Patent ID: 8397506
Filing Date: 2013-03-19
Classification: F01D,F01K,F02C

Abstract:
1. A thermodynamic system for generating power from a supercritical working fluid, comprising: a housing; a turbine positioned in a turbine cavity of the housing; a compressor positioned in a compressor cavity of the housing, the compressor having a high-pressure face facing an inlet of the compressor cavity and a low-pressure face on an opposite side thereof; and an alternator positioned in a rotor cavity between the turbine and compressor cavities, the alternator having a rotor shaft operatively connected to the turbine and compressor, the alternator supported in the housing by bearings; wherein the compressor has a plurality of ridges extending from the low-pressure face thereof for pumping the supercritical working fluid as it passes over the compressor whereby a pressure differential between the high-pressure face and the low-pressure face is reduced such that thrust is balanced across the compressor.