Helical trochoidal rotary machines with improved solids handling

1. A rotary machine comprising an outer-member and a rotor disposed within said outer-member,

said rotor having a rotor helical profile, and a rotor axis, and having a hypotrochoidal rotor shape at any cross-section transverse to said rotor axis along at least a portion of a length of said rotor that is hypotrochoidal, said rotor configured to undergo planetary motion relative to said outer-member, said rotor configured to spin about said rotor axis; and

said outer-member having an outer-member helical profile, an outer-member axis, and an outer-member shape at any cross-section transverse to said outer-member axis along at least a portion of a length of said outer-member that is an outer envelope formed when said hypotrochoidal rotor shape undergoes planetary motion, said outer-member configured to spin about said outer-member axis;

wherein said rotary machine is a multi-stage machine having a plurality of chambers between a fluid-facing surface of said rotor and a fluid-facing surface of said outer-member; and

wherein said rotor and said outer-member are held at a fixed eccentricity with said rotor axis offset relative to said outer-member axis so that, during operation of said rotary machine, said rotor undergoes planetary motion relative to said outer-member without orbiting; and

wherein said rotor comprises an at least one rotor solids-handling feature formed in said fluid-facing surface of said rotor and extending along a first helical path on said fluid-facing surface of said rotor, and/or said outer-member comprises an at least one outer-member solids-handling feature formed in said fluid-facing surface of said outer-member and extending along a second helical path on said fluid-facing surface of said outer-member.

2. The rotary machine of claim 1 wherein:

said hypotrochoidal rotor shape has n lobes, where n is an integer;

said outer-member shape has (n−1) lobes;

the pitch of said rotor is the same as the pitch of said outer-member; and

the ratio of the lead of said rotor to the lead of said outer-member is n:(n−1).

3. The rotary machine of claim 2 wherein said hypotrochoidal rotor shape is an ellipse, and n=2.

4. The rotary machine of claim 3 wherein:

said outer-member comprises an inverse apex which, during operation of said rotary machine, contacts said fluid-facing surface of said rotor along a contact path; and

said rotor comprises said at least one rotor solids-handling feature, said at least one rotor solids-handling feature comprising a plurality of grooves formed in said fluid-facing surface of said rotor and extending along said first helical path on said fluid-facing surface of said rotor; and

wherein said first helical path is aligned with said contact path.

5. The rotary machine of claim 1 wherein, if present, said at least one rotor solids-handling feature comprises an at least one groove formed in said fluid-facing surface of said rotor and wherein, if present, said at least one outer-member solids-handling feature comprises an at least one groove formed in said fluid-facing surface of said outer-member.

6. The rotary machine of claim 1 wherein, if present, said at least one rotor solids-handling feature comprises a first plurality of grooves formed in said fluid-facing surface of said rotor and wherein, if present, said at least one outer-member solids-handling feature comprises a second plurality of grooves formed in said fluid-facing surface of said outer-member.

7. The rotary machine of claim 1 wherein, if present, said at least one rotor solids-handling feature comprises an at least one stitched groove formed in said fluid-facing surface of said rotor and wherein, if present, said at least one outer-member solids-handling feature comprises an at least one stitched groove formed in said fluid-facing surface of said outer-member.

8. The rotary machine of claim 1 wherein, if present, said at least one rotor solids-handling feature comprises a first plurality of indentations formed in said fluid-facing surface of said rotor and wherein, if present, said at least one outer-member solids-handling feature comprises a second plurality of indentations formed in said fluid-facing surface of said outer-member.

9. The rotary machine of claim 1 wherein, if present, said at least one rotor solids-handling feature is positioned asymmetrically in said fluid-facing surface of said rotor and wherein, if present, said at least one outer-member solids-handling feature is positioned asymmetrically in said fluid-facing surface of said outer-member.

10. A rotary machine comprising an outer-member and a rotor disposed within said outer-member,

said rotor having a rotor axis and a rotor helical profile, wherein said rotor has a rotor shape at any cross-section transverse to said rotor axis along at least a portion of a length of said rotor that is inwardly offset from a hypotrochoidal shape, said rotor configured to undergo planetary motion relative to said outer-member; and

said outer-member having an outer-member axis and an outer-member helical profile, and an outer-member shape at any cross-section transverse to said outer-member axis along at least a portion of a length of said outer-member that is an outer envelope formed when said rotor shape undergoes planetary motion;

wherein said rotary machine is a multi-stage machine having a plurality of chambers between a fluid-facing surface of said rotor and a fluid-facing surface of said outer-member; and

wherein said fluid-facing surface of said rotor comprises an at least one rotor solids-handling feature, and/or said fluid-facing surface of said outer-member comprises an at least one outer-member solids-handling feature.

11. The rotary machine of claim 10 wherein:

said rotor shape has n lobes, where n is an integer;

said outer-member shape has (n−1) lobes;

the pitch of said rotor is the same as the pitch of said outer-member; and

the ratio of the lead of said rotor to the lead of said outer-member is n:(n−1).

12. The rotary machine of claim 11 wherein said hypotrochoidal shape is an ellipse, and n=2.

13. The rotary machine of claim 12 wherein:

said outer-member comprises an inverse apex region which, during operation of said rotary machine, contacts said fluid-facing surface of said rotor along a contact path; and

said rotor comprises said at least one rotor solids-handling feature, said at least one rotor solids-handling feature comprising a plurality of grooves formed in said fluid-facing surface of said rotor and extending along a first helical path on said fluid-facing surface of said rotor; and

wherein said first helical path is aligned with said contact path.

14. The rotary machine of claim 10 wherein, if present, said at least one rotor solids-handling feature comprises an at least one groove formed in said fluid-facing surface of said rotor and wherein, if present, said at least one outer-member solids-handling feature comprises an at least one groove formed in said fluid-facing surface of said outer-member.

15. The rotary machine of claim 10 wherein, if present, said at least one rotor solids-handling feature comprises a first plurality of grooves formed in said fluid-facing surface of said rotor and wherein, if present, said at least one outer-member solids-handling feature comprises a second plurality of grooves formed in said fluid-facing surface of said outer-member.

16. The rotary machine of claim 10 wherein, if present, said at least one rotor solids-handling feature comprises an at least one stitched groove formed in said fluid-facing surface of said rotor and wherein, if present, said at least one outer-member solids-handling feature comprises an at least one stitched groove formed in said fluid-facing surface of said outer-member.

17. The rotary machine of claim 10 wherein, if present, said at least one rotor solids-handling feature comprises a first plurality of indentations formed in said fluid-facing surface of said rotor and wherein, if present, said at least one outer-member solids-handling feature comprises a second plurality of indentations formed in said fluid-facing surface of said outer-member.

18. The rotary machine of claim 10 wherein, if present, said at least one rotor solids-handling feature is positioned asymmetrically in said fluid-facing surface of said rotor and wherein, if present, said at least one outer-member solids-handling feature is positioned asymmetrically in said fluid-facing surface of said outer-member.

19. The rotary machine of claim 10 wherein:

said rotor is configured to spin about said rotor axis;

said outer-member is configured to spin about said outer-member axis; and

said rotor and said outer-member are held at a fixed eccentricity with said rotor axis offset relative to said outer-member axis so that, during operation of said rotary machine, said rotor undergoes planetary motion relative to said outer-member without orbiting.

20. The rotary machine of claim 10 wherein said rotary machine further comprises a seal mounted on said rotor, said seal comprising bristles extending from said fluid-facing surface of said rotor.

21. The rotary machine of claim 10 wherein, if present, said at least one rotor solids-handling feature is formed in said fluid-facing surface of said rotor and extends along a first helical path on said fluid-facing surface of said rotor and wherein, if present, said outer-member solids-handling feature is formed in said fluid-facing surface of said outer-member and extends along a second helical path on said fluid-facing surface of said outer-member.

22. A rotary machine comprising:

an outer-member; and

a rotor disposed within said outer-member,

said rotor having a rotor helical profile, and a rotor axis, and having a hypotrochoidal rotor shape at any cross-section transverse to said rotor axis along at least a portion of a length of said rotor that is hypotrochoidal, said rotor configured to undergo planetary motion relative to said outer-member; and

said outer-member having an outer-member helical profile, an outer-member axis, and an outer-member shape at any cross-section transverse to said outer-member axis along at least a portion of a length of said outer-member that is an outer envelope formed when said hypotrochoidal rotor shape undergoes planetary motion;

wherein said hypotrochoidal rotor shape is an ellipse having 2 lobes, said outer-member shape has 1 lobe, the pitch of said rotor is the same as the pitch of said outer-member, and the ratio of the lead of said rotor to the lead of said outer-member is 2:1;

wherein said outer-member comprises an inverse apex which, during operation of said rotary machine, contacts a fluid-facing surface of said rotor along a contact path;

wherein said rotary machine is a multi-stage machine having a plurality of chambers between said fluid-facing surface of said rotor and a fluid-facing surface of said outer-member; and

wherein said rotor comprises an at least one rotor solids-handling feature, said at least one rotor solids-handling feature comprising a plurality of grooves formed in said fluid-facing surface of said rotor and extending along a first helical path on said fluid-facing surface of said rotor; and

wherein said first helical path is aligned with said contact path.