US-12624657-B2 - Energy generating system

US12624657B2US 12624657 B2US12624657 B2US 12624657B2US-12624657-B2

Abstract

An energy generating system ( 10 ) includes: (i) a first conduit ( 14 ) for conveying air there along, which first conduit defines: a first conduit inlet for receiving air; and a first conduit outlet ( 14 a ) for discharging air; (ii) a turbine rotor ( 22 ); (iii) a turbine housing ( 20 ) radially surrounding the turbine rotor; and (iv) an exhaust conduit ( 18 ) that extends from the turbine housing to convey air discharged from the turbine rotor. The turbine housing and first conduit define an annular gap ( 24 ) therebetween; and the turbine rotor is: (a) disposed within the annular gap defined between the turbine housing and the first conduit; and (b) rotatably secured to the first conduit.

Inventors

Christe SJ CHRISTOS
Lyle Lawrence IRELAND

Assignees

GREEN CURRENT (PTY) LTD

Dates

Publication Date: 20260512
Application Date: 20230718
Priority Date: 20220721

Claims (9)

1 . An energy generating system ( 10 ) including: a compressor or a blower; a first conduit ( 14 ) that: extends from the compressor or blower and is in fluid communication with the compressor or the blower for conveying air discharged from the compressor or the blower; and defines: a first conduit inlet for receiving the air from the compressor or the blower; and a first conduit outlet ( 14 a ) for discharging the air received from the compressor or the blower; a turbine rotor ( 22 ); a turbine housing ( 20 ) radially surrounding the turbine rotor; and an exhaust conduit ( 18 ) that extends from the turbine housing, characterised in that: the turbine housing and the first conduit define an annular gap ( 24 ) therebetween; the turbine rotor is: disposed within the annular gap defined between the turbine housing and the first conduit; and rotatably secured to the first conduit, wherein a first axial end ( 20 a ) of the turbine housing and the first conduit together define an annular inlet operatively upstream of the turbine rotor; the first axial end of the turbine housing is spaced from and does not extend to the compressor or the blower, in use, to receive ambient air into the turbine housing; and the energy generating system being configured such that the air discharged from the first conduit outlet and the ambient air discharged from the turbine rotor is conveyed along the exhaust conduit, thereby, in use to create a pressure differential across the turbine rotor.
2 . The energy generating system according to claim 1 , wherein: the turbine housing, the turbine rotor and the first conduit are coaxial.
3 . The energy generating system according to claim 2 , wherein: the turbine rotor is disposed on the first conduit between the annular inlet and the first conduit outlet; the turbine rotor is axially spaced from the annular inlet by less than 50 cm; and the turbine rotor is axially spaced from the first conduit outlet by less than ([a radius of the turbine housing]×0.5).
4 . The energy generating system according to claim 3 , wherein the annular inlet is axially spaced from the first conduit outlet by less than (50 cm+[(the radius of the turbine housing)×0.5]+[an axial length of the turbine rotor]).
5 . The energy generating system according to claim 4 , wherein the exhaust conduit extends from a second axial end of the turbine housing, axially away from the turbine housing.
6 . The energy generating system according to claim 5 , wherein the exhaust conduit extends over and beyond the first conduit outlet.
7 . The energy generating system according to claim 6 , wherein both the first conduit and the exhaust conduit are circular in axial cross-section and co-axial.
8 . The energy generating system according to claim 7 , further including a generator ( 28 ) coupled to the turbine rotor.
9 . An energy generating system ( 10 ) including: a compressor or a blower; a first conduit ( 14 ) that: extends from the compressor or the blower; defines: a first conduit inlet; and a first conduit outlet ( 14 a ); and receives air from the compressor or the blower via the first conduit inlet, conveys the air received from the compressor or the blower along the first conduit and discharges the air received from the compressor or the blower via the first conduit outlet; a turbine rotor ( 22 ); a turbine housing ( 20 ) radially surrounding the turbine rotor; and an exhaust conduit ( 18 ) that extends from the turbine housing and defines an exhaust conduit outlet axially spaced from the first conduit outlet, characterised in that: the turbine housing and the first conduit together define an annular gap ( 24 ) therebetween; the turbine rotor is: disposed within the annular gap defined between the turbine housing and the first conduit; and rotatably secured to the first conduit; a first axial end ( 20 a ) of the turbine housing and the first conduit defines an annular inlet operatively upstream of the turbine rotor; ambient air operably enters the annular gap defined between the turbine housing and the first conduit via the annular inlet; and the exhaust conduit conveys both: the ambient air that entered the annular gap defined between the turbine housing and the first conduit; and the air from the compressor or the blower that is discharged from the first conduit outlet, along the exhaust conduit, discharging such conveyed air via the exhaust conduit outlet.

Description

BACKGROUND The present invention relates to an energy generating system. More specifically, the present invention relates to an energy generating system including a turbine and a depressurising device for maintaining a negative pressure downstream of the turbine. Various energy generating systems that include a turbine and a depressurising device are known. For example: WO2009/099399 “Vacuum creating exhaust muffler for internal combustion engines” describes an expansion chamber in the exhaust conduit downstream of a turbine and a venturi for reducing the pressure within the expansion chamber, thereby further to muffle noise within the exhaust conduit;CN108266233 describes a steam turbine with a vacuum generating device disposed downstream of the turbine that, in use, increases the pressure differential across the turbine, thereby to draw water droplets away from the turbine blades when the steam pressure at the turbine inlet is low; andWO97/37112 “Negative pressure turbine power generating device by an internal combustion engine” describes a turbine and an internal combustion engine with a venturi disposed along the internal combustion engine exhaust that induces a negative pressure downstream of the turbine. A drawback of known systems is that they do not maximise the pressure differential across the turbine (i.e. between the operative upstream end of the turbine and the operative downstream end of the turbine). It is an object of the present invention to address this drawback. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, there is provided an energy generating system that includes: a first conduit for conveying air there along, which first conduit defines: a first conduit inlet for receiving air; anda first conduit outlet for discharging air; a turbine rotor;a turbine housing radially surrounding the turbine rotor; andan exhaust conduit that extends from the turbine housing to convey air discharged from the turbine rotor, characterised in that: the turbine housing and first conduit define an annular gap therebetween; andthe turbine rotor is: disposed within the annular gap defined between the turbine housing and the first conduit; androtatably secured to the first conduit. Typically: the turbine housing, turbine rotor and first conduit are coaxial; anda first axial end of the turbine housing does not extend to the first conduit, thereby to define an annular inlet operatively upstream of the turbine rotor. Generally: the turbine rotor is disposed on the first conduit between the annular inlet and the first conduit outlet;the turbine rotor is axially spaced from the annular inlet by less than 50 cm; andthe turbine rotor is axially spaced from the first conduit outlet by less than ([the radius of the turbine housing]×0.5). Preferably, the energy system according to claim 3, wherein the annular inlet is axially spaced from the first conduit outlet by less than (50 cm+[(the radius of the turbine housing)×0.5]+[the axial length of the turbine rotor]). Typically, the exhaust conduit extends from a second axial end of the turbine housing, axially away from the turbine housing. Generally, the exhaust conduit extends over and beyond the first conduit outlet. Preferably both the first conduit and the exhaust conduit are circular in axial cross-section and co-axial. Typically, the energy generating system further includes a compressor or blower for conveying air along the first conduit. Generally, the energy generating system further includes a generator coupled to the turbine rotor. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The invention will now be described in more detail, by way of examples only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an energy generating system according to a preferred embodiment of the invention; FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the turbine in FIG. 1; and FIG. 3 is an isometric view of the turbine in FIG. 1. DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION With reference to the Figures, an energy generating system 10 according to a preferred embodiment of the invention includes: a blower or compressor 12; a first conduit 14; a turbine 16 and an exhaust conduit 18. The blower or compressor 12 could comprise a fan, an exhaust of an internal combustion engine, an air compressor or the like. The first conduit 14 is circular in axial cross-section and extends from the blower or compressor 12. In use, the first conduit 14 receives air from the blower or compressor 12 via a first conduit 14 inlet, conveys the air there along and discharges the air via a first conduit outlet 14a. FIG. 2 show the first conduit 14 defining a first axial portion that taper from the first conduit 14 inlet and a second axial portion proximal the first conduit outlet 14a that is right circular cylindrical. The turbine 16 comprises a turbine housing 20 and a turbine rotor 22. The turbine housing 20 is generally right circular cyl