Source: http://patents.com/us-8517705.html
Timestamp: 2018-11-14 09:15:15
Document Index: 363373170

Matched Legal Cases: ['application No. 61', 'application No. 61', 'application No. 61', 'application No. 61', 'application No. 61', 'application No. 61', 'application No. 61']

US Patent # 8,517,705. Rotary engine vane apparatus and method of operation therefor - Patents.com
United States Patent 8,517,705
Pekrul August 27, 2013
13/041,368
13031755 Feb., 2011
13014167 Jan., 2011
Current U.S. Class: 418/111 ; 418/146; 418/148
Current International Class: F01C 19/00 (20060101); F03C 2/00 (20060101)
Field of Search: 418/110-124,145-149
This application: is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/031,755 filed Feb. 22, 2011, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/014,167 filed Jan. 26, 2011, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/705,731 filed Feb. 15, 2010, now U.S. Pat. No. 8,375,720, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/388,361 filed Mar. 24, 2006, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,694,520, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/077,289 filed Mar. 9, 2005, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,055,327; claims the benefit of U.S. provisional patent application No. 61/304,462 filed Feb. 14, 2010; claims the benefit of U.S. provisional patent application No. 61/311,319 filed Mar. 6, 2010; claims the benefit of U.S. provisional patent application No. 61/316,164 filed Mar. 22, 2010; claims the benefit of U.S. provisional patent application No. 61/316,241 filed Mar. 22, 2010; claims the benefit of U.S. provisional patent application No. 61/316,718 filed Mar. 23, 2010; claims the benefit of U.S. provisional patent application No. 61/323,138 filed Apr. 12, 2010; and claims the benefit of U.S. provisional patent application No. 61/330,355 filed May 2, 2010, all of which are incorporated herein in their entirety by this reference thereto.
1. A rotary apparatus, comprising: a rotor; a stator; a first end plate; said first end plate connecting said rotor to said stator; a second end plate, said second endplate connecting said rotor to said stator; and a vane, said vane separating said rotor and said stator, said vane further comprising: a leading vane side, at least a portion of said leading vane side proximate a leading expansion chamber, wherein during use, rotation of said rotor moves said vane toward the leading expansion chamber; a trailing vane side, at least a portion of said trailing vane side proximate a trailing expansion chamber, said vane rotationally leading said trailing expansion chamber during use; a first vane surface proximately contacting said first end plate; and a second vane surface proximately contacting said second end plate; and a rolling element, wherein said rolling element couples at least one of: said first vane surface to said first end plate; and said second vane surface to said second end plate.
2. The apparatus of claim 1, said vane further comprising: a wing, said wing protruding from said vane, said wing proximate said stator.
4. The apparatus of claim 1, said vane further comprising: a sealing element, said sealing element proximate said rolling element.
5. The apparatus of claim 4, said sealing element comprising: a wiper seal, said wiper seal comprising a flexible material, said wiper seal configured to flex with movement of said vane relative to said stator.
6. The apparatus of claim 1, said rolling element comprising: a bearing configured to roll with movement of said vane relative to said first endplate.
7. The apparatus of claim 6, said rolling element comprising at least one of: a set of at least three ball bearing; and a set of at least three roller bearings, wherein a roller bearing comprises an about cylindrical bearing.
8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said vane comprises: a vane body; and a vane head, said vane body replaceably attached to said vane head.
J. Faucett, "Improvement in Rotary Engines", U.S. Pat. No. 122,713 (Jan. 16, 1872) describes a class of rotary steam engines using a revolving disk instead of a piston. Particularly, the engine uses a pair of oval concentrics secured to a single transverse shaft, each revolving within a separated steam chamber.
L. Kramer, "Sliding-Vane Rotary Fluid Displacement Machine", U.S. Pat. No. 3,539,281 (Nov. 10, 1970) describes a sliding-vane rotary fluid displacement machine having a rotor carrying a plurality of sliding vanes that positively move outward as the rotor rotates. The rotor and vanes are surrounded by a cylinder that rotates with the rotor and vanes about an axis.
A. Nardi, "Rotary Expander", U.S. Pat. No. 5,039,290 (Aug. 13, 1991) describes a positive displacement single expansion steam engine having cylinder heads fixed to a wall of the engine, a rotatable power shaft having a plurality of nests, and a free-floating piston in each nest.
J. Klassen, "Rotary Positive Displacement Engine", U.S. Pat. No. 5,755,196 (May 26, 1998) describes an engine having a pair of rotors both housed within a single housing, where each rotor is mounted on an axis extending through a center of the housing, where the rotors interlock with each other to define chambers, where a contact face of a first rotor is defined by rotation of a conical section of a second rotor of the two rotors, such that there is a constant linear contact between opposing vanes on the two rotors.
R. Saint-Hilaire, et. al. "Quasiturbine Zero Vibration-Continuous Combustion Rotary Engine Compressor or Pump", U.S. Pat. No. 6,164,263 (Dec. 26, 2000) describe a rotary engine using four degrees of freedom, where an assembly of four carriages supporting pivots of four pivoting blades forms a variable shape rotor.
E. Pangman, "Multiple Vane Rotary Internal Combustion Engine", U.S. Pat. No. 5,277,158 (Jan. 11, 1994) describes a rotary engine having a fuel ignition system provided to more than one combustion chamber at a time by expanding gases passing through a plasma bleed-over groove. Further exhaust gases are removed by a secondary system using a venturi creating negative pressure.
S. Smart, et. al., "Rotary Vane Pump With Floating Rotor Side Plates", U.S. Pat. No. 4,804,317 (Feb. 14, 1989) describes a rotary vane pump having a rotor within a cavity, a pair of stationary wear plates on the sides of the cavity, carbon composite vanes riding in the rotor and a pair of carbon composite rotor side plates positioned between one side of the rotor and the stationary end plates, the vanes having sufficient width to extend into slots of both side plates to drive the side plates with the rotor during operation.
F. Bellmer, "Multi-Chamber Rotary Vane Compressor", U.S. Pat. No. 3,381,891 (May 7, 1968) describes a rotary sliding vane compressor having multiple compression chambers circumferentially spaced within the rotor housing with groups of chambers serially connected to provide pressure staging.
T. Edwards, "Non-Contact Rotary Vane Gas Expanding Apparatus", U.S. Pat. No. 5,501,586 (Mar. 26, 1991) describes a non-contact rotary vane gas expanding apparatus having a stator housing, a rotor, a plurality of vanes in radial slots of the rotor, a plurality of gas receiving pockets in the rotor adjacent to the radial slots of the rotor, and formations in the stator housing to effectuate transfer of gas under pressure through the stator housing to the gas receiving pockets.
H. Kalen, et. al., "Rotary Machines of the Sliding Vane Type Having Interconnected Vane Slots", U.S. Pat. No. 3,915,598 (Oct. 28, 1975) describe a rotary machine of the sliding-vane type having a stator housing and a rotor operatively mounted therein, the rotor having vane slots to accommodate sliding vanes with a series of channels in the rotor body interconnecting the vane slots.
S. Sumikawa, et. al. "Sliding-vane Rotary Compressor for Automotive Air Conditioner", U.S. Pat. No. 4,580,950 (Apr. 8, 1986) describe a sliding-vane rotary compressor utilizing a control valve constructed to actuate in immediate response to a change in pressure of a fluid to be compressed able to reduce the flow of the fluid when the engine rate is high.
J. Bishop, et. al., "Rotary Vane Pump With Carbon/Carbon Vanes", U.S. Pat. No. 5,181,844 (Jan. 26, 1993) describes a rotary sliding vane pump having vanes fabricated from a carbon/carbon based material that is optionally teflon coated.
R. Davidow, "Steam-Powered Rotary Engine", U.S. Pat. No. 6,565,310 B1 (May 20, 2003) describes a steam-powered rotary engine having a rotor arm assembly and an outer ring, where steam ejected from an outer end of the rotor arm assembly impacts at essentially right angle onto steps in the outer ring causing the rotor arm to rotate in a direction opposite the direction of travel of the exiting steam.
T. Hamada, et. al. "Sliding Structure for Automotive Engine", U.S. Pat. No. 7,255,083 (Aug. 14, 2007) describe an automotive engine having a sliding portion, such as a rotary vane, where the sliding portion has a hard carbon film formed on the base of the sliding portion.
J. Wyman, "Rotary Motor", U.S. Pat. No. 4,115,045 (Sep. 19, 1978) describes a rotary steam engine having a peripheral, circular casing with side walls defining an interior cylindrical section and a rotor adapted to rotate therein, where the rotor includes a series of spaced transverse lobes with spring-biased transverse seals adapted to engage the inner periphery of the casing and the casing having a series of spaced spring-biased transverse vanes adapted to engage the outer periphery seals and lobes of the rotor.
J. Klassen, "Rotary Positive Displacement Engine", U.S. Pat. No. 6,036,463 (Mar. 14, 2000) describes an engine having a pair of rotors both housed within a single housing, where each rotor is mounted on an axis extending through a center of the housing, where the rotors interlock with each other to define chambers, where a contact face of a first rotor is defined by rotation of a conical section of a second rotor of the two rotors, such that there is a constant linear contact between opposing vanes on the two rotors.
T. Maruyama, et. al. "Rotary Vane Compressor With Suction Port Adjustment", U.S. Pat. No. 4,486,158 (Dec. 4, 1984) describe a sliding vane type rotary compressor with suction port adjustment, of which refrigerating capacity at the high speed operation is suppressed by making use of suction loss involved when refrigerant pressure in the vane chamber becomes lower than the pressure of the refrigerant supply source in the suction stroke of the compressor.
The invention comprises a rotary engine method and apparatus using a vane rotating with a rotor about a shaft in a rotary engine, where the vane has a vane tip including: one or more bearings for bearing the force of the vane applied to the inner housing; one or more seals for providing a seal between the leading chamber and expansion chamber; one or more pressure relief cuts for reducing pressure build-up between the vane wings and the inner wall of the housing; and/or a booster enhancing pressure equalization and/or flow from above to below a vane wing.
Still referring to FIG. 3, a single offset rotor is illustrated. The housing 210 has a center position in terms of the x-, y, and z-axis system. In a single offset rotor system, the shaft 220 running along the z-axis is offset along one of the x- or y-axes. For clarity of presentation, expansion chambers are referred to herein as residing in static positions and having static volumes, though they rotate about the shaft and change in both volume and position with rotation of the rotor 320 about the shaft 220. As illustrated, the shaft 220 is offset along the y-axis, though the offset could be along any x-, y-vector. Without the offset along the y-axis, each of the expansion chambers is uniform in volume. With the offset, the second expansion chamber 345, at the position illustrated, has a volume greater than the first expansion chamber and the third expansion chamber has a volume greater than that of the second expansion chamber. The fuel mixture from the fluid heater 140 or vapor generator is injected via the injector 160 into the first expansion chamber 335. As the rotor rotates, the volume of the expansion chambers increases, as illustrated in the static position of the second expansion chamber 345 and third expansion chamber 355. The increasing volume allows an expansion of the fuel, such as a gas, vapor, and/or plasma, which preferably occurs about adiabatically and/or in an about isothermal environment. The expansion of the fuel releases energy that is forced against the vane and/or vanes, which results in rotation of the rotor. The increasing volume of a given expansion chamber through the first half of a rotation of the rotor 320, such as in the power stroke described infra, about the shaft 220 combined with the extension of the vane from the rotor shaft to the inner wall of the housing results in a greater surface area for the expanding gas to exert force against resulting in rotation of the rotor 320. The increasing surface area to push against in the first half of the rotation increases efficiency of the rotary engine 110. For reference, relative to double offset rotary engines and rotary engines including build-ups and cutouts, described infra, the single offset rotary engine has a first distance, d.sub.1, at the two o'clock position and a fourth distance, d.sub.4, between the rotor 320 and inner wall of the housing 430 at the eight o'clock position.
Still referring to FIG. 5, a first optional cutout is illustrated at about the one o'clock to three o'clock position of the housing 430. To further clarify, a cut-out, which is optionally referred to as a vane extension limiter beyond a nominal distance to the housing 430, is optionally: (1) a machined away portion of an otherwise inner wall of the circular housing 430; (2) an inner wall housing 430 section having a greater radius from the center of the shaft 220 to the inner wall of the housing 430 compared with a non-cutout section of the inner wall housing 430; (3) is a section molded, cast, and/or machined to have a further distance for the vane 450 to slide to reach the housing compared to a nominal circular housing; or (4) is a removable housing insert circumferentially bordering the inner wall housing 430 about the rotor, where the housing insert includes an increased distance from the center of the rotor within the cut-out at the one o'clock to three o'clock position. For clarity, only the ten o'clock to two o'clock position of the double offset rotor engine 400 is illustrated. The first cutout 510 in the housing 430 is present in about the twelve o'clock to three o'clock position and preferably at about the two o'clock position. Generally, the first cutout allows a longer vane 450 extension at the cutout position compared to a circular or an elliptical x-, y-cross-section of the housing 430. To illustrate, still referring to FIG. 5, the extended two o'clock vane position 340 for the double offset rotor illustrated in FIG. 4 is re-illustrated in the same position in FIG. 5 as a solid line image with distance, d.sub.2, between the vane wing tip and the outer edge of the double offset rotor 440. It is observed that the extended two o'clock vane position 450 for the double offset rotor having cutout 510 has a longer distance, d.sub.3, between the vane wing tip and the outer edge of the double offset rotor 440 compared with the extended position vane in the double offset rotor. The larger extension, d.sub.3, yields a larger cross-sectional area for the expansive forces, pump forces, compression forces, and/or hydraulic forces in the first expansion chamber 335 to act on, thereby resulting in larger turning forces from the expanding gas pushing on the double offset rotor 440. To summarize, the vane extension distance, d.sub.1, using a single offset rotor engine 300 is less than the vane extension distance, d.sub.2, using a double offset rotor engine 400, which is less than vane extension distance, d.sub.3, using a double offset rotor engine with a first cutout as is observed in equation 1. d.sub.1<d.sub.2<d.sub.3 (eq. 1)
Referring now to FIG. 6, an optional build-up 610 on the interior wall of the housing 430 is illustrated from an about five o'clock to about seven o'clock position of the engine rotation. The build-up 610 allows a greater offset of the double offset rotor 440 up along the y-axis. Without the build-up, a smaller y-axis offset of the double offset rotor 440 relative to the housing 430 is needed as the vane 450 at the six o'clock position would not reach, without possible damage due to overextension of the vane, the inner wall of the housing 430 without the build-up 610. As illustrated, the build-up 610 reduces the vane extension distance required for the vane 450 to reach from the double offset rotor 440 to the housing 430 from a sixth distance, d.sub.6, from an elliptical housing to a seventh distance, d.sub.7 of the built-up housing 610. As described, supra, the greater offset in the x- and y-axes of the double offset rotor 440 relative to the housing 430 yields great rotor engine 110 output power and/or efficiency by increasing the volume of the first expansion chamber 335, second expansion chamber 345, and/or third expansion chamber 355.
The power stroke of the rotary engine 110 occurs when the fuel is expanding exerting the expansive force 743 and/or is exerting the vortical force 744. In a first example, the power stroke occurs from through about the first one hundred eighty degrees of rotation, such as from about the twelve o'clock position to the about six o'clock position. In a second example, the power stroke or a power cycle occurs through about 360 degrees of rotation. In a third example, the power stroke occurs from when the reference cell is in approximately the one o'clock position until when the reference cell is in approximately the six o'clock position. From the one o'clock to six o'clock position, the reference cell preferably continuously increases in volume. The increase in volume allows energy to be obtained from the combination of vapor hydraulics, adiabatic expansion forces 743, the vortical forces 744, and/or electromagnetic forces as greater surface areas on the leading vane are available for application of the applied force backed by simultaneously increasing volume of the reference cell. To maximize use of energy released by the vaporizing fuel, preferably the curvature of housing 210 relative to the rotor 450 results in a radial cross-sectional distance or a radial cross-sectional area that has a volume of space within the reference cell that increases at about a golden ratio, .phi., as a function of radial angle. The golden ratio is defined as a ratio where the lesser is to the greater as the greater is to the sum of the lesser plus the greater, equation 2.
.PHI..PHI..PHI..times..PHI..PHI..times..PHI..PHI..times..times. ##EQU00002##
Referring now to FIG. 8 and FIG. 9, an expansion volume of a chamber 800 preferably increases as a function of radial angle through the power stroke/expansion phase of the expansion chamber of the rotary engine, such as from about the twelve o'clock position through about the six o'clock position, where the radial angle, .theta., is defined by two hands of a clock having a center. Illustrative of a chamber volume, the expansion chamber 333 is illustrated between: an outer rotor surface 442 of the rotor 440, the inner wall of the housing 410, a trailing vane 451, and a leading vane 453. The trailing vane 451 has a trailing vane chamber side 455 and the leading vane 453 has a leading vane chamber side 454. It is observed that the expansion chamber 333 has a smaller interface area 810, A.sub.1, with the trailing vane chamber side 455 and a larger interface area 812, A.sub.2, with the leading vane chamber side 454. Fuel expansion forces applied to the rotating vanes 451, 453 are proportional to the interface area. Thus, the trailing vane interface area 810, A.sub.1, experiences expansion force 1, F.sub.1, and the leading vane interface area 812, A.sub.2, experience expansion force 2, F.sub.2. Hence, the net rotational force, F.sub.T, is the difference in the forces, according to equation 7. F.sub.T.apprxeq.F.sub.2-F.sub.1 (eq. 7)
The force calculation according to equation 7 is an approximation and is illustrative in nature. However, it is readily observed that the net turning force in a given expansion chamber is the difference in expansive force applied to the leading vane 453 and the trailing vane 451. Hence, the use of the any of: the single offset rotor engine 300, the double offset rotor engine 400, the first cutout 510, the build-up 610, and/or the second cutout 520, which allow a larger cross-section of the expansion chamber as a function of radial angle yields more net turning forces on the rotor 440. Referring still to FIG. 9, to further illustrate, the cross-sectional area of the expansion volume 333 described in FIG. 8 is illustrated in FIG. 9 at three radial positions. In the first radial position, the cross-sectional area of the expansion volume 333 is illustrated as the area defined by points B.sub.1, C.sub.1, F.sub.1, and E.sub.1. The cross-sectional area of the expansion chamber 333 is observed to expand at a second radial position as illustrated by points B.sub.2, C.sub.2, F.sub.2, and E.sub.2. The cross-sectional area of the expansion chamber 333 is observed to still further expand at a third radial position as illustrated by points B.sub.3, C.sub.3, F.sub.3, and E.sub.3. Hence, as described supra, the net rotational force turns the rotor 440 due to the increase in cross-sectional area of the expansion chamber 333 as a function of radial angle.
Referring still to FIG. 9, a rotor cutout expansion volume is described that yields a yet larger net turning force on the rotor 440. As illustrated in FIG. 3, the outer surface of rotor 320 is circular. As illustrated in FIG. 4, the outer surface of the rotor 442 is optionally geometrically shaped to increase the distance between the outer surface of the rotor and the inner wall of the housing 420 as a function of radial angle through at least a portion of a expansion chamber 333. Optionally, the rotor 440 has an outer surface proximate the expansion chamber 333 that is concave. Preferably, the outer wall of rotor 440 includes walls next to each of: the end plates 212, 214, the trailing edge of the rotor, and the leading edge of the rotor. The concave rotor chamber is optionally described as a rotor wall cavity, a `dug-out` chamber, or a chamber having several sides partially enclosing an expansion volume larger than an expansion chamber having an inner wall of a circular rotor. The `dug-out` volume optionally increases as a function of radial angle within the reference expansion cell, illustrated as the expansion chamber or expansion cell 333. Referring still to FIG. 9, the `dug-out` rotor 444 area of the rotor 440 is observed to expand with radial angle theta, .theta., and is illustrated at the same three radial angles as the expansion volume cross-sectional area. In the first radial position, the cross-section of the `dug-out` rotor 444 area is illustrated as the area defined by points A.sub.1, B.sub.1, E.sub.1, and D.sub.1. The cross-sectional area of the `dug-out` rotor 440 volume is observed to expand at the second radial position as illustrated by points A.sub.2, B.sub.2, E.sub.2, and D.sub.2. The cross-sectional area of the `dug-out` rotor 444 is observed to still further expand at the third radial position as illustrated by points A.sub.3, B.sub.3, E.sub.3, and D.sub.3. Hence, as described supra, the rotational forces applied to the leading rotor surface exceed the forces applied to the trailing rotor edge yielding a net expansive force applied to the rotor 440, which adds to the net expansive forces applied to the vane, F.sub.T, which turns the rotor 440. The `dug-out` rotor 444 volume is optionally machined or cast at time of rotor creation and the term `dug-out` is descriptive in nature of shape, not of a creation process of the dug-out rotor 444.
Referring now to FIG. 13, an optional flow booster 1300 or amplifier accelerates movement of the gas/fuel in the first rotor conduit 1022. In this description, the flow booster is located at the junction of the first rotor conduit 1022 and second rotor conduit 1024. However, the description applies equally to flow boosters located at one or more exit ports of the fuel flow path exiting the vane 450 into the trailing expansion chamber. In this example, fuel in the first rotor conduit 1022 optionally flows from a region having a first cross-sectional distance 1310, d.sub.1, through a region having a second cross-sectional distance 1320, d.sub.2, where d.sub.1>d.sub.2. At the same time, fuel and/or expanding fuel flows through the second rotor conduit 1024 and optionally circumferentially encompassed an about cylindrical barrier separating the first rotor conduit 1022 from the second rotor conduit 1024. The fuel in the second rotor conduit 1024 passes through an exit port 1330 and mixes and/or forms a vortex with the fuel exiting out of the cylindrical barrier, which accelerates the fuel traveling through the first rotor conduit 1022.
Referring now to FIG. 16A, the vane 450 optionally slidingly moves along and/or within the rotor-vane chamber or rotor-vane slot 452. The edges of the rotor vane slot 452 function as guides to restrict movement of the vane along the y-axis. The vane movement moves the vane body, in a reciprocating manner, toward and then away from the housing inner wall 420. The vane 450 is illustrated at a fully retracted position into the rotor-vane channel 452 at a first time, t.sub.1, and at a fully extended position at a second time, t.sub.2.
Still referring to FIG. 16, optional vane-tips are illustrated. Optionally, one or more of a leading vane wing-tip 1620 and a trailing wing tip 1630 are added to the vane 450. The leading wing-tip 1620 extends and/or protrudes from about the vane-tip 1614 into the leading chamber 334 and the trailing wing-tip 1630 extends from about the vane-tip 1614 into the trailing chamber or reference expansion chamber 333. The leading wing-tip 1620 and trailing wing-tip 1630 are optionally of any geometry. However, the preferred geometry of the wing-tips reduces chatter or vibration of the vane-tips against the outer housing during operation of the engine. Chatter is unwanted opening and closing of the seal between expansion chamber 333 and leading chamber 334. The unwanted opening and closing results in unwanted release of pressure from the expansion chamber 333, because the vane 1614 is pushed away from the inner wall 420 of the housing, with resulting loss of expansion chamber 333 pressure and rotary engine 110 power. For example, the outer edge of the wing-tips 1620, 1630, proximate the inner wall 420, is progressively further from the inner wall 420 as the wing-tip extends away from the vane-tip 1614 along the x-axis. In another example, a distance between the inner edge of the wing-tip 1634 and the inner housing 420 decreases along a portion of the x-axis versus a central x-axis point of the vane body 1610. Some optional wing-tip shape elements include: an about perpendicular wing-tip bottom 1634 adjoining the vane body 1610; a curved wing-tip surface proximate the inner housing 420; an outer vane wing-tip surface extending further from the housing inner wall 420 with increasing x-axis or rotational distance from a central point of the vane-tip 1614; an inner vane wing-tip surface 1634 having a decreasing y-axis distance to the housing inner wall 420 with increasing x-axis or rotational distance from a central point of the vane-tip 1614; and a 3, 4, 5, 6, or more sided polygon perimeter in an x-, y-cross-sectional plane of an individual wing tip, such as the leading wing-tip 1620 or trailing wing-tip 1630.
Referring now to FIG. 17, examples of optional vane-tip 1614 components are illustrated. Preferred vane-tip 1614 components include: one or more bearings for bearing the force of the vane 450 applied to the inner housing 420; one or more seals for providing a seal between the leading chamber 334 and expansion chamber 333; one or more pressure relief cuts for reducing pressure build-up between the vane wings 1620, 1630 and the inner wall 420 of the housing; and a booster enhancing pressure equalization above and below a vane wing.
Referring now to FIG. 18B, a vane 450 having a trailing wing 1630 with an optional aperture 1842 configuration is illustrated. In this example, the aperture 1842 expands from a first cross-sectional distance at the outer area of the wing 1820 to a larger second cross-sectional distance at the inner area of the wing 1830. Preferably, the second cross-sectional distance is at least 11/2 times that of the first cross-sectional distance and optionally about 2, 3, 4 times that of the first cross-sectional distance.
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