System and Method for Improved Performance of Gerotor Compressors and Expanders

Abstract

A system and method are presented for improved performance of gerotor compressors and expanders. Certain aspects of the disclosure reduce porting losses in a gerotor system. Other aspects of the disclosure provide for reduced deflection in lobes of an outer rotor of a gerotor system. Still other aspects of the disclosure provide for reduced leakage through tight gaps between components of a gerotor system.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A gerotor system comprising an inner rotor, an outer rotor having a plurality of ports, and a housing, the plurality of ports comprising an inlet subset of ports and an outlet subset of ports, wherein fluid flows into the gerotor system through the inlet subset of ports and out of the gerotor system through the outlet subset of ports,
 the housing further comprising an inlet duct fluidly coupled with the inlet subset of ports and an outlet duct fluidly coupled with the outlet subset of ports, the inlet duct comprising an input pipe and the outlet duct comprising an outlet pipe, and   wherein the inlet pipe is located on the inlet duct based upon a location of an inlet port in the inlet subset of ports having a highest inlet fluid velocity through the inlet port and the outlet pipe is located on the outlet duct based upon a location of an outlet port in the outlet subset of ports having a highest outlet fluid velocity through the outlet port.   
     
     
         2 . The gerotor system of  claim 1 , wherein one of (a) an axis of the inlet pipe is aligned with a dominant fluid velocity vector through one or more of the inlet ports, and (b) an axis of the outlet pipe is aligned with a dominant fluid velocity vector through one or more of the outlet ports. 
     
     
         3 . The gerotor system of  claim 1 , wherein one of (a) a profile of one or more regions of the inlet duct is varied based upon the fluid velocity through one or more corresponding inlet ports, and (b) a profile of one or more regions of the outlet duct is varied based upon the fluid velocity through one or more corresponding outlet ports. 
     
     
         4 . The gerotor system of  claim 1 , wherein one of (a) the inlet duct comprises turning vanes that alter fluid velocity vectors in one or more regions of the inlet duct to more closely match fluid velocity vectors passing through one or more corresponding inlet ports, and (b) the outlet duct comprises turning vanes that alter fluid velocity vectors passing through the outlet ports to more closely match fluid velocity vectors in corresponding regions of the outlet duct. 
     
     
         5 . The gerotor system of  claim 1 , wherein one of (a) the inlet pipe comprises a converging section configured to accelerate fluid flow in the inlet pipe based on a fluid velocity vector through at least one of the inlet ports, and (b) the outlet pipe comprises a diverging section configured to decelerate fluid flow in the outlet pipe based on a fluid velocity vector through at least one of the outlet ports. 
     
     
         6 . The gerotor system of  claim 1 , wherein one of (a) the inlet pipe comprises a tuning section having a resonant frequency based on a pulse frequency of the gerotor system, and (b) the outlet pipe comprises a tuning section having a resonant frequency based on the pulse frequency of the gerotor system. 
     
     
         7 . The gerotor system of  claim 1 , wherein the gerotor system operates as one of a compressor and an expander. 
     
     
         8 . A housing, configured to enclose a gerotor system, the gerotor system comprising an inner rotor and an outer rotor having a plurality of ports, the plurality of ports comprising an inlet subset of ports and an outlet subset of ports, wherein fluid flows into the gerotor system through the inlet subset of ports and out of the gerotor system through the outlet subset of ports, the housing comprising:
 an inlet duct fluidly coupled with the inlet subset of ports, the inlet duct comprising an input pipe; and   an outlet duct fluidly coupled with the outlet subset of ports, the outlet duct comprising an outlet pipe,   wherein the inlet pipe is located on the inlet duct based upon a location of an inlet port in the inlet subset of ports having a highest inlet fluid velocity through the inlet port and the outlet pipe is located on the outlet duct based upon a location of an outlet port in the outlet subset of ports having a highest outlet fluid velocity through the outlet port.   
     
     
         9 . The housing of  claim 8 , wherein one of (a) an axis of the inlet pipe is aligned with a dominant fluid velocity vector through one or more of the inlet ports, and (b) an axis of the outlet pipe is aligned with a dominant fluid velocity vector through one or more of the outlet ports. 
     
     
         10 . The housing of  claim 8 , wherein one of (a) a profile of one or more regions of the inlet duct is varied based upon the fluid velocity through one or more corresponding inlet ports, and (b) a profile of one or more regions of the outlet duct is varied based upon the fluid velocity through one or more corresponding outlet ports. 
     
     
         11 . The housing of  claim 8 , wherein one of (a) the inlet duct comprises turning vanes that alter fluid velocity vectors in one or more regions of the inlet duct to more closely match fluid velocity vectors passing through one or more corresponding inlet ports, and (b) the outlet duct comprises turning vanes that alter fluid velocity vectors passing through the outlet ports to more closely match fluid velocity vectors in corresponding regions of the outlet duct. 
     
     
         12 . The housing of  claim 8 , wherein one of (a) the inlet pipe comprises a converging section configured to accelerate fluid flow in the inlet pipe based on a fluid velocity vector through at least one of the inlet ports, and (b) the outlet pipe comprises a diverging section configured to decelerate fluid flow in the outlet pipe based on a fluid velocity vector through at least one of the outlet ports. 
     
     
         13 . The housing of  claim 8 , wherein one of (a) the inlet pipe comprises a tuning section having a resonant frequency based on a pulse frequency of the gerotor system, and (b) the outlet pipe comprises a tuning section having a resonant frequency based on the pulse frequency of the gerotor system. 
     
     
         14 . The housing of  claim 1 , wherein the gerotor system operates as one of a compressor and an expander. 
     
     
         15 . A gerotor system comprising an inner rotor, an outer rotor having a plurality of ports, and a housing, the plurality of ports comprising an inlet subset of ports and an outlet subset of ports, wherein fluid flows into the gerotor system through the inlet subset of ports and out of the gerotor system through the outlet subset of ports, the housing further comprising an inlet duct fluidly coupled with the inlet subset of ports and an outlet duct fluidly coupled with the outlet subset of ports,
 the inlet duct comprising a plurality of inlet channel vanes extending from an entrance end of the inlet duct to a rotor end of the inlet duct and forming a corresponding plurality of inlet channels, each inlet channel configured to alter substantially identical velocities of fluid entering the inlet channels to a velocity of fluid at the rotor end of the inlet channel that substantially matches a velocity of fluid through one or more corresponding inlet ports, and   the outlet duct comprising a plurality of outlet channel vanes extending from a rotor end of the outlet duct to an exit end of the outlet duct and forming a corresponding plurality of outlet channels, each outlet channel configured to alter a velocity of fluid at the rotor end of the outlet channel determined by a velocity of fluid through one or more corresponding outlet ports to substantially identical velocities of fluid exiting the outlet channels.   
     
     
         16 . The gerotor system of  claim 15 , wherein the inlet channels are configured to substantially match a circumferential component of the velocity of fluid through the one or more corresponding inlet ports, and the outlet channels are configured to substantially remove circumferential components of the velocity of fluid through the one or more corresponding outlet ports. 
     
     
         17 . The gerotor system of  claim 15 , wherein the gerotor system operates as one of a compressor and an expander. 
     
     
         18 . A gerotor system comprising an inner rotor, an outer rotor having a plurality of ports, and a housing, the plurality of ports comprising an inlet subset of ports and an outlet subset of ports, wherein fluid flows into the gerotor system through the inlet subset of ports and out of the gerotor system through the outlet subset of ports,
 the housing further comprising an inlet duct fluidly coupled with the inlet subset of ports and an outlet duct fluidly coupled with the outlet subset of ports, the inlet duct comprising an input pipe located at a first end of the inlet duct and the outlet duct comprising an outlet pipe located at a first end of the outlet duct,   wherein a profile of a circumferential portion of the inlet duct varies from the first end of the inlet duct to a second end of the inlet duct to alter fluid velocity vectors in one or more regions of the inlet duct to more closely match fluid velocity vectors passing through one or more corresponding inlet ports, and   wherein a profile of a circumferential portion of the outlet duct varies from the first end of the outlet duct to a second end of the outlet duct to alter fluid velocity vectors passing through one or more outlet ports by corresponding amounts to substantially the same velocity in the outlet pipe.   
     
     
         19 . The gerotor system of  claim 18 , wherein one of (a) the inlet pipe comprises a converging section configured to accelerate fluid flow in the inlet pipe based on a fluid velocity vector through at least one of the inlet ports, and (b) the outlet pipe comprises a diverging section configured to decelerate fluid flow in the outlet pipe based on a fluid velocity vector through at least one of the outlet ports. 
     
     
         20 . The gerotor system of  claim 19 , wherein the one of the inlet pipe and the outlet pipe comprises one of a rapidly and a gradually converging or diverging profile. 
     
     
         21 . The gerotor system of  claim 19 , wherein the one of the inlet pipe and the outlet pipe comprises a converging or diverging profile of less than seven degrees. 
     
     
         22 . The gerotor system of  claim 18 , wherein the gerotor system operates as one of a compressor and an expander.