Sealed single rotor turbine
United States Patent 11 1 1111 3,874,190 Eskeli 1 5] Apr. 1, 1975 SEALED SINGLE ROTOR TURBINE 3,795.46] 3/1974 Eskeli 415/178 3,828,573 8/1974 Eskeli 62/401 [76] Inventor: Eskel&#34; 7994741 Locke 3,834,179 9/1974 Eskeli 62/401 Houston, Tex. 77042 [22] Filed: Jan. 31, 1974 Primary E.\am1&#39;nerHenry F. Raduazo [21] Appl. No.: 438,239  
  Related U.S. Application Data [57] ABSTRACT [63] Continuation-impart of Ser. No. 410.985, Oct. 30, A method f apparatus for generatmg p w 1973, wherein a fluid is accelerated and compressed within a rotating rotor in outward extending fluid passageways [52] U.S. Cl 62/401, 415/178, 165/86 i h r moval of heat from said fluid during first part [51] Int. Cl. F25d 9/00, F28d 11/00 of sa compression, and at ti n to said fluid [58] Field of Search 410/1; 415/178, 179; d ring la t r pa f id mpr i n, n h rein /86; 62/401, 402, 499, 500 said fluid is then decelerated in passages extending inward with work being obtained during said decelera- [56] References Cited tion. The fluid being used is normally a gaseous fluid,  
 UNITED STATES PATENTS and is normally sealed and circulated within said rotor. The heating and cooling are provided by circulating a heating and cooling fluid through respective heat 268113007 0/1954 71114118112111 :1: 415/ exchangers Heat may be also added in P during 333110.574 2/1907 138C111 415/179 Said deceleration, and hear y be removed in P 3.726.605 4/1973 B50111 415/178 uring said deceleration. 3,791,167 2/1974 Eskeli 62/401 3.793.848 2 1974 Eskcli 415 120 4 Clalms 2 Drawmg Flgures SEALED SINGLE ROTOR TURBINE CROSS REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This is a continuation-in-part application of a previous application titled Sealed Single Rotor Turbine, filed /30/73, Ser. No. 410,985.  
  This invention relates generally to devices for generating power in response of a fluid being flowed from a higher energy level to a lower energy level by passing said fluid through a rotating turbine rotor.  
  There have been various types of turbines previously; in some of these a fluid is accelerated in single or multiple stationary nozzles and then passed to vanes mounted on a rotating rotor wheel, where the kinetic energy of the moving fluid is converted to power.  
  These conventional turbines normally have high energy losses due to fluid friction, especially between rotor vanes and the fluid where the velocity differentials are usually large.  
 FIG. 1 is a cross section of the turbine, and  
 FIG. 2 is an end view of the same unit.  
  It is an object of this invention to provide a turbine where the working first fluid is sealed within the turbine rotor and heat is added to said first fluid from a second fluid during and after compression, and cooling is provided for said first fluid before and during first part of said compression; this being done to improve the performance of said turbine.  
  Referring to FIG. I, therein is shown a cross section of the turbine. 10 is casing, 11 is rotor, 12 is heat addition heat exchanger. 13 are rotor nozzles for first fluid, I4 is rotor dividing wall, 15 is a vane within inward first fluid passages, 16 is a layer of thermal insulation, 17 is second fluid distribution canduit, 18 is first fluid passage near rotor center. 19 and 26 are rotor bearings and seals. 20 is rotor shaft, 21 and 22 are second fluid inlet and outlet, 23 is casing vent into which a vacuum source may be connected, 24 is first fluid space within rotor, 25 is heat removal heat exchanger, 27 and 28 are third fluid inlet and outlet, 29 is third fluid passage within shaft 20, 30 is vane within outward extending first fluid passages.  
  In FIG. 2, an end view of the unit shown in FIG. 1, is illustrated with portions removed to show internal details. It) is casing, 11 is rotor, 15 is vane within inward extending first fluid passages, 28 is third fluid outlet, 12 is heat addition heat exchanger, 25 is heat removal heat exchanger, 13 is rotor nozzle, 30 is vane, and 31 indicates direction of rotation for rotor.  
  In operation, first fluid enters the outward extending first fluid passages via opening 18, and is accelerated and compressed as it passes outward by centrifugal action on the fluid by said rotating rotor. During first part of said compression, heat is removed from said first fluid in heat exchanger 25 where third fluid is circulated in heat exchange relationship with said first fluid. Then said first fluid is further accelerated and compressed with vanes 30 assuring that said first fluid will rotate with said rotor. Heat is added to said first fluid in heat exchanger I2, where said second fluid is circulated in heat exchange relationship with said first fluid. After compression, said first fluid is passed through nozzles I3 where said first fluid is further accelerated and discharged in forward direction so that the absolute first fluid tangential velocity is the sum of the rotor velocity and the leaving fluid velocity; said first fluid is passed to space 24, and from there to inward extending first fluid passageways where vanes 15 will assure that said first fluid will rotate with said rotor for receiving the work associated with deceleration of said first fluid by said rotor. After deceleration, said first fluid is passed through passage 18 thus completing its work cycle.  
  In the turbine of this invention heat is removed during or before the first part of compression, and heat is added into said first fluid during latter part of said compression. The removal of heat during compression may be sufficient to provide for isothermal compression during said heat removal, and this will allow for a greater work output by the turbine while having a lower temperature second fluid used for said heat addition. Thus, more work is obtained with a lesser temperature differential between said second fluid and said third fluid. Therefore, this turbine is particularly advantageous when the temperature of said second fluid is low, and near the temperature of said third fluid.  
  Various controls and governors are employed with the turbine of this invention. They do not form a part of this invention and are not further described herein.  
  The heat exchangers for said second and third fluids are shown to be made of finned tubing in the drawings. Other types of heat exchangers may be used, such as second fluid and third fluid conduits built in the rotor walls, for example.  
  The first fluid is usually a gas, such as many of the hydrocarbons. The second fluidl may be water, or some other liquid or a gas, and the third fluid also may be a liquid, or a gas.  
  The heat removal heat exchanger 25 may be extented to the inward extending first fluid passages defined by vanes 15, if desired, to provide additional heat transfer area.  
 What is claimed is:  
 l. A turbine for generating power and comprising:  
 a. a means for supporting shaft rotatably;  
 b. a shaft journalled in bearings in said support for rotation;  
 c. a rotating rotor mounted on said shaft so as to rotate in unison therewith, said rotor being adapted for high speed rotation, said rotor having first radially outwardly extending first fluid passageways with vanes therewithin for ensuring that said first fluid therewithin rotates at the same rotational speed as said rotor for effecting centrifugal compression and for effecting an elevated pressure; said first radially extending passageways having at their outward ends means for discharging said first fluid in forward direction which is in the direction of rotation; said first radially extending passageways being provided with heating heat exchanger near the outward ends of said vanes to add heat to said first fluid prior of its said discharge forward; said first radially extending passageways being provided with cooling heat exchanger to remove heat from said first fluid near the inward ends of said vanes for removing heat from said first fluid before and during early part of said compression; said first fluid being discharged from said forward discharge means to radially inward extending first fluid passages, with said inward extending passages having vanes therewithin for receiving the work associated with deceleration of said first fluid; said inward extending first fluid passages outward ends being situ- 3 4 ated outwardly from said first fluid forward dise. a second fluid being circulated within said heating charge means; said first fluid is then passed through heat exchanger in heat exchange relationship with passages to said first outward extending first fluid said first fluid; passageways; said heating heat exchanger being f. a third fluid being circulated within said cooling provided with with a second fluid with said second 5 heat exchanger and being in heat exchange relafluid entering and leaving said rotor via passagetionship with said first fluid. ways near the center of said rotor; said cooling heat 2. The turbine of claim 1 wherein said first fluid forexehanger being provided with a third fluid with ward discharge means are converging type nozzles. said third fluid entering and leaving said rotor via 3. The turbine of claim I wherein said heating fluid passageways near the center of said rotor; is a liquid. d. a first fluid being circulated within said rotor with 4. The turbine of claim 1 wherein said heating fluid a predetermined amount of said first fluid having is a gas. been sealed within said rotor;