Patent ID: 8083508

Claim:
A progressive cavity compressor for compressing a working fluid, comprising; a compressor housing defining a stator having a generally helical working section defining at least two lobes and extending between an inlet end and an outlet end, said helical working section having a cross sectional shape at each axial position between said inlet and outlet ends defined by a plurality of generally semi-circular ends corresponding in number with the number of said at least two stator lobes; a rotor having a generally helical shape mounted within said stator, said at least two stator lobes exceeding the number of lobes of said rotor by one; means for rotatably driving said rotor in a first rotational direction about an axis of said rotor, and for orbitally driving said rotor in a second rotational direction within said stator in close running clearance therewith; a discharge end plate mounted generally at said outlet end of said compressor housing and defining at least a portion of an outlet plenum chamber; and a plurality of check valves carried in a symmetric array by said discharge end plate, said plurality of check valves corresponding in number with the number of stator lobes; said rotor and said stator cooperatively drawing in the working fluid at said inlet end of said compressor housing upon rotatable and orbital driving of said rotor, cooperatively defining at least one moving cavity therebetween for displacing the working fluid from said inlet end to said outlet end, and discharging the working fluid through said plurality of check valves into said outlet plenum chamber.