Classifications

• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F01—MACHINES OR ENGINES IN GENERAL; ENGINE PLANTS IN GENERAL; STEAM ENGINES
  • F01C—ROTARY-PISTON OR OSCILLATING-PISTON MACHINES OR ENGINES
  • F01C3/00—Rotary-piston machines or engines with non-parallel axes of movement of co-operating members
  • F01C3/06—Rotary-piston machines or engines with non-parallel axes of movement of co-operating members the axes being arranged otherwise than at an angle of 90 degrees
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F01—MACHINES OR ENGINES IN GENERAL; ENGINE PLANTS IN GENERAL; STEAM ENGINES
  • F01C—ROTARY-PISTON OR OSCILLATING-PISTON MACHINES OR ENGINES
  • F01C9/00—Oscillating-piston machines or engines
  • F01C9/005—Oscillating-piston machines or engines the piston oscillating in the space, e.g. around a fixed point
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F02—COMBUSTION ENGINES; HOT-GAS OR COMBUSTION-PRODUCT ENGINE PLANTS
  • F02B—INTERNAL-COMBUSTION PISTON ENGINES; COMBUSTION ENGINES IN GENERAL
  • F02B53/00—Internal-combustion aspects of rotary-piston or oscillating-piston engines
  • F02B53/10—Fuel supply; Introducing fuel to combustion space
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F02—COMBUSTION ENGINES; HOT-GAS OR COMBUSTION-PRODUCT ENGINE PLANTS
  • F02B—INTERNAL-COMBUSTION PISTON ENGINES; COMBUSTION ENGINES IN GENERAL
  • F02B75/00—Other engines
  • F02B75/02—Engines characterised by their cycles, e.g. six-stroke
  • F02B2075/022—Engines characterised by their cycles, e.g. six-stroke having less than six strokes per cycle
  • F02B2075/027—Engines characterised by their cycles, e.g. six-stroke having less than six strokes per cycle four
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F02—COMBUSTION ENGINES; HOT-GAS OR COMBUSTION-PRODUCT ENGINE PLANTS
  • F02G—HOT GAS OR COMBUSTION-PRODUCT POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT ENGINE PLANTS; USE OF WASTE HEAT OF COMBUSTION ENGINES; NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • F02G2250/00—Special cycles or special engines
  • F02G2250/03—Brayton cycles
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F05—INDEXING SCHEMES RELATING TO ENGINES OR PUMPS IN VARIOUS SUBCLASSES OF CLASSES F01-F04
  • F05B—INDEXING SCHEME RELATING TO WIND, SPRING, WEIGHT, INERTIA OR LIKE MOTORS, TO MACHINES OR ENGINES FOR LIQUIDS COVERED BY SUBCLASSES F03B, F03D AND F03G
  • F05B2250/00—Geometry
  • F05B2250/20—Geometry three-dimensional
  • F05B2250/24—Geometry three-dimensional ellipsoidal
  • F05B2250/241—Geometry three-dimensional ellipsoidal spherical
• • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
  • Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
  • Y02T—CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION
  • Y02T10/00—Road transport of goods or passengers
  • Y02T10/10—Internal combustion engine [ICE] based vehicles
  • Y02T10/12—Improving ICE efficiencies

Definitions

• This invention relates generally to machines which are generic to in- ternal combustion engines and pumps; more specifically, the invention re ⁇ lates to a rotary engine which is capable of operating on an Otto, Diesel or Stirling cycle, as well as operating as a positive displacement pump.
• engines having two compartments are the engines shown in U .S . Patents 3, 156,220 and 3, 156,221 to Miller.
• Such engines include a rotor whose periphery constitutes a segment of a sphere, so that the rotor may rotate within the spherical housing and be sealed with respect to the inner wall .
• a nutator moves with respect to the rotor as the rotor rotates about a fixed axis, thereby defining two chambers .
• Another group of sperical-cavity engines includes those which uti-
• the invention includes a housing with a generally spherical compression chambei — in which a generally disc- shaped rotor rotates at a substantially uniform speed.
• a separator plate Connected to the rotor plate for rotation therewith is a separator plate; and the separator plate is also hingedly connected to the rotor plate, so that the separator plate may change its relative position with respect to the rotor plate while both plates are rotating within the spherical cavity .
• Appropriate ports are opened and closed (by vi rtue of being uncovered and subsequently
• combustion engine in one embodiment, or as a pump or compressor in other embodiments .
• gases are transferred ex ⁇ ternally of a first, large spherical chamber through a second, smaller
• spherical chamber both of which have rotors as described above.
• the main rotor shafts of the two chambers are geared to rotate together but in opposite di rections .
• An ignition device such as a spark plug is placed in the small sphere, such that the sphere functions as a combustion chamber
• the ratio of the large sphere's compartment displacement to the small sphere's compartment displacement is the compression ratio of the engine.
• a housing has two spherical chambers which are in communication with each other at appropriate times .
• Suitable heat exchangers are provided in the communication paths between appro ⁇ priate compartments of the two spherical chambers .
• One of the two cham- bers is smaller than the other, and the main shafts of the two rotors are co ⁇ axial; the smaller spherical chamber serves the function of a transfer valve between compartments of the larger spherical chamber.
• associated heat exchangers are effective in providing the four states of a gas in a classical Stirling engine, namely: 1 ) cool and expanded; 2) cool
• Figure 1 is a perspective view, partially sectioned, of an exemplary pump showing elements of the invention in an assembled condition
• Figure 2 is a fragmentary view of two of the primary moving parts that are shown in Figure 1 , and being shown in the same relative position " as the parts in Figure 1;
• Figures 3-10 are views simi lar to Figure 2 but showing the parts in the respective positions they would occupy during continued rotation of said parts;
• Figure 11 is a partially sectioned top view of an apparatus simi lar to Figure 1;
• Figure 12 is an exploded view of an exemplary apparatus like that shown in Figure 1;
• Figure 13 is a partially sectioned perspective view of a construction
• Figure 14 is a top, plan view of a main rotor for use in an embodi ⁇ ment of the invention using internal transfer between certain compartments;
• Figure 15 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view of a portion of the
• Figure 16 is a cross-sectional view of a rotor taken in the plane indicated by lines 16—16 in Figure 14;
• Figure 17 is a diagrammatic i llustration of the functions of four com ⁇ partments of an engine at any one instant, with the reference numerals shown in this figure being used to refer to structure that is shown in other figures;
• Figure 18 is a somewhat schematic, cross-sectional view, in eleva ⁇ tion, of a dual-sphere embodiment of an 1C engine, wherein external trans ⁇ fer of fluids between the two spheres is uti lized;
• Figure 19 is a view similar to Figure 18 wherein the rotors associated with the two spherical cavities are coaxial, and heat exchangers are em ⁇ ployed to achieve the characteristics of a Stirling engine; and
• Figure 20 is a top plan view , partially sectioned, showing an exemplary spatial arrangement of two spherical cavities like those shown in Figure 19. Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention
• exemplary pump 10 includes a rigid body 12 having a generally spherical cavity 14 therein. Also, there is at least one opening into the cavity 14 for accommodating a support shaft 18 for a generally disc-shaped rotor 20.
• the shaft 18 will typically be adapted to receive rotary power from some source (not shown) , so that it may cause rotation of the rotor 20 about a first axis 22.
• Porting means such as inlet port 24 and outlet port 26, cooperate with other ports (which cannot be readily seen in this view) for admitting and venting working fluids to and from the spherical cavity .
• a separator plate 28 is movable with respect to the rotor 20 about a second axis 30.
• the separator plate 28 also rotates with the rotor (about the first axis) , and cooperates with the rotor to define compartments of varying size during rotation of the rotor.
• One way in which the separator plate may be conveniently caused to move with respect to the rotor 20 is to provide an equitorial groove 32 in the cavity wall, in such a way that a plane is defined by the equitorial groove which neither encompasses nor is perpendicular to the first axis 22.
• compartment 40 A fi rst segment of the spherical cavity within the housing is designated as compartment 40; and the complementary spherical segment (on the opposite side of separator plate 28) is designated as compartment 42.
• compartments 40, 42 there will be two companion compartments on the reverse side of the rotor 20; and, these other two
• compartments constitute essentially mi rror images of the fi rst-named compartments, progressively increasing and decreasing in size — in tandem with compartments 40, 42.
• the pump 10 preferably has at least some means for controlling the admission of a working fluid through the porting means 24, 26 at appropriate times .
• the rotor 20 and the separator plate 28 may be used to selectively separate the various ports at appropriate times, such that fluid which is captured bet ⁇ ween certain approaching faces wi ll be forced through a desired port and blocked from other ports .
• rotary power from an external source is applied to shaft 18, the work done by. the rotor naturally produces the expulsion of a working fluid from certain compart ⁇ ments at particular times .
• rotary power is gener ⁇ ated within the housing by the controlled ignition of an air/fuel mixture and the subsequent expansion of gases within appropriate compartments .
• rotor 20 has been generally described as a combination of an equitorial groove and two coplanar pins that ride within the groove. More
• the preferred construction includes an equitorial groove in the cavity wall as described above, and a ring 64 which is sized to fit snugly in but sti ll rotate freely within the groove .
• Planar thrust bearings repre ⁇ sented by the fragmentary showing of bearing 66, serve to transfer thrust from separator plate 28 to the housing 12.
• a compression seal 68 is also advantageously provided on each side of the ring 64 — interiorly of the adjacent thrust bearings .
• the groove incidentally, is ideally established by providing a shallow spacer ring 60 between two body sections 13A, 13B having inclined faces; the body sections are oriented so that thei r inclined faces are juxtaposed, and bolts or the like hold the ring 60 in place bet ⁇ ween the sections 13A, 13B . It should be apparent that such a design for the body sections 13A, 13B wi ll obviously foster ease in the assembly of the various elements of the construction, and it wi ll also simplify the manu ⁇ facture of many of the parts shown herein.
• the ring 64 is engaged with the separator plate 28 at two diametrically opposite points along the periphery of the plate by the pins 34, 36.
• the separator plate 28 is caused to twist because pins 34, 36 are constrained to remain in the plane of the ring 64.
• the uniformity with which the separator plate 28 turns or "twists" depends to a substantial degree upon the angle which the plane of the ring 64 makes with respect to the first axis 22. If the angle A shown in Figure 11 is as large as 90°, then rotation of the separator plate 28 wi ll
• angle A is 0°, which produces an essentially jammed condition wherein the parts wi ll not turn . Obviously, then, an angle A_ somewhere between
• a small- er angle provides a larger effective volume (i .e. , effective displacement) in a given sized spherical chamber.
• a smaller angle A produces greater torque — when a particular construction is being operated as an engine instead of a pump, because there is a longer "stroke" and more leverage.
• an angle A ⁇ of 45° provides the same mechanical advantage when the device is being externally driven ⁇ in the manner of a pump) as it is when it is operating as an engine (from ex- panding gases, etc. ) .
• the rotor 20A includes two generally wedge-shaped segments, with the
• a hub 21 having a generally barrelled shape
• the hub 21 has journals 50, 52 which are adapted to receive bearings
• the separator plate 28 is divided into two confronting parts which, because of their appearance, can be aptly referred to as yoke mem-
• Bolts 58A, 58B , 58C, 58D engage threaded apertures in the right and left yokes 70, 72 in order to hold the yokes and
• the lengths of the depending fingers are such that distal ends are essentially touching when the left and right seals are installed and the
• separator plate 28 and the barrel-shaped hub 21 is accomplished by an arc-
• a spring 82 constantly urges the seal 80 toward the hub 21 in order to ensure intimate contact therewith. Only one of the arc- shaped contacting seals 80 is shown above the hub in Figure 12, but a
• each sealing member is always perpendicular to the con ⁇ fronting portion of the mechanism, and does not exhibit the varying incli ⁇ nation that is typical with some rotary devices .
• Lubrication of the various seals may be accomplished by introducing a lubricant into the gases prior to their entry into the respective compartments, or by the di rect convey- ance of a lubricant through passages in the housings and rotors .
• Such a network of passage has not been shown in the drawing in the interest of simplicity; but such passages are well known to those ski lled in the art.
• the separator plate 28 like the rotoi — has four faces which are generally defined by two intersecting planes; and those two planes intersect one another at essentially the center of the " separator plate.
• the confronting faces of the rotor and separator plate are shaped so that they closely match one another when they are brought to a point of touching or nearly touching one another.
• a distin ⁇ guishing characteristic of the apparatus disclosed herein is that the re- spectively confronting faces can be brought to a position of contact throughout essentially all of thei r area — such that the volume of a compart ⁇ ment which is defined by the space between two confronting faces can be
• the thickness of a rotor and the necessity to provide a power transfer shaft of a practical size causes a maximum compartment size to be on the order of one-thi rd the volume of a sphere whose diameter is the same as the diameter of the rotor.
• the employment of a rotary mechanism as an internal combustion engine is accomplished by providing a means for transferring the gas that has been compressed in one compartment to a compartment on the other side of the separator plate. Such a transfer can take place either enti rely within the spherical cavity or externally of the cavity through an auxi lliary valving mechanism .
• the engine 110 includes a rigid body 112 having therein a generally spherical cavity 114.
• a generally disc-shaped rotor 120 is mounted for rotation within the spherical cavity 114 about a fi rst axis 122.
• a separator plate 128 is connected to the rotor 120 for rotation therewith about the first axis 122; additionally, the separator plate is movable with respect to the rotor about a non-parallel second axis 130.
• the separator plate 128 and the rotor 120 are simi larly sized, and they are hinged at essentially their mid-points — such that four compartments are formed by the relatively movable separator plate and the rotor. Additionally there is provided a means for causing the separator plate 128 to move relative to the rotor 120 so as to define compartments of con ⁇
• the preferred means for causing the desired relative motion includes an equitorial groove in the cavity wall, which groove defines a plane that neither contains the first axis nor is perpendicular to the first axis.
• a struc ⁇ ture for essentially "connecting" the separator plate and the equitorial groove at two diametrically opposed points on the periphery of the separa ⁇ tor plate.
• the preferred structure includes a ring which is sized to fit within the groove and rotate therein . The ring has two cylindrical bores for receiving two pins 134, 136 that move with the separator plate.
• the pins 134, 136 need not be fixed to either the ring or the separator plate, but they must be captured so as to foster pivotable movement between the ring and the separator plate. At the appropriate time, when the rotor and the attached separator plate rotate, the ring is drivingly moved around the equitorial groove.
• Transferal of gases within the engine 110 is. accomplished by providing a longitudinal and cylindrical bore within the main shaft 118; and, within this bore is fitted a hollow tube 139 which is aptly called a transfer tube.
• the tube 139 has an inlet port 141 and an outlet port 143, both of which are relatively long and both of which are oriented with their long sides ex ⁇ tending in a direction that is generally parallel to the longitudinal axis of the transfer tube .
• the precise size (area) and shape of a given port open ⁇ ing wi ll naturally be established so as to "tune" a transfer tube to the other parameters of the engine, including the engine's rotational speed,
• the two transfer tube ports 141 , 143 are not radially aligned; and by virtue of being oriented about 90°
• Figure 14 shows rotor port 121 which is periodically aligned with inlet port 141 and functions like a valve in that it rotates and intermittently pass ⁇ es compressed gas into the static transfer tube 139.
• the port 121 is formed by a slot that extends all the way through the rotor 120, which
• port 123 which is periodically aligned with outlet port 143 in the transfer tube, venting gases into one of the four compartments for subsequent expansion as a part of the delivery of power by the engine .
• a shallow ' recess or depression 125 in the otherwise planar face of the rotor, which recess extends outwardly from both sides of the port 123.
• this recess 125 contributes its volume to the volume of the transfer tube 139; it is the compressed gases in these
• the combustion chamber two regions that are ignited by an appropriate ignition device.
• the combined volumes of the transfer tube 139 and the recess 125 would be called the combustion chamber.
• FIG. 15 The planar cross-sectional view of the rotor 120 illustrated in Figure 15 shows very clearly that the slot which produces the port 121 passes through the rotor, as does the slot that creates the port 123. Also shown in the bore of the rotor shaft is stator tube 147 ( Figure 13, secured to the housing 112) , but the hollow transfer tube 139 has been omitted — for clarity .
• Figure 15 also shows mounted within the stator tube 147 a nozzle 151 which is intended to represent a fuel injector that could be used as an integral part of the engine. Because such fuel injectors are well known , it is not believed necessary to go into extensive detai l as to the design or operation of such devices . Thus , it Is believed to be sufficient to simply say that, in accordance with this design, such an injector could be posi ⁇ tioned as shown in order to introduce fuel under pressure into the com- pressed gas in the transfer tube 139 .
• Figure 16 shows an alternate ignition device for the engine in the form of a spark plug 153 that is mounted within a stator tube 147 in a manner similar to the previously described fuel injector. While the elon ⁇ gated shape of the spark plug 153 may appear somewhat unusual to those who are familiar with conventional automobi le spark plugs , there is nothing exotic about the operation of the plug; and only its elongated insulator
• the transfer tube 139 has the ability to move slightly — in response to the pressurized gas being pushed into port 141 — in an upward di rection (as seen in this particular figure) . This slight upward displacement of the transfer tube 139 promotes a seal between the outer surface of the tube and the confining walls of the bore; concentric seals around tube 139 are also provided.
• Another advantage of the two-element tube design is that optimiza ⁇ tion of material selection is permissible, with a high temperature alloy (i .e. , a material commonly used in exhaust valves) being used for the transfer tube 139, and a more malleable or easi ly machined material being used on the stator tube 147.
• a high temperature alloy i .e. , a material commonly used in exhaust valves
• a more malleable or easi ly machined material being used on the stator tube 147.
• OMPI chamber wall wi ll be open and one of the engine's four compartments will
• stator port 143 When it seems desirable, open ⁇ ing of the port 143 into the compartment above the rotor 120 can be made to
• wi ll provide the necessary means for continuously adjusting the relative position of the transfer tube 139.
• a gear could be keyed to tube 147 so that it would be oriented similarly to accessory or drive gear 166 which is keyed to rotor 120.
• speed governors for engines are so well known, and because changing the orientation of tube 139 by use of a gear would be simi lar to the use of many speed governor mechanisms, it is believed that those ski lled in the art wi ll recognize how this can be accomplished without further description.
• a lever or other structural element could also be used instead of a gear to turn tube 147, in a manner analogous to the way that a vacuum advance is used . to slightly rotate a distributor in many automobile engines .
• the housing for the engine has two clearly discernable ports in the spherical wall that defines the engine cavity .
• Port 159 (in the top, left-hand corner of the spherical cavity) is in communication with a compartment that is expanding; and, this port con ⁇ stitutes the inlet port through which fresh air or an ai r/fuel mixture is being drawn into the engine .
• Exhaust port 160 on the opposite side of the separator plate 128 is also open at the same time that port 159 is open; and, spent gases are being expelled through port 160.
• Below the rotor as it is depicted in Figure 13 are the remaining two compartments (on either side of the separator plate 128) ; the "left" compartment is involved in com ⁇ pressing a previously admitted charge of fresh gases, and the "right” com ⁇
• partment contains gases that are expanding as a result of the immediately
• One way of describing the apparatus is to say that two of the four compartments are dedicated to the ingestion of fresh gas and the remaining two compartments are dedicated to the expulsion of ex- haust gases; and, the transfer tube that extends through the rotor serves as an internal passage between the two different kinds of compartments, at appropriate times.
• the engine operation which is illustrated by Figure 17 includes the ignition of an air/fuel mix- ture every 180° of rotor rotation . That is, power is realized in a sym ⁇ metrical fashion by the expansion of burning gases every time the rotor turns 180°.
• this characteristic of the engine being disclosed herein constitutes a distinguishing feature in com ⁇ parison with prior art engines such as the one disclosed in U .S . Patent 3, 877, 850 to Berry (which has two ignitions separated by only 90°, followed by 270° during which no ignition takes place) .
• the engine 210 comprises a body 212 which has two distinct and slightly separated spherical cavities 214, 216, with the first cavity being larger then the second cavity .
• this engine has a rotor 220 mounted for rotation within spherical cavity 214 in a sealing fashion, so as to divide the cavity into two hemispherical compartments .
• a separa ⁇ tor plate 228 is mounted for rotation with the rotor 220, and it is also adapted for osci llation about an axis which lies in the central plane of the rotor; such osci llation is achievable by use of an equitorial ring of the kind shown in Figures 1 and 11 , etc.
• the separator plate 228 produces four variable-volume compart- ' ments during rotation of the rotor.
• each of these four variable- volume compartments may be reduced to essentially zero volume at the time that the separator plate 228 momentarily comes to a position of contact or near contact with the rotor 220.
• An extention of the rotor shaft 218 (to the left of the rotor in Figure 18) may be uti lized as the power output shaft of the engine; and another extension (to the right of the rotor 220) is ad ⁇ vantageous ly uti lized to synchroni ze the respective activities in chambers in 214, 216.
• An inlet port 241 is provided in the wall of body 212 for the purpose of drawing in a fresh charge of air into the spherical cavity 214 during the time that the separator plate 228 is moving in a clockwise di rection, as seen in Figure 18. That is , when the compartment immediately adjacent inlet port 241 is expanding, a fresh charge of ai r (or an air/fuel mixture) will be admitted to the engine.
• a means for introducing a combustible fuel into the engine 210 is shown diagrammatlcally as carburetor 221 , which is in communication with inlet port 241 .
• the carburetor 221 is not shown in any greater detai l, because it may be any of a variety of well- known devices for vaporizing the particular fuel that is to be burned . And, because it is believed that the engine disclosed herein can be made to ef- ficiently burn a wide variety of fuels, it wi ll be left to those skilled in the art to select a particular carburetor for whatever fuels are to be utilized.
• the body 212 also has an outlet port 243 through which compressed ai is removed from the first cavity 214, after it has been compressed between the separator plate 228 and the rotor 220. Compressed gases are then moved through external passage 245, which is connected to the intake port 249 of the small spherical cavity 216.
• Rotor shaft 218 in the larger compartment 214 may be conveniently referred to as the main rotor shaft, because — for one reason — it is larger than rotor shaft 219 within cavity 216. Also, it is probably more expedient to obtain the engine's power output di rectly from that chamber where burning gases wi ll be expanding and driving the rotor 220.
• compartment 251 in small cavity 216 wi ll be contracting at the same time that compartment 231 in large cavity 214 is expanding in size.
• compartment 252 wi ll be expanding at the same time that compartment 233 is contracting.
• the transfer of gases from compartment 233 through passage 245 into compartment 252 is fostered by interaction between rotors (pistons) 220, 222.
• the small sphere 216 serves both as a combustion chamber and as a transfer valve — for passing gases from a com ⁇ pression compartment 233 to an expansion compartment 231 in the large cavity 214.
• the size of the "combustion chamber” essentially determines the compression ratio of the engine; that is, the ratio of the large sphere's displacement to the small sphere's displacement constitutes
• an internal combustion engine 310 has a housing 312 with an internal cavity 314.
• a rotor 320 is mounted in cavity 314 for rotation with rotor shaft 318; and, separator plate 328 rotates with and osci llates with respect to the rotor, so as to establish variable- olume compartments within the cavity 314.
• Reduction in the volume of compart- ment 333 causes compression of any gases in said compartment, in the same manner as described with regard to device 110, etc.
• Working gases are present in compartment 333 by virtue of having been admitted to the engine through an inlet port 341 that draws in a charge of fresh air as the separator plate 328 moves away from inlet 341 .
• the mechanism associated with the small sphere 316 serves a double purpose. First, it serves as a means for segregating ai r in the cooling
• compartment 373 is expanding at the same time that compartment 333 is
• compartments 371 and 375 are formed by partitioning a fixed volume with the separator plate 330; and the interior volume of the tubes in heat exchanger 365 is also fixed. Therefore, the total volume of compartments 371 , 375 and the inner passages of the heat exchanger 365 remains constant. Any heat added during, the transfer of gases from com ⁇ partment 375 to 371 is therefore an isometric process; and the temperature of the compressed gases can be increased without having to perform any new work.
• the compressed and heated ai r which has been through heat ex ⁇ changer 365 then passes through port 368 (as the rotor 322 rotates) and into the combustion passage 380.
• the com- bustion passage 380 has both a fuel injection nozzle 382 and an ignitor 384 which is within the spray pattern of the nozzle; the ignitor 384 may be either a spark plug or a glow plug or an equivalent device.
• the air/fuel mixture which begins to burn in the combustion pass ⁇ age 380 continues to burn and expand into compartment 331 .
• a relatively large volume in the combustion passage 380 wi ll cause a lowered "peak " pressure” during combustion, if pressures at the end of the expansion stroke are low. Therefore, a small combustion passage 380 is generally preferred.
• the mechanical advantage that exists because of the difference between the pressurized surface areas of large separator plate 328 and small separator plate 330 causes large compartment 331 to expand — which provides the "power stroke" of the engine . Continued rotation of the rotor
• the large and small cavities 314, 316 are positioned side by side, and they have re ⁇ spective rotors 320, 322 that are connected to a power output shaft 318 for rotation therewith; of course, in this particular embodiment, the two rotors are coaxial . Also easily recognizable in this top view of an exemplary engine is the inlet vent 341 through which a charge of fresh ai r may be drawn into the large cavity; the exhaust vent 366 and the two par ⁇ allel rings 390, 392 are also clearly visible in the partially sectioned view .
• the two rings 390, 392 have a character that is similar to that of a flywheel; but they differ from the conventional flywheel of an internal combustion engine in that they have a rotary velocity that is both variable and different from that of the power output shaft.
• the signi ficance of this wi ll perhaps be better understood after a brief review of conventional engine design practice.
• torque is obtained by providing a mechanical link (or crank) between a variable-volume chamber and a power output shaft.
• a mechanical link or crank
• the pressure in the chamber is at its maximum; but the pressure falls off rapidly as the volume of the chamber expands, and it o wi ll have been greatly diminished by the time the crank is at 90 — where the crank has its maximum mechanical advantage .
• the peak torque from a given cylinder occurs well before the mechanical ad- vantage of the mechanism reaches its maximum — in contrast to a more near ⁇ ly constant pressure engine, such as the steam engine envisioned by Appel in U .S . Patent 826, 985.

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
• Combustion & Propulsion (AREA)
• Supercharger (AREA)

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• 1982
  • 1982-09-10 WO PCT/US1982/001228 patent/WO1984000997A1/en unknown
  • 1982-09-10 AU AU89561/82A patent/AU8956182A/en not_active Abandoned
  • 1982-09-10 EP EP82902965A patent/EP0118432A1/de not_active Withdrawn

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