Abstract: A heating, ventilation, and/or air conditioning (HVAC) system includes a blower assembly having a blower housing configured to operate with various sized impellers. The blower housing includes a cutoff that is selectively radially adjustable to locate a leading edge of the cutoff in a position relative to one of the various sized impellers to maintain a proper clearance between the leading edge of the cutoff and one of the various sized impellers in order to efficiently separate blower discharge airflow from incoming airflow collected in the blower housing and prevent recirculation of the blower discharge airflow through the blower housing.

Abstract: An intake assembly for a wind-energy conversion system has a substantially vertical converging nozzle, an object extending into the nozzle, and a converging flow passage between the object and the nozzle. For some embodiments, the object may be another nozzle. There may be vanes in one or both nozzles in further embodiments. The object may be configured to move in yet other embodiments.

Abstract: Methods of providing pain relief by administering a water-soluble derivative of spicamycin. Methods of using pain mediation agents are also provided.

Abstract: A port is employed for a fan chamber which defines a volume formed by at least one generally continuous vertical wall connecting a horizontal base wall with an opposing horizontal exit wall. Within the volume is a fan rotatable in a plane generally parallel to a plane of at least one of the horizontal walls. The port is formed of an inner side located between a center of the exit wall and an outer edge of said the wall, an outer side located between the inner side and the outer edge of the exit wall, and two opposing secant sides connecting respective ends of the outer side to the inner side. A shape of the inner side forms a straight line or a convex line with respect to the center of the exit wall.

Abstract: Blower designs for vented enclosures include an impeller having a plurality of blades. A plurality of one way valves are interleaved between the blades to permit substantial airflow only in one direction. One valve design incorporates flaps coupled to either the blades or the impeller body with spring loaded hinges. Another valve design incorporates a flexible flaps coupled to either the blades or the impeller body. In one embodiment, the one-way valves reside on an insertable hub disposed within an inner periphery of the impeller such that the valves and blades are interleaved. The valves close to restrict air flow when the impeller rotational speed is below a threshold range. The valves open to permit air flow when the rotational speed exceeds the threshold range.

Abstract: Blower designs for vented enclosures include an impeller having a plurality of blades. A plurality of one way valves are interleaved between the blades to permit substantial airflow only in one direction. One valve design incorporates flaps coupled to either the blades or the impeller body with spring loaded hinges. Another valve design incorporates a flexible flaps coupled to either the blades or the impeller body. In one embodiment, the one-way valves reside on an insertable hub disposed within an inner periphery of the impeller such that the valves and blades are interleaved. The valves close to restrict air flow when the impeller rotational speed is below a threshold range. The valves open to permit air flow when the rotational speed exceeds the threshold range.

Abstract: A turbine device and a method of driving the turbine device are disclosed. The turbine device includes an admission channel, a turbine, and an injection channel. The turbine device may also include a regulator. The turbine is driven by injecting a primary fluid into the admission channel at a given velocity and simultaneously causing a secondary fluid to flow into the admission channel at a lower velocity. The primary fluid and the secondary fluid form a mixture in the admission channel, which flows toward the turbine. The velocity of the mixture is less than that of the primary fluid, while the mass flow of the mixture is approximately equal to the sum of the mass flows of the primary and secondary fluids. The regulator compares the rotational speed of the turbine to a target speed and regulates parameters associated with the turbine device if the rotational speed of the turbine and the target speed differ by more than a predetermined amount.

Abstract: An air conditioning apparatus is provided with an exhaust feature for exhausting air from the living enclosure. The air conditioning apparatus includes an evaporator blower for moving air from the living enclosure through an evaporator coil and back to the living enclosure. The evaporator blower includes a blower housing which includes an air inlet and an air outlet, and an exhaust opening is provided in the blower housing. An exhaust door is pivotally mounted on the blower housing and is movable between a first position in which the exhaust door closes the exhaust opening in the blower housing and a second position in which the exhaust door closes the air outlet of the blower housing and the exhaust opening is opened. When the door is in the second position, air is exhausted from the living enclosure through the exhaust opening.

Abstract: A diffuser device disposed in a passageway between an air outlet of an impeller and a swirl chamber within a casing in a centrifugal compressor, is formed as divided into a diffuser disc capable of being fixed to a casing and a plurality of blades adapted to be arranged along the circumferential direction of the diffuser disc, and the respective diffuser blades have their one ends fitted in fitting bores drilled in the diffuser disc as arrayed along the circumferential direction as many as the diffuser blades so as to be freely rotatable about the axes of the fitting bores, whereby a blade angle is made variable. Also, a method for assembing such a diffuser device in a desired adjusted condition and a ganged drive mechanism for the diffuser blades for bringing the blade angles of the plurality of diffuser blades simultaneously into a desired adjusted condition are disclosed.

Abstract: This invention covers elements, such as guide walls, shut-off flaps, flow dividers and vanes, arranged on or in flow ducts energized with compressor and/or fan air, where said elements are variably arranged to suit variable operating states. To achieve extremely accurate, light-weight and uncomplicated actuating kinematics, the elements are designed as memory-alloy components or are nonpositively connected to at least one such component, they are at least partially located at one end and they permit of selective deformation in response to operationally induced over-maximum or under-minimum temperature conditions.

Abstract: This device provides the diffusor guide vanes with bypass ducts which establish communication between the pressure and suction sides, which can be sealed by means of shut-off elements, which take the form of bimetal components or at least are connected to such a component, and which are deformed flap-fashion as a function of temperature.

Abstract: A variable geometry centrifugal compressor diffuser or radial inflow turbine nozzle comprises a plurality of fixed radially extending pressure surface vane segments disposed in a circumferentially spaced array and a plurality of radially movable vane segments abutting said fixed segments for varying the geometry of said diffuser or nozzle.

Abstract: A variable geometry device is provided for use with the compressor outlet of a turbine engine. The turbine engine includes a support housing, a compressor contained within the support housing and having a compressed air outlet and in which a pair of spaced walls define an annular and radially extending diffuser passageway. The inner end of the diffuser passageway is open to the compressed outlet while the outer end of the diffuser passageway is open to the combustion chamber for the turbine engine. A plurality of circumferentially spaced diffuser vanes are mounted to one of the diffuser walls and protrude across the diffuser passageway. An annular recessed channel is formed around the opposite diffuser wall and an annular ring is mounted within the channel. A motor is operatively connected to this ring and, upon actuation, displaces the ring transversely across the diffuser passageway to variably restrict the diffuser passageway.

Abstract: An axial inducer, which charges the inlet of a centrifugal impeller has a bypass loop connecting its inlet and outlet. A valve member for controlling bypass flow is positioned in the bypass loop. At low flows, the bypass loop permits the inducer to run closer to design flow conditions than would otherwise be possible and, consequently, generate less pressure rise, consume minimum power, and cause minimal heating of the fluid being pumped. An extension of the bypass valve member functions to restrict the centrifugal pump discharge area when the valve member is positioned to bypass flow to reduce recirculating flow in the centrifugal impeller and increase its efficiency.

Abstract: A centrifugal type impeller pump has a restricting valve to control the inlet area of the collector for reducing recirculating flow from the collector to the impeller. The restricting valve includes a ring mounted upon the pump housing for rotary and axial motion. Rotary motion is imparted to the ring by an actuator. Cam slots in the ring and pins secured to the housing produce axial motion of the ring as the ring rotates. Precise positioning of the ring is possible because large motions of the actuator can be utilized to provide small changes in ring position. The axial position of the ring is determinative of the inlet area of the collector.