Hydrokinetic amplifier with high momentum transfer coefficient

Claim 1

A hydrokinetic amplifier configured to receive liquid and vapor for condensing said vapor in said liquid, transferring momentum from said vapor to said liquid, and increasing the pressure of said liquid substantially from input to output, said hydrokinetic amplifier comprising: a. an acceleration chamber having an ingress region and an egress region; b. a wall of said acceleration chamber gradually converging from said ingress region toward said egress region; c. a diffuser extending downstream from said egress region; d. an inner vapor nozzle having a throat region arranged upstream of said ingress region and an expanding region arranged downstream from said throat region; e. said inner vapor nozzle being arranged to discharge expanding vapor directed into said ingress region to flow toward said egress region; f. an annular liquid nozzle surrounding said inner vapor nozzle and spaced inward from said acceleration chamber wall; g. said liquid nozzle being arranged for discharging an annular liquid jet directed into said ingress region to surround and contact said expanding vapor at the discharge region of said inner vapor nozzle and to be spaced from said acceleration chamber wall throughout an acceleration path from said discharge region of said liquid and vapor nozzles to said egress region; h. an annular outer vapor nozzle surrounding said liquid nozzle; i. said outer vapor nozzle having a throat region arranged upstream of said discharge region of said liquid nozzle and an expanding region arranged downstream from said throat region; j. said outer vapor nozzle being arranged for discharging expanding vapor directed into said ingress region to surround and contact said annular liquid jet at said discharge region of said liquid nozzle and flow toward said egress region within an annular space between said liquid jet and said wall of said acceleration chamber; and k. said inner and outer vapor nozzles, said liquid nozzle, and said acceleration chamber being arranged so that said annular liquid jet converges to a cylindrical liquid jet while condensing and receiving substantially all of the momentum of said expanding vapor from said inner vapor nozzle and while condensing and receiving a substantial portion of the momentum of said extending vapor from said outer vapor nozzle, whereby the coefficient of momentum transfer from expanding vapor to liquid is at least 0.8.

Claim 18

A method of operating a hydrokinetic amplifier to achieve a coefficient of momentum transfer from vapor to liquid of at least 0.8, said method comprising: a. directing an inner stream of expanding vapor into an acceleration chamber of said hydrokinetic amplifier; b. directing an annular liquid jet into said acceleration chamber to surround said inner vapor stream; c. directing an outer stream of expanding vapor into said acceleration chamber to surround said annular liquid jet; d. flowing said inner and outer vapor streams and said annular liquid jet in the same direction along a converging path; and e. setting the flow rates of said inner and outer vapor streams so that said liquid jet accelerates and converges from annular to cylindrical while condensing and receiving substantially all of the momentum of said inner vapor stream and while condensing and receiving a substantial portion of the momentum of said outer vapor stream, said liquid jet staying clear of any wall while accelerating along said converging path.

Claim 19

A method of operating a hydrokinetic amplifier to achieve a coefficient of momentum transfer from vapor to liquid of at least 0.8, said method comprising: a. directing an inner stream of expanding vapor into an acceleration chamber of said hydrokinetic amplifier; b. directing an annular liquid jet into said acceleration chamber to surround said inner vapor stream; c. directing an outer stream of expanding vapor into said acceleration chamber to surround said annular liquid jet; d. flowing said inner and outer vapor streams and said annular liquid jet in the same direction along a converging path; and e. setting the flow rates of said inner and outer vapor streams so that said liquid jet accelerates and converges from annular to cylindrical while condensing and receiving substantially all of the momentum of said inner vapor stream and while condensing and receiving a substantial portion of the momentum of said outer vapor stream, said liquid jet staying clear of any wall while accelerating along said converging path.