The present invention relates to an apparatus for modifying the flow properties of a fluid medium. The invention particularly relates to an apparatus for modifying the flow properties of a thrust for the drive of a vehicle of aircraft or of a ship, a combustion engine or a apparatus which is driven by a shaft or a flow, or generates a flow, comprising at least one driving unit, including at least one propeller, a jet engine or thrust nozzle, respectively, a propeller turbine-air thrust engine, a water turbine or a wind turbine, a method of improving the output of a driving unit for the optimising of a thrust of a turbine, as well as a ship drive, an aircraft drive with an apparatus or an apparatus with a water or wind turbine.

Driving units comprising propeller or turbine engines of any of various designs generate an air or gas, respectively, in order to drive a vehicle, an aircraft or a ship. The flow to be gener- ated or flow of the fluid medium, respectively, can, thereby, be influenced or optimised, respectively, by the design or by the position of the propellers or by the design of a turbine. At ob- jects which are driven by a flow or generate themselves a flow, such as specifically at water turbines, the optimising consists specifically in the selection of the chosen turbine, such as for instance a Francis, a Pelton or a Kaplan turbine. The selection of the turbine depends among others from the water mass driving the turbine or the water mass, respectively, which must be han- dled by the turbine.

The object of the present invention consists in a further meas- ure in order to suggest in addition to the design measures in the driving unit or the turbine itself in a further influencing of the efficiency in order the increase the output of the driv- ing unit or turbine, respectively, in order to thereby reduce the fuel consumption in for instance the case of the use of a combustion engine for the driving of the unit, or to for in- stance to increase the generated amount of energy in for in- stance the case of a water turbine or wind turbine in a water or wind power plant. The word fluid or fluid medium relates espe- cially to air and gas as well as fluids, especially water and sea water.

The set object is met in accordance with the invention by means of an apparatus in accordance with the wording of claim 1.

It is suggested, that the driving unit or the apparatus with the turbine, respectively, which comprises or comprises at least, respectively, a propeller, a jet engine or thrust nozzle, re- spectively, a propeller turbine air jet engine or a water tur- bine, comprises, located ahead thereof, in the close surround- ings, preferably in the flow axis towards the driving unit or towards the turbine in the aspiration area or at the intake, re- spectively, an at least approximately ball shaped structure.

This ball shaped structure is located possibly preferably in the extension of the axis of rotation of the driving unit or tur- bine, respectively.

By placing of such a ball like structure the flow of the fluid medium aspirated by the driving unit or entering the turbine, respectively, such as air or water, is influenced in that this fluid medium must flow around the ball like structure before it reaches the area of the propeller or compressor, respectively,

or the turbine of a jet engine or a thrust nozzle, respectively, or a water or wind turbine. It has been shown that the output or efficiency, respectively, of the driving unit or the turbine, respectively, can be increased by the measure suggested in ac- cordance with the invention, which leads to the generation of an increased thrust or an increased output of the turbine. As phe- nomena according to a final analysis being responsible for the increase of the output may be contemplated the increase of the density of the fluid medium in the peripheral area of the pro- peller or aspiration area, respectively, of the jet engine or turbine, or the decrease of the density in the central area. It is possible that the molecular properties of the fluid are physically or chemical-physically influenced by the forced flow.

The diameter of the ball shaped structure as well as the dis- tance between the ball like structure and the propeller or in- take into the jet engine or the turbine, respectively, is in the last analysis a matter of adjustment by a person skilled in the art who makes his choice depending on the kind and the flow speed of the fluid medium, if it is air or water, from the speed of rotation of the rotating propeller or turbine, respectively, as well as from further factors. It has been found, that pre- ferred diameters amount to partial ranges of 0,05 to 1,5 of the diameter of the driving unit or the propeller, the jet engine or the turbine or the inflow tube, respectively. The distance be- tween the centre point of the ball shaped structure and the in- take opening or inflow, respectively, of the unit or propeller respectively, or turbine amounts preferably to 0,05 to 1,5 times the diameter of the driving unit or propeller, respectively, of the jet engine, the turbine or inflow tube.

Further preferred embodiments of the apparatus according to the invention are characterised in the dependent claims.

Furthermore, there is proposed a method of increasing the output or efficiency, respectively, of a driving unit for the genera- tion of a thrust for the drive of a vehicle, aircraft or of a ship or for the generation of a flow or of an unit which is driven by the agency of a flow in accordance with the wording of claim 18.

The drive or unit, respectively, suggested in accordance with the invention is specifically suitable for the drive of a ship or for the drive of an aircraft and combustion engines and for stationary or mobile machines and plants. The drive suggested in accordance with the invention is obviously suitable for any kind of structures, such as machines or transporting means which are to be driven by a mechanically based apparatus. The apparatus which is also suggested in accordance with the invention, which is driven by the agency of a flow or which generates a flow is preferably a water turbine, for instance for the power genera- tion, or in a reverse operation for the pumping of water into a reservoir such as a reservoir lake.

Now, the invention will be explained exemplarily more in detail with reference to the appended drawings.

There is shown in: Fig. 1 schematically, in a perspective view, the forward part of a jet engine comprising the ball like structure lo- cated ahead of same; Fig. 2 a jet engine in section; Fig. 3 the arrangement of a ball shaped structure located ahead of a ship propeller; Fig. 4 in section, a water turbine in a power station with a ball like structure located ahead of the inlet;

Fig. 5 schematically, in a perspective view, a wind power sta- tion with a ball like structure located ahead of the wind turbine; Fig. 6 the placing of a lateral flute or lateral groove in a ball like structure according to the present invention; Fig. 7 a further variant of embodiment of a ball like struc- ture, located ahead of a ship's screw, with bore holes; and Fig. 8 schematically arranged a ball structure in the aspira- tion stub of a racing car motor.

Figure 1 illustrates schematically in a perspective view the as- piration area of a jet engine 1, for the aspiration of air which is illustrated schematically by the arrow 3. The air is thereby aspirated through an intake opening 5 into the area of a com- pressor in order to be fed thereafter compressed into a combus- tion chamber 9 in which the air/fuel mixture is ignited in order to drive a following turbine which is not illustrated in Figure 1.

A ball shaped structure or ball 21, respectively, which is sup- ported on an extension of the drive shaft 23 is located ahead of the engine 1 such as suggested in accordance with the invention.

The ball can, thereby, be arranged fixed on the shaft 23, i. e. rigidly mounted to same, or also free wheeling, i. e. that the ball is arranged free wheeling on the shaft 23 or is driven separately, respectively.

In Figure 2 an engine 1, analogue to such of Figure 1 is illus- trated in its entire length in longitudinal section, inclusive the ball 21 arranged ahead of the engine. The illustration in Figure 2 is quite obviously a vastly simplified longitudinal section because the design of the jet engine is not part of the

present invention. On the contrary, Figure 2 illustrates merely an exemplarily design of a jet engine and the ball 21 arranged in accordance with the invention can be located at all known jet engines or so-called propfan or jet engines or so-called propfan or turboprop engines driven by a gasoline or diesel engine.

The air 3 aspirated by the engine 1 reaches through an opening 5 the area of the compressor 7, from which the air flows into a combustion chamber 9 within which the air together with a fuel in an explosion like manner drives the following turbine 11. The probably changed density of the flow generates the effect. An additional thrust is generated in a afterburner section 13, and the exhaust gases exit the engine 1 through an adjustable thrust nozzle.

The ball shaped structure 21 is, such as can clearly be seen in Figure 2, arranged preferably on a shaft 23 which extends in the extension of the axis of rotation of the compressor 7 and of the turbine 11, as well. A specific flow of the air 3 aspirated by the engine 1 is generated by the ball 21, i. e. turbulences and a changed density of the aspirated air 3, during which a changed density is generated in the peripheral area of the aspiration opening 5 of the engine 1. It is not possible to safely state which phenomena leads finally to the increase of the efficiency of the engine. It is also possible that a physical or physical- chemical change of the air occurs such as an ionisation or ozon- isation which leads e. g. to an increase of the efficiency of the combustion in the combustion chamber 9.

It has been seen interestingly, that an increase of the output can be produced also at drives which comprise a propeller in that the ball of the present invention is placed ahead of the propeller. In order to explain the universal applicability of

the invention still more, a ship's screw 31 which is located at the stern portion of a boat 35 and which is formed by a number of propeller blades 33 is illustrated in Fig. 3 in place of an aircraft engine. The ships screw 31 is driven through a shaft 43 which is in turn driven by a corresponding drive inside of the ship. It is again suggested in accordance with the invention to arrange a ball shaped structure or a ball 41, respectively, on this drive shaft 43, which again influences the flow of the fluid medium or water, respectively, which flows towards the ship's screw 31. The ball can thereby, such as illustrated in Figure 3, include a circumferential flute or groove 42, respec- tively. Fig. 6 shows another ball with a similar groove. Such a ball like structure can be obviously arranged analogue to a ship's screw ahead of a propeller at an aircraft engine where- with the air flowing towards the propeller is correspondingly deflected or the flow of the air is influenced, respectively.

In case of a ship's screw it is to be assumed that it is not differing densities of the water in the area between the ball and the ship's screw are responsible for the increase of the ef- ficiency or output, respectively, because as is well known, fluid mediums such as water are to a small extent only com- pressible. In this case it rather must be assumed that the in- crease of the output is due to the generated turbulences or the generated flow, respectively.

Figure 4 illustrates a longitudinal section through a Kaplan- turbine plant for the generation of electric power in a power station.

The Kaplan turbine 151 is a so-called overpressure water turbine which, due to the high specific speed of rotation is specifi- cally suitable for large water masses and small to medium

heights of drop, heads. Such a turbine is coupled preferably di- rectly to a generator 153 for the generation of electric power.

In order to operate this Kaplan turbine water is led from a res- ervoir such as for instance a storage reservoir lake or a reser- voir 155, at river power plants through a turbine inlet 65 into a inlet tube 157 from which the water drives via a spiral casing 159 the turbine 151 in order to be thereafter discharged through a discharge channel 158.

It has now been revealed to be of an advantage if again a ball 61 as suggested by the invention, which is located on a ro- tatable axis, is arranged at the area of the turbine inlet 65.

It can also be thought of to have an induction motor for driving the ball. A drive 67 is foreseen for the production of a rota- tional movement of the ball in an arbitrarily set angle relative to the inlet direction of the water flow, which produces the ball rotation through the shaft 63, whereby the drive axis ex- tends preferably at an angle of 90° relative to the inlet tube 157. The ball 61 comprises preferably grooves 62 extending lat- erally relative to the flow. Again, it can not be safely stated which phenomenon generated by the ball and its rotation is in the last analysis responsible for the increase of the efficiency or output, respectively, of the turbine. It is, for instance, possible that due a flowing around the ball and its rotational movement or pulsation in the water a change of the concentration of gas in dissolved form is produced and the density of the wa- ter is changed therewith. In an analogue manner this is also true for the arrangement of the ball system in the air aspira- tion area at combustion engines, where the density of the aspi- rated air is correspondingly changed.

Additionally, it is to be mentioned with reference to Figure 4

that obviously a ball like structure can be used also at water turbines of other designs, such as for instance at a Francis turbine. Finally, water turbines can also be operated in the re- verse direction operation, which is specifically the case at wa- ter storage power stations, where during the night water is fed back from a water reservoir located at a lower level back to a reservoir located at a higher level by superfluous available, cheap night power. Also in this case it is obviously possible to arrange in the outlet channel identified in Figure 4 by 158 a ball like structure in accordance with the invention in order to again increase the output of the turbine during the upwards pumping of the water into a reservoir located at a higher level.

A further possibility of the use of a ball like structure sug- gested in accordance with the invention is illustrated in Figure 5 at a wind power station 81. A wind turbine or wind propeller 87 having blades 89, respectively, is arranged at stand like masts 83 in front of a rotor 85. A ball like structure 91 is lo- cated on the extension of the rotor axis 93 on the extension of the rotor axis 93.

Again, in operation of the wind turbine 87 the ball shaped structure 91 is set into rotation for instance by a fixed con- nection to the axis 93. At the arrangement in accordance with Figure 5 it again can not be stated safely which phenomenon adds now to the increase of power of the wind power station. Accord- ingly, it is possible that the density properties or flow prop- erties of the air travelling in the direction of the arrow are influenced by the ball, or that a certain ionisation of the air is generated.

For sake of completeness it shall be mentioned by reference to Figure 5 that it can also be the case of a windmill in a conven-

tional sense, either for the generation of electrical power or, however, for the transporting of water out of the ground below, such as often used specifically in areas with large lack of wa- ter.

With regard to the Figures 1 to 5, it is on purpose that no statements have been made regarding the diameter of the ball as well as its distance from the propeller or inlet opening, re- spectively, to the jet engine, because these dimensions are ex- tremely dependent from factors, such as in case of air of the density of the air, i. e. from the height above sea level at which the aircraft is located, form the temperature of the air or water, respectively, from the flow speed, i. e. if the vehicle or aircraft or ship, respectively, to be driven is to be moved fast or rather slow, from the weight of the vehicle or ship, re- spectively etc. This statement is obviously also true for water turbines and wind propellers where the dimensioning of the ball depends strongly from the flow speed of the water or air respec- tively, or the rotational speed, respectively, of the water or wind, respectively, turbine. It merely has been recognized, that it is of advantage to select the diameter of the ball in part in ranges of 0,05 to 4,0 of the diameter of the propeller or the jet engine, the turbine wheel or the wind propeller, respec- tively, and also to locate the ball at a distance ahead of the propeller or inlet opening to the jet engine or the inflow to a water turbine, respectively, which corresponds to about 0 to 5 times, preferably 0,1 to 4 times and more preferably 0,05 to 1,0 times the diameter of the propeller or the jet engine, the tur- bine wheel or the wind propeller, respectively.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention it is sug- gested to select the distance between ball and propeller, or inlet opening of the jet engine, or the inflow to the water tur-

bine or the wind propeller, respectively, variably, i. e. that the distance of the ball can be adjusted during the operation of the driving unit or the turbine, or can be made to suit the outer conditions such as height above sea level, temperature of <BR> <BR> the air or the water, speed, etc. , respectively. Thus, it is possible to compute the optimal distance by tests, and by means of the optimised values an automatic adjusting can be made when the unit or the turbine is in operation, such as for instance computer or physically controlled. The adjustability of the dis- tance may be freely chosen or the distance can be indexed, i. e. using predefined fixed distances. Preferably a change of said distance is possible while the apparatus is running.

Further optimisations are possible, for instance regarding the selection of the material for the ball, the surface structure of the ball, etc. According to an embodiment it is suggested to re- fine or finish the surface of the ball, such as for instance to gold plate, or to coat by Teflon or an other polymeric such as polyamide. According to a further embodiment it is suggested to design the surface of the ball structured roughly or to provide grooves. The surface may be completely or partly structured such as provided with holes, roughened, buffed, scaled, etc.. Thus, Figure 6 illustrates a possible embodiment of a ball 21 which is arranged on a shaft 23 such as illustrated in Figures 1 and 2.

The direction of the fluid flowing around the ball 21 is illus- trated in Fig. 6 through the arrow 46 pointing from the left side to the right side of the drawing. The propeller, not shown in the drawing is provided in the area with the reference nu- meral 48. Beside the preferred position of the groove 45 in the reverse half of the ball, axially positioned in about a quarter of the diameter of the ball seen from the section of the pole of the ball with the shaft 23, the groove 45 can also be positioned in the area towards the maximum circumference of the ball. The

ball 21 includes at its reverse half-sphere surface 44 a cir- cular groove 45 extending perpendicular to the shaft 23 with a for instance parallelogram-like cross section 47 of which the width and depth corresponds about to 0,05 times to the diameter of the ball. This is quite obviously an example and other meas- ures such as width of the groove and depth of the groove are possible. It is also possible to place several grooves, to ar- range them alternating oblique relative to the shaft 23 or even spirally shaped. According to another preferred embodiment groove 45 is positioned on the side of the ball 41 opposite to the area of the impeller 48.

A further variant of the embodiment of the ball 41 in accordance with the invention with bore holes is illustrated based on Fig- ure 7, which analogue to Figure 3 is placed ahead of a ship's screw 31 on a drive shaft 43. Larger bore holes 55 and 59 are located at the front side of the ball which is flown against and smaller bore holes 53 and 57 at the radial side and the side facing away from the flow, respectively. The bore holes can be cylindrical or conical. The bore holes 53 and 57 illustrated in Figure 7 are located on a circumferential circle extending sort of laterally relative to the axis, so that they produce due to a substantially higher circumferential speed a higher suction or pressure action. It has been seen that the production of this suction action has also a positive influence on the efficiency of the ship's screw at an unchanged output of a ship engine. The diameter of the bore holes 53 an 57 can be chosen between 2 and 20 percent of the diameter of the ball 41, e. g. the larger bore holes 55,59 can have a diameter of 15 percent and the smaller bore holes 53,57 can have a diameter of 7,5 percent of the di- ameter of the ball 41.

At ship designs with only one driving screw it additionally has

been proven to be advantageous in connection with the arranging of a ball in the area of the driving screw, if the rudder is not located within the area of the ship's screw such as for instance trailing in the direction of travel, but rather if the rudders are placed laterally at the stern of a ship's body. It is, for instance, possible to arrange at both sides of the driving screw one rudder, which rudders are preferably coupled.

With regard to the increase of the output or increase of the flow efficiency, respectively, by a arranging of the ball system suggested in accordance with the invention, extensive tests of the EMPA, Swiss Federal Material Testing Institute in Saint Gall exist, which tests are available under the project number 124. 445. 02/IBF and the correspondingly drafted test report which are hereby included by reference. According to these tests the flow efficiency could be increased by a placing of a ball with a central groove or a groove at the rear end area of the ball by more than 10% in comparison with a ship's drive without the ar- ranging of the ball suggested in accordance with the invention.

The increase of the flow efficiency was determined by the re- spective measured energy consumption, which accordingly could be reduced by the arranging of mentioned ball by more than 10%.

The following table illustrates the measurements. A basin of 120 x 50 x 50 centimetre (approx. 47 x 20 x 20 inch) is filled with water. A boat body of corresponding dimensions was placed inside the basin on the water and was provided with a force capsule.

The diameter of the propeller was 70 millimetre (approx. 2,8 inch). The propeller had four blades. The diameter of the ball (i. e. the solid-of-revolution) was 20 millimetre (approx. 0,8 inch). In the tests with a grooved ball a groove was used with a depth and a width of 4,5 millimetre (0,17 inch). At a constant water temperature of 18° C (64. 4° F) the boat body was stabi-

lised under standard load with the help of spacers. The measure- ment unit was heated and calibrated during 15 minutes. At the same time the drive unit (the screw-propeller) was initiated at 2300 rpm, to provide a constant flow in the measurement basin.

This provides for a measurement unit for a screw-propeller of a boat driven by a drive shaft. The results are presented in the following table: embodiment of the drive unit efficiency (in percent) without ball 100 with ball, groove on the side of 109 the propeller with ball, groove in the middle 106 of the propeller with ball, groove on the side 111 opposite to the propeller These values have been verified in another test. In this test the force generated by the screw propeller was measured by de- termination of the voltage to be applied to the drive unit to reach the same rotational speed in all tests. The value of effi- ciency had been calculated as the square of the quotient of force and voltage. A great number of separate monitoring points were recorded over time and evaluated with an averaging. Within this second series the position of the ball in view of the pro- peller had been modified; the following distances had been cho- sen as positions : in vicinity to the propeller",, in vicinity to the shaft exit of the boat body"and"in an intermediate zone between these extreme positions". The groove was provided on the side of the propeller. The following results were obtained within this second series of measurements: embodiment of the drive unit efficiency (in percent) without ball 100 with ball in vicinity to the 104 propeller with ball in the middle of the 128 shaft with ball in vicinity to the 205 shaft exit

A still further application of the ball system according to the invention is illustrated schematically in Figure 8. Figure 8 il- lustrates schematically in a longitudinal section the rear area of a vehicle (racing car) 70, where a ball 71 structured in ac- cordance with the invention is located in air aspiration stub 73 in the area behind the air intake hole 75. This ball can com- prise analogue to those described in the preceding Figures 1 to 7 flutes or grooves, preferably free wheeling or driven to ro- tate. By the placing of the ball 71 in the suction area 73 above the valve openings 79 of the vehicle engine 77 an increase of the output is again obtained. The placing of a ball system in a vehicle motor is obviously a preferred embodiment variant in connection with automobile combustion engines, but it can be stipulated generally that the placing of balls makes always sense in connection with combustion engines where the dimensions and design allow such.

All devices illustrated in the Figures 1 to 8, driving units, turbines and ball designs, respectively, are obviously only ex- amples which serve for more detailed explanation of the inven- tion. The arranging of a ball in accordance with the invention is advantageous at any kind of driving units and turbines which are based on the principle of a thrust drive or a flow drive,

respectively i. e. at which drive a fluid medium such as for in- stance air or water is moved by any kind of propeller, bladed wheels, turbine wheels, or where turbines are driven by means of a flow of a fluid medium, whereby the ball suggested in accor- dance with the invention is to be placed in the area ahead of the driving unit or the turbine, respectively i. e. in the area of the suction opening or inlet. A special reference is made to driving units at aircraft or at ships and to turbines and at combustion engines.

The use of the described ball principle leads, furthermore, to a considerable reduction of damages due to cavitations. The appli- cation raises in this sense also the claim on this effect.

Said ball like structure is-generally speaking-a body of revolution or solid of revolution, i. e. a surface-of-revolution object based on the image of a not negative function rotating about an axis. This function can form a semicircle; this creates a ball corresponding to the ball 41 of the drawings. The func- tion can be an ellipse, a sinus function or a different similar function.