Sliding-blade rotary air-heat engine with isothermal compression of air

Abstract

A sliding-blade rotary air-heat engine utilizes isothermal compression of air and regeneration of waste heat to achieve high thermal efficiency and reduce environmentally damaging emissions. Ambient air is mixed with fine dispersed water and the air-water mixture is isothermally compressed in a sliding-blade air-water compressor. The compressed air is separated from the water and supplied to a vortex heat exchanger/recuperator where it is preheated using waste heat and arrives at a vortex combustion chamber. Heated air from the combustion chamber enters a sliding-blade gas expander, is adiabatically expanded performing useful work and causing simultaneous rotation of the air-water compressor rotor. Spent working fluid from the gas expander is supplied to the vortex heat exchanger/recuperator isobarically giving up its waste heat to air and is discharged through an exhaust port. Separated water enters the gas expander cooling system and is discharged into a radiator/condenser, cooled and injected into the air-water compressor operating chamber to complete the cycle. In another embodiment, water from the gas expander cooling system enters a vortex boiler, is evaporated to be used as waste heat and during the vapor cycle performs useful work in rotating a sliding-blade steam expander rotor connected with the gas expander and air-water compressor rotors. The spent steam is conducted to the radiator/condenser where it is condensed and cooled.