CA2667689C

CA2667689C - Rotor vane machine

Info

Publication number: CA2667689C
Application number: CA2667689A
Authority: CA
Inventors: Alexander Anatolevich Stroganov
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2006-10-30
Filing date: 2007-10-02
Publication date: 2016-06-28
Anticipated expiration: 2027-10-02
Also published as: EP2090782A4; CN101636587B; EP2090782A1; UA92685C2; EA200900588A1; RU2327900C1; CN101636587A; US20110189045A1; WO2008054244A1; EA013809B1; CA2667689A1

Abstract

The invention can be used in rotary vane pumps, hydraulic motors, hydrostatic differential gears and transmissions with high efficiency and at a high pressure. The inventive rotary vane machine is provided, in each power variable length chamber (7), with means which are used for insulating the power cavity thereof (8) and comprise at least two movable elements (9), which are arranged in such a way that sliding insulation contacts are formed between the insulation surface of one of the movable elements and the insulation surface of one part of an adaptive unit, between the insulation surface of the other movable element and the insulation surface of the other part of the adaptive unit and between the insulation surfaces of the movable elements (9). At least in one of said contacts, the two insulation surfaces are embodied cylindrical, and, at least in one contact, they are spherical, and at least in one of the remaining contacts, the two insulation surfaces are flat or spherical. Said invention makes it possible to improve the insulation of the working chamber and the variable-length power chambers within the extended range of deformations and tolerances and to increase performance characteristics at a high pressure.

Description

Rotor vane machine The invention refers to mechanical engineering and can be used in rotor vane pumps, hydraulic motors, hydrostatic differential units and transmission systems with increased effectiveness at high pressure.

State of the art There are rotor vane machines containing two units installed with the possibility of reciprocal rotation, namely a housing with inlet and outlet ports and a rotor with vane chambers enclosing vanes with the possibility of movement relative to the rotor: axial (patent US570584), radial (patent US894391) or rotary (patents US1096804 and US2341710), with the working chamber in them being limited by the face surfaces of the rotor and the housing.
In the working chamber the inlet cavity hydraulically connected to the inlet port and the outlet cavity hydraulically connected to the outlet port are divided by two insulating dams of the housing. One of them has a sliding insulating contact with the vanes moving from the inlet to the outlet cavity during the rotor rotation and is further called a forward transfer limiter. The other one is further called a backward transfer limiter.
The embodiment of the working chamber in the annular groove in the face of the rotor unit US1096804, US3348494, US894391, US2341710 provides the radial unloading of the rotor and improves insulation of the working chamber through the sliding insulating contact between the face surface of the working part of the rotor enclosing the annular groove and the face surface of the working part of the housing. The flat insulating face surfaces of the working parts of the rotor and the housing being pressed together provide good insulation at no deformations.
However, the pressure force of the working fluid contained in the working chamber pushes the working parts of the rotor and the housing away from each other and deform their insulting surfaces, which results in considerable increase of leakages at pressure increase.

2 There is disclosed the hydrostatic component EP0269474 taken by us as the closest analog with reduced deforming influence of the working fluid pressure on the surfaces of the sliding insulating contact between the working parts of both units. It consists of two units, namely the housing and the rotor installed with the possibility of reciprocal rotation. The housing with the inlet and outlet ports (called "channels for fluid feed and removal" by the authors) contains the working part of the housing called by the authors "the trackway carriers", the way enclosing the forward transfer limiter and the backward transfer limiter in the form of the rim sections with a trackway between the inlet and outlet cavities. The rim with the trackway also performs the function of the guide cam of the vane drive.
The rotor consists of two parts: the working part of the rotor called a"ptate holder" and the supporting part called a "supporting flange". The working face surface of the plate holder has an annular groove connected to the vane chambers enclosing the vanes installed with the possibility of varying the degree of extension into the annular groove. The authors have provided for the embodiment when the supporting part also has the vane chambers and the annular groove. In this case the supporting part of the rotor contacts with the supporting part of the housing in the form of the second trackway carrier.
Having a sliding contact with the working part of the rotor (the plate holder) the working part of the housing (the trackway carrier) insulates the working chamber in the annular groove. The working chamber is divided by the backward transfer limiter (the rim section overlapping the annular groove the most) and the forward transfer limiter (the rim section overlapping the annular groove the least) having a sliding insulting contact with the vanes into the inlet cavity of the working chamber hydraulically connected to the inlet port and the outlet cavity of the working chamber hydraulically connected to the outlet port.
The authors provide for the possibility of using a pair of hydrostatic components of the described type in rotor vane machines either in the embodiment where the working and supporting parts of the rotor are located between the working and supporting parts of the housing connected by the connecting part of the housing in the form of a shaft or in the embodiment where the working and supporting parts of the housing are located between the working

3 and supporting parts of the rotor connected by the connecting part of the rotor in the form of an outer casing.
To ensure insulation of the working chamber the authors provide for an adaptive embodiment of one of the units, rotor or housing, that is an embodiment including force chambers of variable length kinematically connecting the working and supporting parts of the adaptive unit with the possibility of their reciprocal axial displacements and tilts at least sufficient to bring the blade holder to the trackway carrier, i.e. to ensure the sliding insulating contact between the working parts of both units of hydrostatic component during their reciprocal rotation while every force chamber includes a load-bearing cavity hydraulically connected to the working chamber and the means of its insulation. The change of the length of these force chambers results in the mentioned reciprocal displacements of the working and supporting parts of the given unit while the working fluid pressure forces in the load-bearing cavities are directed so that to draw apart the force chambers and to bring the working part of the housing closer to the working part of the rotor.
In the first embodiment the rotor is adaptive, that is it includes force chambers of variable length kinematically connecting its working and supporting parts, i.e. the plate holder with the supporting flange, with the possibility of their reciprocal axial displacements. The cylindrical load-bearing cavities communicating with the working chamber have an oval section and are made on the face of the plate holder on the reverse side from the annular groove. They contain means of insulation in the form of cylindrical piston-like elements moving in the axial direction and called "sealing cups" by the authors. These elements thrust against the supporting flange and press the face surface of the plate holder to the face surface of the trackway carrier thus sealing the working chamber.
The authors point out that the fluid pressure forces pushing the plate holder away from the trackway carrier are transferred through the force chambers to the static contact between the piston-like moving element and deformable supporting flange, which relieves the mentioned face insulating surfaces of the plate holder from axial deformations. The pressing force of the working part of the rotor to the

4 working part of the housing depends on the force chambers size and determines the level of friction losses between these working parts.
Despite the synchronous rotation of the working and supporting parts of the rotor this contact of the piston-like moving element with the supporting flange is not absolutely static as the disalignment of the rotation axes of the working and supporting parts causes the face surface of the moving element to move along the supporting flange surface. To reduce friction between the piston-like moving element and the supporting flange there are cavities on the faces of the moving elements that are hydraulically connected to the load-bearing cavities in the plate holder. To prevent leakages from both cavities of the force chamber it is necessary to provide good insulation simultaneously in two sliding insulating contacts of the surfaces of every moving element both from the inner cylindrical surface of the force chamber cavity and the flat surface of the supporting flange.
For that purpose it is necessary to ensure high precision perpendicularity between the generatrix of the cylindrical insulating surface of the force chamber cavity and the flat insulating surface of the supporting flange at any pressure and any rotor rotation angle.
However, for technological reasons and due to the deformations of the housing under the action of the working fluid pressure the axis of rotation of the plate holder can deflect from the axis of rotation of supporting flange by a certain angle. This angle determines the angular amplitude of the cyclic tilts performed by the insulating surface of the supporting flange relative to the face surface of the moving element during rotation of the rotor unit. The supporting flange deformation under the action of the working fluid pressure increases the cyclic tilts amplitude considerably and causes distortion of its flat insulating surface.
All this destroys the sliding insulating contact between the mentioned insulating surfaces and results in considerable increase of the leakages, which is a significant shortcoming of the hydrostatic component described above.
Besides, the trackway carrier is hydrostatically unbalanced. Therefore, its flat insulating surfaces deform at high pressure, which further increases the leakages.

The EP0269474 also described the embodiment of the hydrostatic component where it is the housing rather than the rotor that is adaptive, i.e.
the force chambers of variable length with moving elements are located in the housing unit between the working part of the housing, i.e. the trackway carrier and the

5 supporting part of the housing. In this embodiment the tilts of the supporting part of the housing relative to the working part of the housing conditioned by deformations and technological reasons as well as the distortion of the flat insulating surface will result in leakage growth.
The elastic elements sealing the contact between the walls of the moving element and the walls of the load-bearing cavity in the form of flexible peripheral rims of the moving piston-like elements or in the form of toroidal sealing gaskets partly improve the insulation in case of the above-described reciprocal tilts of the working and supporting of the relevant unit of the hydrostatic component;
however, they result in considerable increase of the frictional forces preventing movement of the moving elements in the cavities of the force chambers. To overcome these forces it is necessary to increase the section of the force chambers, which results in increased forces pressing the rotor to the housing and higher friction losses.

Thus, the hydrostatic component described in EP0269474 requires high precision of manufacture, fails to provide insulation of the force chambers and the working chamber in case of deformations and prevents achieving a low level of leakages and low friction losses together at high pressure.

Essence of the invention The objective of the present invention is to provide insulation of the working chamber and force chambers of variable length in a wide range of deformations and technological tolerances and related reciprocal tilted and transverse movements of the working and supporting parts of the adaptive unit and to increase the efficiency of rotor vane machines at high pressure.
It is proposed to solve the task by means of a rotor vane machine consisting of two units, namely a housing and a rotor installed with the possibility

6 of reciprocal rotation. The housing with the inlet and outlet ports contains the supporting part of the housing and the working part of the housing with a forward transfer limiter and a backward transfer limiter. The rotor includes the supporting part of the rotor and the working part of the rotor. The working face surface has an annular groove connected with the vane chambers enclosing the vanes installed with the possibility of changing the degree of extension into the annular groove.
The working and supporting parts of one unit are located between the working and supporting parts of another unit joined by the connecting part. The supporting part of the housing contacts the supporting part of the rotor while the working part of the part of the housing contacts with sliding the working face surface of the working part of the rotor and insulates the working chamber in the annular groove.
The backward transfer limiter and the forward transfer limiter being in sliding insulating contact with the vanes divide the working chamber into the inlet cavity hydraulically connected to the inlet port and the outlet cavity hydraulically connected to the outlet port.
At least one of the two units of the rotor vane machine, the rotor or the housing are made adaptive, that is it includes the force chambers of variable length kinematically joining the working and supporting parts of the adaptive unit with the possibility of their reciprocal axial displacements and tilts. The amplitude of these axial displacements is at least sufficient to ensure a sliding insulating contact between the working parts of both units of the rotor vane machine during their reciprocal rotation. The change of the length of these force chambers results in these reciprocal movements of the working and supporting parts of the adaptive unit. Each force chamber of variable length (hereinafter in the text - the force chamber) includes a load-bearing cavity of variable length (hereinafter in the text -the load-bearing cavity) hydraulically connected to the working chamber and the means of its insulation. The pressure forces of the working fluid in the load-bearing cavities are directed so as to draw the force chambers apart and to bring the working part of the housing closer to the working part of the rotor.
In every force chamber the means of insulation of its load-bearing cavity include two moving elements at least. These moving elements are installed forming sliding insulating contacts between the following pairs of the surfaces: the

7 insulating surface of one of the moving elements and the insulating surface of one part of the adaptive unit, the insulating surface of another moving element and the insulating surface of the other part of the adaptive unit and between the insulating surfaces of the moving elements. At least in one of these contacts both insulating surfaces are cylindrical and at least in one of them they are spherical while in the other contacts mentioned the shapes of the pairs of the contacting surfaces are chosen so as to keep the sliding insulating contact during such reciprocal movements of the working and supporting parts of the adaptive unit. The reciprocal sliding of the cylindrical surfaces provides insulation during reciprocal axial movements of the working and supporting parts of the adaptive unit while the reciprocal sliding of the spherical surfaces provides insulation during reciprocal tilted movements of these parts. To keep insulation during reciprocal transverse movements of these parts at least in one more of the other insulating contacts both insulating surfaces are made either flat or spherical.
For hydrostatic unloading of the working part of the adaptive unit the shapes, sizes and location of the load-bearing cavities are chosen so that the sum of the working fluid pressure forces in the force chambers pressing the working part of the rotor to the working part of the housing should exceed the sum of the working fluid pressure forces pushing the working part of the rotor away from the working part of the housing by a preset value preferably small. For hydrostatic unloading of the supporting part of the adaptive unit between the supporting parts of the rotor and the housing being in sliding insulating contact there are supporting cavities, their shapes, sizes, number and location being chosen so that the difference between the working fluid pressure forces pushing the working parts of the rotor and the housing apart and the working fluid pressure forces pushing the supporting parts of the rotor and the housing apart should not exceed another preset value preferably small. The hydrostatic unloading of the part of the adaptive unit prevents it from axial deformations under the working fluid pressure and reduces considerably the friction losses between it and the respective part of the other unit.

8 To improve insulation of the force chambers at high pressure the spherical and flat insulating surfaces should be preferably made on the hydrostatically unloaded part of the adaptive unit and on the hydrostatically unloaded moving elements. In the embodiments where one part of the adaptive unit, the supporting or the connecting one, is not unloaded and is deformable under pressure it is preferable to make cylindrical surfaces on this deformable part and the gap clearance between them and the respective cylindrical surfaces of the moving elements, if required, should be sealed with cylindrical self-adjusting spring rings.
In the embodiments where the force chambers are located between two hydrostatically balanced parts of a unit the cylindrical surfaces are made on moving elements and on any of the mentioned parts or between the moving elements. The cylindrical surface is interpreted here in its most general sense as a surface formed by parallel displacement of a straight line along the set closed circuit. If necessary the cylindrical surfaces can be made with an oval or another transverse section. The examples of the invention implementation given below show the preferable embodiment of cylindrical surfaces with a round cross-section.

The proposed solution for insulation of the force chambers and the working chamber of the rotor vane machine can be embodied in various designs. They differ by which unit of the rotor vane machine, the rotor or the housing, is made adaptive and by the type of the force closure, i.e. by which of the two units includes the connecting part sustaining the axial tensile of the working fluid pressure forces compensating them with its elastic strain. The rotor vane machines with the force closure to the housing correspond to traditional configurations where the rotor unit is located between the working and supporting parts of the housing. In the rotor vane machines with the force closure to the rotor we will further call the assembly of the working and supporting part of the housing located between the working and supporting parts of the rotor the operational unit of the housing.

9 The insulation of the working chamber at high pressure can be improved by hydrostatic means preventing deformations of the housing insulating surfaces, their embodiment depending on the type of the force closure.
In rotor vane machines with the force closure to the housing the working or supporting parts of the housing are composite, namely they are assembled from the external load-bearing and internal functional elements. Between them opposite the annular groove there is at least one antideformation chamber hydraulically connected to the working chamber. The number, location, shape and sizes of the antideformation chambers are chosen so that the resultant of the fluid pressure forces acting on the internal functional element of the part of the housing from the rotor side and the fluid pressure forces from the side of the antideformation chambers should not exceed the set value, preferably a small one.
In rotor vane machines with the force closure to the rotor the working and supporting parts of the housing are connected into the operational unit of the housing. Between the supporting parts of the housing and the rotor opposite the annular groove there are supporting cavities hydraulically connected to it, their shape, sizes and location providing hydrostatic balancing of the operational unit of the housing by symmetrical compressive forces of the working fluid pressure.
In the embodiment with an adaptive operational unit of the housing the transfer of the balancing pressure forces between the parts of the housing is provided either by means of their rigid joint or by means of antideformation chambers made either directly between the parts of the housing or between the functional and load-bearing elements of the parts of the operational unit of the housing.
In rotor vane machines with an adaptive rotor where the supporting part of the housing is made with the possibility of variable tilt relative to the working part of the housing the antideformation chambers of variable length can be made similar to the force chambers described above where insulation during reciprocal tilts of the parts of the unit is provided by combination of three kinds of sliding movements of the moving elements: axial movement at reciprocal axial sliding of the cylindrical insulating surfaces, tilted movement at reciprocal sliding of the spherical insulating surfaces as well as transverse movement at reciprocal sliding of the flat or other spherical surfaces. The particulars of the invention are described in more detail in the examples given below and illustrated by drawing presenting:

List of drawings.
5 Fig.1 - A rotor vane machine with an adaptive rotor and force closure to the housing, axial sectional view in the plane passing through the backward transfer limiter, axial sectional view in the plane passing through the inlet and outlet ports and sectional view in the plane perpendicular to the axis of rotation and passing through the annular groove.

10 Fig. 2 - A rotor vane machine with an adaptive housing and force closure to the housing, axial sectional view in the plane pasing through the backward transfer limiter, axial sectional view in the plane passing through the inlet and outlet ports.
Fig. 3 - A rotor vane machine with an adaptive rotor and force closure to the rotor, axial sectional view in the plane passing through the backward transfer llimiter, axial sectional view in the plane passing through the inlet and outlet ports, sectional view in the plane perpendicular to the axis of rotation and passing through the annular groove and sectional view in the plane perpendicular to the axis of rotation and passing through the supporting cavities.
Fig. 4 - Fig. 11 - Variants of embodiment of force chambers.
Fig. 12 - Fig. 15 - Kinds of deformation of the face and cylindrical surfaces of the deformable part of the adaptive unit under the action of axial forces of the working fluid pressure.
Fig. 16 - A rotor vane machine with an adaptive rotor, force closure to the housing, hydrostatically unloaded supporting part of the rotor with the axis of rotation tilted relative to the axis of rotation of the working part of the rotor, axial sectional view in the plane passing through the backward transfer limiter, axial sectional view in the plane passing through the inlet and outlet ports, sectional view in the plane perpendicular to the axis of rotation and passing through the annular groove.
Fig. 17 - A rotor vane machine with an adaptive rotor, force closure to the housing, hydrostatically unloaded supporting part of the rotor, variator of the angle

11 of the reciprocal tilt of the rotation axes of the working and supporting parts of the rotor and with antideformation chambers of variable length between the functional and load-bearing elements of the supporting part of the housing, axial sectional view in the plane passing through the backward transfer limiter, axial sectional view in the plane passing through the inlet and outlet ports and sectional view in the plane perpendicular to the rotation axis and passing through the antideformation chambers of variable length.
Fig. 18 - A rotor vane machine with an adaptive rotor, force closure to the rotor, hydrostatically unloaded supporting part of the rotor, variator of the angle of the reciprocal tilt of the rotation axes of the working and supporting parts of the rotor and with antideformation chambers of variable length between the working and supporting parts of the housing, axial sectional view in the plane passing through the backward transfer limiter, axial sectional view in the plane passing through the inlet and outlet ports and sectional view in the plane perpendicular to the rotation axis and passing through the antideformation chambers of variable length.

The rotor vane machine in Fig. 1 has an adaptive rotor and force closure to the housing. It means that the working 1 and supporting 2 parts of the rotor are located between the working 3 and supporting 4 parts of the housing. The housing parts 3 and 4 are joined by the connecting part 5 of the housing taking on the tensile axial forces of the working fluid pressure and made in the form of a hollow solid with an adaptive rotor inside. In other embodiments the connecting part of the housing can be located inside the hollow rotor. The connecting part of the housing can be also made together with the working or supporting part of the housing as a single part. The supporting part 2 of the rotor is installed on the supporting part 4 of the housing by means of a thrust roller bearing 6. The working part 1 of the rotor is kinematically connected to the supporting part 2 of the rotor by means of a joint synchronizing rotation (not shown in the figures) and the force chambers 7. Due to the choice of the shapes and sizes of the force chambers 7 described below the working part 1 of the rotor is hydrostatically balanced in the axial direction. The cylindrical load-bearing cavities 8 are made in the supporting

12 part of the rotor subject to axial deformations under the action of the mentioned pressure forces. Every load-bearing cavity 8 has a cylindrical moving element installed with formation of a sliding insulating contact, its spherical surface being in a sliding insulating contact with the spherical surface of another moving element 10 with its flat surface having a sliding insulating contact with the flat surface on the working part 1 of the rotor.

The rotor vane machine in Fig. 2 is made with an adaptive housing and force closure to the housing. The connecting part 5 of the housing including the force flange 11 connects the working 1 and supporting 4 parts of the housing, with the working 1 and supporting 2 parts of the rotor located between them and made in this embodiment as two face parts of one rotor conventionally separated in Fig.
2 with a dot line. In other embodiments the working and supporting parts of the rotor can be made as separate parts from which the rotor is assembled. The supporting part 4 of the housing is connected to the force flange 11 by means of the force chambers 7. It has a sliding insulating contact with the surface of the supporting part 2 of the rotor. In other embodiments the connecting part of the housing can be connected by means of force chambers with the working part of the housing or both parts of the housing. In the embodiments with an adaptive housing where the force chambers are installed between the working and connecting parts of the housing the supporting parts of the rotor and the housing can be connected by means of a thrust bearing. Between the supporting part 2 of the rotor and the supporting part 4 of the housing there are supporting cavities 15.
The number, location, shapes and sizes of the supporting cavities 15 taking into consideration the area of the sliding insulating contact of the supporting parts of the rotor and the housing are chosen so that the pressure forces acting on the supporting part 4 of the housing from the side of the force chambers 7 should exceed the pressure forces pushing the supporting part 4 of the housing away from the supporting part 2 of the rotor by the preset value, preferably small, not exceeding 10% of the maximum value of these repelling forces. In this embodiment the supporting cavities 15 are made in the supporting part of the housing. In other embodiments the supporting cavities can be made in the

13 supporting part of the rotor, for example, in the form of continued vane chambers.
Thus, the supporting part 4 of the adaptive housing is hydrostatically unloaded and not subject to deformations under pressure. The cylindrical load-bearing cavities 8 are made in the force flange 11 subject to axial deformations under the action of these pressure forces. Every load-bearing cavity 8 has a cylindrical moving element 9 installed with formation of a sliding insulating contact. Its spherical surface is in a sliding insulating contact with the spherical surface of another moving element 10 with its flat surface having a sliding insulating contact with the flat surface on the supporting part 4 of the housing.
The rotor vane machine in Fig. 3 is made with an adaptive rotor and force closure to the rotor. The working 3 and supporting 4 parts of the housing forming the operational unit 12 of the housing are located between the working 1 and supporting 2 parts of the rotor joined by the connecting part 13 of the rotor receiving the tensile axial forces of the working fluid pressure and made in the form of a shaft with the force flange 14. In other embodiments the connecting part of the rotor can be made in the form of a hollow solid with the operational unit of the housing inside. The supporting part 2 of the rotor is joined to the connecting part 13 of the rotor by means of the force chambers 7. In other embodiments the connecting part of the rotor can be joined by means of the force chambers with the working part of the rotor or with both parts of the rotor.
The flat insulating surfaces of the supporting part 2 of the rotor and the supporting part 4 of the housing have a sliding insulating contact. Between them are supporting cavities 15 hydraulically connected to the load-bearing cavities 8 by channels 16 in the supporting part 2 of the rotor and hydraulically connected to the working chamber by channels 17 in the operational unit 12 of the housing. The shape and sizes of the supporting cavities 15 are chosen so that the pressure forces acting on the supporting part of the rotor from the side of the force chambers 7 should exceed the pressure forces pushing the supporting part 2 of the rotor from the supporting part 4 of the operational unit 12 of the housing by the preset value, preferably small, not exceeding 5% of the given repelling forces.
Thus, the supporting part 2 of the rotor is hydrostatically balanced and is saved

14 from deformations. These structures with hydrostatic balancing of the working and supporting parts of the adaptive rotor are described in more detail in RU
2005113098.
The force flange 14 is subject to axial deformations. It has cylindrical load-bearing cavities 8. Every load-bearing cavity has a cylindrical moving element installed with formation of a sliding insulating contact. Its spherical surface has a sliding insulating contact with the spherical surface of another moving element 10 with its flat surface having a sliding insulating contact with the flat surface on the supporting part 2 of the rotor.
In the embodiment of Fig. 3 the operational unit 12 of the housing is made as a single part. Its two face parts are the working 3 and supporting 4 parts of the housing conventionally divided in Fig. 3 with a dot line. The unit is connected to the case 50, with the cam mechanism 28 of the vane drive fixed on it. In other embodiments the working 3 and supporting 4 parts of the housing can be made as separate parts to be assembled into the operational unit of the housing.
Similar to the example described above of the rotor vane machine of Fig. 2 with force closure to the housing and the adaptive unit of the housing, rotor vane machines with force closure to the rotor can be also made with an adaptive housing rather than rotor. In this case force chambers are made between the working and supporting parts of the adaptive operational unit of the housing.
In all the embodiments described above the cylindrical, spherical and flat insulating surfaces are made with reasonable accuracy allowing deviations from the ideal cylindrical, spherical or flat shapes within the limits conditioned by the viscosity of the applied fluids and the range of working pressures. In the preferred embodiments designed for work with hydraulic fluids with the viscosity of centistokes and pressures of up to 30 - 50 MPa these deviation values do not exceed 2-5 microns for spherical or flat insulating surfaces and 5-15 micron for cylindrical undistorted surfaces. Embodiment of the cylindrical insulating surfaces on self-adjusting spring sealing rings (similar to piston-like rings) allows considerable (dozens of times) increase of the permissible deviations.
In all the described embodiments of the rotor vane machine the working part 3 of the housing having a sliding contact with the working face surface 18 of the working part 1 of the rotor insulates the working chamber in the annular groove 19. The backward transfer limiter 20 and the forward transfer limiter having a sliding insulating contact with the vanes 21 divide the working chamber into the inlet cavity 23 hydraulically connected to the inlet port 24 and the outlet 5 cavity 25 hydraulically connected to the outlet port 26. The vanes 21 located in the vane chambers 27 are kinematically connected to the cam mechanism 28 of the vane drive installed on the housing and specifying the character of the cyclic movement of the vanes 21 relative to the annular groove 19 during reciprocal rotation of the units of the rotor and the housing. In Fig. 1 and Fig. 2 the vanes 21 10 and the cam mechanism 28 of the vane drive are made with the possibility of axial movement while Fig. 3 shows the possibility of the pivoted motion around the axis parallel to the axis of the rotor rotation. Other embodiments demonstrate the possibility of other typs of motion of the vanes relative to the working part of the rotor, for example, the radial one, as well as other types of the vane drive

15 mechanism, for example, using an electric or hydraulic drive. In the embodiments described above the annular groove 19 has a rectangular cross-section, the limiters of the forwards 22 and backward 20 transfer are static in the axial direction and the backward transfer limiter 20 has a sliding insulating contact with the walls and bottom of the annular groove 19. Other embodiments demonstrate the possibility of other forms of cross section of the annular groove, the backward transfer limiter can have a sliding insulating contact both with sections of the annular groove surface and the vanes. The invention also provides for embodiments where the limiters of the forward or backward transfer are moving in the axial direction to regulate the delivery.
During reciprocal rotation of the rotor and the housing the vanes 21 kinematically connected to the mechanism 28 of the vane drive move cyclically relative to the annular groove 19 in the following way: they move from the outlet cavity 25 into the vane chambers 27 as far as the position when they move past the backward transfer limiter 20, then they move from the vane chambers 27 into the inlet cavity 23 as far as the position when they move towards the outlet cavity 25 having a sliding insulating contact with the forward transfer limiter 22 and

16 overlapping the annular groove 19. Sliding along the forward transfer limiter the vanes 21 provide cyclic variation of the inlet 23 and outlet 25 cavities, inflow of the working fluid through the inlet port 24, its transfer from the inlet cavity 23 to the outlet cavity 25 and its displacement into the outlet port 26. High pressure is set in the pump mode in the inlet cavity 25 (in the hydraulic motor mode - in the inlet cavity 23) and in the load-bearing cavities 8 communicating to it under load.
The pressure forces of the working fluid in the load-bearing cavities 8 tend to expand the force chambers, i.e. to press the moving elements 9 out of the cylindrical load-bearing cavities 8 and to bring the working part 3 of the housing closer to the working part 1 of the rotor. Thus, the flat insulating surfaces 18 of the working parts of the rotor and the housing are pressed together ensuring insulation of the working chamber. The moving elements 9 are pressed against the moving elements 10 that are pressed against the respective part of the adaptive unit (for example, to the working part 1 of the rotor in the embodiment of Fig. 1 or to the supporting part 4 of the housing in the embodiment of Fig.
2), which ensures paired tightening of the flat and spherical insulating surfaces and insulation of the load-bearing cavities 8 of the force chambers 7.
During reciprocal rotation of the rotor and the housing the parts of the adaptive unit with the force chambers 7 between them move in the axial, tilted and transverse direction relative one another. In this case the moving elements 9 perform axial movement relative to the load-bearing cavities 8 during reciprocal axial sliding of their cylindrical insulating surfaces while the moving elements 10 perform tilted movement relative to the moving elements 9 with reciprocal sliding of their spherical insulating surfaces and transverse movement relative to the respective part of the adaptive unit with reciprocal sliding of their flat insulating surfaces. The combination of these three kinds of sliding movements in pairs of the cylindrical, spherical and flat insulating surfaces keeps insulation of the load-bearing cavities 8 during these movements of the parts of the adaptive unit.

To improve insulation of the force chambers at high pressure the spherical or fiat surfaces of the sliding insulating contact should be preferably made between the hydrostatically unloaded part of the adaptive unit and the moving

17 element as well as between the hydrostatically unloaded moving elements. Fig.

- Fig. 11 show examples of force chambers that are made in different embodiments of the rotor vane machine between various parts of adaptive units, but to provide uniformity they are shown between the working 1 and supporting parts of the rotor. In Fig. 4, Fig. 5, Fig. 9, Fig. 10 the surfaces of the sliding insulating contact (further the insulating surfaces) between the moving elements 9 and 10 are spherical while the surfaces of the sliding insulating contact between the moving element 10 and the hydrostatically unloaded part of the adaptive unit are flat. (In Fig. 9 that is described below in more detail the working part 1 of the rotor includes movable bushings 32 contacting the moving element 10). In, Fig.

the surfaces of the sliding insulating contact between the moving elements 9 and 10 are flat while the surfaces of the sliding insulating contact between the moving element 10 and the hydrostatically unloaded part of the adaptive unit, for example, the working part 1 of the rotor are spherical.
For the aforesaid hydrostatic tightening of each pair of the flat 30 and spherical 31 insulating surfaces the areas of the cross section of the load-bearing cavity 8 by planes R1 and R2 (Fig. 4- Fig. 11) passing through internal borders of the sliding insulating contact of these surfaces are chosen to be less than the area of the cross section of the cylindrical insulating surfaces of the load-bearing cavity by at least 50% of the area of projection of the mentioned sliding irisulating contact to this plane.
To ensure synchronism of the axial, tilted and transverse sliding movements in pairs of the cylindrical, spherical and flat insulating surfaces required to preserve the insulation at reduced friction provision is made for axial hydrostatic unloading of the moving elements of the insulation means of the load-bearing cavities. This unloading is achieved by choosing the value of the mentioned hydrostatic tightening, namely by choosing the shapes and sizes of the pairs of the spherical and flat insulating surfaces in such a way that the sum of the working fluid pressure forces pressing these surfaces to each other should exceed the sum of counter forces of the working fluid pressure pushing them apart by the preset value, preferably small, i.e. not exceeding 10% of the product of the

18 pressure in the load-bearing cavity by the cross-sectional area of its cylindrical insulating surfaces.
To ensure the mentioned synchronism of movements of the moving elements the shapes of the contacting spherical insulating surfaces of the insulation means of the load-bearing cavities are selected so as to ensure no self-stopping or no jamming of the moving elements at the set friction ratios in pairs of the sliding insulating contacts. In the preferable variant the curvature radius and the radii of the internal and external boundaries of the spherical surfaces are chosen in such a way that the angles "y" in Fig. 4, Fig. 5 between the flat surface and the tangents to the spherical surface in the plane of axial section should be within 20 -degrees.
Due to the hydrostatic unloading of the moving elements anci the respective part of the adaptive unit described above the flat 30 and spherical 31 insulating surfaces are not subject of deformations under pressure and erisure insulation during reciprocal radial and tilted movements of the working and supporting parts.
Deformations of the supporting part or the connecting part under pressure, as shown below, do not destroy insulation between the cylindrical insiulating surfaces 33.
In the designs in Fig. 1- Fig. 3 cylindrical are the surfaces of the sliding insulating contact between the moving element of the force chamber and the part of the adaptive unit that is deformed under the action of the axial forces of the working fluid pressure counterbalancing these forces with its elasticity. The cylindrical insulating surfaces 33 on this part are either made as internal walls of the load-bearing cavity 8 in Fig. 4, Fig. 5 or as external walls of the load-bearing ledge 34 in Fig. 6. In the latter case the load-bearing cavity 8 is 1"ormed between the load-bearing ledge 34 and the internal walls of the moving elenient 9.

Fig. 12 - Fig. 15 show deformations of the flat and cylindrical surfaces of the deformable part counterbalancing with its elasticity the workirig fluid pressure forces F applied to one side of it. As shown above, in various embodiments this deformable part can be both the supporting part of the rotor or the housing and the force flange of the connecting part. Deformations have been calculated for the

19 pressure of 30 MPa and are shown in Fig. 12 - Fig. 15 with 100-fold magnification relative to the sizes of the part. The arrows show the direction of the pressure forces. Thick oblique strokes mark the sections of the deformable part fixed at the calculation.
Fig. 12 and Fig. 13 correspond to deformations of the deformable part that is fixed in the center, for example, the force flange 14 of the connecting part 13 of the rotor in Fig. 3, Fig. 18.
Fig. 14 and Fig. 15 correspond to deformations of the deformable part that is fixed along the perimeter, for example, the supporting part 2 of the rotor in Fig.
1. The same deformations are characteristic of the force flange 11 of the connecting part 5 of the housing in Fig. 2.
It can be seen that the initially flat face surface of the deformable part bends under the action of the pressure forces turning in Fig. 12, Fig. 13 into a convex surface and in Fig. 14, Fig. 15 into a concave surface. Under small pressure the tilted movements of the moving elements 10 of the force chambers allow partial compensation of the deformations of the deformable part.
However, under pressure of dozens MPa, as shown by Fig. 12 - Fig. 15, the curvature of the deformed face surface prevents achievement of acceptable tightness of the sliding insulating contact between it and the respective flat surface of the moving element of the force chamber. The cylindrical insulating surfaces 33 of the cylindrical load-bearing cavity 8 in Fig. 12, Fig. 14 or the cylindrical load-bearing ledge 34 in Fig. 13, Fig. 15 also deform under pressure; however, their deformations are small compared to the deformations of the flat face surface, especially for the surfaces of the load-bearing ledges, while the length of the leakage channel in the gap clearances between the cylindrical surfaces are considerably larger than those between the flat or spherical surfaces;
therefore, the leakages between the cylindrical parts in case of deformations of the deformable part are much smaller. The preferable embodiments of pairs of cylindrical surfaces with spring sealing rings 35 similar to the piston-like rings self-adjusting along the deformable cylindrical surface ensure preservation of the smallest gap clearance between the cylindrical surfaces. Thus, the cylindrical insulating surfaces 33 on the deformable part of the adaptive unit ensure preservation of the insulation, with leakages not exceeding the set value.
Spring sealing rings 35 can be installed on the moving element, for example, in the embodiments in Fig. 5, Fig. 10, Fig. 11, or on the respective part of the adaptive unit.

The invention also provides for an embodiment of the rotor vane machine where both parts of the adaptive unit are hydrostatically unloaded.
Fig. 16, Fig. 17 show the rotor vane machine with force closure to the housing and the force chambers 7 between the working 1 and supporting 2 parts of the rotor.
10 The flat insulating surfaces of the supporting part 2 of the rotor and the supporting part 4 of the housing are in a sliding insulating contact with supporting cavities 15 between them hydraulically connected to the load-bearing cavities 8 by channels 16 in the supporting part 2 of the rotor. The shape, location and sizes of the supporting cavities 15 are chosen so that the pressure forces acting on the 15 supporting part of the rotor from the side of the force chambers 7 should exceed the pressure forces pushing the supporting part 2 of the rotor from the supporting part 4 of the housing by the set value, preferably small, not exceeding 5% of the said repelling forces. Thus, the supporting part 2 of the rotor is also hydrostatically balanced and is saved from deformations.

20 The hydrostatic balance of both parts of the rotor allows to make flat or spherical insulating surfaces on any of these parts and ensures free choice of the load-bearing cavity location.
In Fig. 16, Fig. 17 the load-bearing cavities 8 are made in the working part 1 of the rotor and are extention of the vane chambers 27. Other examples of possible embodiments of the force chambers between two hydrostatically unloaded parts of the rotor are shown in Fig. 7, Fig. 8, where the load-bearing cavities 8 are made between the moving elements 9, 10, 29. In this case the surfaces of the sliding insulating contacts of both parts of the rotor with moving elements 9, 10 are spherical while the surfaces of the sliding insulating contact of the moving elements are cylindrical. With two pairs of spherical insulating surfaces 31 it's ensured insulation during reciprocal radial and tilted movements of the working and supporting parts of the adaptive unit.

21 The working part 3 of the adaptive housing in Fig. 2 is composite, that is assembled from the functional element 45 contacting the working part 1 of the rotor and insulating the working chamber in the annular groove 19 and from the load-bearing element 44, which purpose is described below. The working and supporting parts of the adaptive rotor of the aforesaid embodiments are shown for simplicity as single parts. In other embodiments one or another part of the rotor can be also made composite, i.e. as an assembly of several elements, with one of them performing the main function of this part of the rotor and further called the functional element of this part of the rotor. (In the embodiments with the composite working part of the rotor the functional element of the working part of the rotor includes the annular groove connected to the vane chambers). Apart from its functional element the composite part of the adaptive unit also includes additional elements, including those that can be made with the possibility of plays or other displacements relative to the functional element of this part. Such additional elements of the part of the adaptive unit can have a sliding insulating contact with the moving elements of the force chambers and thus participate in insulation of the load-bearing cavities. In this case in accordance to the essence of the present invention additional elements of the part of the adaptive unit are the elements, including moving ones, the position of which relative to the functional element of this part is not affected by the reciprocal axial and tilted movements of the working and supporting parts of the adaptive unit during reciprocal rotation of the rotor and the housing. As a result the friction between them and other elements of the part of the adaptive unit is insignificant for the moving insulation of the load-bearing cavities. Moving means of insulation of the load-bearing cavities are those moving elements the position of which is influenced by the reciprocal axial and tilted movements and that are therefore hydrostatically unloaded in the aforesaid way to reduce friction and to ensure synchronism of their movements necessary for insulation.
As an example Fig. 9 shows the embodiment of the working part of the rotor and force chambers that is preferable by its technological characateristics and compactness for rotor vane machines with an adaptive rotor and axial movement of the vanes. The working part of the rotor 1 includes the functional

22 element 51 with the annular groove 19 in it as well as insulating bushings 32 having a cylindrical surface being in a sliding insulating contact with the cylindrical surface of the vane 21 as well as the first flat surface being in a sliding insulating contact with the flat surface of the moving element 10 of the insulation means of the load-bearing cavity 8. The bushing 32 also has the second flat surface being in a sliding contact with the flat surface of the functional element 51 with the possibility of self-adjustment to the vane 21, which decreases the precision requirements for manufacturing of the vane chambers in the working part 1 of the rotor. The diameters of the holes in the moving elements 9 and 10 exceed the diameter of the vane 21, which ensures the possibility of axial movement of the vane 21 with penetration into the load-bearing cavity 8 and allows reduction of the axial sizes of the rotor vane machine.
The position of the insulating bushing 32 of the working part of the rotor relative to the functional element 51 of the working part of the rotor depends on the position of the vane 21 only and does not change at the given reciprocal movements of the parts of the adaptive rotor. Therefore, it is not necessary to synchronize the movements of the bushing 32 and the moving elements 9 and 10 and, accordingly, there is no need for axial hydrostatic unloading of the bushing 32. The contact of the flat surfaces of the functional element 51 and bushings of the working part of the rotor transfers the pressure of the working fluid from the force chambers 7 to the functional element 51 thus hydrostatically balancing the working part of the rotor in general and preventing axial deformations both of the functional element 51 and bushings 32 of the working part of the rotor. The position of the moving elements 9 and 10 relative to one another as well as relative to the working and supporting parts of the adaptive rotor changes at reciprocal axial and tilted movements of these parts of the adaptive rotor.
The moving elements 9 and 10, as shown above, are hydrostatically unloaded in the axial direction; hence, the axial movements of the element 9 relative to the supporting part 2 of the rotor cause synchronous, insulation-preserving, tilted and transverse movements of the element 10 relative to the bushing 32 and functional element 51 of the working part 1 of the rotor and, vice versa, the movements of element 10 cause synchronous movements of the element 9.

23 To ensure insulation of the working chamber at no pressure and to overcome friction forces, including those preventing the working parts from getting closer to one another, the adaptive unit includes elastic elements pressing the face insulating surfaces of the parts of the adaptive unit to the face insulating surfaces of the parts of another unit. In the embodiments of Fig.1 - Fig. 3, Fig. 16 -Fig. 18 the elastic elements 36 in the form of compression springs are installed in the force chambers 7 and also ensure tightening of the insulation means of the load-bearing cavities 8 in pairs of the spherical and flat insulating surfaces in the absence of pressure.
To ensure a sliding insulating contact between the working parts of the rotor and the housing at high pressure the shapes, sizes and location of the load-bearing cavities 8 are chosen so that the sum of the elastic forces of the mentioned elastic elements 36 and the working fluid pressure forces in the force chambers 7 pressing the working part 1 of the rotor to the working part 3 of the housing should exceed by the preset value the sum of the working fluid pressure forces (in the working chamber and in the gap clearances between the face insulating surfaces of the rotor and the housing) pushing the working part 1 of the rotor from the working part 3 of the housing and the friction forces preventing the working part of the rotor from getting close to the working part of the housing. To reduce friction losses it is preferable to choose a small value of the said excess, namely not mare than 5% of the sum of the pressure forces pushing the working part 1 of the rotor from the working part 3 of the housing. (These repelling forces oscillate during rotor rotation, especially for the embodiment with an adaptive housing; therefore, the excess is determined against the maximum value of the repelling forces.) Thus, the working part of the adaptive unit supported by the force chambers is hydrostatically unloaded, not subject to deformations at high pressure while the losses of friction between the face insulating surfaces of the working parts of both units are small.
The present invention supposes that any unit of the rotor vane machine, the rotor or the housing, can rotate relative to the chassis of the aggregate on which another unit of the rotor vane machine is fixed. It is possible to provide an

24 embodiment where both the rotor and the housing rotate relative to the chassis of the aggregate, for example, if the rotor vane machine is an element of hydrostatic differential or hydromechanical transmission.
If the unit fixed on the chassis is adaptive, to reduce friction losses at small pressure it is preferable to reduce the elastic forces of elastic elements 36 down to the minimal necessary level chosen considering the friction forces in the force chambers 7 at no pressure.
If the unit rotating relative to the chassis of the aggregate is adaptive, the shape of the spherical surfaces and the elastic forces of the elastic elements are chosen so as to prevent the sliding insulating contact between the spherical surfaces and between the flat surfaces at the maximum rotation speed from being broken by centrifugal forces. At the rotation speed of several thousands revolutions per minute the centrifugal forces acting on the moving elements of dozens of grams can achieve hundreds of newtons. The correlation between the centrifugal force and the tightening force balancing it acting on the moving element 10 from the side of the elastic element 36 is determined by the shapes of the insulating surfaces, for example, for the embodiment of Fig. 4, Fig. 5 by angles "y" between the flat and spherical surfaces. Therefore, at set angles "y" the increase of the maximum rotation frequency requires appropriate increase of the tightening of the moving elements at the expense of elastic reaction of the elastic elements.
To avoid the increase of pressing of the rotor parts to the housing parts and increase of the friction losses at the increased elastic reaction forces of the elastic elements the designs of the force chambers 7 shown in Fig. 10, Fig. 11 are proposed. In these force chambers the elastic elements 37 are installed in such a way that their elastic reaction force is applied only to the elements conditioning insulation of the force chambers and does not affect the force pressing the rotor parts to the housing parts.
In Fig. 10 the elastic element 37 in the form of a spiral spring is fixed with one end on the moving element 9 with the cylindrical surface and with the other end - on the part of the adaptive unit the flat insulating surface of which contacts the flat insulating surface of the moving element 10 (in this case - on the working part 1 of the rotor). The pulling elastic element 37 in this case tends to shrink and presses the moving elements together and to the mentioned part of the unit. In other embodiments the elastic element 37 can be a pushing element and can be supplemented by an element, for example, a rod transforming the pressure stress 5 into the stress of tightening of the moving elements together and to the mentioned part of the adaptive unit. Fig. 11 shows the embodiment of the force chambers with two moving elements 9 and 10, their cylindrical surfaces having a sliding insulating contact with the cylindrical surfaces of the load-bearing cavities 8 in the working and supporting parts of the adaptive unit, and the third moving element 10 29, its spherical surfaces having a sliding insulating contact with the respective spherical surfaces of the aforesaid moving elements 9 and 10. In these embodiments the pulling elastic element 37 in the form of a spiral spring is fixed between the moving elements 9 and 10 and presses together all three moving elements 9,10 and 29. Thus, the force of elastic reaction of the elastic element 37 15 does not affect the force pressing of the rotor parts to the housing parts and can be chosen to be large enough to compensate the centrifugal forces acting on the moving elements 29 at the set mass of the moving elements 29, the speed of the rotor rotation and the shape of the spherical surfaces. To ensure pressing of the rotor parts to the housing parts at no pressure it's possible to use separate elastic 20 elements, for example, installed outside the force chambers.
For the embodiments where the elastic reaction force of the elastic elements is either small or does not affect the force of pressing of the rotor parts to the housing parts, the shape and sizes of the load-bearing cavities 8 are chosen so as to ensure hydrostatic pressing of the working parts together, namely

25 so that the overall area of the sections of the load-bearing cavities 8 by the plane perpendicular to the rotor rotation axis should exceed the area of the annular groove projection to the same plane by at least 50% of the area of projection of the sliding insulating contact of the working part of the rotor with the working part of the housing to the said plane. To reduce friction losses between the face insulating surfaces of the working parts of both units it is preferable to choose the said excess value so that the mentioned hydrostatic pressing should be small,

26 namely not exceeding 5% of the given sum of the pressure forces pushing the working part of the rotor away from the working part of the housing.

The necessary range of the said reciprocal axial, transverse and tilted movements of the working and supporting parts is determined considering technological tolerances, expansion clearances and deformations of the elements under the action of the working fluid pressure. The invention also provides for an embodiment of rotor vane machines described below with an adaptive rotor where the range of these reciprocal movements of the working and supporting parts is chosen based on the preset value of variation of the force chamber volumes during reciprocal rotation of the rotor and housing.
In the embodiments preferable for generation of a uniform working fluid flow the volume of the force chambers connecting the working and supporting parts of the rotor is changed during rotor rotation so that the pressure of the working fluid separated in the force chamber from the inlet cavity with the inlet pressure should reach the value of the outlet pressure by the moment the force chamber is merged the outlet cavity. For that purpose the axis of rotation of the supporting part of the rotor is tilted relative to the axis of rotation of the working part of the rotor by an angle depending on the difference between the inlet and outlet pressure. This method and design for its implementation are described in detail in the application "Method of creating a uniform working fluid flow and the device for its implementation" RU 2005129000. We consider here such embodiments from the point of view of solving the task of the present invention, namely ensuring insulation of the force chambers and the working chamber in wide range of amplitudes of reciprocal movements of parts of an adaptive rotor both at fixed and variable angle of reciprocal tilt of the axes of rotation of the working and supporting parts of the adaptive rotor.
In the embodiment of Fig. 16 the supporting part 4 of the housing is installed with a fixed tilt of its flat face insulating surface relative to the flat face insulating surface of the working part 3 of the housing by the preset angle a round the axis parallel to the straight line passing through the limiters of the forward 22 and backward 20 transfer. This tilt angle a determines the amplitude of reciprocal

27 tilts of the working and supporting parts of the rotor, the amplitude of variation of every force chamber 7 volume and the degree of the pressure variation in it from the moment of its separation from the inlet cavity 23 to the moment it merges the outlet cavity 25.
In Fig. 17 the functional element 53 (described below in more detail) of the supporting part 4 of the housing is installed with the possibility of a tilt round the axis 38 parallel to the straight line passing through limiters of the forward 22 and backward 20 transfer. The tilt angle variator 39 includes the hydrocylinder 40 installed on the load-bearing element 52 (described in more detail below) of the supporting part 4 of the housing. The cavity 41 of the hydrocylinder 40 is hydraulically connected to the working chamber (for the pump - with the outlet cavity, for the hydromotor - with the inlet cavity). The piston 42 is kinematically connected to the functional element 53 of the supporting part 4 of the housing and is supported by the spring 43. Variation of the difference between the inlet and outlet pressures changes the position of the piston 42 and the angle a of the tilt of the rotation axis of the supporting part 2 of the rotor relative to the rotation axis of the working part 1 of the rotor. This tilt angle determines the amplitude of reciprocal tilts of the working and supporting parts of the rotor, the amplitude of variation of the volume of the force chamber 7 and the degree of the pressure variation in it from the moment of its separation from the inlet cavity 23 to the moment it merges the outlet cavity 25.
Similar way for the embodiments with force closure to the rotor in order to implement this method of creating a uniform flow the working and supporting parts of the operational unit of the housing are made either with a fixed reciprocal tilt or, as shown in Fig. 18, with the possibility of variable reciprocal tilt by means of the tilt angle variator 39 made similar to the one described above between the working and supporting parts of the operational unit 12 of the housing.
Variation of the said tilt angle results in change of the amplitude of reciprocal axial, transverse and tilted displacements both in pairs of the cylindrical surfaces 33 and in pairs of the flat 30 and spherical 31 insulating surfaces.
At the pressure of dozens MPa the necessary degree of variation of the force chambers volumes reaches several percents while the angle of reciprocal tilt

28 reaches units of degrees. In this case the reciprocal axial displacements of the cylindrical insulating surfaces reach units of millimeters while the reciprocal transverse displacements in pairs of the spherical and flat insulating surfaces reach hundreds microns.

The sizes of the insulating surfaces are chosen so that in the preset range of reciprocal axial, transverse and tilted displacements of the working and supporting parts of the adaptive unit the sliding insulating contact should be maintained in all pairs of the contacting insulating surfaces between means of insulation of the load-bearing cavities. To stabilize the pressing forces in every pair of the flat or spherical insulating surfaces the area of one of them exceeds the area of the other by the set value chosen so that every section of the surface of the less area should keep a sliding contact with the surface of a larger area at any angle of the rotor rotation throughout the range of the said reciprocal displacements, Fig. 4 - Fig. 11. Thus, in any set range of the reciprocal axial, transverse and tilted displacements of the working and supporting parts of the adaptive unit as well as their deformations the proposed solution ensures good insulation of the force chambers.

The pressing of the face insulating surfaces of the adaptive unit to the respective insulating surfaces of another unit ensures good insulation of the working chamber in the absence of deformations of these face insulating surfaces, generally flat ones. Deformations of the face insulating surfaces of the rotor are small due to the massiveness and high rigidity of the working part of the rotor and due to the hydrostatic unloading of the supporting part of the adaptive rotor.
In the embodiments of the rotor vane machine with an adaptive housing the part of the housing supported by the force chambers is hydrostatically balanced and is not subject to axial deformations under the action of the working fluid pressure forces.
The parts of non-adaptive housing or the part of adaptive housing that is not supported by the force chambers can be made rather massive and rigid; however, this increases considerably the sizes and weight of the rotor vane machine. To reduce the size and weight of the parts of the housing that are not supported by

29 the force chambers and to improve the insulation of the working chamber at high pressure the invention provides for hydrostatic means of prevention of deformations of the housing insulating surfaces having a sliding insulating contact with the flat face surfaces of the working and supporting parts of the rotor.
In the embodiments with force closure to the housing to prevent defortmations of the flat insulating surfaces the working 3 part of the housing (Fig.
1, Fig. 2, Fig. 16, Fig. 17) is made composite of the external load-bearing element 44 and the internal functional element 45, with at least one antideformation chamber 46 being between them. The antideformation chamber is connected to the working chamber and is sealed along the perimeter, for example, by means of a sealing gasket or collar so that deformation of the load-bearing element 44 should not result in leakages from this chamber. Similar way the supporting part 4 of the housing (Fig. 16, Fig. 17) is made from the external load-bearing element 52 and the internal functional element 53, with at least one antideformation chamber 54 between them connected to the working chamber and sealed along the perimeter. The number, location, sizes and shape of the antideformation chambers is chosen so that the resultant of the fluid pressure forces acting on the internal functional element 45, 53 of the part of the housing from the side of the rotor and the fluid pressure forces acting from the side of the antideformation chambers should not exceed 20% of the pressure forces from the side of the rotor.
For that purpose the antideformation chambers 46, 54 are located opposite the high pressure cavity in the annular groove 19 (for the pump - opposite the outlet cavity 25, for the hydromotor - opposite the inlet cavity 23) and hydraulically connected to the said cavity. If high pressure can arise both in the outlet and inlet cavity different antidfeformation chambers are made opposite each of them. In the preferable embodiment separate antideformation chambers are also made opposite the zones of forward and backward transfer in the working chamber, i.e.
opposite the limiters of the forward and backward transfer and are hydraulically connected to the opposite sections in the working chamber. The shape and sizes of the antideformation chambers are chosen so that the pressure distribution between the functional and load-bearing element of the respective part of the housing should be close to the pressure distribution between the functional element and the rotor. For example, antideformation chamber 46, 54 can have bow-shaped form with transverse sizes being close to the transverse sizes of the annular groove 19 and with the area being close to the area of that part of the functional element 45, 53 which surface is subject to high pressure acting from the 5 rotor side. In the technologically preferred embodiment separate antideformation chambers are made along the arc opposite the annular groove, their overall area is chosen the same way. As a result, the pressure forces and related deformations fall on the external load-bearing element while the internal functional element unloaded from the pressure forces of the working fluid is not subject to 10 deformations and preserves the shape of flat sealing surfaces.
For rotor vane machines with an adaptive rotor where the working 3 and supporting 4 parts of the housing are connected with the possibility of varying the reciprocal tilt of the rotation axes of the working and supporting parts of the rotor the preferred embodiment according to the technology and overall size supposes 15 provision of the antideformation chambers between the functional and load-bearing elements of the part of the housing, preferably the supporting part of the housing in Fig. 17, similar to the force chambers of variable length of Fig. 4 - Fig.
8, Fig. 10, Fig. 11 described above in detail. Such an antideformation chamber of variable length contains an antideformation cavity of variable length 47 and the 20 means of its insulation including at least two moving elements 48 and 49.
These moving elements are installed with formation of sliding insulating contacts between the following pairs of the surfaces: between the insulating surface of one of the moving elements and the insulating surface of the load-bearing element of the supporting part of the housing as well as between the insulating surfaces of 25 the moving elements 48 and 49. At least in one of these contacts both insulating surfaces are cylindrical and at least in one of them they are spherical. In the other contacts the shapes of the pairs of the contact surfaces are chosen so as to preserve the sliding insulating contact at the given variation of the reciprocal tilt angle a. Reciprocal sliding of the cylindrical insulating surfaces ensures insulation

30 during reciprocal axial movements of the working and supporting parts of the housing while the reciprocal sliding of the insulating spherical surfaces ensures insulation during reciprocal tilted movements of the parts. To ensure insulation

31 during reciprocal transverse movements of the parts at least in one more of the other insulating contacts both insulating surfaces are either flat or spherical. To press the spherical and flat insulting surfaces together at no pressure the antideformation chambers of variable length 55 are provided with elastic elements 57 in the form of springs. The functional element 53 of the supporting part of the housing is substantionaly hydrostatically balanced and it is preferable to provide flat (like on the supporting part 2 of the rotor in Fig. 4, Fig. 5, Fig. 10) or spherical (like on the working part 1 of the rotor in Fig. 6) insulating surfaces on it.
The load-bearing element 52 is subject to deformations under pressure; therefore, it is preferable to make cylindrical insulating surfaces of the antideformation chambers on it and, if required, to strengthen their insulation by means of spring sealing rings. This preferred embodiment is shown in Fig. 17. In this embodiment the functional element 53 of the supporting part 4 of the hosuing has the possibility of tilting relative to the load-bearing element 52 of the supporting part 4 of the housing and thus relative to the working part 3 of the hosing changing the reciprocal tilt of the axes of rotation of the supporting 2 and working 1 parts of the rotor.
The above-described reduction of the fluid pressure forces on the functional element results in proportional reduction of deformations of the housing insulating surfaces and the gap clearances between them and the respective rotor insulating surfaces. The leakage through these gap clearances at the set pressure is proportional to the third power of the clearance size. Therefore, reduction of the forces even by 2-3 times reduces the leakages substantionally while the preferred embodiment reducing these pressure forces by 5 and more times ensures leakage reduction at the set pressure by 100 and more times, which improves the insulation of the working chamber considerably.

In the embodiments with force closure to the rotor (Fig. 3, Fig. 18) the hydrostatic means of preventing deformations of the housing insulating surfaces include supporting cavities 15 between the supporting part 2 of the rotor and the supporting part 4 of the operational unit 12 of the housing. Due to the aforesaid choice of the shape, location and sizes of the supporting cavities 15 the pressure

32 acting on the supporting part 4 of the housing from the side of the supporting part 2 of the rotor and the pressure acting on the working part 3 of the housing from the side of the working part 1 of the rotor differ not more than by the set, preferably small, value. Fig. 3 shows that the supporting cavities 15 are located opposite the annular groove 19 and are connected to it by the channels 17. As a result the pressure in each supporting cavity 15 equals the pressure in the opposite cavity of the working chamber in the annular groove 19. The transverse sizes of the supporting cavities 15 and the sliding insulating contact between the supporting parts of the rotor 2 and the housing 4 are close to the transverse sizes of the annular groove 19 and the sliding insulating contact between the working parts 1 of the rotor and 3 of the housing. Therefore, symmetrical distribution of the working fluid pressure is formed on both sides of the operational unit 12 of the housing.
In case of the rigid joint of the working 3 and supporting 4 parts of the housing into the operational unit 12 of the housing, for example, in the embodiment of the operational unit 12 of the housing in the form of a single part like in Fig. 3 as well as in the embodiments with the adaptive operational unit of the housing this symmetry of the compressing pressure forces effectively prevents deformations of the flat insulating surfaces of the working 3 and supporting 4 parts of the operational unit 12 of the housing.
For the embodiments where the working and supporting parts of the non-adaptive operational unit of the housing are not rigidly connected, the invention provides for antideformation chambers between the working and supporting parts of the operational unit of the housing. The number, location, sizes and shape of the antideformation chambers are chosen so that the resultant of the fluid pressure forces acting on the parts of the housing from the side of the rotor and the fluid pressure forces acting from the side of the antideformation chambers should not exceed 20% of the pressure forces acting from the side of the rotor.
For the embodiments with an adaptive rotor where the working and supporting parts of the operational unit of the housing are connected with the possibility of reciprocal movements, for example, with the possibility of a variable reciprocal tilt by means of the tilt angle variator, each part of the operational unit is

33 supposed to be made from two elements, the functional one and the load-bearing one, with antideformation chambers between them similar to the embodiment described above for force closure to the housing.
For rotor vane machines with an adaptive rotor where the working 3 and supporting 4 parts of the operational unit 12 of the housing are connected with the possibility of varying the reciprocal tilt of the axes of rotation of the working and supporting parts of the rotor the embodiment preferable for manufacturability and overall dimensions supposes to locate antideformational chambers between the working and supporting parts of the operational unit of the housing Fig. 18 similar to the force chambers of variable length in Fig. 4 - Fig. 8, Fig. 10, Fig. 11 described above in detail. In the latter case the antideformation chamber 56 of variable length contains the antideformation cavity 47 of variable length and means of its insulation, including at least two moving elements. These moving elements 48 and 49 are installed with formation of sliding insulating contacts between the following pairs of the surfaces: the insulating surface of one of the moving elements and the insulating surface of the working part of the housing, the insulating surface of another moving element and the insulating surface of the supporting part of the housing and between the insulating surfaces of the moving elements 48 and 49. At least in one of these contacts both insulating surfaces are cylindrical and at elast in one of them they are spherical while in the other contacts the shapes of the pairs of the contact surfaces are chosen so as to preserve the sliding insulating contact at the given variation of the reciprocal tilt angle. Reciprocal sliding of the cylindrical surfaces ensures insulation during reciprocal axial movements of the working 3 and supporting 4 parts of the operational unit 12 of the housing while the reciprocal sliding of the spherical surfaces ensures insulation during reciprocal tilted movements of these parts.
To ensure insulation during reciprocal transverse movements of the parts, at least in one more of the other insulating contacts both insulating surfaces are either flat or spherical. To press the spherical and flat insulating surfaces together at no pressure the antideformation chambers of variable length 56 are provided with elastic elements 57 in the form of springs. In such an embodiment the working and supporting 4 parts of the operational unit 12 of the housing are substantionally

34 hydrostatically balanced and the cylindrical surfaces can be made on any of them (like on the supporting part 2 of the rotor in the force chambers accordingly to Fig.
4 - Fig. 6, Fig. 10, Fig. 11) or between the moving elements (like in the force chambers in Fig. 7, Fig. 8).
S This hydrostatic balancing of the working and supporting parts of the operational unit of the housing reduces substantionally deformations of the housing insulating surfaces and improves considerably the insulation of the working chamber.

Thus, the proposed rotor vane machine ensures:
- insulation of the working chamber and force chambers in a wide range of axial gap clearances between the units of the rotor vane machine by making at least one unit adaptive, i.e. containing the working and supporting part and force chambers of variable length with cylindrical pairs of insulating surfaces;
- insulation of the working chamber and force chambers in a wide range of reciprocal tilted and transverse movements of the working and supporting parts of the adaptive unit due to insulation of the force chambers by spherical and flat pairs of insulating surfaces;
- insulation of the working chamber and force chambers in a wide range of pressures and related deformations due to that the deformable component of the adaptive unit has cylindrical insulating surfaces of the insulation means of the force chambers allowing installation of self-adjusting spring sealing rings as well as due to implementation of hydrostatic means of preventing the deformations of the housing insulating surfaces;
- hydrostatic unloading of the friction pairs in the sliding insulating contacts between the rotor and the housing and between the force chambers insulation means.
The said insulation of the working chamber and force chambers ensures high volume efficiency and in combination with hydrostatic unloading of the friction pairs high total efficiency at high pressure of the working fluid.

The embodiments described above are examples of implementation of the main idea of the present invention that also supposes a variety of other embodiments that were not described here in detail, for example: the rotor vane machine with the second working chamber in the annular groove in the supporting 5 part of the rotor, an embodiment with several forward and backward transfer limiters in one annular groove as well as various installations of the rotor vane machine into hydrostatic differentials and transmissions or embodiments of the rotor vane machine connecting differently its units with the inlet or outlet shaft, chassis of the hydromechanical agregate or with units of another rotor vane 10 machine.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A rotor vane machine consisting of two units, namely a housing and a rotor, installed to allow reciprocal rotation, wherein the housing with an inlet and outlet ports contains a supporting part of the housing and a working part of the housing with a forward transfer limiter and a backward transfer limiter while the rotor includes a supporting part of the rotor and a working part of the rotor with an annular groove on a working face surface, wherein the annular groove being connected to vane chambers enclosing vanes installed such that the degree of extension into the annular groove can vary; the working and supporting parts of one unit are located between the working and supporting parts of another unit joined by a connecting part, wherein the supporting part of the housing is contacting the supporting part of the rotor while the working part of the housing having a sliding contact with the working part of the rotor insulates a working chamber in the annular groove;
the working chamber being divided by the backward transfer limiter and the forward transfer limiter having a sliding insulating contact with the vanes into an inlet cavity of the working chamber hydraulically connected to the inlet port and an outlet cavity of the working chamber hydraulically connected to the outlet port; wherein at least one of the units is adaptive, that is it includes force chambers of variable length kinematically connecting the working and supporting parts of the adaptive unit such that their reciprocal axial movements and tilts are at least sufficient to ensure the sliding insulating contact between the working parts of both units of the rotor vane machine during their reciprocal rotation, while every force chamber of variable length includes a load-bearing cavity hydraulically connected to the working chamber and means of its insulation; wherein variation of the length of these force chambers results in the reciprocal movements of the working and supporting parts of the unit while the forces of pressure of the working fluid in the load-bearing cavities are directed to expand the force chambers of variable length and to bring together the working part of the housing and the working part of the rotor, wherein in every force chamber of variable length the means of insulation of its load-bearing cavity include at least two moving elements installed with formation of sliding insulating contacts between the following pairs of surfaces: between the insulating surface of one moving element and the insulating surface of one part of the adaptive unit, between the insulating surface of another moving element and the insulating surface of another part of the adaptive unit as well as between the insulating surfaces of the moving elements; wherein at least in one of the contacts both insulating surfaces are cylindrical and at least in one of them they are spherical and at least in one of the other contacts both insulating surface are flat or spherical.

2. The machine according to claim 1 wherein the said insulating surfaces between the supporting part of the adaptive unit and the moving elements of the means of insulation of the load-bearing cavities are cylindrical.

3. The machine according to claim 1 wherein a connecting part joins the working and supporting parts of the adaptive unit and between them the working and supporting parts of another unit are located while the said cylindrical insulating surfaces are made between the connecting part of the adaptive unit and the moving elements of the means of insulation of the load-bearing cavities.

4. The machine according to claim 1 wherein the shapes, sizes and location of the load-bearing cavities are chosen so that the pressure forces of the working fluid in the force chambers pressing the working part of the rotor to the working part of the housing exceed the forces of the working fluid pressure in the working chamber pushing the working part of the rotor away from the working part of the housing by a set value.

5. The machine according to claim 4 wherein the overall area of sections of the load-bearing cavities by the plane perpendicular to the axis of the rotor rotation exceeds the area of projection of the annular groove to the same plane at least by 50% of the area of projection of the sliding insulating contact of the working part of the rotor with the working part of the housing to the said plane.

6. The machine according to claim 1 wherein the force chambers include elastic elements pressing the working part of the rotor to the working part of the housing at no pressure while the shapes, sizes and location of the loadbearing cavities are chosen so that the sum of elastic forces of these elastic elements and the forces of the working fluid pressure in the force chambers pressing the working part of the rotor to the working part of the housing exceeds the sum of the pressure forces of the working fluid in the working chamber pushing the working part of the rotor away from the working part of the housing and the friction forces in these rotor elements preventing the working part of the rotor from approaching the working part of the housing by a set value.

7. The machine according to claim 1 wherein in every pair of the contact spherical insulating surfaces and in every pair of the contact flat insulating surfaces the shapes and sizes of the said pairs of insulating surfaces are chosen so that the projections of the forces of the working fluid pressure pressing these surfaces together exceed the projections of the counter forces of the working fluid pressure pushing them away by the a set value.

8. The machine according to claim 1 wherein in every pair of the contact insulating surfaces the area of one insulating surface exceeds the area of the other insulating surface so that every section of the surface of the smaller area keeps the sliding insulating contact with the surface of the larger area at any angle of the rotor rotation throughout the whole range of reciprocal displacements of the working and supporting parts of the rotor.

9. The machine according to claim 7 wherein for every pair of the insulating surfaces the area of the cross section of the load-bearing cavity by the plane passing through the internal boundary of the sliding insulating contact of these surfaces is chosen to be less than the area of the cross section of the cylindrical insulating surfaces of the load-bearing cavity by at least 50% of the area of projection of the said sliding insulating contact to the said plane.

10. The machine according to any one of claims 1 to 9 wherein the working and supporting parts of the housing are located between the working and supporting parts of the rotor that includes a connecting part of the rotor while at least one of the parts of the rotor is installed to allow axial displacements and tilts relative to the connecting part while the force chambers of variable length are made between this part of the rotor and the connecting part of the rotor and kinematically connect this part of the rotor to the connecting part, wherein the surfaces of the sliding insulating contact between the connecting part of the rotor and the moving element are cylindrical.

11. The machine according to any one of claims 1 to 9 wherein the force chambers of variable length are made between the supporting part of the housing and the working part of the housing joined into an operational unit of the housing located between the working and supporting parts of the rotor joined by the connecting part of the rotor.

12. The machine according to claim 1 wherein at least one part of the hosing includes: a functional element having a sliding insulating contact with the respective part of the rotor, the load-bearing element of this part of the housing and at least one antideformation chamber located between the functional and load-bearing elements hydraulically connected to the working chamber; wherein the number, location and shape of the antideformation chambers are chosen so that the resultant of the fluid pressure forces acting on the internal functional element of this part of the housing from the side of the rotor and the fluid pressure forces acting from the side of the antideformation chambers does not exceed a set value.

13. The machine according to claim 12 wherein the rotor unit is made adaptive while the unit of the housing is made to allow changing the angle of the reciprocal tilt of the axes of rotation of the supporting and working parts of the rotor; wherein the antideformation chamber contains an antideformation cavity of variable length and means of its insulation including, the at least two moving elements installed with formation of sliding insulating contacts between the following pairs of the surfaces: the insulating surface of one of the moving elements and the insulating surface of the functional element of the part of the housing, the insulating surface of another moving element and the insulating surface of the load-bearing element of the part of the housing and between the insulating surfaces of the moving elements, and at least in one of the contacts both insulating surfaces are cylindrical and at least in one of them they are spherical while in the other said contacts the shapes of the pairs of the contact surfaces are chosen so as to preserve the said sliding insulating contact at the said variation of the angle of the reciprocal tilt.

14. The machine according to claim 1 wherein the working and supporting parts of the housing are joined into an operational unit of the housing and are located between the working and supporting parts of the rotor that includes a connecting part of the rotor, and between the supporting part of the rotor and the supporting part of the housing there are supporting cavities located opposite the annular groove and hydraulically connected to it so that the pressure in every supporting cavity equals the pressure in the opposite working cavity of the working chamber in the annular groove while the number, shapes and sizes of the supporting cavities are chosen so that the resultant of the pressure forces acting on the working part of the housing from the side of the working part of the rotor should not exceed a set value.

15. The machine according to claim 14 wherein the rotor unit is adaptive while the operational unit of the housing is made to allow varying the angle of reciprocal tilt of the supporting and working parts of the housing and includes at least one antideformation chamber located between the working and supporting parts of the operational unit of the housing and hydraulically connected to the working chamber, wherein the number, location, sizes and shape of the antideformation chambers are chosen so that for each part of the operational unit of the housing the resultant of the fluid pressure forces acting on it from the side of the respective part of the rotor and the fluid pressure forces acting from the side of the antideformation chambers should not exceed the set value; wherein the antideformation chamber contains an antideformation cavity of variable length and means of its insulation including the at least two moving elements installed with formation of sliding insulating contacts between the following pairs of the surfaces: the insulating surface of one of the moving elements and the insulating surface of the working part of the housing, the insulating surface of another moving element and the insulating surface of the supporting part of the housing and between the insulating surfaces of the moving elements, wherein at least in one of the contacts both insulating surfaces are made cylindrical and at least in one of them they are spherical while in the other said contacts the shapes of the pairs of the contact surfaces are chosen so as to preserve the sliding insulating contact at the said variation of the angle of the reciprocal tilt.

16. The machine according to claim 13 or 15 wherein at least in one of the said contacts both insulating surfaces are made flat.

17. The machine according to claim 13 or 15 wherein at least in two said contacts the insulating surfaces are made spherical.