Conventional systems, such as turbines, engines and the like, used for power transmission, generation and the like are well known in the art. Also known in the art are the different disadvantages associated with conventional systems, for example, the fact that they are designed to be very task specific.
It is also known to provide a system of oblong elements which form chambers therebetween and to rotate these elements so as to vary the volume of these chambers, as described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/006,407, filed Dec. 7, 2004 by Coffland and published Jun. 8, 2006 as 2006/0118078. Specifically, COFFLAND teaches a plurality of oblong elements, disposed either flat or around a sphere, which pivot about a central axis. Each oblong element is created by intersecting various circles of different radii. For example, an elliptical-like shape is given to the elements by using sections of two circles to form longitudinal sides which are separated at either end by sections of two relatively smaller circles. Sets of three or four elements are then positioned next to one another on a surface such that their circumferential surfaces are in contact and so as to create spaces therebetween. As the elements rotate about their central axes, the spaces change in volume as the elements remain in contact. This change in volume can be utilised by feeding a fluid into and out of these spaces via passageways provided through the elements which open onto their circumferential surfaces.
However, numerous disadvantages are present in this system as taught by COFFLAND. The elements, as taught by COFFLAND, rotate about their respective geometric centers, and in order to maintain contact must all rotate all in the same clockwise or anti-clockwise direction. A result of this arrangement is that the circumferential surfaces of two adjacent elements are in fact traveling in opposite directions along their line of contact. As will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art, this will result in a frictional resistance between to two elements and possible damage due to scrubbing.
In addition, as taught by COFFLAND, the passageways for feeding fluid into and out of the spaces pass through a given element and open into an adjacent space through its circumferential surface. Because the circumferential surface is also the surface along which adjacent elements are in contact, as this line of contact between two adjacent elements passes over such an opening in one of the two elements it will inadvertently put two adjacent spaces in fluid communication.
In view of the above, there remains a need for a system for enabling fluid flow which overcomes, inter alia, the aforementioned limitations of the prior art.
Also known in the art are the following patents and published applications which describe rotational motors or pumps and the like: U.S. Pat. No. 769,082; U.S. Pat. No. 2,031,125; U.S. Pat. No. 2,359,657; U.S. Pat. No. 2,482,325; U.S. Pat. No. 3,229,677; U.S. Pat. No. 3,240,156; U.S. Pat. No. 3,277,792; U.S. Pat. No. 3,492,974; U.S. Pat. No. 3,915,601; U.S. Pat. No. 3,990,410; U.S. Pat. No. 4,413,486; U.S. Pat. No. 4,603,595; U.S. Pat. No. 4,721,079; U.S. Pat. No. 4,877,379; U.S. Pat. No. 5,336,067; U.S. Pat. No. 5,408,849; U.S. Pat. No. 6,390,052; U.S. Pat. No. 6,988,482; and US 2006/0118078.