Exponential Technologies, Inc.

Curtis Patterson

Alejandro Juan

Kristjan Tod Gottfried

Soheil Farshchian

Erik Farrell

Stephen Scott

Kyle Fiolka

Kristjan Gottfried

Disclosed herein are several embodiments for shroud arrangements to be used in rotary engines using a plurality of rotors within the shroud arrangement. At least one of the rotors is not fixed to the shroud.

Shroud for rotary engine

This disclosure concerns an advanced nutating positive displacement device having a high power to mass ratio and low production cost. This device in one example forms an exemplary pump as will be discussed in detail. The examples disclosed herein are of the rotary positive displacement type, but in a class by themselves. The devices are formed by a nutating rotor having a face comprising lobes and valleys, and a fixed stator also having a face with lobes and valleys. The face of the rotor opposes and cooperates with the face of the stator. The opposing faces define chambers that change volume with rotation of the rotor.

Dual axis rotor

Disclosed herein is an indexing system for a rotor assembly where in one example the indexing system regulates the rotational location of drive rotors. In one example the rotors are configured to rotate about a shaft.

Indexed positive displacement rotary motion device

The present disclosure describes the use of involute curves for use in energy conversion devices, as well as timing or indexing gears. Several different embodiments are shown using rotors of several examples of lobe numbers and shapes.

Rotors formed using involute curves

Provided herein are multiple variations, applications, and variations for producing electrical power from a flowing fluid such as a gas or liquid under pressure, for example natural gas flowing through a pipeline, by means of one or more positive displacement devices that drive one or more electrical generators. The electrical generators may be immersed in the flow stream together with the positive displacement devices as disclosed, or alternately may be isolated from the flow stream, such as by magnetic coupling, in order to promote longevity and to decrease the risk of accidental discharge or explosion of the fluid in the flow stream. To further decrease such risks, the positive displacement devices may isolate the drive fluid from the environment without the use of dynamic seals.

Positive displacement expander

Disclosed herein are several embodiments of rotors (gears) which utilize spherical involute curves to determine the surfaces of the lobes (teeth). In some embodiments the contact surfaces are radial projections of spherical involute surfaces. In other embodiments the contact surfaces have a root and/or tip of a spherical involute curve, but are barreled or otherwise curved to reduce the point stress on each rotor. The rotors may also be configured where torque transfer is provided at a first set of lobes (teeth) and backlash removal is provided on teeth radially opposed to the first set of lobes (teeth). As the apparatus rotates, the position of torque transfer remains substantially the same, as does backlash prevention/removal, but the teeth providing these operations vary. The rotors may also be used for fluid flow.

Spherical involute gear coupling

The disclosed finger seals are designed to be operational under rotational velocity or a stationary condition. The contact surface of the finger seals is inclined in an axial direction. The rotational velocity of the bore does not affect the hydrodynamic lift and the finger seals can operate at any rotational speed, unlike prior finger seal where the hydrodynamic lift is generated by rotational velocity. Each finger seal is pressure balanced. The pressure chambers on the two sides of each finger seal are connected through the finger cutouts. The finger seal design is such that the fingers lift and move away from the bore surface in radial direction. In one form, each finger seal is designed with the specific required length to allow sufficient surface area for the hydrodynamic force such that the finger seals would be lifted from the bore surface at the design pressure.

Hydrodynamic bore seal

An indexing system for a rotor assembly where the indexing system can regulate the rotational location of drive rotors that are configured to rotate about a shaft in one form.

This disclosure relates to a new multiphase pump with low recirculated volume. This device discloses novel inlet/outlet porting. One of the disclosed improvements is to port the inlet and outlet through the back of the rotors. In the model shown there is only one lobe on the first rotor, and two lobes on the second rotor. The double lobe rotor has the ports provided thru the back, in the lowest point on the buckets between the lobes. If there were more lobes on the two rotors, then the ports would normally be provided in the rotor with the higher number of lobes, preferably in the lowest point on each bucket. The single lobe rotor shown has voids formed in the outer circumference in order to balance the rotor&#x2014;however, any rotor with more than one lobe may be naturally balanced and these holes may be unnecessary.

Multiphase pump with high compression ratio

An input shaft to output shaft coupling including an input shaft having a first wave surface thereupon, wherein the first wave surface comprises mounds and valleys. The coupling additionally comprises an output shaft having a second wave surface thereupon, wherein the second wave surface comprises mounds and valleys. The coupling in one form additionally comprises a housing substantially enclosing the first wave surface and second wave surface, wherein rotational force exerted upon the input shaft is translated through the lobes of the first wave surface to the lobes of the second wave surface and to the output shaft in turn, and wherein the first wave surface and second wave surface transmit rotational force therebetween through any range of angles to a maximum output angle between a rotational axis of the input shaft relative to a rotational axis of the output shaft.

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Calgary, Canada

Curtis Patterson