An apparatus for converting thermal energy into mechanical energy by a cycle, having a heat exchanger, a reservoir for an operating medium, a feed line, a turbine, and a return line having at least one recovery device is described. In order to also be able to utilize waste heat for the generation of electrical energy, the turbine is embodied as a disc rotor turbine. A method for converting thermal energy into mechanical energy in a cycle is also described, in which thermal energy is supplied to an operating medium in a reservoir, the operating medium evaporates and/or a pressure in the operating medium is increased, whereupon the operating medium releases energy in a turbine, after which the operating medium is returned to the reservoir.

A rotary manifold for a rotor assembly of a cohesion-type drive includes a manifold body extending along a drive axis for rotation thereabout, a first ductwork internal the body for fluid communication with a plurality of first chambers of the drive, and a second ductwork internal the body for fluid communication with a plurality of second chambers of the drive. The second ductwork is in fluid isolation of the first ductwork.

A rotary manifold for a rotor assembly of a cohesion-type drive includes a manifold body extending along a drive axis for rotation thereabout, a first ductwork internal the body for fluid communication with a plurality of first chambers of the drive, and a second ductwork internal the body for fluid communication with a plurality of second chambers of the drive. The second ductwork is in fluid isolation of the first ductwork.

A boundary layer turbine includes a housing having a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet and a rotatable shaft at least partially disposed within the housing. Two or more rotor discs are coupled to the shaft in spaced relation to one another. Spacers are attached to at least a plurality of the rotor discs. The spacers are configured so as to provide a lifting force as fluid is passed over the spacers. An inner surface of the housing as well as the outer 25% of the disc surface may have spaced apart depressions formed thereon to assist in fluid flow passing more freely between the housing and the rotor discs, as well as along the outer leading edge of the disk.

A boundary layer turbine includes a housing having a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet and a rotatable shaft at least partially disposed within the housing. Two or more rotor discs are coupled to the shaft in spaced relation to one another. Spacers are attached to at least a plurality of the rotor discs. The spacers are configured so as to provide a lifting force as fluid is passed over the spacers. An inner surface of the housing as well as the outer 25% of the disc surface may have spaced apart depressions formed thereon to assist in fluid flow passing more freely between the housing and the rotor discs, as well as along the outer leading edge of the disk.

A radial turbine includes a housing, a rotor mounted on a shaft, an inlet channel for supplying a defined working medium, and an outlet channel. The rotor includes working cavities, with a generally spiral shape, which conduct the defined working medium from the inlet channel to the outlet channel, located near the center of the rotor. The working cavities have a generally rectangular cross-section, with a width (W), parallel to an axis of rotation of the rotor, and a height (H), parallel to a radius of the rotor. The width (W) is greater than the height (H), and the height (H) is not greater than six times a thickness of a boundary layer of the defined working medium.

A radial turbine includes a housing, a rotor mounted on a shaft, an inlet channel for supplying a defined working medium, and an outlet channel. The rotor includes working cavities, with a generally spiral shape, which conduct the defined working medium from the inlet channel to the outlet channel, located near the center of the rotor. The working cavities have a generally rectangular cross-section, with a width (W), parallel to an axis of rotation of the rotor, and a height (H), parallel to a radius of the rotor. The width (W) is greater than the height (H), and the height (H) is not greater than six times a thickness of a boundary layer of the defined working medium.

A shear flow turbomachinery device includes a housing having housing walls defining a cavity, a shaft extending into the cavity though a shaft opening in the housing wall at an end of the cavity, a for coupled to the shaft within the cavity, the rotor having a plurality of disks extending radially outward from a central axis of the rotor, the disks having a spaced arrangement forming a gap between adjacent disks, and a shroud for shrouding the rotor, the shroud including a pair of end disks coupled to opposing ends of the rotor, a screen extending between outer edges of the pair of end disks, the screen extending around the rotor between the rotor and the housing walls, wherein the shroud is freely rotatable independent of rotation of the rotor to reduce drag on the disks due to the housing walls when the cavity if filled with fluid and the shaft and plurality of disks are rotated.

A shear flow turbomachinery device includes a housing having housing walls defining a cavity, a shaft extending into the cavity though a shaft opening in the housing wall at an end of the cavity, a for coupled to the shaft within the cavity, the rotor having a plurality of disks extending radially outward from a central axis of the rotor, the disks having a spaced arrangement forming a gap between adjacent disks, and a shroud for shrouding the rotor, the shroud including a pair of end disks coupled to opposing ends of the rotor, a screen extending between outer edges of the pair of end disks, the screen extending around the rotor between the rotor and the housing walls, wherein the shroud is freely rotatable independent of rotation of the rotor to reduce drag on the disks due to the housing walls when the cavity if filled with fluid and the shaft and plurality of disks are rotated.

A pneumatic motor assembly that includes a pneumatic motor, which is driven by a compressed gas. The pneumatic motor assembly has a magnet assembly that magnetically couples the pneumatic motor assembly to an implement. After having being used to drive a pneumatic motor, the gas, which has expanded and become colder, cools the magnet assembly The pneumatic motor assembly can thus enable the use to the implement at temperatures at which the magnet assembly would otherwise reach or exceed the maximum operating temperature of the magnet assembly. A flow induction system that includes the pneumatic motor assembly. A method of operating a pneumatic motor assembly that also cools a magnet assembly that is part of the pneumatic motor assembly.