Reverse Vane Engine Ambient Pressure Work Extraction

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing engines are not designed to extract work from hot gases entering at ambient pressure, which creates a low-pressure cavity and utilizes the pressure differential to drive a rotor, addressing the inefficiency in utilizing energy from hot gases at normal or ambient pressure.

Innovation Solution

A reverse vane engine with a housing, rotor, and vanes, featuring an inlet region, insulation region, chill region, and work region, where hot gas is cooled to create a partial vacuum, allowing the pressure differential to drive the rotor and extract work, with pressure release plugs to manage pressure effectively.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Device complexity

If hot gas enters the engine at ambient pressure without compression, then the device complexity is reduced and no compressor is needed, but the pressure differential available to drive the rotor is insufficient

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecompressor requirementVSAvoidpressure differential

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSPower

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by cooling the hot gas in advance within the insulated cavity before it enters the work region. This pre-cooling creates a pressure differential that drives the rotor, eliminating the need for a compressor while still generating sufficient power to drive the engine.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent inverts the conventional approach by using cooling-induced pressure differential instead of compression-induced pressure differential. Rather than compressing hot gas to create high pressure, the system cools the gas to create low pressure, which then drives the rotor through pressure equalization.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

2Power

If the cavity is cooled rapidly to create strong pressure differential, then the power output increases, but the gas temperature drops prematurely reducing the energy potential

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepressure differentialVSAvoidgas temperature

Core Design Contradiction:

PowerVSTemperature

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the cavity into distinct functional regions: an insulated region that maintains high temperature and an adjacent cooling region that creates pressure differential. This spatial segmentation allows the gas to remain hot while a pressure gradient is established, preventing premature temperature drop throughout the entire cavity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies local quality by providing insulation only in specific regions where temperature maintenance is critical, while allowing active cooling in other regions where pressure differential is needed. This localized approach optimizes both temperature retention and power generation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

3Quantity of substance

If the inlet region allows gas entry over a long rotational distance, then the cavity fills completely with hot gas at inlet pressure, but the inlet region may develop vacuum working against engine productivity

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvehot gas volume in cavityVSAvoidengine efficiency

Core Design Contradiction:

Quantity of substanceVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the inlet slot from the traditional continuous circular path, creating a discrete opening at a specific angular position. This extracted inlet configuration allows complete cavity filling during the slot-open portion of rotation while preventing vacuum formation in the inlet region during the slot-closed portion, thereby maintaining productivity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

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

Enables the extraction of work from hot gases at ambient pressure without the need for compressors, utilizing waste energy efficiently and maintaining high efficiency by minimizing premature cooling and optimizing the energy potential of hot gases.

Implementation Method 1

The temperature is reduced in the chill region, which causes the pressure to likewise drop to a relative low pressure

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectCooling: Cooling

Implementation Method 2

The pressure differential between successive cavities causes the rotor to turn in the direction of the decreasing wall length, whereby work can then be extracted from the engine

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectPressure differential: Pressure Gradient

Data Source

PatentUS10119399B1Reverse vane engine extracting work from hot gas entering an engine at an ambient pressure

Publication Date: 2018.11.06 DAVIS BRIAN LEE

AI summary

The present invention is an engine having a housing, a rotor and a plurality of vanes. The housing has a cavity with an outer wall that has an inlet region, an insulation or hot region, a thermal separator, a chill region, a work region and a return region. The vanes define cavities that rotate between the rotor and the housing. Hot gas enters in the inlet region, which can have a slot. The cavity is full of hot gas in the insulation region. The temperature is reduced in the chill region, which causes the pressure to likewise drop to a relative low pressure. In the work region, the diameter of the outer wall is reduced. The pressure differential between successive cavities causes the rotor to turn in the direction of the decreasing wall length, whereby work can then be extracted from the engine.