Expander
Our expander can process any vapor or gas with the only associated design consideration being selection of a compatible material. It works by using inner and outer rotors that rotate about their respective axes. A drive mechanism (not shown) synchronizes the rotors so they do not touch. Abradable coatings form the seal between rotors and stationary porting components. High-pressure gas flows through the intake port and enters a small void in the gerotor. The gas is captured causing the void volume to increase as the gas pressure decreases resulting in gerotor rotation. After the desired pressure is achieved, the gas exits through the discharge port. Notice that a void opens eight times for a single rotation of the outer rotor, which allows the expander to process large volumes of gas.
The position of the trailing edge of the intake port determines the expansion ratio. If the trailing edge is positioned to make the intake port large, the expansion ratio is small. If the trailing edge is positioned to make the intake port small, the expansion ratio is large. By using a sliding mechanism, the trailing edge can be changed on the fly, giving the expander a variable expansion ratio.
The expander can be used in energy recovery systems that previously were uneconomical. Also, we are researching the possibility of integrating the expander and a generator.
Please visit the FAQ for some answers about the expander.
Benefits:
- The expander is efficient (comparable to our 5th Generation compressor data).
- It can handle a high expansion ratio (about 6 to 1 in a single stage).
- It is compact.
- It is inexpensive to manufacture. It has a high turn-down ratio.
- There are no valves to limit the gas flow.
- The expander is scalable.
- Pressure and flow are independent.
- Flexible - materials are selected to be compatible with a wide range of fluids and temperatures.