Patent ID: 7731476
Filing Date: 2010-06-08
Classification: F01D,F04D,F05D

Abstract:
1. A rotary machine with reduced axial thrust comprising: a housing shroud with a center and a periphery, said housing shroud defining a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet, said housing shroud having at least one interior wall surface, a shaft rotatably mounted in said center of said housing shroud, a rotor mounted on said shaft, said rotor having at least one radial surface adjacent to said interior wall surface of said housing shroud, thereby defining a cavity therebetween, said cavity having a central area adjacent to the center of said shroud and a peripheral area adjacent to the periphery of said shroud, wherein rotating said rotor causing a fluid flow in said cavity, a flow subdividing means for separating said fluid flow into a first flow of said fluid between said flow subdividing means and said radial surface of the rotor and a second flow of said fluid between said flow subdividing means and said interior wall surface of the housing shroud, and a peripheral flow restrictive means to further alter said first flow of said fluid, said peripheral flow restrictive means formed and located between said subdividing means and said rotor in the peripheral area of said cavity, wherein axial position of said rotor defines a degree of restriction to said first flow by said peripheral flow restrictive means, whereby the fluid pressure in said rotary machine being altered to reduce the axial thrust on said rotor.