Compression method and means

Abstract

The invention is a compression method having characteristics of smooth compression and internal cooling of the gas. Embodiments of the invention employ a cylindrical chamber and an orbiting rotor to create a moving duct or chamber whose walls converge, relative to a static gas packet drawn into the moving duct, at a ‘pinch point’. Preferably the closing speed of the walls is subsonic and the speed of the pinch point is supersonic. This enables high pressure to co-exist, at the narrowing end of the duct, with low pressure elsewhere in the duct, because of the pressure information barrier produced by the supersonic advance of the pinch point. The invention also discloses means for adjusting the running clearance between the cylinder and the rotor, and means for counterbalancing the rotor.

1 . A gas compressor comprising:
 a rotor and a stator, one of the rotor and stator having a closed internal surface for relative traversal with respect to the other to form a pinch point at a point of nearest proximity; and   a compressed gas outlet.   
   
   
       2 . The gas compressor according to  claim 1  in which the pinch point is arranged to move at substantially supersonic velocity. 
   
   
       3 . The gas compressor according to  claim 1  wherein in use a fixed point on the rotor surface is substantially maintained at the pinch point. 
   
   
       4 . The gas compressor according to  claim 1  wherein in use the rotor orientation substantially does not change with respect to the stator. 
   
   
       5 . The gas compressor according to  claim 1  wherein in use the rotor rolls around the stator surface such that the rotor surface does not rub against the stator surface. 
   
   
       6 . The gas compressor according to  claim 1  wherein the rotor and/or stator incorporates a cooling passage. 
   
   
       7 . The gas compressor according to  claim 1  wherein the rotor and/or stator incorporates cooling fins. 
   
   
       8 . The gas compressor according to  claim 1  wherein the rotor incorporates said outlet. 
   
   
       9 . The gas compressor according to  claim 1  wherein the outlet is positioned at the rotor or stator upstream, in the traversal direction of the pinch point. 
   
   
       10 . The gas compressor according to  claim 1  wherein the stator incorporates said outlet. 
   
   
       11 . The gas compressor according to  claim 1  wherein the rotor incorporates an inlet for uncompressed gas, downstream in the traversal direction of the pinch point. 
   
   
       12 . The gas compressor according to  claim 1  wherein at least one of a gas inlet and said outlet comprises an orifice on a traversal surface of at least one of the stator and rotor. 
   
   
       13 . The gas compressor according to  claim 1  in which at least one of a gas inlet and said outlet comprises a circumferential strip deformable away from said orifice at least one gas inlet or outlet to allow gas flow therethrough. 
   
   
       14 . The gas compressor according to  claim 1  wherein at least one of a gas inlet or said outlet comprises a duct opening at a circumferential surface of the rotor. 
   
   
       15 . The gas compressor according to  claim 1  wherein the rotor is supported to allow variable proximity to the stator at the pinch point. 
   
   
       16 . A valve arrangement comprising:
 a body having an outer wall housing a valve orifice; and   a circumferential deformable strip arranged around the housing so as to close the orifice in an undeformed state and deformable to open the orifice to allow gas flow.   
   
   
       17 . A method of compressing gas comprising:
 causing relative traversal of a rotor and a closed internal stator surface with respect to each other to form a pinch point therebetween, at the point of nearest proximity, in which the pinch point moves at a substantially supersonic speed.   
   
   
       18 . The method as claimed in  claim 17  in which the rotor is supported to allow variable proximity to the stator at the pinch point. 
   
   
       19 . A gas compressor comprising:
 first and second elements, at least one of said first and second elements being capable of relative rotational movement with respect to the other to form a pinch point arranged to compress gas at a point of nearest proximity.   
   
   
       20 . (canceled)