Centrifugal Gas Compressor Using Pinwheel Thrusters

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional gas turbine engines face limitations in achieving high pressure ratios due to material stress limits on impellers, leading to inefficiencies and complex, heavy designs, and existing jet engines without axial drive shafts struggle to achieve efficient compression and thrust.

Innovation Solution

A novel gas compressor system that combines a centrifugal compressor with a ramjet engine, using a fixed array of tangentially oriented jet thrusters to create a high-speed full forced vortex, eliminating the need for a rotating impeller and drive shaft, and incorporating a diffuser for further compression, which recirculates compressed air to enhance the vortex's momentum.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If conventional centrifugal compressors use high-speed rotating impellers to achieve high pressure ratios, then compression efficiency improves, but material stress limits and mechanical complexity increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecompression efficiencyVSAvoidmaterial stress limit

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces the conventional mechanical rotating impeller system with a stationary diffuser and high-speed gas flow system. The compression function is achieved through fluid dynamic effects (diffusion and vortex formation) rather than direct mechanical rotation, eliminating material stress limitations while maintaining high compression efficiency

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The invention uses high-speed gas flow through a diffuser to create compression effects. The pneumatic system utilizes the kinetic energy of supersonic gas flow and converts it to pressure through diffusion, replacing the need for mechanically rotating impellers and eliminating material stress constraints

Inventive Principle:

Principle #29Pneumatics and hydraulics

2Productivity

If multiple turbine stages are added to achieve higher pressure ratios, then compression capability improves, but device complexity and weight increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepressure ratioVSAvoidnumber of turbine stages

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges the functions of multiple compression stages into a single integrated diffuser-vortex system. By combining diffusion and rotational vortex effects in one stationary structure, the invention achieves high pressure ratios without requiring multiple separate turbine stages, thereby reducing overall system complexity

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The invention introduces a rotational vortex dimension to the conventional linear diffusion process. By creating a forced vortex within the diffuser, the system achieves enhanced compression in a single stage rather than requiring multiple linear stages, effectively adding a dimensional aspect to the compression mechanism

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

3Power

If conventional jet engines use axial drive shafts to connect compressors and turbines, then mechanical power transmission is achieved, but friction losses and mechanical complexity increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemechanical power transmissionVSAvoidfriction loss

Core Design Contradiction:

PowerVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The patent eliminates the mechanical drive shaft connection between compressor and turbine by using a common gas flow path. Power transmission is achieved through the fluid medium (gas flow) rather than direct mechanical coupling, eliminating friction losses associated with axial drive shafts while maintaining effective power transfer

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

This system achieves significantly higher pressure ratios and efficiency, reducing the need for multiple turbine stages, minimizing energy loss, and enabling superior performance compared to conventional engines, with potential for higher specific thrust and lower fuel consumption.

Implementation Method 1

The thrusters create a high speed full forced vortex within the structure which partially compresses the gas by means of centrifugal force

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectCentrifugal force: Centrifugal Force

Implementation Method 2

The diffuser further compresses the flow of vortex gas by appropriately slowing it to a significantly lower velocity

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectDiffusion: Diffusion

Data Source

PatentUS10539073B2Centrifugal gas compressor

Publication Date: 2020.01.21 RICHARDS JR CHESTER L

AI summary

This invention performs the gas pressurization task of a centrifugal compressor gas turbine engine in a new way. In this invention gas compression takes place by using pinwheel-like thrusters to induce a very high velocity full forced vortex in the gas being compressed. Much higher “tip” velocities can be achieved because no strength-limited solid centrifugal impeller is required to spin up the gas. Due to the consequent very high vortex velocity a single stage pressure ratio of twenty five to one, or more, may be possible. Because there is no high pressure turbine, the gas pressure delivered to some downstream useful work device is much higher than is the case with conventional gas turbine engines. The invention's compressor requires no major moving parts except for the gas flow. The consequence is that the invention is predicted to have substantially better performance and general characteristics than conventional gas turbine engines.