US2537344A - Turbine compressor - Google Patents

Description

F. K. GRUSS TURBINE COMPRESSOR Jan. 9, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 6, 1945 I VENTOR FRANCIS K'. GRUSS, INCOMPETENT, BY FRANCIS J. GRUSS, GUARDIAN BY mzzm ATTORNEYS Jan. 9, 1951 F. K. GRUSS TURBINE COMPRESSOR 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 6, 1945 W fi R m F N T E P mM 0 0 I S U R G K B. O N A R F B FRANCIS J. GRUSS GUARDIAN BY M22 UQ ATTORNEYS Patented Jan. 9, 1 951 TURBINE COMPRESSOR Francis K. Gruss, incompetent, San Francisco,

Calif., by Francis J. Gruss, guardian, San Francisco, Calif.

Application August 6, 1945, Serial No. 609,290

10 Claims.

This invention relates to a compressor, and particularly to one of the rotary or turbine type well adapted to serve as a supercharger for compressing air for use in an internal combustion engine by means of the exhaust gases from the engine; the present invenlicn further particularly representing improvements over the structure shown in Patent No. 2,361,939 to Francis K. Gruss.

The major object of the present invention is to improve the construction so that the kinetic energy of the exhaust gases is harnessed and made to do useful work in driving the compressor, besides serving as the medium to effect the compression of the air or other gas which it is desired to compress.

The device may also be eificiently used as a turbine.

Other useful and advantageous results obtained by the use of the improved compressor will be apparent from a perusal of the following specification.

A further object of the invention is to produce a turbine compressor which will be exceedingly effective for the purpose for which it is designed.

These objects are accomplished by means of such structure and relative arrangement of parts as will fully appear by a perusal of the following specification and claims.

In the drawings similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several views.

Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of the compressor.

Figure 2 is a transverse section on line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary diagrammatic sectional elevation showing a modified construction for turbine use.

Referring now more particularly to the characters of reference on the drawings, and particularly at present to Figs. 1 and 2, the compressor comprises a hollow body l enclosing a rotor indicated generally at 2 and mounted on an axial shaft 3 journaled in the body. The circumferential wall t of the chamber 5 in which the rotor is disposed is concentric and has a running fit with the periphery of the rotor for substantially 180; the remainder of the chamber being of volute form, diverging from the rotor to form an exhaust passage or chamber 6 terminating in an outlet port I.

An intake passage 8 in the body taps wall 4 substantially tangent thereto a short distance from outlet l, while an outlet chamber 9 having an outlet port l0, cuts through said wall for a circumferential extent of approximately substantially midway of the length of wall 4, between passage 8 and the other end of said wall, or the point where diverging chamber 5 begins.

The ro'.:or includes a pair of axially spaced par allel bands or ring plates H whose outer and inner edges are concentric with shaft 3 and carry sealing elements l2 engaging the corresponding body surfaces. Closely spaced vanes 13 of generally curved form, in a direction radially of the rotor, extend between rings H for their full radial extent, and leaving open ended passages M therebetween. The curvature of the vanes (and passages) which is more abrupt toward the radially inner edge thereof, is concave in facing relation toward passage 5 relative to passage 8.

One only of the rings is connected to shaft 3 by a side plate or spider i5, leaving the space radially inward of the vanes open for the projection of a portion it of the body therein, as shown. Said portion it has a running fit with the inner periphery of the'vaned portion of the rotor and is formed with an enclosed Venturi-like transfer chamber ll extending from a port 58 communicating with'the radially inner edge of the rotor opposite passage 3 to a wide port lillikewise communicating with the rotor opposite chamber 9. A by-pass or transfer passage 2i! in the body communicates with the radially outer edge of the rotor between passage 8 and chamber 9 and with passage ll intermediate its ends by means of a restric.ed substantially tangential throat 2| near port 18 and facing away from the same. A nozzle 22 extends from chamber 53 to a communication With the radially outer edge of the rotor between chamber 9 and the adjacent end of wall 4.

Body portion 16 is also formed With a port 23 of relatively long circumferential extent open to atmosphere and communicating with the radially inner face or edge of the rotor opposite the initial pom-ion of the volute portion of chamber 5.

A small by-pass passage 24 extends between passage ll near port 18 direct to atmosphere or to the radially inner face of the rotor between ports l8 and 23, the flow through the passage being controlled by a manually controlled valve of suitable form indicated diagrammatically at 25.

In operation, the gaseous driving medium'such as exhaust gases from an engine enter passage 8 and pass at A into the adjacent vane passages 14 and will travel through said passages and into chamber IT at port l8. In this movement and expansion of the gases, the momentum thereof is imparted to the vanes in the form of kinetic energy, causing the rotor to turn or be driven in a direction away from chamber 9 relative to passage 8.

The gases discharged into chamber I! travel to the opposite end or to port [9 and due to the Venturi form of said chamber the terminal velocity of the gases is converted into pressure. Some of the gases in the chamber may if desired be by-passed to atmosphere through passage 24 so as to reduce the back pressure on the vanes; such gases passing direct to atmosphere or through the adjacent vane passages I4 at B into the exhaust chamber 6 and thence out through port I to atmosphere. In the latter case, the energy of such gases being by-passed is still harnessed, however, since the gases act on the vanes against which they impinge while passing to atmosphere, to rotate the rotor.

The gases from port t9 pass into the adjacent vane or rotor passages i6 along area C, any such gases as remain trapped therein (for the reason later pointed out) finally discharging into bypass 20 and reentering the low pressure area of Venturi chamber ll through throat 2!. In so doing, the back pressure on the entering gases in passage 8 (which is just beyond by-pass 2i!) is not only reduced, by reason of the lowered pressure in the adjacent vane passages, but any.

'8, expand and discharge into chamber 6 and thence to atmosphere, also imparting their mo-.

mentum to the vanes in the form of kinetic energy. At the same time, this displacement of the gases from the vane passages alined with chamher 6 along its full length, causes air'from at- 'mosphere to be drawn into said vane passages along areal) from intake 23 and compressed as the vanes pass the converging restricted end 26 of chamber 6. Such inrushing air also clears "the vane passages of all exhaust gases. This air becomes further compressed in the passages, as the latter move into communication with chamber 9, by reason of the high pressure gases entering such passages from port it as previously explained.

The compressed air discharging into chamber 9 expands, some of it passing into nozzle 22, being then directed against and into the vane passages passing across the nozzle at E, and thus compressing the air in such passage to the pressure or the air in chamber 9. In so doing, part of the momentum of the expanded air from nozzle 22 is imparted directly to the adjacent vanes as kinetic energy, while part reacts upon said vanes as pressure, due to the arresting of the velocity by the opposing centriiugai force of the rotor and by the abutment 2'! formed by the wall of the inner portion of body i opposite nozzle 22. The compressed air is drawn off through port It! for use as may be desired.

It will be noted that passage 26 is provided with a port 28 to atmosphere and with a suitable valve 29 (shown diagrammatically in Fig. 2) arranged to either close this port and allow the the passage to chamber 11. In the latter instance, the gas pressure in the adjacent vane passages 14, which remains the same as that of the compressed air in chamber 9, is relieved and reduced to atmospheric pressure before said vane passages move to position A at intake 8. The back pressure on the incoming gases (and on the engine supplying the same) is thus materially reduced.

Also, if desired, air under an initial pressure may be fed into the vane passages just after they pass beyond air intake 23 by means of a port 30 in wall 21 connected to an auxiliary blower or compressor. In this manner, a higher compression pressure is attainable. It will be noted that the expanding gases discharging from the vane passages into chamber 5 creates a Venturi effect which aids in clearing the spent gases from said passages and from the chamber.

It will also be noted that if the device is used as a supercharger for a conventional gas engine, the speed of rotation, the compression pressure and the back pressure on the engine, may be con-' trolled by the regulation of by-pass valve 25.

Further, the centrifugal force of the rotor is utilized by causing the supercharging of the vane passages at F; by augment-mg the pressure of the compressing gas in the vane passages along area C; by augmenting the pressure of the exhaust gases in the vane passages at G, and by causing the clearing of the vane passages along chamber 6.

It will also be noted that port i9 is circumferentially offset or displaced relative to chamher 8. By reason of this feature, the vane passages ifi when rotating communicate with the air in chamber 9 before communicating with the exhaust gases in port l9. This assures that the pressure in the vane passages will be the same as that in-chamber 9. Likewise the vane passages are out off from chamber 9 before being cut oif from port 19. This assures that any leakage from the rotor into passage 20 will be exhaust gases and not air. 4

In the form of structure shown in Figure 3, which is particularly designed for a turbine, the air chamber 5a is provided at the outlet with a cross wall 31 dividing said outlet into two circumferentially separated outlets 32 and 33. the latter being nearest intake 8a and connected to the same by a conduit 34. An injector type conduit 35 leads into conduit 34 from outlet 32 and has a fuel jet 36 projecting into the same; a fuel igniting plug 37' projcctinginto conduit 3-5.

With this arrangement, exhaust gases in the pane passages Ma after they pass chamber 9a discharge through outlet 33 and conduit 34 and returned to intake fie. At the same time, the compressed air from chamber 8a is also fed into conduit 34 as an expanding ignited fuel mixture. The original exhaust-gas is thus used to dilute and heat a fresh gas which includes compressed air and an ignited fuel to provide 'a fresh pressure charge of rotor-turning or tur- 5 bine driving gases.

It will thus be seen that the device may be *used as a superchange for a gas engine, as a selfcontained gas turbine, or in conjunction with and as a compressor for another gas turbine, the exhaust gases from which run the device.

Attention should be called to the fact that the various ports can be reversed, all or in part, in relationship to the inner and outer walls of the annular chamber and rotor, as long as their 76 order and relative positions are maintained.

It will further be noted that the device will function if the vane curvature is lessened or eliminated. In this case, less momentum is imparted to the rotor, but the terminal velocity of the gas is greater after passing through the" vanes. This is converted into pressure for the compressing medium (exhaust gas) in the cham-' her. This construction may be desirable where an abundance of such compressing medium is available, as when used as a supercharger for a gas engine.

While this specification sets forth in detail the present and preferred construction of the device, still in practice such deviations from such detail may be resorted to as do not form a departure from the spirit of the invention, as defined by the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, the following is claimed as new and useful and upon which Letters Patent is desired:

1. A turbine compressor comprising a body formed with an annular chamber, a rotor mounted on the body and turnable in such annular chamber with a running fit therein, the rotor including substantially radially disposed spaced apart vanes forming passages, a pressure gas intake opening at one point in the outer circumferential wall of the chamber, the body being provided with a gas transfer passage, one end of said transfer passage opening through the inner circumferential Wall of the annular chamber at a point opposite the pressure gas intake opening, the other end of such transfer passage opening through the inner circumferential wall of the annular chamber at a point ahead of the gas intake opening with respect to the direction of rotation of the rotor whereby gases from the intake opening will pass through the vanes and into the first named end of the transfer passage and then pass through said latter passage and discharge out of the other end thereof and against the vanes of the rotor whereby to drive the rotor, the body being provided with an arcuate port opening between atmosphere and the inner circumferential wall of the annular chamber ahead of the discharge end of the transfer passage with respect to the direction of rotation of the rotor whereby with the rotation of the rotor atmospheric air will be drawn into said vane passages adjacent said port and be compressed.

2. A structure as in claim 1 including a compressed air chamber to which such compressed air is delivered from the vane passages.

3. A structure as in claim 1 in which the body is provided with an arcuate gas exhaust passageway opening through the outer circumferential wall of the body opposite the air intake port.

4. A structure as in claim 1 in which the body is provided with an arcuate gas exhaust passageway'opening through the outer circumferential wall of the body opposite the air intake port, such exhaust passage being restricted in cross sectional area in the direction of rotation of the rotor.

5. A structure as in claim 1 in which the transfer passage is in the form of a venturi with its wide end constituting the discharge end thereof.

6. A structure as in claim 1, including passage means formed in the body and opening through the outer circumferential wall of the annular chamber at a point between the discharge end of the transfer passage and the pressure gas intake and leading hence to communication with the transfer passage.

7. A structure as in claim 1, including a valve controlled passage in the body leading from the transfer passage at a point near its first named end to an opening through the inner circumferential wall of the annular chamber at a point beyond the pressure gas intake, and an exhaust means in communication with said valve controlled passage.

8. A structure as in claim 1 including a compressed air chamber to which such compressed air is delivered from the vane passages, said chamber opening through the outer circumferential wall of the annular chamber at a point opposite the discharge end of the transfer passage.

9. A structure as in claim 1 including a compressed air chamber to which such compressed air is delivered from the vane passages, said chamber opening through the outer circumferential wall of the annular chamber at a point opposite the discharge end of the transfer passage, there being a nozzle formed in the body leading from the compressed air chamber and discharging through the outer circumferential Wall of the annular chamber at a point ahead of the discharge end of the transfer passage with respect to the direction of rotation of the rotor.

10. A structure as in claim 1 including a passage provided in the body and communicating from a point outside the body to and through the inner circumferential wall of the annular chamber at a point just beyond the arcuate port with respect to the direction of rotation of the rotor.

FRANCIS J. GRUSS, Guardian of the Estate of Francis K. Gruss,

Incompetent.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the

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