1. A compound turbocharger comprising:
at least one housing;
a first turbocharger including an outer shaft disposed at least partially within said at least one housing;
a second turbocharger including an inner shaft coaxial with and extending within said outer shaft; and
at least one displacement limiter disposed at a selected position along a length of said outer shaft.
2. The compound turbocharger of claim 1 wherein said at least one displacement limiter is disposed about said inner shaft.
3. The compound turbocharger of claim 2 wherein said at least one displacement limiter comprises a first plurality of annular members disposed between said inner and outer shafts, and a second plurality of annular members disposed about said outer shaft.
4. The compound turbocharger of claim 3 wherein said first plurality of annular members comprises a plurality of bearings.
5. The compound turbocharger of claim 4 wherein said first plurality of annular members comprises a plurality of hydrodynamic film bearings aligned one with each of said second plurality of annular members.
6. The compound turbocharger of claim 5 wherein:
said outer shaft is a relatively low speed shaft, said second plurality of annular members comprising a plurality of ball bearing sets about said outer shaft;
said inner shaft is a counter-rotating relatively high speed shaft;
said plurality of hydrodynamic film bearings being radially spaced from said inner shaft and fixed relative to said outer shaft.
7. The compound turbocharger of claim 1 wherein said at least one displacement limiter comprises a first component external of said outer shaft, and a second component internal of said outer shaft, said compound turbocharger further comprising:
an air inlet and an air outlet in said at least one housing;
a first radial compressor coupled with said inner turbine shaft and disposed downstream said air inlet;
a second radial compressor coupled with said outer shaft and disposed downstream said first compressor;
an exhaust inlet and an exhaust outlet in said at least one housing;
a radial turbine coupled with said outer shaft, said radial turbine disposed downstream said exhaust inlet; and
an axial turbine coupled with said inner shaft and disposed downstream said radial turbine.
8. An engine comprising:
at least one housing;
a first turbocharger disposed within said at least one housing and including an outer shaft, said outer shaft coupled with a first turbine and a first compressor;
a second turbocharger disposed within said at least one housing, said second turbocharger including an inner shaft extending within said outer shaft and coupled with a second turbine and a second compressor; and
at least one displacement limiter disposed at a selected position along a length of said outer shaft, said at least one displacement limiter including a first component external of said outer shaft and a second component internal of said outer shaft.
9. The engine of claim 8 wherein said at least one displacement limiter comprises:
a plurality of internal annular members disposed between said inner shaft and said outer shaft;
a plurality of external annular members disposed about said outer shaft and aligned one with each of said internal annular members.
10. The engine of claim 9 wherein said at least one displacement limiter further comprises a plurality of displacement limiters disposed symmetrically about a midpoint of at least one of, a length of said outer shaft and a length of said inner shaft.
11. The engine of claim 9 wherein said plurality of internal annular members comprises a plurality of hydrodynamic film bearings fixed relative to said outer shaft.
12. The engine of claim 11 wherein said plurality of hydrodynamic film bearings are radially spaced from said inner shaft.
13. The engine of claim 12 wherein said plurality of external annular members comprises a plurality of ball bearing sets.
14. The engine of claim 13 wherein said first and second compressors are radial compressors, said engine further comprising:
an exhaust manifold fluidly connecting with said first turbine;
said first turbine being a radial turbine operable to re-orient an exhaust flow from said exhaust manifold about 90 degrees;
said second turbine being an axial turbine disposed downstream said first turbine and in line with an exhaust flow from the same.
15. A method of reducing vibrational amplitude in an inner shaft of a coaxial shaft system comprising the step of:
operably positioning at least one displacement limiter at a selected position along a length of an outer shaft of the system.
16. The method of claim 15 wherein the step of operably positioning at least one displacement limiter comprises:
positioning at least one annular component about the outer shaft; and
positioning at least one annular component about the inner shaft.
17. The method of claim 16 comprising the step of aligning the respective annular components at the selected position.
18. The method of claim 17 comprising the step of spacing the first annular component a radial distance from the inner shaft.
19. The method of claim 17 comprising the step of:
coupling the outer shaft with a first turbine and a first compressor of a compound turbocharger; and
coupling the inner shaft with a second turbine and a second compressor of the compound turbocharger.
20. The method of claim 19 comprising the steps of:
rotating the outer shaft in a direction to drive the first compressor; and
rotating the inner shaft in an opposite direction to drive the second compressor.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A cyclone-type dust-collecting apparatus for a vacuum cleaner, comprising:
a cyclone body comprising an air inflow port and an air outflow port for forming an air vortex of dust-laden air drawn into the air inflow port;
a dust-collecting receptacle removably connected to the cyclone body for separating dust and dirt from the air vortex of dust-laden air and for collecting the separated dust and dirt therein; and
a grill assembly disposed at the air outflow port of the cyclone body for preventing reverse flow of dust and dirt into the air outflow port of the cyclone body, the grill assembly further comprising:
a conically shaped first grill member having a first end and a second end that is smaller than said first end, said second end of said first grill member having a first connection groove, said first end coupled to the outflow port of the cyclone body;
a second grill member coupled to the second end of the first grill member, said second grill member having a grill portion that comprises a plurality of fine passage holes to provide fluid communication to the air outflow port and further having a second connection groove formed in an outer surface of the connection end of the second grill member; and
a connection member having a first connection protrusion shaped to accommodate the first connection groove and having a second connection protrusion shaped to accommodate the second connection groove by which the first grill member and the second grill member are separably connected to each other.
2. The cyclone-type dust-collecting apparatus of claim 1, wherein the connection member is made from a flexible material, and wherein the second connection protrusion has a hemispherical shape are shaped in a semi-circle such that the second grill member is easily connectable to and separable from the connection member.
3. The cyclone-type dust-collecting apparatus of claim 2, wherein the connection member has a first tapered portion formed on an outer surface thereof, the diameter of the first tapered portion gradually increasing in a direction away from the first connection protrusion, the first tapered portion providing for prevention of reverse flow of dirt into the outflow port.
4. The cyclone-type dust-collecting apparatus of claim 3, wherein the first tapered portion has an upper end and a lower end and is formed on an outer surface of the connection member such that the diameter of the first tapered portion gradually increases toward the lower end.
5. The cyclone-type dust-collecting apparatus of claim 2, wherein the connection member has a second tapered portion formed on an inner surface thereof, the diameter of the second tapered portion gradually increasing in the direction away from the second connection protrusion, the second tapered portion providing for guiding the connection of the second grill member to the connection member.
6. The cyclone-type dust-collecting apparatus of claim 5, wherein the second tapered portion of the connection member having an upper end and a lower end is formed on an inner and lower side of the connection member such that the diameter along the upper end and the lower end of the second tapered portion gradually increases toward the lower end.
7. The cyclone-type dust-collecting apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second grill member includes an open part having a plurality of radially extending passage holes formed adjacent an upper side thereof and a closed part formed adjacent a lower side thereof, and further comprising a net attachable to the open part of the second grill member.
8. The cyclone-type dust-collecting apparatus of claim 1, wherein the grill assembly further comprises an air reverse flow prevention member connected to the second grill member for blocking the dust in the air current from ascending upwardly from the bottom of the dust-collecting receptacle.
9. The cyclone-type dust-collecting apparatus of claim 8, wherein the air reverse flow prevention member further comprises:
a cylinder body having upper and lower supporters, each of which comprises at least two ribs, the cylinder body being inserted by interference fit into a lower side of the second grill member;
a shaft supported by the upper and lower supporters; and
a plate connected to an end of the shaft and separated from a lower end of the second grill member.
10. The cyclone-type dust-collecting apparatus of claim 9, wherein the cylinder body has a spiral guide formed therein for guiding movement of the air current.
11. The cyclone-type dust-collecting apparatus of claim 9, wherein the cylinder body and the plate are made of rubber.
12. The cyclone-type dust-collecting apparatus of claim 9, wherein the plate is conically shaped.
13. The cyclone-type dust-collecting apparatus of claim 1, wherein the cyclone body has a guide member disposed at a sidewall of the air inflow port of the cyclone body, including a guide surface having a predetermined radius of curvature, for guiding movement of air drawn into the air inflow port to and for increasing the stability and directionality of the air vortex.
14. The cyclone-type dust-collecting apparatus of claim 13, wherein the radius of curvature of the guide surface is smaller than the radius of that portion of the cyclone body in which the air vortex is maintained.