Eaton Corporation

Eaton Intelligent Power Limited

William Nicholas Eybergen

Martin Pryor

Robert Philip Benjey

Daniel Robert Ouwenga

Michael Lee Killian

Christopher Wayne Creager

Vasilios Tsourapas

Kelly Ann Williams

Matthew James Fortini

James Matthew Brown

John G Walker

Swami Nathan Subramanian

Roneesh Vashisht

Martin D Pryor

Bradley Karl Wright, Jr

Matthew Gerald Swartzlander

Gary Lee Hunter

A supercharger rotor with reduced rotational inertia may result in increased performance of a supercharger. The rotor may include composite material and may be extrusion molded, injection molded, or otherwise molded or laid-up. In certain embodiments, the rotor may include a core with a central portion and one or more radially extending portions. The core may be extruded or formed of stacked sheets. A molded portion of the rotor, including one or more lobes, may be molded over a corresponding one of the radially extending portions. In other embodiments, a main portion of the rotor includes one or more lobes but no central hole nor a corresponding shaft extending between ends of the main portion. Instead, stub shafts are attached to the ends of the main portion. The increased performance may include decreased noise, decreased cost, increased reliability and/or durability, increased thermal efficiency, an increased power-to-weight ratio, etc.

Composite supercharger rotors and methods of construction thereof

A rotor assembly having a plurality of rotor plates mounted to a shaft, and methods of construction for a rotor assembly are disclosed. Each rotor plate in the assembly may be provided with a central opening extending between the first and second sides through which the shaft extends. In one aspect, the rotor plates are provided with a plurality of lobes extending away from the central opening, wherein each of the lobes has a lobe opening extending through the thickness of the plates. In one embodiment, the rotor plates are rotationally stacked to form a helical rotor.

Low inertia laminated rotor

An exhaust gas energy recovery system includes a power plant and a volumetric fluid expander. The power plant has an exhaust gas outlet for conveying an exhaust gas stream at a first pressure. The volumetric fluid expander includes a housing and an output shaft. The housing has an inlet and an outlet, and the housing inlet is in fluid communication with the exhaust gas outlet. The volumetric fluid expander generates useful work at the output shaft by expanding the exhaust gas stream to a second pressure lower than the first pressure generally without reducing the volume of the exhaust stream as the exhaust stream moves from the housing inlet to the outlet.

Exhaust gas energy recovery system

A supercharger assembly includes a supercharger in series with an engine that has a crankshaft and has an air intake manifold defining a plenum through which air flow is provided to the engine. A supercharger is upstream of the plenum in air flow to the engine and has a first rotor rotatable with a first shaft and a second rotor rotatable with a second shaft. The supercharger assembly also includes an electric motor-generator that is selectively alternately operable as a motor and as a generator, and a planetary gearing arrangement having a first member operatively connected to the electric motor-generator, a second member connectable to be rotated by the engine crankshaft, and a third member operatively connected for rotation with the first shaft. The supercharger assembly has only two selectively engageable torque-transmitting mechanisms and a control system configured to control the electric motor-generator and the torque-transmitting mechanisms.

Variable speed hybrid electric supercharger assembly and method of control of vehicle having same

A volumetric expander () configured to transfer a working fluid and generate useful work includes a housing. The housing includes an inlet port () configured to admit relatively high-pressure working fluid and an outlet port () configured to discharge to a relatively low-pressure working fluid. The expander also includes first and second twisted meshed rotors () rotatably disposed in the housing and configured to exp/and the relatively high-pressure working fluid into the relatively low-pressure working fluid. Each rotor has a plurality of lobes, and when one lobe of the first rotor is leading with respect to the inlet port, one lobe of the second rotor is trailing with respect to the inlet port. The expander additionally includes an output shaft () rotated by the relatively high-pressure working fluid as the fluid undergoes expansion. A system for generating work using the expander in a Rankine cycle is also disclosed.

Volumetric energy recovery device and systems

An engine assembly is provided that includes an engine throttle and a supercharger placed in series with one another in air flow to the engine. The throttle and supercharger can be controlled so that throttling losses are selectively distributed across the throttle and/or the supercharger. Throttling losses placed across the supercharger can create torque that can be converted to stored energy.

Supercharger assembly for regeneration of throttling losses and method of control

A supercharger () with two separate sets of rotors () arranged in parallel with one another is provided in an engine assembly. Both sets of rotors are used to boost air flow during high engine air flow conditions, and only one of the sets of rotors is operable to transfer torque generated by the throttling loss pressure drop as stored energy in a load device during low air flow conditions. The captured throttling losses may be electrical energy stored in a battery via a motor/generator such as during vehicle cruising.

Supercharger assembly with two rotor sets

Blower housing

An air supply system is provided that uses two sets of rotors on a common set of shafts to boost air in two stages. The air supply system includes a housing and a first and a second rotatable shaft at least partially within the housing. A first and a second pair of rotors are included. Each pair of rotors has a first rotor supported for rotation on the first shaft and a second rotor supported for rotation on the second shaft. The housing has an inlet at the first pair of rotors, an outlet at the second pair of rotors, and an internal chamber between the first and the second pairs of rotors. Air flow from the inlet to the outlet thereby has a first pressure boost from the inlet to the internal chamber and a second pressure boost from the inlet chamber to the outlet.

Air supply system with two-stage roots blower

The invention provides a fuel cell compressor system that comprises a motor, including a motor shaft driven by the motor; a drive housing at least partially surrounding the motor shaft; a first gear set driven by the motor shaft; a carrier torque tube driven by the first gear set; and an impeller. The impeller includes an impeller shaft driven by the second gear set, so that the impeller shaft is configured to rotate at a speed greater than motor speed. Embodiments of the invention may also be used with a multi-stage compressor that allows, for example, first and second impellers to rotate at different speeds. Embodiments of the invention may also include removal of a gear set driving the carrier torque tube or the impeller shaft, so that the impeller shaft speed is divided between one or more bearings supporting the carrier torque tube and one or more bearings supporting the impeller shaft.

Fuel cell compressor system

A supercharger drive system that includes a shaft connected to a set of gears; a one-way clutch provided for connection to the shaft; and an actuation controller in communication with the one-way clutch. In an embodiment, the one-way clutch can disengage and rotors or impellers associated with the system are permitted to rotate independently of the one-way clutch.

Growing community of inventors

Harrison Township, MI, United States of America

William Nicholas Eybergen