurality of vanes extending away from said shaft in a second direction at least partially opposite the first direction, said impeller configured to rotate in the first direction within a liquid ring enclosed within said casing such that a plurality of expansion chambers are defined, wherein each expansion chamber of said plurality of expansion chambers is defined between a pair of adjacent vanes of said plurality of vanes and the liquid ring;
a gas inlet port in fluid communication with a first expansion chamber of said plurality of expansion chambers;
a gas outlet port in fluid communication with a second expansion chamber
wherein the second expansion chamber volume is greater than the first expansion chamber volume; and
a load rotatably coupled to at least one of said shaft and said impeller of said liquid ring turbine.

10. The system in accordance with claim 9 , wherein said plurality of vanes are equispaced about said shaft.

11. The system in accordance with claim 9 , wherein each vane of said plurality of vanes is straight and is inclined at an angle α with respect to a radial line extending from the longitudinal axis.

12. The system in accordance with claim 11 , wherein said angle α is substantially equal to an angle of a radially outward force generated by a gas enclosed in said first expansion chamber of said plurality of expansion chambers.

13. The system in accordance with claim 9 , wherein each vane of said plurality of vanes comprises a convex side and a concave side defining a vane curvature, wherein said convex side leads said concave side in the first direction.

14. The system in accordance with claim 13 , wherein the vane curvature is determined such that a direction of a radially outward force generated by a gas enclosed in said first and second expansion chambers is substantially equal to a direction of said each vane at an interface of the gas and the liquid ring within said first and second expansion chambers, respectively.

15. A method for extracting energy from a compressed gas flow using a liquid ring turbine, said method comprising:
providing a casing including an impeller configured to rotate in a first direction, the impeller including a plurality of vanes extending at least partially in a second direction opposite the first direction, the impeller positioned eccentrically in the casing and configured to rotate within a liquid ring so as to define a plurality of expansion chambers, wherein each expansion chamber of the plurality of expansion chambers is defined between a pair of adjacent vanes and the liquid ring;
injecting a compressed gas flow into a first expansion chamber of the plurality of expansion chambers, the first expansion chamber defining a first volume, the compressed gas flow having a first temperature and a first pressure;
impacting at least one vane of the plurality of vanes with the compressed gas flow so as to rotate the impeller; and
expanding the first volume of the first expansion chamber to a second volume greater than the first volume as the impeller rotates, thereby generating an expanded gas flow.

16. The method in accordance with claim 15 further comprising exhausting the expanded gas flow at a second temperature and a second pressure less than the first temperature and the first pressure, respectively.

17. The method in accordance with claim 15 , wherein providing the casing including the impeller configured to rotate in a first direction comprises providing the impeller including a plurality of straight vanes inclined at an angle α with respect to a radial line extending from a longitudinal axis of the impeller.

18. The method in accordance with claim 17 further comprising determining the angle α that is substantially equal to a direction of a radially outward force generated by the compressed gas flow enclosed in the first expansion chamber.

19. The method in accordance with claim 15 , wherein providing the casing including the impeller configured to rotate in a first direction comprises providing the casing including the impeller configured to rotate in the first

Assignees

• Gen Electric

Inventors

• Hoefler Florian
• Cirri Massimiliano
• Jenkins Sean Craig

Classifications

• F04C2240/20

  Rotors · CPC title

• F01C13/00

  Adaptations of machines or engines for special use; Combinations of engines with devices driven thereby · CPC title

• F01C7/00 Primary

  Rotary-piston machines or engines with fluid ring or the like · CPC title

• F01C21/0809

  Construction of vanes or vane holders · CPC title