The Angular Propulsion Engine

Background

Numerous industry,  such as but not limited to municipal solid waste management, and wastewater treatment generate a large number of waste gas streams. Carbon dioxide and methane are examples of waste gas generated from process steps including the combustion of fossil fuels and ethanol fermentation.

Waste gas from these operations is flared, vented, or otherwise lost, leading to a global total of 1.40 billion tons of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere annually. The current technologies for dealing with waste gas do not generate power nor do they display cooling abilities. They are intended to stop carbon from exiting into the atmosphere. Therefore, turbine generators can be used to create electric power from the waste gas streams, but only if the quality and pressures are sufficiently high.

Description of the Invention

The Angular Propulsion Engine (APE) is a bladeless turbine that converts pressure energy into rotational work and cooling power. This technology improves the work extraction from pressurized gas in comparison to a conventional turbine while providing the benefit of automatic self-cooling. The unique advantage of the APE is that it can operate at very low input pressures, allowing it to take advantage of otherwise untapped low-pressure waste streams.

The Angular Propulsion Engine (APE) contains one moving part. It rotates concentrically, eliminating the need for complicated and expensive weight balancing. No internal seals or mechanical friction also means that no chemicals or lubricants are required. This simplistic yet highly robust design means a low cost to produce. The APE is an innovative, more straightforward and cost-effective system to ensure a better profit while being an environmentally responsible choice.

Competitive Advantages

• High throughput of cold air and high rate of mechanical energy extraction
• Can be miniaturized, uses air; non-toxic, no chemicals
• Can operate at low pressures; able to utilize waste gas streams at pressures as low as 1/6 atm to generate electricity

•Green, no refrigerants

Market Opportunity

This technology is well suited to extract energy from low pressure gaseous waste streams from industrial processes.

Potential Applications

• Turbines - energy extraction (industrial waste streams)
• Vortex Tubes

Patent Status

US 2015 0143819