Apparatus and method of converting a portion of the specific energy of a fluid in gas phase into mechanical work

Abstract

An apparatus () and a method of converting a portion of the specific energy of a fluid in gas phase into mechanical work are described, the apparatus () comprising: at least one housing (') which is provided with at least one gas-supply portion (, T) and at least one exhaust portion (′)/each of the at least one housing (′) comprising: a blade wheel () which is rotatably arranged in the housing (′) and which includes: a shaft () enclosed by a drum (); at least two blades () which are movably arranged to the drum () so that a portion () of the blades () is arranged to be moved towards the internal casing surface () of the housing (′) in such a way that the drum (), the internal casing surface () of the housing () and the blades () define chambers () arranged to contain gas, an effective area of a blade () which is immediately upstream of the exhaust portion (′) being larger than an effective area of a blade () which is immediately upstream of the gas-supply portion (′); that the blade wheel () constitutes a barrier between the gas-supply portion (′) and the exhaust portion (′); and that the exhaust portion (′) of one of the at least one housing (′) is provided with a condenser () to condense the gas which has been carried into the exhaust portion (′).