Claims
- 1. A low frictional loss, rotary vane gas compressor utilizing a housing having a generally elliptical cavity therein, and a rotor disposed in said cavity, with the axis of rotation of said rotor being offset from the central axis of said cavity, said housing having an inlet passage and a discharge passage, each in contact with said cavity, said rotor having a plurality of radial slots in equally spaced relation about its periphery, a slidable vane of minimal weight being disposed in each of said slots, with the outer tip of each vane being in close proximity to an inner stator wall that defines the outer boundary of said cavity, said vanes serving to define a plurality of chambers in said cavity, which chambers undergo significant volume changes as they move about said cavity during rotation of said rotor, said vanes thus cooperating with said inner stator wall to compress gas entering said inlet passage, such that the gas thereafter leaving through said discharge passage is at a higher pressure, means for providing a film of lubricant on said inner stator wall, latter means including the use of a plurality of radial passages defined in said rotor, with a metering nozzle located on the outer end of each such radial passage, such that the quantity and dispersion of the lubricant flow therefrom will be controlled in a desired manner, the outer tips of said vanes each possessing a compound contour that interacts with such film of lubricant to effect a good seal with said inner stator wall, while minimizing friction.
- 2. The rotary vane gas compressor as defined in claim 1 in which at least one vane face relief passage is disposed on the forward face of each vane, to enable communication between the base of each vane residing in a respective radial slot of said rotor, and the chamber in which the forward face of said vane is disposed.
- 3. The rotary vane gas compressor as defined in claim 1 in which said housing involves an end wall disposed on each axial end of said rotor, with the side edges of each vane being in sealing but movable contact with the interior portion of each end wall during rotor rotation, at least one of such interior end wall portions being equipped with an end wall relief passage, to enable communication at certain rotative positions, between the base of each vane residing in a respective radial slot of said rotor, and the chamber in which the forward face of said vane is disposed.
- 4. The rotary vane gas compressor as defined in claim 3 in which at least one vane face relief passage is disposed on the forward face of each vane, to enable continuous communication between the base of each vane residing in a respective radial slot of said rotor, and the chamber in which the forward face of said vane is disposed.
- 5. A low frictional loss, rotary vane gas compressor utilizing a housing having a generally elliptical cavity therein, and a rotor disposed on a shaft assembly in said cavity, with the axis of rotation of said rotor and shaft assembly being offset from the central axis of said cavity, said housing having an inlet passage and a discharge passage, each of a limited rotational extent, and each in contact with said cavity, said rotor having a plurality of radial slots in equally spaced relation about its periphery, a slidable vane of minimal weight being disposed in each of said slots, with the outer tip of each vane being in close proximity to an inner stator wall that defines the outer boundary of said cavity, said vanes serving to define a plurality of chambers in said cavity, which chambers undergo significant volume changes as they move about said cavity during rotation of said rotor, said vanes thus cooperating with said inner stator wall to compress gas entering said inlet passage, such that the gas thereafter leaving through said discharge passage is at a higher pressure, means for providing a film of lubricant on said inner stator wall, latter means including the user of a plurality of radial passages defined in said rotor, with a metering nozzle located on the outer end of each such radial passage, such that the quantity and dispersion of the lubricant therefrom will be controlled in a desired manner, the outer tips of said vanes each possessing a compound contour that interacts with such film of lubricant to effect a good seal with said inner stator wall while minimizing friction, and means for constraining said rotor and shaft assembly from axial displacement.
- 6. The rotary vane gas compressor as defined in claim 5 in which means are provided for establishing communication between the base of each vane and the chamber in which the forward face of the vane is disposed, said means for establishing communication involving the use of at least one radial slot located on the forward face of each vane.
- 7. The rotary vane gas compressor as defined in claim 5 in which said housing involves an end wall disposed on each axial end of said rotor, with the side edges of each vane being in sealing contact with the interior portion of each end wall during rotor rotation, wherein said means for establishing communication involves the interior of at least one of such end wall portions being equipped with an end wall relief passage such that at certain rotative positions, communication is established between each vane base, and the chamber in which the forward face of the vane is disposed.
- 8. The rotary vane gas compressor as defined in claim 7 in which additional communication between the base of each vane and the chamber in which the forward face of said vane is disposed, is furnished by at least one radial slot located on the forward face of each vane.
- 9. A low frictional loss, rotary vane gas compressor utilizing a housing having a generally elliptical cavity therein, said cavity being defined by the Equation ##EQU4## and further the quantity (a/b)-1 being limited to between 0.0 and 0.1, a rotor disposed in said cavity, with the axis of rotation of said rotor being offset from the central axis of said cavity, said housing having an inlet passage and a discharge passage, each in contact with said cavity, said rotor having a plurality of radial slots in equally spaced relation about its periphery, a slidable vane of minimal weight being disposed in each of said slots, with the outer tip of each vane being in close proximity to an inner stator wall that defines the outer boundary of said cavity, said vanes serving to define a plurality of chambers in said cavity, which chambers undergo significant volume changes as they move about said cavity during rotation of said rotor, said vanes thus cooperating with said inner stator wall to compress gas entering said inlet passage, such that the gas thereafter leaving through said discharge passage is at a higher pressure, means for providing a film of lubricant on said inner stator wall, latter means including the use of a plurality of radial passages defined in said rotor, with a metering nozzle located on the outer end of each such radial passage, such that the quantity and dispersion of the lubricant flow therefrom will be controlled in a desired manner, the outer tips of said vanes each possessing a compound contour composed of at least two unequal, non-concentric radii, the magnitude of the largest radius being at least twice that of any other radius, and with the center of such largest radius being located nearer the trailing side than the leading side of said vane, but not necessarily located within the physical confines of said vane, the center of any other radius being located within the physical confines of said vane, the outer tips of said vanes interacting with such film of lubricant to effect a good seal with said inner stator wall while minimizing friction.
RELATIONSHIP TO RELATED APPLICATION
This is a continuation-in-part of copending application Ser. No. 272,754 entitled "Constrained Floating Vane", which we filed June 11, 1981, now abandoned.
US Referenced Citations (8)
Foreign Referenced Citations (4)
Number |
Date |
Country |
696398 |
Oct 1930 |
FRX |
908088 |
Aug 1945 |
FRX |
52-24308 |
Feb 1977 |
JPX |
179923 |
Jul 1923 |
GBX |
Continuation in Parts (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
272754 |
Jun 1981 |
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