EP2925965A1

EP2925965A1 - Steam engine with rotating piston and the manner of cooling and lubricating thereof

Info

Publication number: EP2925965A1
Application number: EP13818532.7A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Ján Tuna; Vladimír Vavrus
Original assignee: Tuna Jan
Current assignee: Tuna Jan
Priority date: 2012-11-28
Filing date: 2013-11-20
Publication date: 2015-10-07
Anticipated expiration: 2033-11-20
Also published as: SK500552012A3; WO2014084800A1; EP2925965B1

Abstract

The steam engine with rotating piston serving for conversion of steam energy to mechanical energy, comprising of the box (2) with the internal profile of shortened epitrochoid shape, wherein at least one piston (4) and at least one balancing and timing member (5) are provided on the shaft (3). Cooling and lubricating circuit (8) provided in the box (2) or also in the part outside of it, leads into the intake duct (6) through the injector (61), while cooling and lubricating medium, identical to the propelling medium, flows through this circuit (8).

Description

STEAM ENGINE WITH ROTATING PISTON AND THE MANNER OF COOLING AND LUBRICATING THEREOF

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a steam engine with rotating piston serving for conversion of energy, in particular of water vapour, to mechanical energy and the manner of cooling and lubricating thereof.

Background Art

Engines using the shape of piston and the principle of piston movement from Wankel engine are known for conversion of thermal energy of steam or energy of other vapours and gases to mechanical energy. There are several solutions for drive of the engine by distributing and supplying working medium, as well as cooling and lubricating a steam engine with rotating piston. The know solution from the document DE 19940088A1 is a design describing and dealing with valves of engine with rotting piston only generally – as electromagnetic one. Shortcomings of this solution include short lifespan and complicated construction, causing in practice high costs and technically, it does not deal with specific composition of a valve. Another known solution described in the US5410998 document is a design of intake and supply of working medium through electromagnetic valve. Shortcomings include complicacy and problematic lubricating as well as low lifespan of sliding mechanism. The document WO2009/005480A1 proposes valves as rotary bodies, but it does not deal with specific composition of valves. At the same time, the manner of engine cooling and lubricating is dealt with, however, it is very complicated, because it consists of several manifold arms, moving rectifying member and mixing of media in piping is insufficient, meaning in practice higher manufacturing costs and leading to high product price. Another known design is described in the WO/2011/005228A1 document, where valves and their drive for steam engine with rotating piston is proposed, but these valves are designed as separate parts fixed to the engine from outside. This manner is suitable for bigger engines and higher power outputs of engines. For smaller power outputs of engines, this design is complicated as for construction and makes it more expensive.

Disclosure of Invention

Mentioned shortcomings are eliminated to the substantial degree by the steam engine with rotating piston, using the manner of cooling and lubricating comprising of the box with openings for intake and outlet duct and for running the shaft out, wherein at least one piston is placed on the shaft and conduits of cooling and lubricating system are provided and where control unit controls regulation processes, in particular through regulation valve, the substance whereof resides in that the box consists of at least one middle part with inner profile of shortened epitrochoid shape, wherein at least one pair of opposite first intake openings and at least one pair of opposite first outlet openings are provided. Further it comprises of front part, wherein adjoining pair of opposite second intake openings is provided and of rear part, wherein adjoining pair of opposite second outlet openings is provided. Further it comprises of front cover, wherein front chamber opening is provided, and of rear cover, wherein rear chamber opening is provided. Parts and covers of the box are mutually connected by demountable joints in the arrangement ensuring mutual alignment of intake openings and outlet openings. Interconnection of the front part and the front cover creates intake chamber inside the box and interconnection of the rear part and the rear cover creates outlet chamber. Shaft openings for bearings for placing of the shaft are provided in the middle of the front part and the rear part and in the rear cover. At least one conduit opening for box conduits of cooling and lubricating circuit is provided in the front part and the rear part.
The shaft is placed in the box and one of its ends protrudes through the shaft opening of the rear cover outside of the box and its second end freely stretches into the area of intake chamber. Set of shaft conduits of cooling and lubricating circuit, leading into bearings, is provided in the shaft. At least one balancing and timing member, comprising of one timing element or complemented with at least one securing element and/or balancing element, is placed on the part of the shaft located in the area of at least one of intake or outlet chambers.
Cooling and lubricating circuit has its collecting conduit connected to the intake duct through the injector.
Throttle valve is advantageously integrated into collecting conduit of cooling and lubricating circuit.
Timing element of the balancing and timing member has advantageously at any of its walls at least one slit for alternate supply of propellant medium at least between the intake chamber and the working chamber of middle part or also between the working chamber of middle part and the outlet chamber and likewise.
Cooling and lubricating of the steam engine with rotating piston is designed in the manner that cooling and lubricating medium is identical to propelling medium and the substance thereof resides in that the intake medium is created in the injector by mixing propelling medium supplied by the intake duct with cooling and lubricating medium supplied by the collecting conduit of the cooling and lubricating circuit. This mixed medium is filled in the intake chamber provided in peripheral part of the box outside of piston. Part of medium is separated in this intake chamber and travels through the set of shaft conduits provided in the shaft and leading into bearings, whereby it cools and lubricates thereof. Subsequently such partly heated medium goes through the set of box conduits provided in the vicinity of piston part of the box. Then heated medium goes to collecting conduit, cooling and lubricating circuit and into the injector for further use.

Brief Description of Drawings

The design is further elucidated on enclosed drawings, where:
Fig. 1 – shows the steam engine in assembled state;
Fig. 2 – shows the steam engine in disassembled state with two balancing and timing members placed on the shaft in the area of both chambers and each of them consists of all three elements;
Fig. 3 – shows section of the steam engine, which explicates constructional arrangement of cooling and lubricating circuit.

Mode(s) for Carrying Out the Invention

Example 1
The steam engine (Fig. 1 to 3) comprises of the box 2, consisting of the middle part 21 with inside profile of epitrochoid shape, wherein the pair of opposite first intake openings 211 and the pair of opposite first outlet openings 212 is provided. Besides this middle part 21, there is the front part 22 placed, wherein the pair of second opposite intake openings 221 is provided and the rear part 23, wherein the pair of second opposite outlet openings 231 is provided and besides them, there is the box 2 ending with the front cover 24, wherein the first chamber opening 241 is provided and the rear cover 25, wherein the second chamber opening 251 and the shaft opening 26 are provided. Conduit openings 821 for box ducts 82 are provided in the front and rear parts 22, 23.
All three parts 21, 22, 23 and covers 24, 25 of the box 2 are connected by demountable joints, joints are arranged so that intake openings 221 and 221 are mutually aligned and outlet openings 212 and 231 are also mutually aligned and create conduits. Interconnection of front part of the box 22 and the front cover 24 creates the intake chamber 242 inside. Interconnection of the rear part 23 and the rear cover 25 creates the outlet chamber 252 inside.
Openings are provided in the middle of the front part 22, the rear part 23, as well as the rear cover 25, wherein the shaft 3 is placed on bearings. One end of the shaft 3 is freely placed in the intake chamber 242 and the other end of the shaft 3 protrudes through the shaft opening 26 of the rear cover 253 outside the box 2. The eccentric is provided in the middle part of the shaft 3, on which the piston 4 is freely fitted by means of another bearing. The piston 4 rotating in the middle part 21 and two balancing and timing members 5 fixed on the shaft 3 at both sides of the piston 4 are placed in the box 2 by means of the shaft 3. One balancing and timing member 5 rotates together with the shaft 3 in the intake chamber 242 and another balancing and timing member 5 rotates together with the shaft 3 in the outlet chamber 252. Balancing and timing members 5 identically comprises of the timing element 51, the securing element 52 and the balancing element 53. One slit 511 for alternate supplying of propelling medium is provided in both timing elements 51 on arc wall.
The intake duct 6 with the regulation valve 62 is fixed on the outside part of the front cover 24, while the injector 61, which is integral to the intake duct 6, is interconnected with the front cover 24 through the front chamber opening 241.
The outlet duct 7 is fixed on the outside part of the rear cover 25 through the rear chamber opening 251.
Cooling and lubricating circuit 8 runs from the intake chamber 242 into the set of shaft conduits 81 in the shaft 3, leading into bearings of the shaft 3 and from there, it runs into the set of box conduits 82 in the box 2, leading into the collecting conduit 83 with the throttle valve 84 and into the injector 61.
Propelling medium, which is identical to cooling and lubricating medium in the cooling and lubricating circuit 8, is supplied into the intake chamber 242 from the intake duct 6 and through the injector 61.
Steam is used as medium in this case. Supplying and timing of steam as propelling medium is provided in this case by balancing and timing member 5 in the intake chamber 242. The steam, supplied by the intake duct 6, gets into the intake chamber 242, flows through the pair of second and first intake opening 221, 211 under the piston 4. There the propelling medium – steam expands and forces the piston 4 to move. Moving piston 4 rotates the shaft 3, on which balancing and timing members 5 are firmly fixed. Balancing and timing members 5 rotate together with the shaft 3 and the slit 511 on the timing element 51 in the intake chamber 242 alternately opens and closes the pair of second intake openings 221. The slit 511 on the timing element 51 in the intake chamber 252 alternately opens and closes the pair of second outlet openings 231. Alternate opening and closing of the pair of second intake openings 221 and the pair of second outlet openings 231 by means of slits 511 on timing elements 51 ensures exact supply of steam and smooth rotation of the piston 4, the shaft 3 and thereby also smooth flow of the propelling medium – the steam from the intake duct 6 through the injector 61 into the intake chamber 242. The stream of steam flowing through the injector 61 draws (pulls) lubricating and cooling medium from the collecting conduit 83, in this case also the steam. This directs the flow of cooling and lubricating medium and part of thermal energy created by friction in the engine bearings returns.
Example 2
The example 2 comprises of all elements described in the example 1 with such difference that the collecting conduit 83 of the cooling and lubricating circuit 8 does not run as separate duct outside of the box 2, but it is provided as continuation of box conduits 82 in the box 2 body (not located on figures). Description of operation is also identical.
Example 3
The example 3 comprises of all elements described in the example 1 or the example 2 with such difference that balancing and timing element 5 is not formed by three elements 51, 52, 53, but only by one element, namely timing element 51 (not located on figures). Description of operation is also identical.

Claims

The manner of cooling and lubricating a steam engine with rotating piston, wherein cooling and lubricating medium is identical to propelling medium, c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n t h a t the intake medium is created in the injector (61) by mixing propelling medium supplied by the intake duct (6) with cooling and lubricating medium, supplied by the collecting conduit (83) of cooling and lubricating circuit (8), this mixed medium is filled in the intake chamber (242) provided in the peripheral part of the box (2) outside of piston, wherein part of medium is separated and travels through the set of shaft conduits (81) provided in the shaft (3) and leading into bearings, cooling and lubricating thereof, subsequently such partly heated medium goes through the set of box conduits (82) provided in the vicinity of piston part of the box (2) and then this heated medium goes to collecting conduit (83), cooling and lubricating circuit (81) and into the injector (61) for further use.
Steam engine with rotating piston, utilizing the manner of cooling and lubricating described in the claim 1, comprising of the box with openings for intake and outlet duct and for running the shaft out, wherein there is at least one piston placed on the shaft and conduits of cooling and lubricating system are provided and where control unit controls regulation processes, in particular through regulation valve, c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n t h a t the box (2) consists of at least one middle part (21) with inner profile of shortened epitrochoid shape, wherein at least one pair of opposite first intake openings (211) and at least one pair of opposite first outlet openings (212) are provided, of the front part (22), wherein adjoining pair of opposite second intake openings (221) is provided and of the rear part (23), wherein adjoining pair of opposite second outlet openings (231) is provided, further of the front cover (24), wherein the front chamber opening (241) is provided, and of the rear cover (25), wherein the rear chamber opening (251) is provided, where parts (21, 22, 23) and covers (24, 25) of the box (2) are mutually connected by demountable joints in the arrangement ensuring mutual alignment of intake openings (211, 221) and outlet openings (212, 231) and this interconnection of the front part (22) and the front cover (24) creates the intake chamber (242) inside the box (2) and interconnection of the rear part (23) and the rear cover (25) creates the outlet chamber (252), while shaft openings (26) for bearings for placing of the shaft (3) are provided in the middle of front and rear part (22, 23) and in rear cover (25) and at least one conduit opening (821) for box conduits (82) of cooling and lubricating circuit (8) is provided in the front and rear parts (22, 23).
Steam engine according to the claim 2, c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n t h a t the shaft (3) is placed is the box (2) and one of its ends protrudes through the shaft opening (26) of the rear cover (25) outside of the box (2) and its second end freely stretches into the area of intake chamber (242) and set of shaft conduits (81) of the cooling and lubricating circuit (8) leading into bearings is provided in the shaft (3), while at least one balancing and timing member (5), comprising of one timing element (51) or complemented with at least one securing element (52) and/or balancing element (53), is placed on the part of the shaft (3) located in the area of at least one of chambers (242, 252).
Steam engine according to the claims 2 and 3, c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n t h a t the cooling and lubricating circuit (8) has its collecting conduit (83) connected to the intake duct (6) through the injector (61).
Steam engine according to the claims 2 to 4, c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n t h a t the throttle valve (84) is integrated into the collecting conduit (83) of the cooling and lubricating circuit (8).
Steam engine according to the claims 2 to 4 or 2 to 5, c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n t h a t the timing element (51) of balancing and timing member (5) has at any of its walls at least one slit (511) for alternate supply of propellant medium at least between the intake chamber (242) and the working chamber (213) of the middle part (21).