Pressure Exchange Ejector with Rotating Vanes
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional ejectors suffer from low efficiency due to irreversible turbulent mixing, and prior art pressure-exchange ejectors require high precision manufacturing and demanding sealing and thrust management, making them costly and prone to reduced service life.
Innovation Solution
A pressure-exchange ejector design that utilizes supersonic aerodynamics to reduce mechanical complexity and stress, featuring a conical fore-body and ramp-shaped vanes on a rapidly spinning rotor to facilitate self-driven operation, reducing the need for external energy and minimizing sealing and thrust demands, while maintaining high efficiency and operational simplicity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If conventional ejectors use turbulent mixing mechanism, then device simplicity is maintained, but efficiency is low due to irreversible processes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a rotating rotor with ramp-shaped vanes that creates dynamic pressure exchange between primary and secondary fluids. The rotation generates time-varying pressure fields that enable reversible energy transfer, contrasting with the static turbulent mixing of conventional ejectors. This dynamic mechanism significantly improves energy efficiency while accepting increased mechanical complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the purely fluid-mechanical turbulent mixing process with a hybrid system incorporating rotating mechanical components (rotor with vanes). This substitution enables controlled pressure exchange that is thermodynamically reversible, improving efficiency despite the introduction of moving parts.
2Loss of energy
If pressure-exchange ejectors use rotating components with high precision sealing, then efficiency improves, but manufacturing cost and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the rotor into discrete ramp-shaped vanes rather than using a continuous sealing surface. This segmentation allows for simpler manufacturing of individual vane components while maintaining effective pressure exchange through the periodic action of multiple vanes, reducing the stringent sealing requirements of prior art designs.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the operational parameters by using rapid rotation at moderate speeds rather than high-precision static sealing. The time-varying pressure fields generated by rotating vanes enable effective fluid control without requiring the same degree of manufacturing precision as stationary high-pressure sealing systems.
3Productivity
If pressure-exchange ejectors use high rotational speeds, then momentum transfer improves, but thrust bearing demands and service life concerns increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs periodic action through the rotating vanes that pass repeatedly through the fluid interaction zones. This periodic pressure exchange achieves effective momentum transfer over time without requiring continuously extreme rotational speeds, reducing bearing loads while maintaining productivity through cumulative fluid interaction.
Solution Approach 2:
The dynamic rotating vane system creates time-varying pressure fields that enhance momentum transfer efficiency at moderate speeds. The rotational motion generates beneficial unsteady flow effects that improve fluid acceleration without proportionally increasing mechanical stresses on bearings, extending service life.
4Loss of energy
If conventional ejectors operate without moving parts, then reliability is high, but efficiency is limited by irreversible turbulent mixing
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces controlled dynamic elements (rotating rotor with vanes) to replace static turbulent mixing. The rotation creates time-varying pressure fields that enable reversible energy transfer, significantly improving efficiency. The mechanical complexity is justified by the substantial gains in energy efficiency and thermodynamic performance.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent substitutes the purely fluid-dynamic conventional ejector mechanism with a hybrid system incorporating rotating mechanical components. This substitution enables controlled pressure exchange that is thermodynamically reversible, achieving much higher efficiency despite the introduction of moving parts.
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
The design achieves significantly higher efficiencies than conventional ejectors, operates at high temperatures, and is more robust and cost-effective, suitable for various applications including refrigeration, gas turbines, and water desalination, with reduced energy dissipation and improved momentum transfer between primary and secondary fluids.
Implementation Method 1
passes through a supersonic nozzle and emerges therefrom as a high speed jet
Implementation Method 2
The high energy primary fluid entering the ejector through primary fluid inlet conduit
Implementation Method 3
Upon exiting said supersonic nozzle, the primary jet entrains secondary fluid introduced through secondary fluid inlet conduit into plenum through the action of turbulent mixing between primary and secondary fluid
Implementation Method 4
The deflected primary fluid impinges on a shroud creating a rotating helical barrier or wall of primary fluid
Implementation Method 5
energizes the secondary fluid by virtue of the pressure forces acting on the primary-secondary fluid interface. Thus, momentum will be exchanged between the primary-fluid and the secondary-fluid at the interfaces between said primary fluid and said secondary fluid through pressure exchange
Data Source
AI summary
A novel pressure-exchange ejector is disclosed whereby a high energy primary fluid transports and pressurizes a lower energy secondary fluid through direct fluid-fluid momentum exchange. The pressure-exchange ejector utilizes non-steady flow principles and both supersonic flow and subsonic flow embodiments are disclosed. The invention provides an ejector-compressor/pump which can attain substantially higher adiabatic efficiencies than conventional ejectors while retaining much of the simplicity of construction and the low manufacturing cost of a conventional ejector. Embodiments are shown which are appropriate for gas compression applications such as are found in ejector refrigeration, fuel cell pressurization, water desalinization, and power generation topping cycles, and for liquid pumping applications such as marine jet propulsion and slurry pumping.