US 12,146,492 B2
Helical trochoidal rotary machines with improved solids handling
Greg John Montie, Squamish (CA); Peter Thomas Christopher Suke, Squamish (CA); Rogan David Milatz, Squamish (CA); Robert John Charles Pearson, Squamish (CA); and Braden Adam Murphy, Calgary (CA)
Assigned to Rotoliptic Technologies Incorporated, Squamish (CA)
Filed by ROTOLIPTIC TECHNOLOGIES INCORPORATED, Squamish (CA)
Filed on Jan. 6, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/570,154.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/135,069, filed on Jan. 8, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2022/0220958 A1, Jul. 14, 2022
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. F04C 2/107 (2006.01); F04C 15/00 (2006.01)
CPC F04C 2/1076 (2013.01) [F04C 15/0015 (2013.01); F04C 2240/10 (2013.01); F04C 2240/20 (2013.01); F04C 2250/20 (2013.01)] 22 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A rotary machine comprising an outer-member and a rotor disposed within said outer-member,
said rotor having a rotor helical profile, and a rotor axis, and having a hypotrochoidal rotor shape at any cross-section transverse to said rotor axis along at least a portion of a length of said rotor that is hypotrochoidal, said rotor configured to undergo planetary motion relative to said outer-member, said rotor configured to spin about said rotor axis; and
said outer-member having an outer-member helical profile, an outer-member axis, and an outer-member shape at any cross-section transverse to said outer-member axis along at least a portion of a length of said outer-member that is an outer envelope formed when said hypotrochoidal rotor shape undergoes planetary motion, said outer-member configured to spin about said outer-member axis;
wherein said rotary machine is a multi-stage machine having a plurality of chambers between a fluid-facing surface of said rotor and a fluid-facing surface of said outer-member; and
wherein said rotor and said outer-member are held at a fixed eccentricity with said rotor axis offset relative to said outer-member axis so that, during operation of said rotary machine, said rotor undergoes planetary motion relative to said outer-member without orbiting; and
wherein said rotor comprises an at least one rotor solids-handling feature formed in said fluid-facing surface of said rotor and extending along a first helical path on said fluid-facing surface of said rotor, and/or said outer-member comprises an at least one outer-member solids-handling feature formed in said fluid-facing surface of said outer-member and extending along a second helical path on said fluid-facing surface of said outer-member.