GB574531A - Improvements in rotary engines - Google Patents

Abstract

574,531. Elastic-fluid turbines. GIBBS, C. W. Feb. 1, 1944, No. 1853. [Class 110 (iii)] A turbine rotor 16, which has no external casing, has a number of helically-arranged passages 31, 32, Fig. 2, of increasing crosssection in the direction of flow of the expanding fluid, which traverses the rotor to and fro between end plates 43, 44, having admission and exhaust ports, and transfer ducts from one ring of passages to the next. The helices are of opposite hand when the fluid is reversed, to secure thrust on the rotor in one direction of rotation, end thrusts thus being balanced. The shafts 21, 22, in bearings 12, may be hollow, and may form the admission and exhaust conduits for the fluid. In case of high temperature fluid, the shaft 21 is insulated from its bearing. The fluid may be steam, compressed air, or combustion gases. The rotor is constructed of a number of thin discs or laminae each provided with holes punched or drilled in them, the whole being secured together by bolts 42, and maybe, welding to the end plates. The helical passages may be smoothed after assembly by sand blasts. Fig. 1 shows two inlet pipes 25 leading to ports near the rotor periphery, but the inlets may be close to the rotor axis. One means to secure increase of cross sectional area in the direction of flow, is for one passage to connect with two or more parallel passages. Relative dimensions of discs and holes are given in the specification. The discs may be of ferrous or non-ferrous metal and the holes other than circular: The rotor may be conical or of other shape. Fig. 7 shows a turbine rotor having all the passages in one ring connected in parallel, the fluid being reversed in direction from layer to layer, through manifolds 81, 84.