Design of a Hot Gas Vane Motor

This paper describes the design of a hot gas vane motor. The motor is intended as a portable direct drive actuator powered by a hot gaseous working fluid as an alternative to battery-powered electromagnetic motors. The objective is thus to convert a maximum amount of enthalpy at the inlet into mechanical rotational output energy in a compact and lightweight package. The described motor incorporates a non-circular stator shape and a geometry of injection and exhaust ports to maximize conversion efficiency. An analytical model is developed to describe the torque output and efficiency of the motor. Simulations are performed to provide insight into the motor behavior and characterize the expected motor performance.