Concentric rotary machine

Abstract

Disclosed herein is a concentric rotary machine including at least one chamber and at least one isolator (sliding port), which may be linear or rotary. In some embodiments, the isolator separates the chamber into two sub-chambers. In some embodiments, the machine includes a shaft and a piston, wherein the piston may be configured to rotate about the shaft's rotation axis, and wherein the piston includes a cavity for weight balance configuration and/or as a cooling mean. In other embodiments, isolator includes a receptacle (piston-passing opening) to allow for said piston to pass therethrough, and the isolator may include at least one extra cavity to avoid high pressures developed during the passing of the piston there through. In some embodiments, the machine includes a valve at the intake and/or outlet port, to control the amount of a working fluid.

1 . A rotary concentric machine comprising:
 at least one shaft;   at least one piston that rotates on a circular orbit concentrically located with the at least one shaft;   a shell that forms at least one chamber, wherein the at least one piston is configured to rotate within the at least one chamber;   at least one isolator configured to separate the chamber into a plurality of sub-chambers; and   at least one outlet port;   
       wherein the at least one piston has a linear velocity that is sufficiently high to insure that leakage of working medium from the at least one chamber to a neighboring chamber caused by a blow-by effect around a body of the at least one piston is less than 3% or the pressure loss is less than 3%. 
     
     
         2 . The rotary concentric machine according to  claim 1 , wherein the piston linear velocity is at least 30 m/sec. 
     
     
         3 . The rotary concentric machine according to  claim 2 , wherein the piston linear velocity is achieved by providing the at least one piston with a sufficiently large rotation radius, or a sufficiently high rotation speed or both. 
     
     
         4 . The rotary concentric machine according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least one isolator is a rotary sliding port. 
     
     
         5 . The rotary concentric machine according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least one isolator is a linear sliding port. 
     
     
         6 . A linear actuator comprising a plurality of sub-actuators including at least first and second linear sub-actuators, each of the first and second sub-actuators comprising an elongate body with a longitudinal axis and a piston or other member configured and arranged for periodically reciprocating along the longitudinal axis between an unextended position and an extended position, the first and second linear sub-actuators being connected in series such that (a) the respective drives of the first and second linear sub-actuators reciprocate between their respective unextended and extended positions at the same time and along the same longitudinal axis, and (b) a total length of extension of the first and second linear actuators comprises a sum of extension lengths of each of the first and second sub-actuators. 
     
     
         7 . The linear actuator according to  claim 6 , wherein the first linear sub-actuator has a time for effecting extension from its unextended to its extended position that is the same as that of the second linear sub-actuator such that a time for effecting the total length of extension of the first and second linear actuators connected in series is the same as the time for effecting extension of one of the first and second sub-actuators. 
     
     
         8 . The linear actuator according to  claim 6 , wherein at least one of the plurality of linear sub-actuators is constructed and arranged such that, in the absence of an in series connection between the plurality of linear sub-actuators, an amount of time for effecting extension of the at least one linear sub-actuator would be longer than that for a remainder of the plurality of linear sub-actuators and such that, with the plurality of linear sub-activators connected in series, an amount of time for effecting the total length of extension of the plurality of sub-activators is the same as the time for effecting extension of the at least one linear sub-actuator. 
     
     
         9 . The linear actuator according to  claim 6 , wherein at least one of the plurality of linear sub-actuators is constructed and arranged such that, in the absence of an in series connection between the plurality of linear sub-actuators, an amount of time for effecting extension of the at least one linear sub-actuator would be shorter than that for a remainder of the plurality of linear sub-actuators. 
     
     
         10 . The linear actuator according to  claim 6 , wherein at least one of the plurality of linear sub-actuators has a length of extension from its unextended to its extended position that is shorter than that of a remainder of the plurality of linear sub-actuators such that a time for effecting the total length of extension is the same as the time for effecting extension of the said linear sub-actuator. 
     
     
         11 . The linear actuator according to  claim 6 , wherein at least one of the plurality of linear sub-actuators has a length of extension from its unextended to its extended position that is longer than that of a remainder of the plurality of linear sub-actuators such that a time for effecting the total length of extension is the same as the time for effecting extension of the said linear sub-actuator. 
     
     
         12 . A device comprising (i) a linear actuator according to  claim 6 , and (ii) a part in a machine that requires periodically reciprocating movement, wherein the part is connected at an end of the second sub-actuator to effect the periodically reciprocating movement. 
     
     
         13 . A rotary concentric machine comprising:
 at least one shaft;   at least one piston that rotates on a circular orbit concentrically located with the at least one shaft;   a shell that forms at least one chamber, wherein the at least one piston is configured to rotate within the at least one chamber;   at least one isolator configured to separate the chamber into a plurality of sub-chambers; and   at least one outlet port,   
       wherein the at least one isolator comprises the device according to claim  12 . 
     
     
         14 . A noncontact-bearing assembly comprising:
 (a) a first machine component that is stationary; and   (b) a second machine component that is moving or rotatable relative to the first machine component about an axis;   
       wherein the first machine component and the second machine component are separated by a gap for passage of working medium, the gap being about 1 mm or less; 
       wherein the assembly does not have a contact seal; and 
       wherein the surface roughness of the first machine component is sufficiently low, the surface roughness of the second machine component is sufficiently high and the gap is sufficiently small such that leakage of working medium passing through the gap is less than 3% or the pressure loss is less than 3%. 
     
     
         15 . The noncontact-bearing assembly according to  claim 14 , wherein the first machine component has a surface roughness that does not exceed N10, and the second machine component has a surface roughness that is at least N11. 
     
     
         16 . The noncontact-bearing assembly according to  claim 14 , wherein the gap is between 100 microns to 1 mm, and wherein the surface roughness of the first machine component does not exceed N10 and the surface roughness of the second machine component is at least N11, preferably N12, and most preferably more than N12 (Ra>50 micrometer). 
     
     
         17 . The noncontact-bearing assembly according to  claim 14 , wherein the gap is between 50 to 100 microns and the surface roughness of the first machine component does not exceed N10 and the surface roughness of the second machine component is at least N11, preferably N12, and most preferably more than N12 (Ra>50 micrometer). 
     
     
         18 . The noncontact-bearing assembly according to  claim 14 , wherein the first machine component is a shell that forms at least one chamber of a rotary concentric machine and the second machine component is a piston or other member that rotates within the at least one chamber. 
     
     
         19 . The noncontact-bearing assembly according to  claim 14 , wherein the gap for passage of the working medium is a circumferential gap.