Closed-circuit hydraulic propeller

Abstract

The present invention provides closed-circuit hydraulic propeller used for the generation of thrust, or lift, force from the torque provided by a prime mover, or a motor, with said thrust, or lift, force being utilized in propelling, or lifting, a movable vehicle. In a preferred embodiment the closed-circuit hydraulic propeller comprises an outer casing; two inner-members; an intermediate body; a drive shaft; a rotor assembly including at least one central disk and a plurality of circumferentially arranged thrust, or lift, generating, blades; and an incompressible fluid completely filling the space enclosed within the casing. In operation, the incompressible fluid will circulate within the passages confined between the opposing surfaces of the casing, inner-members, and intermediate body due to its acceleration by the rotor blades, with the blades' generated thrust force being transmitted to the propeller's casing through thrust bearing arrangement(s) Means for cooling the incompressible viscous fluid are also provided.

1 . A closed-circuit hydraulic propeller comprising:
 an assembly having a generally oval-shaped outer casing portion, a first inner-member portion, and a second inner-member portion, the outer casing structurally supports and encloses other propeller elements positioned therein, and the outer surface of each of the inner-members partially defines a closed-circuit fluid flow passage within the propeller;   a drive shaft supported for rotation in a given direction inside the outer casing by an arrangement of bearings and extending to a drive receiving end located outside the outer casing;   a rotor secured for rotation with the drive shaft and lying in a plane normal to the rotational axis of the drive shaft, said rotor includes at least one central disk and a plurality of circumferentially arranged thrust, or lift, generating, blades, each blade has an inner edge attached to the central disk, an outer edge, a leading edge, and a trailing edge; and   an incompressible viscous fluid completely filling the space enclosed within the outer casing.   
     
     
         2 . The closed-circuit hydraulic propeller of  claim 1 , which further comprises an intermediate-body fixedly attached to the outer casing and located intermediate of the outer casing and the inner-members, with the opposing surfaces of said intermediate-body and said outer casing defining an outer annular passage therebetween, and with the opposing surfaces of said intermediate-body and said inner-members defining an inner annular passage therebetween, with the said rotor blades being positioned for rotation within the said inner annular passage, and with the said intermediate body being configured to allow the flow of the said incompressible viscous fluid from the said outer annular passage to the said upstream inflowing portion of the inner annular passage and from the said downstream outflowing portion of the inner annular passage to the said outer annular passage. 
     
     
         3 . The closed-circuit hydraulic propeller of  claim 1 , which further comprises a generally cylindrical shaped intermediate-body fixedly attached to the outer casing and located intermediate of the outer casing and the inner-members, with the opposing surfaces of said intermediate-body and said outer casing defining an outer annular passage therebetween, and with the opposing surfaces of said intermediate-body and said inner-members defining an inner annular passage therebetween, said inner annular passage has an upstream inflowing converging portion and a downstream outflowing diverging portion, with the said rotor blades being positioned for rotation within the said inner annular passage, and with the said intermediate body being configured to allow the flow of the said incompressible viscous fluid from the said outer annular passage to the said upstream inflowing portion of the inner annular passage and from the said downstream outflowing portion of the inner annular passage to the said outer annular passage. 
     
     
         4 . The closed-circuit hydraulic propeller of  claim 1 , wherein each of the said inner-members being generally hourglass in shape. 
     
     
         5 . The closed-circuit hydraulic propeller of  claim 1 , wherein the downstream outflowing portion of the inner annular passage is provided with at least one set of circumferentially arranged vanes to align the flow of the working fluid within the outflowing portion of the inner annular passage during operation. 
     
     
         6 . The closed-circuit hydraulic propeller of  claim 1 , wherein the number of the blades of the said propeller's rotor ranges between 2 and 36 blades. 
     
     
         7 . The closed-circuit hydraulic propeller of  claim 1 , wherein each two successive blades of the said propeller's rotor are separated by an intervening gap. 
     
     
         8 . The closed-circuit hydraulic propeller of  claim 7 , wherein the ratio between the mean width of each of the said gaps and the mean Chord length of each of the said blades ranges between 0.5:1 and 3:1, and more preferably ranges between 1:1 and 2:1. 
     
     
         9 . The closed-circuit hydraulic propeller of  claim 1 , wherein the successive parts of each of the blades of the said propeller's rotor has the same angle of attack, with said angle of attack ranging between 2 degrees and 14 degrees, and more preferably between 2 degrees and 10 degrees. 
     
     
         10 . The closed-circuit hydraulic propeller of  claim 1 , wherein the successive parts of each of the blades of the said propeller's rotor has gradually increasing angles of attack from the blade's outer edge to the blade's inner edge, with said angles of attack lying anywhere between 2 degrees and 14 degrees and more preferably between 2 degrees and 10 degrees. 
     
     
         11 . The closed-circuit hydraulic propeller of  claim 1 , wherein seal means are provided between the opposing surfaces of the said drive shaft and the said outer casing. 
     
     
         12 . The closed-circuit hydraulic propeller of  claim 1 , wherein means for cooling the said incompressible viscous fluid are provided. 
     
     
         13 . The closed-circuit hydraulic propeller of  claim 12 , wherein the said means provided for cooling the said incompressible viscous fluid comprises a plurality of cooling ribs on the outer surface of the said propeller's outer casing 
     
     
         14 . The closed-circuit hydraulic propeller of  claim 12 , wherein the said means provided for cooling the said incompressible viscous fluid comprises a forced air or fluid cooling arrangement. 
     
     
         15 . The closed-circuit hydraulic propeller, of  claim 1 , wherein the thrust force generated by the said propeller's rotor is transmitted to the said propeller's casing through at least one thrust bearing arrangement. 
     
     
         16 . The closed-circuit hydraulic propeller of  claim 1 , wherein the said propeller's drive shaft is driven by at least one prime mover. 
     
     
         17 . The closed-circuit hydraulic propeller of  claim 16 , wherein the torque supplied by the said prime mover is transmitted to the said propeller's drive shaft through a gear train arrangement. 
     
     
         18 . The closed-circuit hydraulic propeller of  claim 1 , wherein the said propeller's drive shaft is driven by at least one electric motor. 
     
     
         19 . The closed-circuit hydraulic propeller of  claim 18 , wherein the torque supplied by the said electric motor is transmitted to the said propeller's drive shaft through a gear train arrangement. 
     
     
         20 . The closed-circuit hydraulic propeller of  claim 18 , wherein the driving electric current for the said electric motor is supplied from at least one rechargeable electricity storage system; a fuel cell; an electric generator driven by a prime mover; or any combination thereof.