Controlled porting for a pressure transformer

Abstract

A pressure transformer is provided having a housing, with a rotating group disposed therein, an adjustable port plate is disposed between a barrel of the rotating group and a head portion of the housing. The barrel has a plurality of pistons slideably disposed in cylinders defined in the barrel. The cylinders each define a cylinder port that is in intimate contact with the port plate. Each cylinder port has a predetermined circumferential length. The port plate has three arcuate slots defined therein and spaced from one another along a predetermined circumference. Each arcuate slot has a leading edge and a trailing edge. Likewise each of the cylinder ports has a leading edge and a trailing edge. The shape and orientation of the leading edges and trailing edges of the cylinder ports and the arcuate slots are the same. The circumferential length of the space between adjacent ones of the arcuate slots is less than the circumferential length of the respective cylinder ports. During relative rotation between the cylinder ports and the arcuate slots, the cylinder ports is in communication with the adjacent arcuate slots but during operation the communication is effectively dynamically sealed. This relationship enhances the operating efficiency of the pressure transformer by conditioning the fluid within the cylinder so that the pressure therein is equivalent to the pressure in the successive arcuate port upon opening thereto.