US3797975A

US3797975A - Rotor vane motor device

Info

Publication number: US3797975A
Application number: US00227393A
Authority: US
Inventors: L Keller
Original assignee: Keller Corp
Current assignee: Keller Corp
Priority date: 1972-02-18
Filing date: 1972-02-18
Publication date: 1974-03-19
Anticipated expiration: 1991-03-19
Also published as: JPS5543082B2; JPS4893830A

Abstract

An eccentric rotor, concentric vane motor device characterized by one or more of the following improvements: (1) an improved seal structure for sealing between the vanes and rotor vane guides as they rotate and interdigitate the vanes within a main chamber; (2) an adjustable inlet aperture on a torque control sleeve to eliminate a throttle and its associated loss in efficiency; (3) adjustable exhaust apertures in an exhaust control to reduce losses from over- or under-expansion of a working fluid flowing through the motor; (4) a combination of the adjustable inlet aperture and the adjustable exhaust apertures to enable optimum efficiency, including the supercharging capability, over a wide range of power and speed requirements; and (5) a vane tip seal intermediate the vane and the interior cylindrical surface of a main chamber within which the vanes rotate. The motor device is employed in a system, including a reversing valve arrangement, for reversing the direction of rotation of the motor; and has within it means for reversibly positioning the adjustable inlet apertures and the adjustable exhaust apertures. Also disclosed are specific embodiments useful for a wide variety of working fluids, regardless of whether or not the working fluids are recirculated.

Description

United States Patent 1 1 Keller ROTOR VANE MOTOR DEVICE [75] Inventor: Leonard J. Keller, Sarasota, Fla.

[73] Assignee: The Keller Corporation, Sarasota,

Fla.

[22] Filed: Feb. 18, 1972 [21] Appl. No.: 227,393

[52] US. Cl 418/137, 418/159, 418/241 [51] Int. Cl. FOlc 1/00, FOlc 19/00, F04c 27/00 [58] Field of Search 418/33, 35, 37, 136, 137, 418/138, 145,159, 241, 253, 234

[56] References Cited UNlTED STATES PATENTS 32,029 4/1861 Johnson 418/241 3,066,851 12/1962 Marshal1.... 418/159 1 Mar. 19, 1974 Primary Eraminer-Carltor'i Croyle Assistant Examiner-John J. Vrablik Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Wofford, Felsman & Fails [5 7 ABSTRACT An eccentric rotor, concentric vane motor device characterized by one or more "of the following improvements: (1) an improved seal structure for sealing between the vanes and rotor vane guides as they rotate and interdigitate the vanes within a main chamber;-(2) an adjustable inlet aperture on a torque control sleeve to eliminate a throttle and its associated loss in efficiency; (3) adjustable exhaust apertures in an exhaust control to reduce losses from overor under-expansion of a working fluid flowing through the motor; (4) a combination of the adjustable inlet aperture and the adjustable exhaust apertures to enable optimum efficiency, including the supercharging capability, over a wide range of power and speed requirements; and (5) a vane tip seal intermediate the vane and the interior cylindrical surface of a main chamber within which the vanes rotate. The motor device is employed in a system, including a reversing valve arrangement, for reversing the direction of rotation of the motor; and has within it means for reversibly positioning the adjustable inlet apertures and the adjustable exhaust apertures. Also disclosed are specific embodiments useful for a wide variety of working fluids, regardless of whether or not the working fluids are recirculated.

9 Claims, 20 Drawing Figures PAIENTEDNAR 1 9 1914 SHEU 1 Bf 7 Q n QQGNR PAIENTEB m 19 1914 SHEET 3 [IF 7 20 PRIOR ART PATENTED 9 1974 SHEET 0F 7 PAIENIEDHAR 1 a 1924 3. 7 97'. 97 5 SHEET E OF 7 T .225 LOW PRESSURE W RECEIVER HIGH I PRESSURE :2 2 SOURCE ROTOR VANE MOTOR DEVICE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION:

1. Field of the Invention:

This invention relates to motors. More particularly, it relates to eccentric rotor, concentric vane type motors for delivering power by way of an output shaft in response to flow of a working fluid therethrough.

2. Description of the Prior Art:

A wide variety of types of motors have been employed in the prior art. Included are motors which delivered power in response to flow of a working fluid therethrough, the working fluid flowing from a high pressure to a lower pressure. These motors have employed compressible working fluids and have employed incompressible working fluids. With the increasing concern for improving the quality of our environment, conventional internal combustion prime movers are looked upon with disfavor and interest in other motor systems has been generated. Typical of one such low entropy engine and system is U. 8. Pat. No. 3,479,817, Wallace L. Minto. The Rankine cycle has been used in steam generating plants, on ships and nuclear submarines and the like, but prior art attempts to make use of the Rankine cycle in many applications, such as for replacing an internal combustion engine in the automobile, have not proven engineeringly and economically feasible. For example the Rankine cycle inherently has an efficiency of only about 8-20 percent when used with low entropy fluids in an external combustion system. Where a throttle is employed, there are efficiency losses that reduce this efficiency by up to 50 percent. Also, the prior art motors which could be employed in such a system had severe disadvantages and, insofar as I am aware, no machine employing the Rankine cycle has ever achieved its optimum potential. For example, a 200 horsepower steam engine of conventional reciprocating piston design would weigh about two tons. On the other hand, a steam engine turbine which would be feasible would have a high rotational speed of 20,000-30,000 revolutions per minute (rpm) and would require a very expensive transmission to come down into the range of useful rotational speeds and adequate torque. Moreover, such high speed steam turbines were damaged by droplets of water and had to be operated entirely in the vapor region with care being taken that the steam did not become wet," or contain droplets of water.

Specifically, the prior art motors have not provided a motor device having one or more of the following desirable features: (1) an improved motor with operating characteristics allowing over-all system efficiencies and performance for a compressible working fluid flowing therethrough that provide broad application potential for the Rankine cycle external combustion system; (2) a compressible fluid motor having most of the desirable characteristics of both the piston motor and the expansion turbine, while alleviating problems caused by the limitations associated with these units; (3) a compressible fluid motor which obviates the need for a reducing throttle valve as a part of an external combustion system and alleviates the problem with system efficiency losses from throttling that have been inherent in such compressible fluid systems, such as the Rankine cycle engines; (4) an expansible fluid motor capable of exhausting at or near a low receiver pressure, such as condenser pressure, throughout most of the range of operating condition, thereby substantially reducing exhausting losses inherently caused by over-expansion or by under-expansion of the working fluid during the expansion work cycle; (5) an expansible fluid motor that is internally reversible and that has torque capabilities allowing its use to drive mobile equipment; directly and efficiently, without requiring the use of a transmission, incorporating variable ratio and reversing gears and a clutch; (6) an expansible fluid motor capable of exhausting substantial amounts of liquid condensate with the working fluids without adverse effects on the motor such that the motor can operate in either the thermodynamic superheat region of the working fluid, in the saturated region, or from the superheat region into the saturated region, for much greater flexibility and power delivery capabilities with a given working fluid; (7) a motor having a very great mass rate of flow of working fluid therethrough at moderate rotating speeds such that it can deliver very high torque and power levels for its size; (8) an expansible fluid motor which may be supercharged by increasing the inlet volume per revolution beyond the capability of the adjustable exhaust control to exhaust the fluid at the exhaust receiver pressure such that the lowest pressure internally of the exhaust control is greater than the exhaust receiver pressure for effecting great increases in both torque and power instantly at any operating speed; (9) compressible fluid motors that are operable on a wide variety of fluids; and, specifically, motors that are useful with fluids from naturally occurring high pressure sources, such as geothermal wells, and exhaust into ambient low pressure receiver means, such as the atmosphere; and that have structures that enable delivering large quantities of power at these naturally-occurring pressures without intolerable vibrations, size and cost; and (10) compressible fluid motors that, though superficially similar to prior art motors, are really quite different and take advantage of double effects, as described in more detail in the Theory" section later hereinafter, for far greater power and torque outputs than have been possible heretofore with comparably sized motors.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS:

FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of a motor in accordance with one embodiment of this invention.

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the motor of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged cross sectional view taken along the lines III-III in FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged sectional view taken along the lines lV-IV in FIG. 1, with its torque control sleeve shown in a position to effect delivery of high torque.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged sectional view taken along the lines IV-IV in FIG. 1, with the torque control sleeve shown in the cut-off, or zero torque, condition.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged sectional view taken along the lines lV-IV in FIG. 1, with the torque control sleeve in a position for effecting low torque delivery.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the vane axle pin and one of the vanes of the motor of FIG. 1.

FIG. 8 is a partial cross sectional view taken along the lines VIII-VIII in FIG. 1, partially cut away to show an exhaust, or discharge, ring positioned for late, or retarded, exhausting, or discharging, of the working fluid for effecting maximum internal expansion thereof during forward rotation of the motor.

FIG. 9 is a partial cross sectional view taken along the lines VIIlVlII in FIG. 1, broken away and partly in section to illustrate an exhaust ring in a position to effect early, or advanced, exhausting of the working fluid, effecting minimal internal expansion thereof.

FIG. 10 is an exploded isometric view of a motor in accordance with another embodiment of this invention.

FIG. 11 is a partial cross sectional view of an assembled motor, with the rotor and vanes removed, in accordance with the embodiment of FIG. 10, illustrating the torque control sleeve in the shut-off, or zero, torque setting for reverse direction of rotation.

FIG. 12 is a schematic view, partly in section, illustrating a system, including a reversing valve in position for effecting forward direction of rotation of a motor, in accordance with another embodiment of this invention.

FIG. 13 is a partial schematic view, partly in section. of the embodiment of FIG. 12, illustrating the reversing valve in a position for effecting reverse rotation of the motor.

FIG. 14 is a partial schematic illustration, partly in section, showing the reversing valve in the off position.

FIG. 15 is a partial end view showing one exhaust ring in the retarded position for effecting maximum internal expansion of the working fluid in the forward direction of rotation of the motor of FIG. 10.

FIG. 16 is a partial cross end view showing the exhaust ring of the embodiment of FIG. 15 in the advanced position for effecting minimum internal expansion of the working fluid.

FIG. 17 is a partial end view showing the exhaust ring in the reverse position for effecting operation ofthe engine in the reverse direction of rotation.

FIG. 18 is a cross sectional end view of a housing of the embodiment of FIG. 10.

FIG. 19 is a partial cross sectional end view illustrating a vane tip, seal, and internal surface of a torque control sleeve in accordance with a specific embodiment of this invention.

FIG. 20 is a partial end view ofa conventional motor of the prior art.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS:

It is a primary object of this invention to provide an eccentric rotor, concentric vane device that obviates the disadvantages of the prior art devices and has one or more of the desirable features delineated hereinbefore and not heretofore provided by the prior art.

It is also an object of this invention to provide an eccentric rotor, concentric vane device having combined selective ones of the desirable features, including particularly feature (10), for effecting optimum operation in a given application of the motor.

It is another object of this invention to provide a system employing an eccentric rotor, concentric vane motor device having all of the desirable features delineated hereinbefore.

It is another object of this invention to provide an eccentric rotor, concentric vane motor device having specific improved structure in accordance with the respective embodiments delineated and described hereinafter and taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

Referring now to the figures, and particularly FIGS. 1-9, there is illustrated one embodiment of this invention in the form of a motor 11, or eccentric rotor, concentric vane motor device. The motor 11 comprises a stator 13, a rotor, or rotor assembly, 15, FIG. 3, and a vane assembly 17.

The stator 13 includes a main body member 19 having a base or mounting bracket 21, FIGS. 1 and 2. Main body member 19 has peripherally disposed circular flanges 23, FIG. 3, that extend longitudinally for affixing ends, or cap members, 25 and 27. A longitudinal cylindrical cavity 29 is formed in the inner face of the main body member 19 and includes a main chamber. An inlet port 31, FIG. 4, is formed in the inner face of body member 19 and extends from the medial top, or 0, position thereof for about clockwise. The inlet port 31 has its leading and trailing

edges

35 and 33 extending longitudinally for the full length of the body member 19 for providing a maximum flow area. The inlet port 31 communicates via passageway 37 in body member 19 with an internally threaded, integrally formed collar 39 to facilitate connecting an inlet of motor 11 with a high pressure source of working fluid, which will be described in more detail later hereinafter. Similarly formed in the inner face of the body member 19 is an exhaust, or discharge, port 41. The discharge port 41 has a leading edge 43 that extends longitudinally of the longitudinal cylindrical cavity 29 and body member 19, and that is spaced about 25 peripherally thereof from the trailing edge 33 of the inlet port 31. The discharge port 41 also has a trailing edge 45 that extends longitudinally of the longitudinal cylindrical cavity 29 and trails the leading edge 43 approximately 90. The discharge port 41 communicates by a passageway 47 in body member 19 with an internally threaded, integrally formed collar 48 to facilitate connection with a low pressure receiver that will be described in more detail later hereinafter.

A pair of

cap members

25 and 27, FIG. 3, are affixed to opposite sides of the body member 19. Each cap member includes a curved conical peripheral wall 49 whose outer border abuts the outer face of a respective flange 23 and is secured thereto by bolts, or cap screws 51, engaging aligned bores in the respective cap member and tapped bores in the flanges 23. Coaxial bearing sleeves 53 and 55 are integrally formed with the

cap member

25 and 27. A thrust plate 57 is secured to the bearing sleeve 55 by cap screws 59, with a suitable seal 61 sandwiched therebetween. A coaxial collar 63 is secured by cap screws 65 to the outer end of bearing sleeve 53. The coaxial collar 63 is disposed about a shaft extending therethrough and contains a suitable shaft seal 67. Suitable bearings are interposed intermediate the bearing sleeves and their respective shafts. The bearings will be appropriate to the use in which the motor device is being employed. As illustrated, roller bearings 69 are employed.

The end caps also define exhaust, or discharge, chambers 71. The curved peripheral walls 49 contain an internally threaded aperture 73 to facilitate connecting, as by threaded conduit, the discharge chamber 71 with the low pressure receiver.

The rotor assembly 15 includes a pair of opposite and mating

circular plates

75 and 77 that rotatably engage, or proximate, the

circular apertures

79 and 81 in annularly

disposed plates

83 and 85. If desired, bearing materials can be provided at the interface between the respective

circular plates

75 and 77 and the inner walls of

apertures

79 and 81. The follower means, such as the vane guides 87, are retained intermediate the oppositely disposed faces of the

circular plates

75 and 77. The vane guides 87 serve as both pistons and means for interdigitating the vanes, thereby effecting a change in volume of subchambers intermediate the respective adjacent vanes as the rotor assembly and the vanes are rotated within the main chamber. Each subchamber 88, FIGS. 3 and 4, is defined by a pair of confronting vane faces on its sides. by a vane guide and an interior surface 117 of the torque control sleeve 119 at its inner and outer boundaries, and the

annular plates

83 and 85 at its ends. Each subchamber 88 varies from a minimum volume at the outermost, or 0, position of the vane guide to a maximum at the innermost, or 180, position of the vane guide 87. The vane guides 87 traverse inwardly and outwardly radially along the adjacent vanes to effect the improved seal that makes practical this invention, as described with respect to the vanes and the vane assembly later hereinafter.

Each of the illustrated follower means comprises a vane guide 87 that extends longitudinally along the rotor with vane engaging surfaces on each side that are disposed symmetrically about a central axis thereof. Each of the vane engaging surfaces of a vane guide 87 has the same predetermined radius of curvature with respect to the central axis. As illustrated, each vane guide 87 comprises a cylindrical roller 89, rotatably mounted on a shaft 91. Rotation of the cylindrical roller 89 is facilitated by suitable bearing means, such as insert 93. Each shaft 91 is fixed between shoulders 95 of the

circular plates

75 and 77 by cap screws 97 penetrating through apertures 99 in the

circular plates

75 and 77. v;

One of the advantages of this invention is that the improved structure of the vane guides 87 make possible employing at least 8 vanes in the vane assembly, and 8 vane guides 87, whereas the prior art structures were limited to a lesser number and were, consequently, less efficient and had significant disadvantages, as indicated hereinbefore. 1n the embodiment illustrated, vane guides 87 are employed.

A power shaft 101 is fixed to and extends coaxially from the circular plate 75 through roller bearing 69 in the bearing sleeve 53. As indicated hereinbefore, it is journalled within coaxial collar 63 and shaft seal 67 and extends outwardly to deliver the power, as by way of suitable coupling means. to using apparatus.

The coupling means may be any of the conventional coupling means, including but not limited to linear, inline couplers, gear reducing couplers, or properly sized sheaves and endless member drives; such as, belts or chains. As in conventional practice, one end of the coupling means will be connected with the shaft 101; as by a key and slot combination, or splines (not shown). A second shaft 103 extends coaxially from the circular plate 77 and is journalled for rotational movement in roller bearings 69 in bearing sleeve 55, to provide additional support to the rotor assembly.

As illustrated, each .of the

shafts

101 and 103 has a male threaded portion 105 threadedly engaging a tapped aperture in the respective

circular plates

75 and 77. The portion 105 pulls the respective shoulders 107 into tight engagement with the respective

circular plates

75 and 77 to form a strong connection therebetween. The threads are formed such that they are not loosened in normal rotation. A set of roller thrust bearings 109 are prvided intermediate the exterior of each respective circular plate and 77 and its

adjacent end caps

25 and 27. The thrust bearings 109 may be countersunk to keep the clearance intermediate the plates to a minimum. Preferably, aircraft type roller bearings are employed as the thrust bearings 109, although other bearings may be employed as appropriate to the use of the motor device. The bearings 109 provide improved structure and should not be omitted casually.

The rotor assembly 15 is eccentrically disposed within the longitudinal cavity 29, and its power shaft 101 is eccentric with respect to the central axis of the longitudinal cavity 29.

The vane assembly 17 is located in a vane assembly cavity 121 that is defined by sleeve 119, FIG. 4, concentrically within the longitudinal cavity 29; and, as depicted in FIGS. 3, 4 and 7, includes a floating axle pin 111 that is substantially coaxial with the cylindrical cavity 29 and that extends between the

circular plates

75 and 77. A plurality of vanes 113 extend radially outwardly from the axle pin 111 and are individually pivotal thereon. As illustrated. each vane is provided with a curvd end face 115 of substantially the same radius of curvature as the inside wall 117 of the sleeve 119. The curved end face 115 of each vane 113 is in substantial sliding engagement with the sleeve 119 such that it forms a satisfactory seal for confining the fluid in the respective subchambers on either side thereof. The seals intermediate the vanes 113 and the sleeve 119 have not been particularly critical because the differential pressure between adjacent subchambers is not inordinately high and because the centrifugal force on the vanes tends to retain sufficient sealing engagement between the respective vane ends 115 and the sleeve 119. Any type of seal appropriate to the use may be employed, another of which will be illustrated and described specifically later hereinafter.

As illustrated in FIG. 7, each of the vanes 113 have integrally formed with the inner radial end thereof at least one annular knuckle that conformingly engages the axle pin 111. The knuckles 125 of respective vanes 113 are axially offset relative to each other along the axle pin 111 and are stacked on the axle pin 111 with their confronting faces in sliding engagement to permit the relative interdigitating, or rocking, of the vanes 113 about the axle pin 111. It will be appreciated, and as specifically illustrated in my co-pending application entitled Rotary Vane Device," filed even date herewith, the vane with a central knuckle has a knuckle that is twice as wide as ordinary and disposed intermediate the adjacent knuckles on either side. If desired, the vanes may have their respective knuckles disposed at one-half of the axle pin 11 1 plus the thickness of one knuckle and intermesh such that the use of the wide central knuckle is obviated. Any other method of supporting the vanes that will allow the interdigitating thereof may be employed. Since the vanes are accelerated and decelerated during rotation, however, symmetrical arrangement of the knuckles with respect to a transverse plane through the vane's center is preferable.

The respective vanes 113 have lateral faces 127 that are concaved inwardly toward the central plane of the vane such that the respective followers, or vane guides, 87 are maintained in substantially uniform sealing engagement with the vane lateral faces 127 as the vane" guides 87 traverse radially inwardly and outwardly therealong during rotation of the rotor assembly 15. By substantially uniform sealing engagement is meant an engagement such that a satisfactory seal is maintained intermediate the respective vane guides 87 and the vanes 113 so that the vane guides 87 can serve as pistons as well as interdigitating means as they traverse radially inwardly and outwardly along the respective vanes 113. As is well recognized, what is satisfactory sealing engagement will vary depending upon the application, or use; which determines several factors. These factors include the size of the unit, the differential pressure across a vane guide 87 from the subchamber to the interior of the rotor assembly 15, the total pressure of the fluid being handled in the subchamber and the emciency desired. To illustrate, I have found that as much as 0.0l inch clearance may be tolerated between the vane guides 87 and the vane lateral faces 127 with large motors such as may be employed with low pressure steam. For example, with the low pressure steam that may be emitted from geothermal wells, the motor device may have dimensions as large as 30 inches in length by 36 inches in diameter; or larger, if used on individual steam wells. On the other hand, when employing the motor with low entropy fluids flowing therethrough, I have found it preferable that a clearance of less than 0.005 inch; for example, about 0.001-0.003 inch; be employed between the surface of the vane guide 87 and the vane lateral faces 127. The latter motors may be only about 4 inches in length and 6 inches in diameter, yet develop enough power to operate a small automobile.

The improved seal means described hereinbefore makes practical the eccentric rotor, concentric vane motor device of this invention after many years of unsuccessful attempts by the prior art to employ similar devices on a commercial scale. The preferred embodiment employs rollers for vane guides to make use of rolling friction for low even wear. Consequently. the improved seal means is durable and trouble-free, the roller vane guides rolling along the concave vane face. I have attempted to delineate, through mathematical experts and computer computations, the exact definition of the concavity of the surface of the lateral faces 127 but have not been successful to date. The concavity can be delineated graphically, employing a scale that is larger than actual size. I have developed an empirical formula by trigonometry that is close, also. In practice, I have found exact mathematical delineation to be unnecessary. Instead, I employ a grinding jig with grinding rollers to duplicate the physical relationships and dimensions employed in the motor device 11. Specifically, the grinding of the vane faces is effected by repeatedly moving the vanes and sized grinding rollers through 360 as the vanes would be moved by the rotor assembly with increasing distances of eccentricity, up to the eccentricity actually employed in the motor device 11. By increasing distances of eccentricity is meant the increasing moving apart, with successive revolutions, of the shaft of the vane axle pin 111 and the axis of the shaft of the grinder rollers that is equivalent to the axis of the

shafts

101 and 103 of the rotor assembly 15. In this way, I get exact initial engagement and do not have to worry about the clearance. Once a particular vane contour, or concavity, has been established for a particular motor, it may be reproduced by conventional methods of copying.

An integral and adjustable flow through and torque control means for controlling torque output is provided for the motor 11 so that it may be operated without requiring a throttle and the throttle-caused losses in efficiency. As illustrated, the flow through and torque control means comprises a torque control sleeve 119, referred to hereinbefore as simply sleeve, conformingly disposed interiorly of the longitudinal cylindrical cavity 29. Specifically, the sleeve 119 mates and telescopes within the cavity 29 and rotatably and slidably engages the inside face of the cavity 29 to permit angular adjustment of the torque control sleeve 119. The torque control sleeve 119 has at least an inlet aperture in the form of a first set of longitudinally extending inlet slots 131, FIG. 4. The inlet slots 131 communicate between the interior of the vane assembly cavity 121, and the inlet port 31, FIG. 4. The set of inlet slots 131 extends circumferentially around the torque control sleeve 119 for about the same circumferential distance as that of the inlet port 31. The inlet slots 131 may be inclined in an inward cockwise direction to direct the inlet gas against the leading vanes for preserving the energy of the velocity component of flow. Advancing the torque control sleeve in a first direction will increase the effective flow area through the inlet aperture and inlet port until the inlet aperture is at a maximum, as illustrated in FIG. 4. On the other hand, the torque control sleeve 119 may be retarded, or rotated in a second direction opposite the first direction, to decrease the effective flow area through the inlet aperture and inlet port 31. The degree of retardation may be sufficient to completely close off the inlet port, as illustrated in FIG. 5; or to effect a reduced flow of fluid through the motor 11, as illustrated in FIG. 6.

The flow through and torque control means also includes a means 133 for advancing and retarding the torque control sleeve. As illustrated, the means 133 for advancing and retarding the torque control sleeve includes a gear tooth rack 135, FIG. 5, formed in the outer periphery of the sleeve 119 and a pinion gear 137. The pinion gear 137 is housed in a gear housing cavity 139 that is formed in the inner face of the body member 19 shortly above the base 21. The pinion gear 137 is fixedly mounted on a shaft 141 journalled in a wall of the housing cavity 139 and having a knob 143 fixed thereto to permit its rotation in angularly adjusting torque control sleeve 119.

The flow through and torque control means also includes a discharge flow control means for controlling the volumetric rate of flow of fluid through the discharge ports of motor 11 such that the pressure interiorly of the vane assembly cavity 121, in the main chamber, or cavity, 29 can be controlled to reduce losses from over-expansion and under-expansion of a working fluid flowing therethrough. Specifically, the discharge flow control means includes a torque control sleeve having at least one discharge aperture communicating between the vane assembly cavity 121 and the discharge port 41. As illustrated, the torque control sleeve 119 has a second set of exhaust, or discharge, slots 147 formed therein for exhausting fluid from the vane assembly cavity 121 to the discharge port 41. The second set of discharge slots 147 extend circumferentially around the torque control sleeve 1 19 such that they are moved in the same rotational direction as are the inlet slots 131. The discharge slots 147 are disposed so closely adjacent the inlet slots 131, however, that there is communication between the discharge port 41 and the vane assembly cavity 121 even when the inlet slots 131 have been moved into the cut-off position as illustrated in FIG. 5. Moreover, the advancing and retarding of the discharge slots 147 is relatively inconsequential to the effect on the torque control of the motor 11, since the primary control is effected by the inlet slots 131, illustrated in FIG. 6.

If desired, a plurality of torque control sleeves may be employed, one each for the inlet aperture and the discharge aperture such that the respective effective flow areas of the apertures may be controlled independently. Ordinarily, such independent control is not necessary, and it is sufficient to control the flow through and torque by controlling the effective flow area of the inlet aperture.

As illustrated, the discharge flow control means also includes at least one angularly adjustable exhaust ring 149, FIGS. 8 and 9, disposed at at least one end of the main chamber 29. The exhaust ring 149 has at least one discharge aperture communicating between a discharge port such as the interiorly threaded aperture 73 in the cap member 25 and the vane assembly cavity 121. The exhaust ring 149 is angularly adjustable, or rotatable, for advancing or retarding exhaust of the working fluid flowing through the motor 11. Rotating the exhaust ring in a first direction to a position illustrated in FIG. 9, will initiate the discharge flow of the working fluid from the respective subchambers earlier in a revolution of the subchamber, effecting minimal expansion of the working fluid in the motor 11. Moving the exhaust ring 149 in the opposite direction, as illustrated in FIG. 8, will effect a later discharge of the working fluid from the respective subchambers during a revolution of each respective subchamber and effect a maximum expansion of the working fluid in the motor 11. Specifically, the angularly adjustable annular exhaust rings 149, previously designated as

annular plates

83 and 85, are provided at each end of the main chamber for increasing the flow of the working fluid from the respective subchambers during the discharge portion of a revolution of each subchamber. The angularly adjustable annular exhaust rings 149 are coaxial with the main body member 19, rotatably engaging the opposite end faces of the body member 19 with the peripheral surfaces of the exhaust rings 149 engaging seals, such as O-rings 151, FIG. 3, disposed interiorly of the flanges 23.

As illustrated, the discharge aperture comprises a set of a plurality of circumferentially spaced discharge slots, or apertures, 153 that extend about 100 around the exhaust ring 149. Each of the slots 153 has its inner end positioned proximate the

circular apertures

79 and 81 and extends radially outwardly. The discharge slots 153 are more elongate where they initiate discharge of the fluid from the vane assembly cavity 121, and grow progressively smaller, or less elongate, commensurate with the radial dimensions of the subchamber at respective positions within the vane assembly cavity 121 exteriorly of the rotor assembly 15, as can be seen in FIGS. 4-6.

The discharge flow control means also includes means 155, FIG. 9, for advancing and retarding the exhaust rings 149; the means 133 for advancing and retarding the torque control sleeve 119 having been described hereinbefore. The means 155 for advancing and retarding the exhaust ring comprises a gear tooth rack 157 disposed about the outer periphery of each exhaust ring 149, and a pinion gear 159. The pinion gear 159 is disposed in the gear housing cavity 161 and supported on shaft 163. The shaft 163 is fixedly connected with the pinion gear 159 and with knob 165 to facilitate advancing and retarding the exhaust ring 149 exteriorly of the motor 11. The gear tooth rack 157 extends around the exhaust ring 149 for the requisite distance to effect the desired advancing and retarding of the discharge slots 153. As illustrated, it extendsabout 45 circumferentially of the exhaust ring 149.

Each of the annular plates 83 and have their respective gear tooth racks 157, pinion gear 159, and gear housing cavity 161. Preferably, however, a single knob and a single shaft 163 suffice to advance and retard the respective

annular plates

83 and 85 concurrently for effecting the desired position. As illustrated, the trailing slot 153a of the slots 153 may vary from the advanced position of about 160, FIG. 9, to the retarded position of about 205, FIG. 8, measured clockwise from the 0 position of the vane assembly cavity 121.

In operation of the motor 11, each subchamber 88 intermediate the opposed faces of the vanes are rotated through 360. At the topmost, or zero, position, the subchamber 88 has a minimum volume, since the follower means 87 therein substantially engages the face of the torque control sleeve 119. On the other hand, each respective subchamber obtains its maximum volume at the 180 position with its respective follower means 87 being closest to the axle pin 111, and the adjacent vane faces 127 being at their maximum spread. It is noteworthy that the sum of the volume expansions of the subchambers 88 during a single rotation of the rotor exceeds the total volume of the longitudinal cylindrical cavity 29. The inlet port 31 communicates with a source of pressurized fluid, preferably an expansible fluid for the motor illustrated. For example, steam, a low entropy fluid vapor like thiophene, or other gas may be employed. The exhaust port 41 is connected to a low pressure receiver. The low pressure receiver may comprise the atmosphere if the high pressure fluid is an economical fluid such as steam from a geothermal well; or it may comprise a condenser in a system having a recirculation means and employing a low entropy fluid. The internally threaded aperture 73, forming a discharge aperture for the discharge chamber 71 will also communicate with the low pressure receiver. The distance between the outer opposed lateral faces 127 of adjacent vanes 113 at a 0 position of a subchamber is less than the distance between the trailing edge 33 of the inlet port 31 and the leading edge 43 of the discharge port 41.

The high energy fluid enters successive subchambers of reduced volume, beginning near their top, or 0, positions and continuing until they pass the inlet cut-off point as defined by the last inlet slot 131 at the inlet port 31. It is believed instructive to interrupt the operational description at this point to consider the theory of operation. This theoretical discussion is given, not in limitation, but in explanation of why this invention is so surprisingly superior to, and how dramatically this invention departs from, the superficially similar prior art fluid motors.

THEORY The motor 11 develops its power by taking advantage of both of two important effects( 1) converting a differential force on the vanes into torque and (2) a pseudo cranking action analogous to that of a conventional reciprocating engine.

The conventional differential force on the vanes works as follows, the description being given with respect to prior art devices, as illustrated in FIG. 20. Therein, the radial distance D, is less than the radial distance D therefore, the respective areas have the same relationship and the force F, is less than the force F,. Also the radial distance D, is substantially equal to the radial distance D and therefore their areas are about equal. Since the pressure P is greater than the pressure P the force F; is greater than the force F;,. Consequently torque is imparted to the vanes and thence to the rotor assembly and to its output shaft 101.

It is noteworthy that the differential forces on the outer radial portion of the vane contributes to an unbalanced cantilever force on the vane, the force such as 1" acting about the fulcrum C,, or the axis of the prior art pivotal support of the vane by the rotor assembly. These unbalanced cantilever forces, in turn, cause excessive forces F 4 which effect offsetting force against the tips of succeeding vanes, illustrated as F In the case of a floating vane axle, these unbalanced cantilever forces are detrimental to performance of the motor. The unbalanced cantilever forces are much less in this invention than in the prior art motors, since the product of the pressure times the area on the respective opposed faces of a particular vane are more nearly equal than in the prior art. Consider, for example, FIG. 6. As the pressure P; in a subchamber 88 decreases, the area A, on which it acts increases. compared to the area A on which the higher pressure P, acts, lessening the unbalanced cantilever force on that particular vane and the resultant force on the following vane tip. Thus, improved performance is effected.

The major forces effecting rotational torque in motor 11 are, however, due to the pseudo cranking action, which is effected as follows. The pressure forces exerted on the peripheral wall 117 of the torque control sleeve 119 and on the vane guides 87, serving as a piston, force these surfaces apart and act about two centers, one center being the center of the vane axle 111, and the other being the center of the rotor assembly 15; and provides, in essence, a mechanical cranking action similar to that of a conventional reciprocating piston engine. Expressed otherwise, the pressures P P P P, in the respective subchambers 88, FIG. 6, act on the respective vane guides 87 having a moment arm with respect to the central axis C of the rotor assembly 15 to impart torque to the output shaft 101. The torque output is then converted to useful work. This effect represents a dramatic departure from the superficially similar prior art type fluid motors. Effecting most of the torque force in this manner also relieves the vanes of much of the unbalanced cantilever type forces described hereinbefore.

Moreover, this pseudo cranking action and the use of a large number of subchambers illustrates the advantage of incorporating a relatively larger number of vanes into the motor 11 than the prior art to minimize the pressure differential between the adjacent subchambers, therefore further reducing the unbalanced cantilever forces on the vanes.

It is also noteworthy that the torque and power control are regulated, not by flow restriction of the inlet openings in the torque control ring 1 19, but by governing the size, or volume of the subchamber presented for loading at full inlet pressure, prior to the beginning of the expansion. The expansion occurs after the cut-off point; that is, after the trailing vane of a subchamber passes the last of the inlet openings, or inlet apertures, in the torque control sleeve 119. Three types of work are involved in the vapor motor as follows:

where:

W, total work W inlet work W work of expansion, and

W the negative work spent exhausting the fluid. The inlet work is defined by the following equation:

hile! where:

P inlet pressure. and

AV= the differential volume expanding the volume of the subchamber from 0 to the maximum inlet volume. The inlet work is a major factor as torque level increases, especially in supercharged operation. The work of expansion is the usual thermodynamic work property of a working fluid as follows:

exp M where pressure and volume are used in a usual thermodynamic sense between the inlet and discharge apertures. The negative work of exhausting is similar to the inlet work and is a function of the product of the pressure times the volume, where the pressure is the receiver pressure, even in the supercharged operation.

in supercharged operation, the fluid at the pressure above the receiver pressure expels itself simultaneously from the point of opening of the exhaust apertures until it reaches receiver pressure. The motor must then expel the remainder against receiver pressure only.

As will become apparent from the continued operational description, the positioning of the exhaust rings is done to effect initiation of the exhausting phase at the point where the expanded fluid in the respective subchamber is equal to the receiver pressure, unless operating in a supercharged condition. The exhaust openings are not restricted as a means of controlling the exhaust pressure.

In low torque level operations, a given subchamber is loaded with an amount of fluid to give the desired torque. The fluid is expanded in the subchamber until the pressure therewithin is substantially equal to the receiver pressure. At that point the exhaust, or discharge, ports are opened such that there is no lost work through either under-expansion or over-expansion of the fluid, defined hereinafter.

At high torque levels, the respective subchamber is loaded with an amount of fluid to give the torque desired. The fluid is expanded to equal the pressure of the receiver. To effect this result, the discharge ports are angularly positioned to initiate exhaust; for example, through the suitably positioned torque rings and the discharge apertures in the torque control ring; much later than that for low torque operation.

In supercharged operation, the inlet area is so large that it is impossible to discharge all the fluid through the exhaust apertures at receiver pressure. The expansion is a maximum in the external combustion engine and it is expanded until the physical point at which recompression would begin again if the fluid were not exhausted. The exhaust of the fluids is thus begun to prevent recompression. The pressure in the subchamber would still be greater than the receiver pressure in the supercharged operating condition.

These theoretical and operational considerations may assist in understanding the routine operational description hereinafter.

CONTINUED ROUTINE OPERATIONAL DESCRIPTION When m respective subchambers reach the initial discharge slots 153, the fluid begins exhausting to the low pressure receiver. The position of the initial discharge slot 153a is adjusted by rotating the exhaust rings 149 so that at the point exhausting may begin, the pressure inside the subchamber approximates the pressure existing in the low pressure receiver. This results in the minimum work being required to expel the expanded fluid from the motor as the exhausting chamber rotates further and contracts until it again reaches the position. The fluid also exhausts through discharge slots 147 in torque control sleeve 119. The torque and power output of the engine is varied by angularly adjusting the torque control sleeve. The torque is increased with the advance of the torque control sleeve 119 clockwise to its maximum, as illustrated in FIG. 4. The torque control sleeve 1 19 is rotated counter clockwise to effect a shut-off position, FIG. 5, or a lesser torque, FIG. 6. At low torque operations it may be desirable to advance the cut-in point of the discharge slots 153 by rotating the exhaust ring 149 to the position illustrated in FIG. 9. Expressed otherwise, the exhaust rings 149 may be rotated within their limits to'position the discharge slots 153 so that over-expansion of the working fluid is avoided (expansion to a pressure level below that of the low pressure receiver); or so that under-expansion of the working fluid is avoided (exhausting at a pressure in excess of that of the low pressure receiver).

One advantage of the motor 11 described hereinbefore is that it may be operated at supercharged conditions. Supercharging is effected by advancing the torque control sleeve 119 to a setting of the inlet aperture of such great volumetric flow capacity that the flow capacity of the limiting position of the exhaust ring adjustments is surpassed at the pressure of the low pressure receiver; with the discharge slots 153 at their most retarded position, as illustrated in FIG. 8, corresponding to a position where exhausting is required to prevent recompression of the fluid in the subchambers. Consequently, pressures interiorly of the motor become greater than that of the low pressure receiver, such that the pressure within the respective subchambers is appreciably above that of the low pressure receiver, referred to as a supercharged condition. Substantial increases in torque and power can be effected in the supercharged condition over normal operating ranges employing controlled expansion, because of the greater inlet displacement work performed and the high pressure existing during the expansion cycle. During supercharging, some working fluid exhaust superheat is increased, and reduction in over-all system efficiency is experienced; but the capability of instantly gaining up to 50 percent in excess of design in both power and torque at virtually any operating speed offers very significant advantages in many applications for which the motor 11 may be employed. Expressed otherwise, the motor 11 has an inlet aperture that defines with inlet port 31 a first flow area in or near the wide open position that is sufficiently large that more of the working fluid at the pressure exteriorly of the inlet aperturecan flow through the first flow area into the subchambers within the vane assembly cavity 121 than can flow through a second flow area, representing the total discharge flow area from the vane assembly cavity 121, at the pressure exteriorly of the discharge apertures such that internal pressure increases and supercharged operation of the device is effected for greater power output.

ANOTHER EMBODIMENT:

Another embodiment of the invention is illustrated, in exploded view, in FIG. 10. Therein, the motor 11 comprises the stator 13, rotor assembly 15, and vane assembly 17, as described hereinbefore. The motor 11 of FIG. 10, however, represents an embodiment such as might be employed with low pressure steam from geothermal steam wells and is structurally designed for larger sizes and more rugged service than the embodiment described hereinbefore.

The stator 13 has the same functional apertures, elements, chambers and the like described hereinbefore, In the embodiment of FIG. 10, however, the stator 13 contains a passageway 171 through which the output shaft 191 passes and serves as the body to which the end housings, or cap members, 25 and 27 are attached. The

cap members

25 and 27 may be attached as described hereinbefore or by means of mounting brackets attached to the stator 13, to the cap members, or both. The

cap members

25 and 27 provide respective recesses 173 for receiving the torque transmission and output gears 175 and 177 which will be discussed in more detail with respect to the power output shaft 101 later hereinafter. The recesses also serve as the exhaust, or discharge, chamber 71 with the internally threaded aperture 73 to facilitate connection with a low pressure receiver. The

cap members

25 and 27 also provide bearing pedestals 179 that support and position both the vane assembly 17 and the rotor assembly 15, as will become apparent hereinafter.

The rotor, or rotor assembly, 15 has the same elements as described hereinbefore. For example, the vane guides 87 are constructed and supported intermediate the

circular plates

75a and 77a as described hereinbefore. Instead of having the power delivery and support shafts screwed into the

circular plates

75a and 77a for support, however, the

circular plates

75a and 77a are mounted via bearings 180 on the bearing pedestals 179 in

cap members

25 and 27. Thrust bearings 183 are disposed intermediate the rotor assembly 15 and the

cap members

25 and 27 to retain the rotor assembly 15 against axial movement. Each of the

circular plates

75a and 77a contain a cylindrical extension 185 that is fixedly engaged with a torque output gear 177. By fixedly engaged" is meant only they rotate in unison without slippage. Any conventional means of preventing slippage between the cylindrical extension 185 and the torque output gear 177 may be employed. A conventional slot and key arrangement 189 is illustrated.

The torque output gears 177 run in mesh with torque transmission gears 175 that are fixedly engaged with the output shaft 101. Specifically, the output shaft 101 is fixedly engaged with an outer shaft 191 that is also fixedly retained in engagement with the torque transmission gears 175, as by meshing splines, to facilitate assembly. Thus, the outer tubular shaft 191 is journalled in the passageway 171 to provide a point of support for the power output shaft 101 which, because it is more elongate than in the embodiment described hereinbefore, would otherwise be subject to flexure. The torque transmission gears 175 are disposed at relatively widely spaced points along the output shaft 101 in order to make the power input more nearly uniform along the shaft and prevent flexure. also. The power output shaft 101 is also supported adjacent each end by way of shaft bearings 193 and journalled in shaft seals 195, that are carried by the

respective cap members

25 and 27. The bearings 193 are designed and adapted to provide both radial and axial positioning, as well as load bearing. Any satisfactory conventional bearing and bearing surface on shaft 101 may be employed. For example, the bearing may comprise a cylindrical roller bearing in combination with a thrust bearing cap; or frusto-conical roller bearings in combination with respective mating frusto-conical surfaces on the output shaft 101.

The vane assembly 17 contains all of the elements delineated hereinbefore and the individual vanes 113 are symmetrically contoured concave inwardly as described hereinbefore. In this embodiment, however, the vane axle pin 111a is not a floating axle pin, but is retained in vane shaft bearings 197 that are mounted at each end in the bearing pedestals 179 of the

cap members

25 and 27. Thrust bearings 199 are provided intermediate the two end knuckles 125a and the bearing pedestals 179 to prevent the edges, or longitudinal ends. 201 of the vanes from bearing hard against their mating surfaces. the inner faces of the

circular plates

75a and 77a and the inner faces of the

annular plates

83 and 85.

The flow through and torque control means comprise the adjustable inlet aperture and the one or more adjustable discharge apertures, as described with respect to the embodiment hereinbefore. In the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. and 11, however, the torque control sleeve 119a is reversible, as are the exhaust rings 149a, FIGS. -17.

The torque control sleeve 119a has the features delineated hereinbefore with respect to torque control sleeve 119, but it has the gear tooth rack 135 extended peripherally thereabout for a sufficient number of degrees to effect the positioning of the inlet slots 131 in the discharge port 41 and the discharge slots 147 in the inlet port 31. I have found that a torque control sleeve 119a having the gear tooth rack 135a extending for nearly 180 peripherally about the torque control sleeve 119a provides satisfactory results. This extension is illustrated in the dashed line 203 of FIGS. 4, 5 and 6, since these figures illustrate the essential positioning and relationships between the rotor assembly 15, the vane assembly 17 and the torque control sleeve 119 in the three positions described hereinbefore; even though the cross sectional view of the remainder of the motor differs in the embodiment of FIG. 10. The means 133 for advancing and retarding the torque control sleeve is otherwise essentially the same as described hereinbefore. FIG. 11 illustrates the torque control sleeve 119a in the shut-off or zero torque setting for reverse direction of rotation. Further movement of the torque control sleeve 119a counter clockwise provides control of torque in the reverse direction of rotation.

The

annular plates

83 and 85, serving as exhaust rings 1490 containing the discharge slots 153, are emplaced within and retained within the cylindrical recess 204 interiorly of the flanges 23 with their peripheral surfaces engaging the seal 151, as described hereinbefore. Retaining surfaces 205 are provided on the

cap members

25 and 27 to rotatably retain the

annular plates

83 and 85 within their recess. The exhaust rings 149a are angularly adjustable by the means 155, FIG. 15, as described hereinbefore. When the direction of rotation of the motor 11 is reversed, however, the discharge slots 153 are positioned on the side of the vane assembly cavity 121 opposite the intake apertures which now communicate with the port 41, formerly referred to as the discharge port and converted to an inlet port when the direction of rotation is reversed. To effect this degree of movement of the discharge slots 153, it is necessary that the gear tooth rack 157a, FIGS. l5-l7, extend circumferentially of the exhaust rings 149a for about 150, instead of the lesser amount described hereinbefore, when the motor 11 was not reversible. The means for advancing and retarding the exhaust ring 149a is otherwise the same as described hereinbefore. FIGS. 15 and 16 illustrate the exhaust rings 149a in the same relative position described hereinbefore with respect to FIGS. 8 and 9; namely, the maximum expansion position for FIG. 15 and the minimum expansion position for FIG. 16, both in the forward direction. FIG. 17 illustrates the exhaust ring in the reversing position.

FIG. 18 is an end view of one of the cap members, such as cap member 27, showing the discharge chamber 71, the discharge port in the form of internally threaded aperture 73, output shaft bearing 195, retaining surface 205,

bearings

227 and 229 in which the

respective shafts

141 and 163 are joumalled for advancing and retarding, respectively, the torque control sleeve 119a and the exhaust rings 149a. Also illustrated are the bearing pedestals 179 containing the vane shaft bearings 197, the vane thrust bearings 199, and the rotor thrust bearings 183.

A system that enables reversing the motor 11 and thus obviating the necessity for a transmission with its reversing gears and a clutch, is illustrated in FIG. 12. Therein, a source of working fluid 209 is connected, as by suitable conduit 211 and a reversing valve 213 with the motor 11. The motor 11 is also connected via suitable conduit 215, the reversing valve 213, and conduit 216 with a low pressure receiver 217.

As indicated hereinbefore, the high pressure source 209 may comprise naturally occurring high pressure sources such as geothermal steam wells or a high pressure source of a vapor of a low entropy fluid such as employed in an external combustion system. The low pressure receiver, similarly as indicated hereinbefore, may comprise the atmosphere, a receiving vessel, or a condenser. In an external combustion system, a recirculation means 219 will be employed to restore the working fluid to its high pressure in the high pressure source 209. As illustrated, the recirculation means is connected with the low pressure receiver via suitable conduit, indicated by dashed lines 221. The recirculation means 219 is also connected with the high pressure source 209 by suitable conduit, as indicated by the discontinuous dashed lines 223. A typical recirculation means comprises a pump and boiler, or vapor generator. As illustrated in FlG.12, the fluid will flow from the high pressure source into the inlet port 31, through motor 11, and from the discharge port 41 to the low pressure receiver 217. On the other hand, the reversing valve 213 may be positioned as illustrated in FIG. 13 to effect a reverse direction of flow in which the incoming fluid flows through conduit 211 and thence through conduit 215 into the port 41 that served as the discharge port in the forward direction of rotation; reversely through the motor 11 and thence from the port 31 that served as the inlet port in the forward direction of rotation outwardly to the low pressure receiver 217 through conduit 216. Normally, it is advantageous to position the reversing valve 213 in the cut-off position, as illustrated in FIG. 14, before reversing the direction of rotation of the motor 11, as will become apparent from the operational description later hereinafter. The exhaust from the end caps 25 and 27 join downstream of reversing valve 213 and is not affected by its position.

In normal forward operation, the working fluid flows from the high pressure source 209 through the reversing valve 213 and into the motor 11 through the inlet port 31, as described hereinbefore. The expansion of the working fluid and the movement of the working fluid from the high pressure at the inlet aperture adjacent inlet port 31 to the discharge ports, in the form of either discharge slots 153 in exhaust rings 149a or discharge slots 147 in the torque control sleeve 119a, cause the vane assembly to rotate. Rotation of the vane assembly, in turn, causes rotation of the rotor assembly 15. The rotor assembly 15 rotates the torque output gear 177, driving the torque transmission gear 175 and the output shaft 101. The output shaft 101 engages suitable coupling means such as internally splined coupling gear 225. The gear 225 is fitted into the splined end 227 of the shaft 101 and serves as an intermediate drive for driving suitable apparatus taking power from the output shaft 101. Thus, this operation is functionally similar to the embodiment described hereinbefore with respect to FIGS. 1-9 in normal operation.

To drive the motor 11 in the reverse direction, as for reversing the apparatus being driven from the gear 225, the reversing valve 213 is moved into the shutoff position, stopping the flow of working fluid, as illustrated in FIG. 14. The torque control sleeve 119a is then moved into the zero torque setting for reverse direction of rotation, as illustrated in FIG. 11. The exhaust ring 149a is moved to the reverse position, as illustrated in FIG. 17; to locate the exhaust openings on the opposite side of the motor from the normal forward rotational location. The reversing valve 213 is then moved to the reverse position, as illustrated in FIG. 13. Moving the torque control sleeve 119a counter clockwise in FIG. 11 then provides control of torque in the reverse direction of rotation. The ports serving as the inlet and discharge ports have now been reversed, or exchanged, one for the other. The exhaust rings are normally retained in their indicated position during reversing, since accurate control of the expansion losses may not be critical because the reversing operation is short lived, ordinarily.

To return to forward operation, the reversing valve 213 is moved to the shut-off position, as illustrated in FIG. 14, and the torque control sleeve 119a and the exhaust rings 149a are moved to the normal operational position, described hereinbefore. Thereafter, the reversing valve 213 is moved to its normal operational position, as illustrated in FIG. 12 and forward rotation is again effected.

This embodiment can be operated in the supercharged condition, as described with respect to the embodiment of FIGS. 1-9. This capability is very desirable where reversing of the motor is employed in order that large power or high torque can be supplied as needed, even at a small expense in efficiency, where a low" gear ratio, or high torque, is not available via a transmission.

While the vanes have been described without a supplemental seal at their tips, hard service may make it advantageous to employ vane tip shoes which float between the inner wall of the torque control sleeve 119a and the vane tip, or end face, 115. The vane tip shoes encompass the vane tip and two sides, and curve to match the curvature of the internal wall of the torque control ring, as illustrated in FIG. 19. Therein, the shoe forms a separate seal 231 that is fitted on

parallel sides

233 and 235 that extend inwardly from the end of the vane tip, or end face, a short distance. The shoe, or seal, 231 sealingly engages the end of the vane and slidably engages the

parallel sides

233 and 235 such that it is thrown outwardly by centrifugal force into sealing engagement with the wall of the torque control sleeve 119a, without sacrificing the seal on the sides of the vane 113. Such a seal 231 is employed, ordinarily, when a lubricant is injected into the fluid, or the fluid has at least some lubricating properties. If desired, the seal 231 may have a lubricant such as a fluorocarbon impregnated thereinto for applications in which lubrication is not effected by the fluid flowing through the motor 11.

If desired, vane compression strips may be installed in one or more grooves at the vane tip for effecting the desired seal. The vane tips, or any shoes that are employed, may be made from hard material for better wearing characteristics and less friction.

If desired, each respective follower means, or vane guides, may be cantilevered from a single circular plate; although having the two circular plates and having the vane guides affixed to each of the plates affords a reinforced structure that is, ordinarily, more advantageous. Similarly, the shaft 103, FIG. 3, provides a better structure, but it may be omitted if a cantilevered structure is desired.

The respective follower means may be retained intermediate the

circular plates

75 and 77 by any other conventional means. For example, if desired, the vane guides 87 may be an integrally formed unit and the shaft portion 91 nested in suitable bearing means recessed in the

circular plates

75 and 77. The embodiment illustrated hereinbefore has been found to be preferable because of the advantages attendant the respective rolling friction instead of requiring a sliding friction. If the duty is unusually severe, the bearing insert 93 may be replaced by aircraft roller bearings or needle bearings for still further improved performance.

While knobs and fixed mounted pinion gears have been described in the respective means 133 and for advancing and retarding the torque control sleeve 119 and the exhaust rings 149, it will be advantageous, where possible, to employ a controllable power means to effect the desired degree of rotation of the pinion gears to effect the requisite angular positioning of the sleeve 119 and the exhaust rings 149. Other entirely different structures may be employed to effect the angular positioning thereof, if desired.

From the foregoing, it can be seen that this invention provides a basic structure having improved seal characteristics that can be widely employed in motor and engine applications. Moreover, the invention provides an improved structure that can be employed without the expense of the transmission and the like, since the motor has reversing characteristics in specific embodiments and since the motor can be employed over a wide variety of applications with a wide variety of working fluids ranging from naturally occurring fluids to the low entropy fluids that may be employed in external combustion power systems to lessen the pollution in the gases discharged from the system.

The invention provides all of the objects delineated hereinbefore by providing one or more of the desirable features delineated. Specifically, the invention provides a motor that has a sufficiently large number of vanes. preferably 8 or more, to allow effective use of the adjustable torque control sleeve and the adjustable exhaust rings without overlapping effects and to allow adjustment in inlet volume per revolution so that the adjustable torque control sleeve may serve completely as motor torque and speed control with a minimum of pressure drop throttling of the torque control sleeve at the near-zero torque settings. Having the larger number of vanes also greatly reduces leakage, since pressure drop across a given vane from one subchamber to the next is inversely proportional to the number of vanes in a working fluid expansion environment at any one time. Moreover, the force concentrations within the motor are also minimized by providing a sufficient number of vanes that the output torque producing the forces are distributed over at least three or four vane guides instead of one or two. Motor 11 offers power to weight and power to size ratios that are superior to any of the prior art expansion motors, including low speed turbines. by factors of from 3 to l to as much as 10 to l. In addition, the motor 11 offers potential efficiences virtually unsurpassed and operating characteristics heretofore unobtainable. The manifold reasons for this surprisingly improved performance have been explained in detail hereinbefore and include: (1) the taking advantage of the double effects of conventional differential force on the vanes and of pseudo cranking action to effect torque and power output; and (2) the unusually great volume displacement per revolution of the motor 11, effected by the means in which the vane guides of the rotor assembly interdigitate the symmetrically contoured vane surfaces to cause extreme oscillatory differences in dimension during rotation for unusually large change in the volume of each subchamber and because the vane guides move inwardly and outwardly radially along the vanes for unusually large radial distances to further increase the dimensional change of each subchamber.

Although the motor 11 is ideally suited for mobile equipment applications. such as driving an automobile, it has unique features that enable replacing turbines with it in stationary applications; particularly. since it may be operated through the superheat region and well into the saturated region for expansion of steam and similar fluids. Condensate formation within the motor will have little, if any, adverse effect on the motor 11. It can be operated completely within the saturated region if desired. Thus, the motor will allow any Rankine cycle external combustion engine system, or other pressurized fluid system, to operate very near the ultimate available efficiency over the entire speed and power range of the motor. In nuclear Water heating reactor power plants, where steam temperature and pressure are limited, this unit can probably replace the low pressure condensing turbines and provide somewhat higher efficiencies, as well as appreciably lower initial costs in the plant.

Although this invention has been described with a certain degree of particularity, it is understood that the present disclosure is made only by way of example and that-numerous changes in the details of construction and the combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and the scope of this invention.

What is claimed -is:

1. In an eccentric rotor, concentric vane motor device having:

a. a main chamber having therewithin a substantially cylindrical interior surface that defines a vane assembly cavity;

b. first and second ports spaced around and communicating with said main chamber and serving as inlet and discharge ports;

c. a plurality of angularly related radial vanes, independently pivotal and rotatable within said vane assembly cavity about a vane axis therewithin; said vanes occupying substantially the total radial distance from said vane axis to said interior surface;

d. a rotor that is eccentrically mounted with respect to said vane assembly cavity and rotatable about a rotor axis spaced from said vane axis; said rotor having follower means for interdigitating said vanes and effecting a change in volume of a subchamber intermediate respective said vanes as said rotor and said vanes are rotated within said vane assembly cavity; each subchamber being delineated by a pair of confronting vane faces and a corresponding follower means between said vane faces and the interior surface and varying from a minimum volume with the respectivefollower means having its outermost position with respect to said vane axis, the minimum volume position being arbitrarily referred to as the zero degree position, to a maximum volume with the respective follower means at its innermost position with respect to said vane axis, arbitrarily referred to as the position; and

a power delivery shaft connected with said rotor for delivering power from said rotor; the improvement comprising an improved seal means intermediate said vane and said follower means in which:

f. said follower means is disposed intermediate said respective vanes and comprises vane guides that are substantially cylindrical rollers extending longitudinally of said rotor and having respective vane engaging surfaces on each side that are disposed symmetrically about and have a predetermined radius of curvature with respect to the central axis of each respective vane guide;

g. said vanes have lateral faces that are concaved inwardly toward the central plane of the vane such that said follower means is maintained in substantially uniform sealing engagement with said vane lateral faces as said follower means traverse inwardly and outwardly therealong during rotation of said rotor such that a satisfactory seal is maintained intermediate said follower means and said vanes so that said follower means can serve as a piston as well as an interdigitating means; said vanes being symmetrically contoured with respect to said central plane of the vane such that each said respective vane maintains said satisfactory seal at their respective points of contact with adjacent vane guides; and I h. an integral and adjustable flow through and torque control means for controlling torque output without requiring a throttle and the throttle-caused losses in efficiency.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein said vane guides are rotatably mounted in said rotor and intermediate respective said vanes such that they serve, not only as a part of said improved seal means, but also as a piston for effecting a pseudo cranking action on said rotor assembly for unusually high torque and power output.

3. The device of claim 1 wherein said power delivery shaft comprises an elongate shaft traversing the length of said rotor assembly; a pair of torque transmission gears are drivingly connected with said shaft at spaced apart locations adjacent each end of said rotor assembly to provide a balanced power take-off for avoiding intolerable torsional twisting of large elongate rotor assemblies; said rotor assembly is elongate and has circular plates disposed at each end, said plates being drivingly connected with respective torque output gears that drivingly engage said torque transmission gears; bearing supports are provided for said shaft at a plurality of locations therealong such that large amounts of power can be delivered to said elongate shaft without distorting said shaft sufficiently to induce intolerable vibrations; a vane shaft is provided with said vanes pivotally mounted thereon; a housing has ends enclosing said circular plates, bearing pedestals mounted on each said end of said housing; and said vane shaft is journalled in said bearing pedestals for great stability.

4. The device of claim 1 wherein said flow through and torque control means comprises a single angularly adjustable torque control sleeve that encompasses the length of the periphery and tips of said vanes and has a plurality of apertures extending the length of said torque control sleeve and peripherally thereabout sufficient to subtend an angle greater than 90 and no more than 180 with respect to the central longitudinal axis of said torque control sleeve; each said aperture having a cross sectional dimension peripherally of said torque control sleeve less than the thickness of each vane tip so as to prevent flow back of a fluid around said vane tip and to prevent communication with a plurality of subchambers simultaneously; a first plurality of similarly angularly disposed said apertures serving as inlet apertures communicating in normal operation between said vane assembly cavity and the one port of said first and second ports serving as the inlet port such that advancing said torque control sleeve in a first direction will increase the effective flow area through said inlet apertures and said inlet port and retarding of said torque control sleeve in a second direction opposite said first direction will decrease the effective flow area through said inlet apertures and said inlet port; said first plurality being less than one-half of said plurality ofapertures; a second plurality of similarly angularly disposed said apertures serving as discharge apertures communicating in normal operation between said vane assembly cavity and the other port of said first and second ports serving as the discharge port; said second plurality being more than one-half of said plurality of apertures; and a sealing portion of said internal surface of said main chamber sealingly engages said torque control sleeve longitudinally thereof and any of said apertures included between said inlet and discharge ports; said sealing portion being of peripheral extent greater than that of a subchamber at its minimum volume so as to prevent communication between said inlet and discharge ports by way of said apertures and said subchambers, yet allow flow of fluids into and out of respective subchambers over their entire length for optimum efficiency; and a means for advancing and retarding said torque control sleeve.

5. The device of claim 4 wherein said inlet apertures define a first flow area with respect to said inlet port and said discharge apertures define a second flow area with respect to said discharge port; and said first and second flow areas are adjustable such that a greater volume of fluid at the pressure exteriorly of said inlet apetures can flow through said first area into said vane assembly cavity than can flow through said second flow area from said vane assembly cavity at the pressure exteriorly of said discharge apertures; and such that supercharged operation of said motor device is effected for greater power output by increases in inlet loading work performed .and expansion work performed per revolution of said motor device at the expense of only a small reduction in efficiency; and for effecting the desirable capability of allowing direct driving of mobile equipment through a reduction gear without requiring a transmission having an adjustable ratio gear and clutch.

6. The device of claim 4 wherein said flow through and torque control means also includes a discharge flow control means for controlling the volumetric rate of flow of fluid through the discharge port of said first and second ports such that pressure interiorly of said chamber can be controlled and reduce losses from over-expansion and under-expansion of a working fluid flowing therethrough from a high pressure source to a low pressure receiver and such that a high efficiency can be effected over a wide range of power and speed requirements.

7. The device of claim 6 wherein said discharge flow control means includes at least one adjustable exhaust ring disposed at at least one end of said main chamber and having at least one discharge aperture communicating between a discharge port and said vane assembly cavity such that advancing said exhaust ring in a first direction will initiate the discharge of working fluid from respective subchambers earlier in terms of the angular displacement from the zero degree position and retarding said exhaust ring in the second direction opposite said first direction will retard the initiation of the discharge of working fluid from respective subchambers; and means for advancing and retarding said exhaust ring.

8. The device of claim 7 wherein an exhaust ring is provided at each end of said main chamber for increasing the flow of working fluid from a subchamber during a discharge portion of each revolution of each said subchamber.

9. A system for drivingly powering a machine forwardly and reversely at the option of an operator, without requiring a transmission that includes a clutch and reversing gears, comprising:

a. a high pressure source of working fluid at superatmospheric pressure;

b. a low pressure receiver means for receiving said working fluid at a pressure that is sufficiently lower than said superatmospheric pressure to enable deriving useful work from said working fluid flowing from said high pressure source through a motor device to said low pressure receiver means;

c. an eccentric rotor, concentric vane motor device having:

i. a main chamber having therewithin a substantially cylindrical interior surface that defines a vane assembly cavity;

ii. first and second ports spaced around and communicating with said main chamber and serving as inlet and discharge ports;

iii. a plurality of angularly related radial vanes, independently pivotal and rotatable within said vane assembly cavity about a vane axis therewithin; said vanes occupying substantially the total radial distance from said vane axis to said interior surface;

iv. a rotor that is eccentrically mounted with respect to said vane assembly cavity and rotatable about a rotor axis spaced from said vane axis; said rotor having follower means intermediate respective said vanes for interdigitating said vanes and effecting a change in volume of a subchamber intermediate respective said vanes as said rotor and said vanes are rotated within said vane assembly cavity; each subchamber being delineated by a pair of confronting vane faces and a corresponding follower means between said vane faces and said interior surface and varying from a minimum volume at the outer-most position of said follower means with respect to said vane axis to a maximum volume at the innermost position of said follower means;

v. a power delivery shaft connected with said rotor for delivering power from said rotor;

vi. a satisfactory seal means intermediate said vanes and said follower means;

vii. an integral and adjustable flow through and torque control means for controlling torque output of said motor without requiring a throttle and the throttle-caused losses in efficiency; said flow through and torque control means comprising:

A. an angularly adjustable torque control sleeve that encompasses the entire periphery and length of the periphery and tips of said vanes and has a plurality of apertures extending the length of said torque control sleeve and peripherally thereabout sufficient to subtend an are greater than 90 and no more than 180; each said aperture having a cross sectional dimension peripherally of said torque control sleeve less than the thickness of a vane tip so as to prevent flow back of a fluid around said vane tip and to prevent communication with a plurality of subchambers simultaneously; a first plurality of similarly angularly disposed said apertures serving as inlet apertures communicating in normal operation between said vane assembly cavity and the one port of said first and second ports serving as the inlet port such that advancing said torque control sleeve in a first direction will increase the effective flow area through said inlet apertures and said inlet port and retarding said torque control sleeve in a second direction opposite said first direction will decrease the effective flow area through said inlet apertures and said inlet ports; said first plurality being less than one-half of said plurality of apertures; a second plurality of similarly angularly disposed said apertures serving as discharge apertures communicating in normal operation between said vane assembly cavity and the other port of said first and second ports serving as the discharge port; said second plurality being more than one-half of said plurality of apertures; and a sealing portion of said internal surface of said main chamber sealingly engaging said torque control sleeve and any of said apertures included between said inlet and discharge ports; said sealing portion being of a peripheral extent greater than that of a subchamber at its minimum volume so as to prevent communication between said inlet and discharge ports yet allow flow of fluids into and out of respective subchambers over their entire length; said torque control sleeve being reversible so as to reverse the port communicating with said vane assembly cavity via the inlet apertures for reversing the direction of rotation of said motor device; and B. a discharge flow control means that includes adjustable exhaust rings disposed at the ends of said main chamber for controlling the volumetric rate of flow of fluid through the discharge port of said first and second ports such that pressure interiorly of said vane assembly cavity can be controlled and reduce losses from over-expansion and underexpansion of a working fluid flowing therethrough from said high pressure source to said low pressure receiver means; said exhaust rings having a plurality of discharge apertures communicating in normal operation between a discharge port in said vane assembly cavity such that advancing said exhaust ring in a first direction will initiate the discharge of working fluid from respective subchambers earlier in terms of the angular displacement from the minimum volume position and retarding said exhaust ring in the second direction opposite said first direction will retard the initiation of the discharge of working fluid from respective subchambers; said discharge flow control means being reversible so as to reverse the port communicating with said main chamber via said discharge flow control means; and

viii. at least one means for reversingly positioning said torque control sleeve and said discharge flow control means; and d. reversing valve means for controlling the direction of flow of said working fluid through said motor device between said source and said receiver means.

Claims

1. In an eccentric rotor, concentric vane motor device having: a. a main chamber having therewithin a substantially cylindrical interior surface that defines a vane assembly cavity; b. first and second ports spaced around and communicating with said main chamber and serving as inlet and discharge ports; c. a plurality of angularly related radial vanes, independently pivotal and rotatable within said vane assembly cavity about a vane axis therewithin; said vanes occupying substantially the total radial distance from said vane axis to said interior surface; d. a rotor that is eccentrically mounted with respect to said vane assembly cavity and rotatable about a rotor axis spaced from said vane axis; said rotor having follower means for interdigitating said vanes and effecting a change in volume of a subchamber intermediate respective said vanes as said rotor and said vanes are rotated within said vane assembly cavity; each subchamber being delineated by a pair of confronting vane faces and a corresponding follower means between said vane faces and the interior surface and varying from a minimum volume with the respective follower means having its outermost position with respect to said vane axis, the minimum volume position being arbitrarily referred to as the zero degree position, to a maximum volume with the respective follower means at its innermost position with respect to said vane axis, arbitrarily referred to as the 180* position; and e. a power delivery shaft connected with said rotor for delivering power from said rotor; the improvement comprising an improved seal means intermediate said vane and said follower means in which: f. said follower means is disposed intermediate said respective vanes and comprises vane guides that are substantially cylindrical rollers extending longitudinally of said rotor and having respective vane engaging surfaces on each side that are disposed symmetrically about and have a predetermined radius of curvature with respect to the central axis of each respective vane guide; g. said vanes have lateral faces that are concaved inwardly toward the central pLane of the vane such that said follower means is maintained in substantially uniform sealing engagement with said vane lateral faces as said follower means traverse inwardly and outwardly therealong during rotation of said rotor such that a satisfactory seal is maintained intermediate said follower means and said vanes so that said follower means can serve as a piston as well as an interdigitating means; said vanes being symmetrically contoured with respect to said central plane of the vane such that each said respective vane maintains said satisfactory seal at their respective points of contact with adjacent vane guides; and h. an integral and adjustable flow through and torque control means for controlling torque output without requiring a throttle and the throttle-caused losses in efficiency.

4. The device of claim 1 wherein said flow through and torque control means comprises a single angularly adjustable torque control sleeve that encompasses the length of the periphery and tips of said vanes and has a plurality of apertures extending the length of said torque control sleeve and peripherally thereabout sufficient to subtend an angle greater than 90* and no more than 180* with respect to the central longitudinal axis of said torque control sleeve; each said aperture having a cross sectional dimension peripherally of said torque control sleeve less than the thickness of each vane tip so as to prevent flow back of a fluid around said vane tip and to prevent communication with a plurality of subchambers simultaneously; a first plurality of similarly angularly disposed said apertures serving as inlet apertures communicating in normal operation between said vane assembly cavity and the one port of said first and second ports serving as the inlet port such that advancing said torque control sleeve in a first direction will increase the effective flow area through said inlet apertures and said inlet port and retarding of said torque control sleeve in a second direction opposite said first direction will decrease the effective flow area through said inlet apertures and said inlet port; said first plurality being less than one-half of said plurality of apertures; a second plurality of similarly angularly disposed said apertures serving as discharge apertures communicating in normal operation between said vane assembly cavity and the other port of said first and second ports serving as the discharge port; said second plurality being more than one-half of said plurality of apertures; and a sealing portion of said internal surface of said main chamber sealingLy engages said torque control sleeve longitudinally thereof and any of said apertures included between said inlet and discharge ports; said sealing portion being of peripheral extent greater than that of a subchamber at its minimum volume so as to prevent communication between said inlet and discharge ports by way of said apertures and said subchambers, yet allow flow of fluids into and out of respective subchambers over their entire length for optimum efficiency; and a means for advancing and retarding said torque control sleeve.

5. The device of claim 4 wherein said inlet apertures define a first flow area with respect to said inlet port and said discharge apertures define a second flow area with respect to said discharge port; and said first and second flow areas are adjustable such that a greater volume of fluid at the pressure exteriorly of said inlet apetures can flow through said first area into said vane assembly cavity than can flow through said second flow area from said vane assembly cavity at the pressure exteriorly of said discharge apertures; and such that supercharged operation of said motor device is effected for greater power output by increases in inlet loading work performed and expansion work performed per revolution of said motor device at the expense of only a small reduction in efficiency; and for effecting the desirable capability of allowing direct driving of mobile equipment through a reduction gear without requiring a transmission having an adjustable ratio gear and clutch.

9. A system for drivingly powering a machine forwardly and reversely at the option of an operator, without requiring a transmission that includes a clutch and reversing gears, comprising: a. a high pressure source of working fluid at superatmospheric pressure; b. a low pressure receiver means for receiving said working fluid at a pressure that is sufficiently lower than said superatmospheric pressure to enable deriving useful work from said working fluid flowing from said high pressure source through a motor device to said low pressure receiver means; c. an eccentric rotor, concentric vane motor device having: i. a main chamber having therewithin a substantially cylindrical interior surface that defines a vane assembly cavity; ii. first and second ports spaced around and communicating with said main chamber and serving as inlet and discharge ports; iii. a plurality of angularly related radial vanes, independently pivotal and rotatable within said vane assembly cavity aBout a vane axis therewithin; said vanes occupying substantially the total radial distance from said vane axis to said interior surface; iv. a rotor that is eccentrically mounted with respect to said vane assembly cavity and rotatable about a rotor axis spaced from said vane axis; said rotor having follower means intermediate respective said vanes for interdigitating said vanes and effecting a change in volume of a subchamber intermediate respective said vanes as said rotor and said vanes are rotated within said vane assembly cavity; each subchamber being delineated by a pair of confronting vane faces and a corresponding follower means between said vane faces and said interior surface and varying from a minimum volume at the outer-most position of said follower means with respect to said vane axis to a maximum volume at the innermost position of said follower means; v. a power delivery shaft connected with said rotor for delivering power from said rotor; vi. a satisfactory seal means intermediate said vanes and said follower means; vii. an integral and adjustable flow through and torque control means for controlling torque output of said motor without requiring a throttle and the throttle-caused losses in efficiency; said flow through and torque control means comprising: A. an angularly adjustable torque control sleeve that encompasses the entire periphery and length of the periphery and tips of said vanes and has a plurality of apertures extending the length of said torque control sleeve and peripherally thereabout sufficient to subtend an arc greater than 90* and no more than 180*; each said aperture having a cross sectional dimension peripherally of said torque control sleeve less than the thickness of a vane tip so as to prevent flow back of a fluid around said vane tip and to prevent communication with a plurality of subchambers simultaneously; a first plurality of similarly angularly disposed said apertures serving as inlet apertures communicating in normal operation between said vane assembly cavity and the one port of said first and second ports serving as the inlet port such that advancing said torque control sleeve in a first direction will increase the effective flow area through said inlet apertures and said inlet port and retarding said torque control sleeve in a second direction opposite said first direction will decrease the effective flow area through said inlet apertures and said inlet ports; said first plurality being less than one-half of said plurality of apertures; a second plurality of similarly angularly disposed said apertures serving as discharge apertures communicating in normal operation between said vane assembly cavity and the other port of said first and second ports serving as the discharge port; said second plurality being more than one-half of said plurality of apertures; and a sealing portion of said internal surface of said main chamber sealingly engaging said torque control sleeve and any of said apertures included between said inlet and discharge ports; said sealing portion being of a peripheral extent greater than that of a subchamber at its minimum volume so as to prevent communication between said inlet and discharge ports yet allow flow of fluids into and out of respective subchambers over their entire length; said torque control sleeve being reversible so as to reverse the port communicating with said vane assembly cavity via the inlet apertures for reversing the direction of rotation of said motor device; and B. a discharge flow control means that includes adjustable exhaust rings disposed at the ends of said main chamber for controlling the volumetric rate of flow of fluid through the discharge port of said first and second ports such that pressure interiorly of said vane assembly cavity can be controlled and reduce losses from over-expansion and under-expansion of a working fluid flowing therethrough from said high pressure source to said low pressure receiver means; saiD exhaust rings having a plurality of discharge apertures communicating in normal operation between a discharge port in said vane assembly cavity such that advancing said exhaust ring in a first direction will initiate the discharge of working fluid from respective subchambers earlier in terms of the angular displacement from the minimum volume position and retarding said exhaust ring in the second direction opposite said first direction will retard the initiation of the discharge of working fluid from respective subchambers; said discharge flow control means being reversible so as to reverse the port communicating with said main chamber via said discharge flow control means; and viii. at least one means for reversingly positioning said torque control sleeve and said discharge flow control means; and d. reversing valve means for controlling the direction of flow of said working fluid through said motor device between said source and said receiver means.