Method of Pumping Gaseous Matter via a Supersonic Centrifugal Pump

Abstract

A method of pumping gaseous matter comprises a step of providing a pump rotor, intake port, exhaust port, and gas passageway. The gas passageway operatively connects the intake port to the exhaust port. The exhaust port is radially farther from the rotor's center axis than is the intake port. The method also includes a step of providing a stator and a step of rotationally driving the pump rotor relative to the stator in a manner causing gaseous matter to enter the gas passageway of the pump rotor via the intake port, to gain energy, and to move radially away from the center axis and out of the exhaust port. The gaseous matter has a supersonic velocity relative to the stator upon exiting the exhaust port. The method can be used to evacuate or compress gaseous matter.

1 . A method of pumping gaseous matter comprising:
 providing a pump rotor having a center axis, an intake port, an exhaust port, and a gas passageway, the gas passageway operatively connecting the intake port to the exhaust port, the exhaust port being radially farther from the center axis than is the intake port;   providing a stator having a chamber that is in gaseous communication with the exhaust port of the pump rotor; and   rotationally driving the pump rotor about the center axis relative to the stator in a manner causing gaseous matter to enter the gas passageway of the pump rotor via the intake port, to gain energy, and to move radially away from the center axis and out of the exhaust port into the chamber of the stator, the gaseous matter having a supersonic velocity relative to the stator upon exiting the exhaust port.   
   
   
       2 . A method in accordance with  claim 1  wherein the step of rotationally driving the pump rotor about the center axis occurs in a manner such that the exhaust port is moving circumferentially about the center axis in a forward direction relative to the stator and such that the gaseous matter is expelled from the exhaust port having a velocity component in the forward direction relative to the exhaust port. 
   
   
       3 . A method in accordance with  claim 1  wherein the gaseous matter has a subsonic velocity relative to the exhaust port upon exiting the exhaust port. 
   
   
       4 . A method in accordance with  claim 1  wherein the gaseous matter converges within the gas passageway as the gaseous matter moves from the intake port to the exhaust port. 
   
   
       5 . A method in accordance with  claim 1  wherein the gaseous matter converges and thereafter diverges within the gas passageway as the gaseous matter moves from the intake port to the exhaust port. 
   
   
       6 . A method in accordance with clam  1  wherein the pump rotor comprises a plurality of exhaust ports that are each operatively connected to the intake port and in gaseous communication with the chamber of the stator, and each of the exhaust ports is radially farther from the center axis than is the intake port. 
   
   
       7 . A method in accordance with  claim 1  wherein the gaseous matter has total absolute pressure when the gaseous matter enters the intake port and a total absolute pressure when the gaseous matter exits the exhaust port, and the total absolute pressure of the gaseous matter when the gaseous matter exits the exhaust port is at least twice the total absolute pressure of the gaseous matter when the gaseous matter enters the intake port. 
   
   
       8 . A method in accordance with  claim 6  wherein the gaseous matter has total absolute pressure when the gaseous matter enters the intake port and a total absolute pressure when the gaseous matter exits the exhaust port, and the total absolute pressure of the gaseous matter when the gaseous matter exits the exhaust port is at least four times the total absolute pressure of the gaseous matter when the gaseous matter enters the intake port. 
   
   
       9 . A method in accordance with  claim 1  further comprising a step of slowing the gaseous matter to a subsonic velocity relative to the stator and within the stator. 
   
   
       10 . A method in accordance with  claim 1  further comprising a step of operating a rotary heat engine having an engine rotor in a manner by generating mechanical energy by expelling gaseous matter from the engine rotor, and wherein the step of rotationally driving the pump rotor occurs directly from the mechanical energy. 
   
   
       11 . A method in accordance with  claim 9  wherein the engine rotor and the pump rotor are directly connected to each other in a manner such that the engine rotor and the pump rotor are fixed in position relative to each other. 
   
   
       12 . A method of pumping gaseous matter comprising:
 providing a pump rotor having a center axis, an intake port, an exhaust port, and a gas passageway, the gas passageway operatively connecting the intake port to the exhaust port, the exhaust port being radially farther from the center axis than is the intake port;   providing a stator having a chamber that is in gaseous communication with the exhaust port of the pump rotor; and   rotationally driving the pump rotor about the center axis relative to the stator in a manner causing gaseous matter to enter the gas passageway of the pump rotor via the intake port, to gain energy, and to move radially away from the center axis and out of the exhaust port into the chamber of the stator, and in a manner such that the exhaust port moves circumferentially about the center axis in a forward direction relative to the stator and the gaseous matter is expelled from the exhaust port having a velocity component in the forward direction relative to the exhaust port.   
   
   
       13 . A method in accordance with  claim 12  wherein the gaseous matter has a subsonic velocity relative to the exhaust port and a supersonic velocity relative to the stator upon exiting the exhaust port. 
   
   
       14 . A method in accordance with  claim 12  wherein the gaseous matter has total absolute pressure when the gaseous matter enters the intake port and a total absolute pressure when the gaseous matter exits the exhaust port, and the total absolute pressure of the gaseous matter when the gaseous matter exits the exhaust port is at least twice the total absolute pressure of the gaseous matter when the gaseous matter enters the intake port. 
   
   
       15 . A method in accordance with  claim 14  wherein the gaseous matter has total absolute pressure when the gaseous matter enters the intake port and a total absolute pressure when the gaseous matter exits the exhaust port, and the total absolute pressure of the gaseous matter when the gaseous matter exits the exhaust port is at least four times the total absolute pressure of the gaseous matter when the gaseous matter enters the intake port. 
   
   
       16 . A method in accordance with  claim 12  wherein the gaseous matter converges within the gas passageway as the gaseous matter moves from the intake port to the exhaust port 
   
   
       17 . A method in accordance with  claim 12  wherein the gaseous matter converges and thereafter diverges within the gas passageway as the gaseous matter moves from the intake port to the exhaust port. 
   
   
       18 . A method in accordance with  claim 12  further comprising a step of operating a rotary heat engine having an engine rotor in a manner by generating mechanical energy by expelling gaseous matter from the engine rotor, and wherein the step of rotationally driving the pump rotor occurs directly from the mechanical energy. 
   
   
       19 . A method in accordance with  claim 18  wherein the engine rotor and the pump rotor are directly connected to each other in a manner such that the engine rotor and the pump rotor fix in position relative to each other. 
   
   
       20 . A method in accordance with clam  12  wherein the pump rotor comprises a plurality of exhaust ports that are each operatively connected to the intake port and in gaseous communication with the chamber of the stator, and each of the exhaust ports is radially farther from the center axis than is the intake port. 
   
   
       21 . A method of pumping gaseous matter comprising:
 providing a pump rotor having a center axis, an intake port, an exhaust port, and a gas passageway, the gas passageway operatively connecting the intake port to the exhaust port, the exhaust port being radially farther from the center axis than is the intake port; and   rotationally driving the pump rotor about the center axis in a manner causing gaseous matter to enter the gas passageway of the pump rotor via the intake port, to gain energy, and to move radially away from the center axis and out of the exhaust port, and in a manner such that the exhaust port moves circumferentially about the center axis in a forward direction and the gaseous matter is expelled from the exhaust port having a velocity component in the forward direction relative to the exhaust port.   
   
   
       22 . A method in accordance with  claim 21  wherein the gaseous matter has total absolute pressure when the gaseous matter enters the intake port and a total absolute pressure when the gaseous matter exits the exhaust port, and the total absolute pressure of the gaseous matter when the gaseous matter exits the exhaust port is at least four times the total absolute pressure of the gaseous matter when the gaseous matter enters the intake port.