A charging system of a fuel cell includes a housing for receiving a rotatable compression wheel and a rotatable expansion wheel. The housing includes a compression section and an expansion section. The compression section is designed to receive the compression wheel and the expansion section is designed to receive the expansion wheel. The compression wheel is produced from a first material. The compression wheel and the expansion wheel are designed in the form of a single-piece system wheel which has a shaft.

A flywheel is provided in combination with a hybrid machine, wherein said flywheel comprises, in a radial direction, from inward to outward, an inner turbine, an intermediate compressor, and an outer array of magnets. The turbine cooperates with said hybrid machine to spin faster when said machine decelerates, and slower when said machine accelerates. An inner turbine drives both said intermediate compressor and said hybrid machine. The outer array of magnets is driven by said hybrid machine to accelerate the flywheel to accelerate the flywheel during braking of said hybrid machine. Said hybrid machine communicates with said flywheel to house it and render energy from it, in a hybrid manner such that energy is stored in a pressure or electrical storage mode, or both pressure and electrical storage mode, to effect a regenerative mode that attains low fuel consumption.

A cooling structure for a radial turbine is equipped with a partition wall arranged between a compressor and the radial turbine, and a through hole formed in the partition wall supplying a part of air compressed by the compressor to the rear surface of the radial turbine as cooling air. The through hole is inclined in a rotational direction of the radial turbine in the range of 40 to 80 with respect to a rotation axis of the radial turbine.

A cooling structure for a radial turbine is equipped with a partition wall arranged between a compressor and the radial turbine, and a through hole formed in the partition wall supplying a part of air compressed by the compressor to the rear surface of the radial turbine as cooling air. The through hole is inclined in a rotational direction of the radial turbine in the range of 40 to 80 with respect to a rotation axis of the radial turbine.

A method utilizing a rotating disc gasifies and pressurizes liquid propellants for use in rocket propulsion systems. The method is carried out by: a) increasing the tangential kinetic energy and pressure of liquid propellants by driving them from the center of the rotating disc to the periphery of the disc; b) gasifying the propellants at the periphery of the disc by partial combustion; and c) decreasing the tangential kinetic energy of the gasified propellants by driving them from the periphery to the center of the disc. The single rotating disc gasifies oxidant and fuel simultaneously, without relative movement between the components of the disc which include a structural disc (2), plates (3), compression ducts (4) and (5) and expansion ducts (6) and (10). The various ducts transport the propellants as shown by the arrows in FIG. 1.

A method utilizing a rotating disc gasifies and pressurizes liquid propellants for use in rocket propulsion systems. The method is carried out by: a) increasing the tangential kinetic energy and pressure of liquid propellants by driving them from the center of the rotating disc to the periphery of the disc; b) gasifying the propellants at the periphery of the disc by partial combustion; and c) decreasing the tangential kinetic energy of the gasified propellants by driving them from the periphery to the center of the disc. The single rotating disc gasifies oxidant and fuel simultaneously, without relative movement between the components of the disc which include a structural disc (2), plates (3), compression ducts (4) and (5) and expansion ducts (6) and (10). The various ducts transport the propellants as shown by the arrows in FIG. 1.

A method utilizing a rotating disc gasifies and pressurizes liquid propellants for use in rocket propulsion systems. The method is carried out by: a) increasing the tangential kinetic energy and pressure of liquid propellants by driving them from the center of the rotating disc to the periphery of the disc; b) gasifying the propellants at the periphery of the disc by partial combustion; and c) decreasing the tangential kinetic energy of the gasified propellants by driving them from the periphery to the center of the disc. The single rotating disc gasifies oxidant and fuel simultaneously, without relative movement between the components of the disc which include a structural disc (2), plates (3), compression ducts (4) and (5) and expansion ducts (6) and (10). The various ducts transport the propellants as shown by the arrows in FIG. 1.

A compressor diffuser vane and turbine nozzle vane flow network including at least one suction point formed in a suction side of the compressor diffuser vane; a suction flow passage fluidly coupled to the at least one suction point; a main artery formed within an outer platform, the outer platform in operative communication with the compressor diffuser vane, the main artery formed within the turbine nozzle vane, the turbine nozzle vane in operative communication with the outer platform, the main artery formed within an inner platform, the inner platform in operative communication with the turbine nozzle vane; film hole passages fluidly coupled to the main artery; and at least one film hole formed in the inner platform, the at least one film hole fluidly coupled to the main artery.

A disk engine and system configured to provide high power at a reduced axial length is disclosed herein. The disk engine includes a radial compressor, a compressor discharge manifold positioned circumferentially about compressor, a combustion chamber positioned within the discharge manifold and a radial turbine positioned radially inward of the combustion chamber.