Rotary steam motor

Abstract

Provided herein is a rotary steam motor comprising an inlet assembly, a rotor assembly, and an exhaust assembly. The inlet assembly includes an inlet port and an inlet housing, the inlet port being configured to allow steam to enter the inlet housing. The rotor assembly includes a rotor having a plurality of vane slots, a support shaft, and a plurality of vanes, wherein the support shaft is configured to rotate with the rotor, and each vane is configured to slidably engage within a respective vane slot. The exhaust assembly includes an exhaust port and an exhaust housing, the exhaust port being configured to allow steam to exit the exhaust housing. The rotary steam engine further comprises a variable duration throttle assembly, wherein the variable duration throttle assembly is configured to regulate the flow of steam into the rotor assembly from the inlet assembly.

1 . A rotary steam motor comprising:
 an inlet assembly including an inlet port and an inlet housing, the inlet port being configured to allow steam to enter the inlet housing;   a rotor assembly including a rotor, a support shaft, and a plurality of vanes, wherein the support shaft is configured to rotate with the rotor, and the rotor includes plurality of vane slots such that each vane is configured to slidably engage within a respective vane slot;   an exhaust assembly including an exhaust port and an exhaust housing, the exhaust port being configured to allow steam to exit the exhaust housing; and   a variable duration throttle assembly,   wherein the rotor assembly is configured to receive steam from the inlet assembly, and the exhaust assembly is configured to receive steam from the rotor assembly, and   wherein the variable duration throttle assembly is configured to regulate the flow of steam into the rotor assembly from the inlet assembly so as to provide substantially constant pressure expansion from the intake assembly through the exhaust assembly.   
     
     
         2 . The rotary steam motor of  claim 1 , wherein the throttle assembly further comprises a rotating throttle plate and a throttle port, and wherein the throttle plate is configured to selectively cover at least a portion of the throttle port. 
     
     
         3 . The rotary steam motor of  claim 2 , further comprising a throttle control configured to selectively rotate the throttle plate. 
     
     
         4 . The rotary steam motor of  claim 3 , wherein the throttle control is configured to rotate the throttle plate via a gear driven throttle control mechanism. 
     
     
         5 . The rotary steam motor of  claim 1 , wherein the rotor assembly defines at least one intake area, in which steam enters the rotor assembly from the inlet assembly, and at least one corresponding exhaust area, in which steam exits the rotor assembly to the exhaust assembly. 
     
     
         6 . The rotary steam motor of  claim 5 , wherein a central axis of the rotor and support shaft is offset with respect to a central axis of an inner surface of the rotor housing. 
     
     
         7 . The rotary steam motor of  claim 5 , wherein the rotor assembly defines two intake areas, in which steam enters the rotor assembly from the inlet assembly, and two corresponding exhaust areas, in which steam exits the rotor assembly to the exhaust assembly. 
     
     
         8 . The rotary steam motor of  claim 7 , wherein a central axis of the rotor and support shaft is substantially aligned with respect to a central axis of an inner surface of the rotor housing. 
     
     
         9 . The rotary steam motor of  claim 5 , wherein the rotor assembly further defines at least one expansion area located between the at least one intake area and the at least one exhaust area. 
     
     
         10 . The rotary steam motor of  claim 1 , further comprising a generator assembly configured to convert rotating motion into electrical power, and wherein the generator assembly is operably connected to the support shaft.