Device for changing the pressure of a fluid

Abstract

A device for changing the pressure of a fluid having a shaft with rotor blades spiraling in a first direction located on the shaft. The rotor blades rotate adjacent stator vanes that spiral along a stator housing in a direction opposite the first direction. The device changes the pressure of a fluid from a pressure P 1 to a pressure P 2.

1 . A device for changing the pressure of a fluid, comprising: a shaft having at least two substantially continuous rotor blades spiraling in a first direction from a leading portion of said shaft to a trailing portion of said shaft, said rotor blades rotating adjacent at least two substantially continuous, spiraling stator vanes, said stator vanes spiraling in a direction opposite of said first direction, to change the pressure of a fluid from a pressure P 1  at said leading portion of said shaft to a pressure P 2  at said trailing portion of said shaft.  
   
   
       2 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein said pressure P 1  is greater than said pressure P 2 .  
   
   
       3 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein said shaft is a paraboloid.  
   
   
       4 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein said fluid is located among said rotor blades and said stator vanes and flows between said leading portion and said trailing portion of said shaft.  
   
   
       5 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein a first rotor blade decreases in diameter at a first amount along said shaft and a second rotor blade decreases in diameter at a second, different amount along said shaft.  
   
   
       6 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein each of said rotor blades has an upturned outboard portion.  
   
   
       7 . The device of  claim 6 , wherein each of said rotor blades has a leading edge portion that is swept back from said leading portion of said shaft.  
   
   
       8 . The device of  claim 7 , wherein each of said stator vanes has an upturned outboard portion.  
   
   
       9 . The device of  claim 8 , wherein each of said stator vanes has a leading edge portion that is swept back from an inlet portion of a stator housing, said stator vanes being attached to said stator housing.  
   
   
       10 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein said at least two rotor blades do not contact said at least two stator blades.  
   
   
       11 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein each of said stator vanes decreases in diameter as said shaft increases in diameter from said leading portion to said trailing portion.  
   
   
       12 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein each of said rotor blades decreases in diameter as said shaft increases in diameter from said leading portion to said trailing portion.  
   
   
       13 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein said fluid is air.  
   
   
       14 . The device of  claim 9 , wherein said stator vanes extend into a hollow interior portion of said stator housing and wherein said interior portion has a longitudinal centerline and said shaft has a rotational axis and wherein said longitudinal centerline of said interior portion and said rotational axis of said shaft are aligned.  
   
   
       15 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein a fan directs said fluid into said stator vanes and said rotor blades, and said stator vanes and rotor blades pressurize said fluid and direct said fluid into a combustor.  
   
   
       16 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein said stator vanes and said rotor blades are constructed of carbon fiber.  
   
   
       17 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the distance between said stator vanes changes along said shaft.  
   
   
       18 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the distance between said rotor blades changes along said shaft.  
   
   
       19 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein a plurality of fan blades are located on said leading portion of said shaft, said fan blades transitioning into said rotor blades.  
   
   
       20 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein said stator vanes and said rotor blades themselves are substantially nonpermeable but said fluid can flow between them.  
   
   
       21 . A fluid compressor, comprising: 
 a stator housing having an inner wall and at least two substantially continuous stator vanes located on said inner wall, said stator vanes extending radially into a hollow inner portion of said stator housing from said inner wall and said stator vanes spiraling along said inner wall from an inlet of said stator housing to an outlet of said stator housing; and    at least two substantially continuous rotor blades spiraling from a forward portion of a shaft to a trailing portion of said shaft, said rotor blades spiraling in an opposite direction from said stator vanes;    wherein said shaft is located within said hollow inner portion of said stator housing such that said at least two rotor blades are free to rotate adjacent said at least two stator vanes to compress a fluid within said housing.    
   
   
       22 . The fluid compressor of  claim 21 , wherein said fluid is air.  
   
   
       23 . The fluid compressor of  claim 26 , wherein a fan directs said fluid into said stator vanes and said rotor blades, and said stator vanes and rotor blades direct said fluid into a combustor.  
   
   
       24 . The fluid compressor of  claim 21 , wherein said stator vanes and said rotor blades are constructed of carbon fiber.  
   
   
       25 . The fluid compressor of  claim 21 , wherein said stator vanes and said rotor blades themselves are substantially nonpermeable but said fluid can flow between them.  
   
   
       26 . The fluid compressor of  claim 21 , wherein at least one of said rotor blades has an upturned side edge portion.  
   
   
       27 . The fluid compressor of  claim 21 , wherein at least one of said rotor blades has a leading edge portion that is swept back from said leading portion of said shaft.  
   
   
       28 . The fluid compressor of  claim 21 , wherein at least one of said stator vanes has an upturned side edge portion.  
   
   
       29 . The fluid compressor of  claim 26 , wherein at least one of said stator vanes has a leading edge portion that is swept back from said inlet of said stator housing.  
   
   
       30 . The fluid compressor of  claim 21 , wherein said at least two rotor blades do not contact said at least two stator vanes and said at least two rotor blades are not intertwined with said at least two stator vanes.  
   
   
       31 . The fluid compressor of  claim 21 , wherein said interior portion of said housing has a longitudinal centerline and said shaft has a rotational axis and wherein said longitudinal centerline of said interior portion and said rotational axis of said shaft are aligned.  
   
   
       32 . A compressor for a vehicle, comprising: 
 a fan having a plurality of rotating surfaces for drawing air into an engine;    a compressor located behind said fan for receiving at least a portion of said air from said fan and increasing the pressure of said air from an inlet of said compressor to an outlet of said compressor, said compressor comprised of at least two continuous stator vanes spiraling in a first direction and at least two continuous rotor blades spiraling in a direction opposite of said first direction adjacent said stator vanes;    a combustor for receiving pressurized air from said compressor, for adding fuel to said pressurized air and for igniting the fuel and pressurized air combination to produce a high energy air flow; and    a turbine located behind said combustor, where said high energy air flow acts on said turbine to cause said turbine to rotate.    
   
   
       33 . The fluid compressor of  claim 32 , wherein said fluid is air.  
   
   
       34 . The fluid compressor of  claim 32 , wherein said stator vanes and said rotor blades are constructed of carbon fiber.  
   
   
       35 . The fluid compressor of  claim 32 , wherein said stator vanes and said rotor blades themselves are substantially nonpermeable but said fluid can flow between them.  
   
   
       36 . The fluid compressor of  claim 32 , wherein at least one of said rotor blades has an upturned outboard portion.  
   
   
       37 . The fluid compressor of  claim 32 , wherein at least one of said rotor blades has a leading edge portion that is swept back from a leading portion of said shaft.  
   
   
       38 . The fluid compressor of  claim 32 , wherein at least one of said stator vanes has an upturned outboard portion.  
   
   
       39 . The fluid compressor of  claim 32 , wherein at least one of said stator vanes has a leading edge portion that is swept back from an inlet of a housing on which said stator vanes are attached.  
   
   
       40 . The fluid compressor of  claim 32 , wherein said at least two rotor blades are not intertwined with said at least two stator blades.  
   
   
       41 . The fluid compressor of  claim 32 , wherein said housing has an interior portion having a longitudinal centerline and wherein said rotor blades are mounted on a shaft having a rotational axis, said shaft being rotatably mounted within said interior portion and wherein said longitudinal centerline of said interior portion and said rotational axis of said shaft are aligned.