A circumferential seal assembly suitable for forming a thin film between a rotatable runner and a sealing ring is presented. The assembly includes an annular seal housing, a rotatable runner, an annular seal ring, and a plurality of groove structures. Each groove structure includes a groove and an optional feed groove. The groove includes at least two adjoining steps defined by base walls arranged to decrease depthwise. Two adjoining base walls are disposed about a base shoulder. Each base shoulder locally redirects a longitudinal flow to form an outward radial flow in the direction of the annular seal ring. The base walls are bounded by and intersect a pair of side walls. A side wall includes side shoulders which narrows the groove widthwise and locally redirects the longitudinal flow to form a lateral flow in the direction of the other side wall. Outward and lateral flows separately or in combination enhance stiffness of a thin-film layer between the annular seal ring and the rotatable runner.

Each of foils (22) includes: a top foil portion (22a) including a bearing surface (S); and a back foil portion (22b), which is formed on an upstream side of the top foil portion (22a), and is arranged so as to overlap behind the top foil portion (22a) of the adjacent foil (22) (on a side opposite to the bearing surface (S)). An angle (E) covering a radially inner end of an overlapping portion (P) between the adjacent foils (22) is smaller than an angle (D) covering a radially outer end of the overlapping portion (P).

A turbo fluid machine includes a housing, a rotating member, and a motor. Part of fluid compressed by a compressor impeller is introduced into a motor accommodation space through an inlet-side flow passage that has an inlet-side fixed throttle, and is discharged from the motor accommodation space through an outlet-side flow passage that has an outlet-side fixed throttle. The outlet-side flow passage includes a connection part connecting to the motor accommodation space. The connection part is formed separately from a clearance between a second partition wall and a shaft, and is located opposite to a connection part of the inlet-side flow passage connecting to the motor accommodation space across the motor in an axial direction of the shaft. The inlet-side fixed throttle and the outlet-side fixed throttle are configured such that pressure in the motor accommodation space is higher than pressure in a turbine-wheel back pressure region.

An electric turbocharger includes: a thrust collar having a disk shape and provided to protrude in a flange shape around a rotation shaft between a compressor impeller and an electric motor; a thrust air bearing facing a compressor impeller-side surface of the thrust collar, and supporting the rotation shaft in a thrust direction; a thrust air bearing facing an electric motor-side surface of the thrust collar, and supporting the rotation shaft in the thrust direction; a bearing space which is interposed between the thrust air bearings and in which the thrust collar is accommodated; and a labyrinth seal portion provided along an outer peripheral surface of the thrust collar, and partitioning the bearing space into a first region on a compressor impeller side and a second region on an electric motor side.

A combined cooling heating and power micro gas turbine device includes a micro gas turbine. The micro gas turbine includes a gas compressor, a turbine and a combustion chamber assembly. The combustion chamber assembly includes a combustion chamber, an air inlet cavity, an air inlet channel and an exhaust channel. The air inlet cavity includes an interior air inlet cavity and an exterior air inlet cavity that are integrated, an air outlet end of the exterior air inlet cavity is communicated with an air inlet end of the interior air inlet cavity, an air inlet end of the exterior air inlet cavity is communicated with the air inlet channel, the air inlet channel is communicated with the gas compressor, the combustion chamber is arranged between the interior air inlet cavity and the exterior air inlet cavity, and an air outlet of the combustion chamber is communicated with the exhaust channel.

A power module includes a turbine arranged along a rotation axis, an interconnect shaft fixed in rotation relative to the turbine, and a compressor with a regenerative compressor wheel. The regenerative compressor wheel is fixed in rotation relative to the interconnect shaft supported for rotation with the turbine about the rotation axis. Generator arrangements, unmanned aerial vehicles, and methods of generating electrical power are also described.

A combined cooling heating and power micro gas turbine device includes a micro gas turbine. The micro gas turbine includes a gas compressor, a turbine and a combustion chamber assembly. The combustion chamber assembly includes a combustion chamber, an air inlet cavity, an air inlet channel and an exhaust channel. The air inlet cavity includes an interior air inlet cavity and an exterior air inlet cavity that are integrated, an air outlet end of the exterior air inlet cavity is communicated with an air inlet end of the interior air inlet cavity, an air inlet end of the exterior air inlet cavity is communicated with the air inlet channel, the air inlet channel is communicated with the gas compressor, the combustion chamber is arranged between the interior air inlet cavity and the exterior air inlet cavity, and an air outlet of the combustion chamber is communicated with the exhaust channel.

Aspects of the invention disclosed herein generally provide a heat engine system, a turbopump system, and methods for lubricating a turbopump while generating energy. The systems and methods provide proper lubrication and cooling to turbomachinery components by controlling pressures applied to a thrust bearing in the turbopump. The applied pressure on the thrust bearing may be controlled by a turbopump back-pressure regulator valve adjusted to maintain proper pressures within bearing pockets disposed on two opposing surfaces of the thrust bearing. Pocket pressure ratios, such as a turbine-side pocket pressure ratio (P1) and a pump-side pocket pressure ratio (P2), may be monitored and adjusted by a process control system. In order to prevent damage to the thrust bearing, the systems and methods may utilize advanced control theory of sliding mode, the multi-variables of the pocket pressure ratios P1 and P2, and regulating the bearing fluid to maintain a supercritical state.

Aspects of the invention disclosed herein generally provide a heat engine system, a turbopump system, and methods for lubricating a turbopump while generating energy. The systems and methods provide proper lubrication and cooling to turbomachinery components by controlling pressures applied to a thrust bearing in the turbopump. The applied pressure on the thrust bearing may be controlled by a turbopump back-pressure regulator valve adjusted to maintain proper pressures within bearing pockets disposed on two opposing surfaces of the thrust bearing. Pocket pressure ratios, such as a turbine-side pocket pressure ratio (P1) and a pump-side pocket pressure ratio (P2), may be monitored and adjusted by a process control system. In order to prevent damage to the thrust bearing, the systems and methods may utilize advanced control theory of sliding mode, the multi-variables of the pocket pressure ratios P1 and P2, and regulating the bearing fluid to maintain a supercritical state.

An expansion turbine configured such that even when pressure of process gas steeply changes, the amount of process gas leaking from a gap between an impeller and a cover is made small. The expansion turbine includes a gas supply passage which is connected to any one of a gas supply passage and a gas discharge passage and through which gas is supplied to a region located between a rotor member and a casing member.