FR3095238A1 - Rotary motor comprising an articulated annular rotor with pivoting lever-effect fins - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a rotor for a rotary internal combustion engine with restricted volumetry. According to the invention, the rotor (100) comprises at least two fins (1A, 1B) and a first gear wheel (30) provided for driving a shaft (40) of said motor, first means of articulation (4A, 4B, 5A, 5B, 8A, 8B) integrally assembling in chain said at least two fins (1A, 1B) by a front part (12A) and a rear part (14B) of the fin so as to form a articulated ring surrounding the first gear wheel (30) intended to be mounted movably in rotation in a stator (50) of the motor and to define a working surface on the outer surface of the ring. The invention also relates to a rotary engine comprising five driven rotors acting successively one after the other during a combustion gas expansion cycle. Abstract figure: Figure 1

Description

Rotary engine comprising an articulated annular rotor equipped with pivoting fins with leverage effect

The field of the invention relates to an articulated rotor and a rotary internal combustion engine equipped with such a rotor. The engine according to the invention makes it possible to achieve a volumetric lever effect, to obtain an improved efficiency of the thermodynamic kinetics.

Conventionally, internal combustion internal combustion engines of the four-stroke or two-stroke type are equipped with cylinders, engine pistons, connecting rods and a crankshaft. The combustion of the fuel takes place inside the cylinders of the engine where the driving force is exerted on the surface of the pistons. Over time, various constraints have been imposed on engine manufacturers, whether anti-pollution standards or the global economic context, constantly pushing them to innovate to offer technological solutions to reduce fuel consumption, but also the costs of manufacturing and operation. We can cite, for example, the turbocharger systems which have made it possible to reduce the displacement of the engines and their consumption, the exhaust gas pollution control devices to reduce the emission of polluting particles, or even the architectures of hybrid engines allowing the use of less polluting energy sources.

Other alternative technological avenues have constantly been explored to develop engines with a simplified structure. Among these projects, mention may be made, for example, of the Lanz type engines which are equipped with a combustion chamber separated from the piston cylinders which is brought to incandescence, and into which is injected a compressed air-fuel mixture causing self-heating. fuel ignition. This type of engine was particularly appreciated by the agricultural industry in the middle of the twentieth century for its mechanical simplicity and the possibilities of using heavy fuels such as mixtures of diesel and recycled oils or animal fat. These undeniable advantages, however, had other crippling vibration and acoustic inconveniences.

Mention may also be made of the patent document WO99/063206A1 describing a heat engine equipped with partitioned chambers to respectively operate the compression of the air, the combustion of an air-fuel mixture and the expansion of the combustion gases. According to this system, fresh compressed air at high pressure, which may be a piston device, vane rotor or even a reserve of compressed air, is introduced into the combustion chamber where fuel is injected under conditions of temperatures causing the mixture to self-ignite. In this type of engine, the expansion of the gases moves the piston from the expansion chamber to drive a motor shaft.

Heat engines equipped with a rotating piston are also known. These motors have the advantage of a more compact structure, of being less subject to torsional and bending vibrations, which also improves driving comfort. Although promising, rotary engines did not have the hoped-for industrial success. Indeed, technological limits in terms of internal sealing and higher consumption compared to conventional piston engines have been factors preventing the development of this technology. These engines, little used to date, would nevertheless require technological improvements to increase their energy efficiency. By way of illustrative example, mention may be made of the English patent application GB596541A describing a rotary internal combustion engine comprising a rotor fitted with blades allowing the partitioning of a combustion chamber and an expansion chamber. The applicant himself filed in the past the French patent application FR2822894A1 concerning a rotary engine with improved efficiency and having a reinforced blade sealing system allowing the recovery of a driving force by means of a finned rotor during expansion of combustion gases.

However, these known heat engines always have a limited efficiency. The new invention here proposed by the applicant relates to a rotor of ingenious hybrid architecture making it possible to increase the energy efficiency of a rotary heat engine.

More specifically, the invention relates to a rotor for a rotary motor comprising at least two fins and a first gear wheel provided for driving a shaft of said motor. According to the invention, it further comprises:
- first articulation means assembling integrally in a chain said at least two fins by a front part and a rear part of the fin, so as to form an articulated ring surrounding the first gear wheel intended to be rotatably mounted in a stator of the motor and to define a working surface on the outer surface of the ring, the first articulation means being arranged so that the front part of each of the fins is able to pivot relative to the rear part of the fin, respectively, along a pivot axis positioned in said rear part of the fin,
- second articulation means arranged so as to solidly connect each of said at least two fins to the first gear wheel via the rear part,
- Third articulation means and a second gear wheel arranged so as to integrally connect each of said at least two fins to the second gear wheel via the front part.

According to a variant, the first articulation means comprise, for each of said at least two fins:
- a pivot guide in the rear part of the fin, and a ball joint in the front part of the fin,
- the pivot guide comprising an inner slide and a slider movable in translation in the slide, the slider comprising a nose at the opposite end to the pivot guide, the nose of the slide of a first of said at least two fins being integrally connected in pivoting to the ball joint of a second of said at least two fins.

According to a variant, the slider of each of said at least two fins is of the same width as the respective fin and forms a sealed joint between the outer zone and the inner zone of the articulated ring.

According to a variant, the second articulation means comprise, for each of said at least two fins:
- a cylindrical support guide for the rear part of the fin parallel to the axis of the first gear wheel and movable in pivoting about the axis of said guide,
- an arm integrally connecting the support guide to the first gear wheel.

According to a variant, the third articulation means comprise, for each of said at least two fins:
- an arm integrally connecting the second gear wheel to the front fin part,
- a first cylindrical arm support guide parallel to the axis of the second gear wheel and pivotable about the axis of said first guide connecting a first end of the arm to a finger of the second gear wheel,
- a second cylindrical support guide for the front part of the fin parallel to the axis of the second gear wheel, movable in pivoting about the axis of said second guide and connecting a second end of the arm to the front part of 'fin.

According to a variant, each of said at least two fins has a radial section in the shape of a trapezium with a curvilinear side, the large base of which is the rear part of the fin and the small base is the front part of the fin.

According to a variant, each of said at least two fins comprises an upper flank of curvilinear surface between the front part and the rear part of the fin oriented in opposition to the first gear wheel, and whose shape is designed to match the internal wall of the motor stator over the entire surface of the upper flank.

According to a variant, the rotor comprises five fins integrally connected to each other in a chain by the rear parts and the front parts so as to form the articulated ring.

According to a variant, the axis of rotation of the first gear wheel and the axis of rotation of the second gear wheel are offset with respect to each other.

It is also envisaged according to the invention a rotary internal combustion engine comprising a motor shaft, a stator and at least one rotatable rotor in at least one stator compartment adapted to drive the motor shaft in rotation during a rotation cycle of the rotor, a constant-volume combustion chamber, a combustion gas expansion channel from the combustion chamber to the stator compartment, the stator compartment comprising an intake port and a combustion gas exhaust port . According to the invention:
- the rotor is according to any one of the embodiments mentioned above,
- the rear part of each of the fins is in constant and sealed contact with the internal wall of the stator compartment,
- the front part of each of the fins pivots with respect to the rear part between a low position and a high position so that the outer surface of the articulated ring delimits during a cycle of rotation of the rotor an expansion chamber in communication cyclically with the intake light and the exhaust light.

According to a variant, the engine comprises five individual stator compartments distributed successively along the axis of rotation of the motor shaft, five rotors and channels for the circulation of the combustion gases between the stator compartments, each of the rotors being mounted movable in rotation within an individual stator compartment, each compartment being provided with an intake port and an exhaust port, the circulation channels and said intake and exhaust ports being arranged so that the combustion gases circulate during the expansion phase from a first stator compartment then successively from compartment to compartment as far as an exhaust channel for the combustion gases of the engine.

According to a variant, the rotors and the stator compartments have increasing widths in the direction of the motor axis in the direction of circulation of the combustion gases.

According to a variant, the engine further comprises an air compressor supplied by an air intake circuit delivering a flow of compressed air to the combustion chamber, in that the compressor is a piston compressor equipped with a crankshaft and in that it further comprises gear means arranged so that the motor shaft is able to drive the crankshaft of the compressor in rotation.

The limited volume obtained through the use of the rotor makes it possible to generate a work force during the combustion gas expansion cycle which is greater than that which would conventionally be applied to the piston surface. Indeed, it couples both the effect of the restricted volume which confines the combustion gases between the fins and the stator and the increased surface area of the fins. It has been estimated that the vanes have an increase in working surfaces of more than 60 times compared to the working surfaces of piston engines for similarly sized engines. In addition, the driving force is exerted in a single rotary direction which generates a greater conservation of the driving kinetics.

In addition, the assembly of several rotors in stages in the rotary engine makes it possible to obtain an expansion flow of the gases which is maintained longer because the engine generates a cumulative driving force of the exhaust gases from rotor to rotor by optimizing their kinetics without increase volumetric losses to the engine exhaust circuit. By coupling the rotor mechanism to a turbocharger, part of the exhaust gases are advantageously reinjected into the compression circuit for a new cycle.

Another advantage of the invention is obviously the simplified mechanical architecture avoiding the use of electro-mechanically or software-controlled components.

The invention will be better understood on reading the following description, given solely by way of example, and referring to the accompanying drawings given by way of non-limiting examples, in which identical references are given to similar objects. and on which:
represents a preferred embodiment of the rotor according to the invention for a rotary heat engine comprising five driving blades.
more precisely represents the first and the second gear wheel of the rotor according to the invention.
shows an external view of the stator of a rotary heat engine comprising the rotor according to the invention and a piston compressor.
represents a longitudinal internal section of the rotary engine in the direction of the motor axis for a preferred variant of the invention comprising five rotors.

It should be noted that the figures expose the invention in detail to implement the invention, said figures can of course be used to better define the invention if necessary.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is described in the form of a rotor for a rotary heat engine, in which the rotor is provided with five fins assembled in a chain to each other to form an articulated ring allowing the formation a combustion gas drive expansion chamber having working surfaces greater than the conventional piston surfaces of a four-stroke or two-stroke heat engine. The invention finds an advantageous application for internal combustion heat engines but will find application opportunities for hydraulic rotary machines, or even fuel-powered or hydraulic electric generators. Further, it is contemplated that the rotor may comprise two or more vanes.

In FIG. 1, the rotor 100 according to the invention is designed to be rotatably mounted around a motor shaft 40 inside a stator housing 50 of a rotary thermal engine by means of two concentric gear wheels. 20, 30 intended to mesh with the motor shaft. Support means are provided to hold the rotor in the stator housing facing the internal wall of the stator. The stator housing has a substantially circular internal section.

More precisely, the rotor 100 comprises five fins 1A, 1B, 1C, 1D, 1E movable in rotation assembled in a chain one to the other successively. For the sake of simplification, the structure and assembly of the fins will be described more precisely, taking as reference fins 1A and 1B only. It is nevertheless specified that all the fins of the rotor are of identical structure. The numerical references address the same components of the rotor and differentiate the components of the vane 1A from the vane 1B by the alphabetical indices A and B.

More precisely, the five fins 1A, 1B, 1C, 1D, 1E constitute an articulated ring with motor action intended to delimit a combustion gas expansion chamber on the outer surface of the fins which is opposite the inner wall of the stator 50 of the thermal motor.

The fin 1A has a radial section, in the same plane as the radial section of the housing of the stator 50, in the shape of a substantially trapezium with curvilinear sides, the large base of which is the rear part of the fin 14A, and the small base is the front part of fin 12A. The front part 12A of each fin is arranged at the head of the direction of rotation of the ring. It will be noted that the fin nevertheless has curved parts in relief 10A, 10B where there are recesses intended for the housing of support guides 16A, 17A of the fin 1A in the housing of the stator, and 16B, 17B for the fin 1B. The large base defines a rear flank 13A intended to receive a driving pressure from the combustion gases during the expansion of the gases and is assembled in a pivot connection to the rear fin 1E. The small base of the front part is assembled in pivot connection to the front fin 1B.

The rear flank 13A delimits a working surface of an expansion chamber in the low position of the front part of the rear fin 1E. In the high position of the front part, the rear flank 13A is hidden by the front part of the rear fin, as is visible for the fins 1D, 1E.

It will be noted that the rear flank 13A is a flat surface and extends over the entire width of the cavity of the stator compartment where the rotor 100 is housed on a plane perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the rotor. The upper edge of rear flank 13A is in constant contact with the inner wall of stator 50.

It is important to note each fin forms on the rear zone a sealed connection with the internal wall of the stator over the entire rotation cycle of the rotor 100, thus making it possible to delimit expansion chambers 15A, 15B with variable volume resulting from the pivoting of the front part 12A, 12B serving to expand and exhaust the combustion gases cyclically.

Furthermore, the upper flank 11A is a curvilinear surface provided to match the internal wall of the stator 50 of the motor over the entire surface of the upper flank 11. The convex shape thus makes it possible to increase the working surface and also to completely expel the combustion gases from the expansion chamber when the latter is in communication with a gas exhaust port and when the front part is in the maximum high position.

Finally, the expansion chamber 15A has a substantially triangular radial section with two sides of curvilinear shape corresponding to the internal wall of the stator 50 and to the upper flank 11A of the fin 1A and whose base is delimited by the rear flank 13B of the fin 1B.

Thanks to the articulated ring, the expansion chamber 15A has a variable restricted volume which is here sized to be less than the volume of the combustion chamber of the engine throughout the rotation cycle of the rotor, while advantageously presenting a surface of working surface greater than the working surface of a conventional piston of an expansion chamber of a heat engine. The restricted volume and the work surface resulting from the shape of the ring thus make it possible to provide a driving force during the expansion phase of the engine's operating cycle greater than that of conventional piston engines of similar size.

Other fin shape variants are not excluded. For example, the radial section can be a trapezoidal shape with straight sides, in the upper zone oriented towards the wall of the stator and lower oriented towards the axis of rotation of the rotor, or of polygonal shape with straight sides.

Furthermore, each fin exerts a rotary driving action in a direction tangential to the axis of the motor shaft due to the driving pressure which is exerted on the rear side 13A and 13B of each fin. In addition, each fin exerts a substantially orthogonal driving action with respect to the axis of rotation X1 of the motor shaft towards the center of the rotor 100 thanks to the leverage effect resulting from the pivoting of the front part of each fin.

We will now describe the various joints of the rotor allowing the transmission of the driving forces to the motor shaft 40. More specifically, the fin 1A (and identically all the other fins 1B, 1C, 1D, 1E) of the rotor 100 comprises means of articulation provided to cooperate with complementary articulation means of fins positioned directly forward, those of the fin 1B, and behind, those of the fin 1E. To this end, the fin 1A comprises a pivot guide 4A in the rear part of the fin, and a ball joint 8A, in the front part of the fin. The pivot guide 4A comprises an inner slide and a slider 5A movable in translation in the slide.

The articulated ring consists of a chain of fins linked together by the front and rear parts allowing the front part of each fin to pivot. For the realization of this pivot mechanism, the slider 5A comprises a beak having a C-shaped radial section at the opposite end to the pivot guide 4A. The snout of the slider 5A of the fin 1A is solidly linked in pivoting to the ball joint 8E of the fin 1E. The slider 5A is able to move in translation inside the slide between a fully depressed position in the pivot guide 4A, as shown here for the fin 1B, and an exit position, as it is shown here for the 1D fin. To this end, the rear part of the fin 14A comprises a recess 9A of substantially cylindrical section extending over the entire width of the fin in which the pivot guide 4A is mounted in pivot connection. The fin width is here oriented according to the direction of the motor axis X1 and the axes of the gear wheels X2, X3 which are all three parallel to each other.

It is important to note that the pivot joint consisting of the support guide 4B, the slider 5B and the ball joint 8A is sealed in order to ensure the partitioning of the combustion gases in the chamber 15A.

Then, for the implementation of the tangential driving force, the rotor 100 comprises first articulation means comprising a first star-shaped gear wheel 30 having five arms, referenced 6A and 6B for the fins 1A respectively, 1B, distributed uniformly circularly on the surface of the gear wheel 30 which are integrally connected to the rear part 14A, 14B of each of the fins 1A, 1B by support guides 16A, 16B of cylindrical radial section.

The cylindrical support guide 16A maintains constant the radial position of the rear fin part 14A in pivot connection around the axis of the support guide. The sealed contact of the rear fin part 14A with the internal wall of the stator 50 is maintained throughout the rotation cycle of the rotor 100.

With reference to chamber 15A, when a driving pressure is exerted on the rear side 13B of the fin 1B and on the upper side 11A of the fin 1A, a driving force tangential to the upper side allows the first wheel to gear 30 to rotate the motor shaft 40.

It will be noted that each fin delimiting an expansion chamber in communication with the combustion gas intake port contributes to the exertion of a tangential driving force.

For the implementation of the orthogonal driving force, the rotor 100 comprises a second gear wheel 20 comprising five fingers, referenced 20A and 20B cooperating respectively with the fins 1A and 1B, distributed uniformly circularly on the surface of the gear wheel. 20. With reference to the fin 1A, and identically to the other fins, the finger 20A is integrally connected to a support arm 7A by a first end at the center of the rotor by a cylindrical support guide 21A acting as a pivot connection to the inside the C-shaped cavity formed by the finger. In addition, the arms are connected by the other end to the front part 12A, of the fins 1A by a support guide 17A.

It will be noted that the cylindrical support guide 17A is able to move radially on the circular path during a rotation cycle of the rotor as the front part 12A moves between the high position and the low position. This displacement of the center of the stator (low position) towards the peripheral zone of the stator (high position) is permitted on the one hand thanks to the slider 5B which moves in translation in the recess 9B and in the slide of the pivot guide 4B itself. even mobile in rotation around its own axis, and on the other hand thanks to the pivot connection between the arm 7A and the front part of the fin via the guide 17A.

In addition, each gear wheel 20 and 30 is provided to mesh with a motor shaft 40 of the heat engine and each of the wheels 20 and 30 is provided to transmit a working force to the motor shaft 40. The axes of rotation X2 , X3 of the gear wheels 20 and 30 respectively are offset with respect to each other so as to allow a pivoting movement of the front part of the fin relative to the rear part of the fin which is mounted so as to remain in sealed contact with the inner wall 50 of the stator permanently over the entire rotation cycle of the rotor 100. The wheels 20 and 30 are arranged parallel to each other around the shaft motor 40 on which they are intended to be mounted.

In Figure 2, the gear wheels 20 and 30 have been shown more precisely, this time on the side of the wheel 30. The function of the gear wheel 30 is to support the rear part of the fins while the gear wheel 20 supports and pivotally guides the front part of the fins. The wheel 30 is star-shaped where each branch, referenced here 6A, 6B for the fins 1A, 1B, forms the fin guide arm and includes the support guides 16A and 16B for the fins. The wheel 20 is a wheel provided with the fingers 20A, 20B for the fin 1A, 1B respectively.

We will now describe the operation of the rotor 100 during a cycle of rotation, taking the fin 1A as an example during which the expansion of the combustion gases then the exhaust of the combustion gases takes place. The cycle is identical for each fin 1A, 1B, 1C, 1D, 1E.

According to the invention, the vane 1A is capable of transmitting a tangential working force to the axis of rotation of the first gear wheel 30 when a driving pressure is exerted on the rear flank 13A and on the upper flank 11A. Similarly, the fin 1A is capable of transmitting a working force orthogonal to the axis of the second gear wheel 20 resulting from the pivoting of the front part 12A, either positively during relaxation, or negatively during exhaust of the gases taking as a reference the clockwise direction of rotation of the rotor 100.

Still referring to Figure 1, once combustion of the air-fuel mixture is initiated in a combustion chamber of the engine, the combustion gases escape upon expansion within the stator compartment 50 through an intake port 70, represented symbolically in the lower part of FIG. 1. Let us assume that the front part 12A of the fin 1A reaches the intake port 70. The combustion gases then flow into the chamber expansion 15A delimited by the outer surface of the rotor 100 and the inner wall of the stator 50. The expansion phase rotates the rotor 100 and provides motor work to the motor shaft. At the same time as the rotational movement of the rotor, the front part 12A of the fin 1A pivots towards the center of the rotor and exerts an orthogonal force towards the center of the rotor increasing the volume of the expansion chamber 15A progressively. of the rotation of the rotor 100 clockwise over a sector of the section of the rotor of approximately 180°. The volume of the expansion chamber 15A then increases until the front part 12A reaches the maximum low position, the most centric radially. The low position is maintained until reaching the exhaust port 60 of the stator compartment 50.

Then, still rotating in the clockwise direction of rotation of the rotor, the front part of the fin 12A then pivots radially outwards expelling the combustion gases through the exhaust port 60 in communication with an area of the engine where the pressure is lower than the incoming pressure through the intake port 70. On this angular sector of the stator, the upper flank of the fin 1A is then pressed against the inner wall 50 of the stator until it again reaches the intake port 70 through which combustion gases are injected.

In summary, the force resulting from the orthogonal forces generated by the expansion of the gases coming from the intake port 70 and by the compression of the gases towards the exhaust port 60 exerts on the gear wheel 20 a motor work in the direction rotor schedule complementing the engine work generated by the tangential forces acting on the gear wheel 30.

An expansion and exhaust cycle for each vane therefore takes place in one rotation cycle of the rotor. We will see later that an air intake and compression cycle runs in parallel to send a predetermined volume of compressed air each time the fin passes in front of the intake port 70.

By Figures 3 and 4, we now describe the operation of the rotor 100 for a preferred embodiment of a rotary heat engine 500 comprising a two-piston air compressor 501 and 502 whose function is to inject compressed air in a combustion chamber 506 at constant volume, a stator 50 provided with several rotors arranged one beside the other in the direction of the engine axis to form a combustion gas flow circuit in trigger generating a working force along the entire length of the motor shaft. This circuit will be more precisely described by figure 4. To improve the energy performance of the engine, a turbocharger device is also provided which reinjects the combustion gases from the exhaust circuit into the inlet of the compressor intake circuit.

Not being the heart of the invention, the turbo compressor device is not represented and it will be understood that the type of device capable of reinjecting part of the exhaust gases into the intake circuit will in no way limit the scope of the invention. Similarly, a compressor comprising only a pair of pistons is shown here, however the rotary engine can be equipped with any type of compressor capable of injecting compressed air into the combustion chamber, fresh air or a fresh air/air mixture. recycled via a turbocharger. Thus, the compressor may comprise two or more pistons.

More specifically, the compressor comprises a first compression cylinder 501 comprising a piston 501A and a connecting rod 501B moved in translation by a crankshaft 504 and a second compression cylinder 502 comprising a piston 502A and a connecting rod 502B moved in translation by the crankshaft 504. Each compression cylinder 501, 502 is fed by an air intake circuit injecting a mixture of fresh air and recycled combustion gas air via an intake port, not shown in FIG. 3. Each cylinder 501 and 502 includes a compressed air flow control member 501C, 502C allowing the compressed air to be evacuated to the combustion chamber 506.

In addition, a first gear wheel 507 and a second gear wheel 503 are arranged to intermesh the motor shaft of the engine and the crankshaft 504 of the compressor. In particular, the wheels convert the rotational movement around the engine axis into rotational movement around the crankshaft axis arranged perpendicular to the engine axis. The gear wheels 503, 507 are sized so as to send a volume of compressed air corresponding to one cylinder each time the fin passes. The number of compression cylinders and the transmission ratio of the gear wheels can be modified to send a predetermined volume of compressed air at each fin pass.

In this embodiment, each compressed air flow control member 501C, 502C is a non-return valve that opens when the pressure inside the cylinder is greater than a predetermined value. In a manner known per se, when the piston 501A descends a suction of air fills the compression cylinder in which the air is then compressed when the piston rises to its top dead center. Other air flow control means can be envisaged without affecting the scope of the invention.

The compression cylinders 501, 502 and the first and second gear wheels 503 and 507 are arranged to alternately inject compressed air into the combustion chamber in coordination with the expansion and exhaust cycle of the rotors of the rotary engine 500 so as to operate an expansion cycle each time the fin passes in front of the combustion gas intake port.

It will not be forgotten to mention that a fuel injector 505 is provided for injecting fuel into the combustion chamber 506 where the air is admitted at high pressure, which can reach approximately 30 bars thanks to the action of the turbocharger and the compressor. In addition, it should be specified that the combustion chamber of the engine here has a constant volume in which combustion is triggered by self-ignition of the fuel due to the rise in temperature resulting from the compression of the air. The combustion then causes the gas pressure to rise to a value that can reach around 60 bars in the combustion chamber which is in communication with the first stator compartment.

It will be specified that the combustion chamber 506 is partitioned off from the cylinders 501, 502 and communicates with the stator compartment housing the rotor according to the invention via an exhaust gas transfer channel.

In Figure 4, we now describe a preferred embodiment of the rotary engine shown in longitudinal section in the direction of the motor axis. The section is shown at the level of a fin head support guide in alignment with the axis of rotation X1 of the motor shaft 400. The motor compressor is visible in the upper part of the figure. The axis of translation of the pistons is orthogonal to the axis X1 of the motor shaft 400. It is recalled that the motor shaft 400 meshes with the first gear wheel 507 and the second wheel 503 to rotate the crankshaft 504 and operate the air compression.

The motor 500 comprises a stator frame 50, crankcase or engine block comprising five individual compartments 511, 512, 513, 514, 515 having a cylindrical recess and respectively housing rotors 110, 120, 130, 140 and 150 in accordance with the invention arranged in longitudinal alignment along the axis of the motor shaft 400. Each rotor forms an articulated ring having a diameter smaller than the diameter of the stator compartment in sealed contact with the inner wall of the stator in the rear part of each fin.

Each rotor 110, 120, 130, 140, 150 meshes with the motor shaft 400 by first and second gear wheels connected respectively to each of the rear fin portions and front fin portions forming the articulated ring of the rotor . Each stator compartment 511 to 515 acts as an exhaust gas expansion chamber from the combustion chamber to an engine combustion gas exhaust pipe. The exhaust manifold feeds an intake from the turbocharger and an exhaust pipe to atmospheric air.

The expansion of the exhaust gases exerts a driving force on each rotor from compartment to compartment successively thus maintaining the driving force throughout the expansion of the gases. Each stator compartment 511 to 515 is provided with an intake port and a combustion gas exhaust port. The intake port of the first stator compartment 511 communicates with the combustion chamber and the exhaust port with an inlet port of the second stator compartment 512 via a circulation channel. Then, the second compartment 512 has an exhaust port to the third stator compartment and so on until you reach the engine exhaust manifold.

It will be noted that the compartments 511 to 515 and the rotors 110 to 150 have increasing widths in the direction of the motor axis from the end of the motor shaft 400 meshing with the compressor (at the top of FIG. 4) at its other opposite end (positioned at the bottom of figure 4). Thus, the pressure of the combustion gases in each compartment decreases according to the direction of circulation of the gases allowing the flow of circulation towards the exhaust pipe, while the driving surfaces are increasing. We can give some sizing figures by way of non-limiting example. In one embodiment, the rotors 110 to 150 have a width of approximately 6cm, 7cm, 8cm, 9cm, 10cm respectively.

Let us now describe more precisely the arrangement of the rotor 110 according to the invention in the first stator compartment 511. The four other rotors are arranged identically in each of the respective compartments. It is recalled that the section is represented at the level of a pivot axis of the support guide for a front fin part, for example of the fin 111, in alignment with the axis of rotation X1 of the motor shaft 400 .

The rotor 110 comprises five fins assembled in a chain to each other, the front part of a first fin 111 is visible in section at the level of its support guide in the right zone of the stator compartment 511 and the rear part in section d a second radially opposite fin 112 is visible in the left zone of the same compartment. Cavity 509 represents the working combustion gas expansion chamber. Rectangular blocks 113, 114 and 115 represent sections of arms guiding forward vane portions of rotor 110. Gear wheel 116 meshes with motor shaft 400 and is integrally connected with rear vane portions. A bearing 118 is provided to mount the gear wheel in the stator. The gear wheel 117 mounted at the side of the wheel 116 in mesh with the motor shaft 400 is integrally connected with vane front parts. Similarly, a bearing 119 is provided to mount the gear wheel in the stator. Also shown are the axes of rotation X1 of the motor shaft 400, X2 of the gear wheel 117 of the front fin parts and X3 of the gear wheel of the rear fin parts. The two axes X2, X3 are misaligned.

Let us now give some motor sizing and performance quantities by way of non-limiting example. The engine block is made up of five rotors and five fins per rotor.

Admission and compression is governed by two cylinders with a diameter of 50mm, a stroke of 100mm, or a volume of 196 cc. Both cylinders are fed by two turbochargers which increase the load by a coefficient of 3 turbo inlet/outlet volume, producing an intake of 588cc per cylinder per vane. The intake volumetric displacement is equal to 2.940 liters for a rotation of the engine at 1000 rpm which provides an air volume of 228085 gr/h (2.940x60000tr/1.293gr). The stoichiometry has a lean ratio of 20/1 therefore produces a fuel consumption equal to 11404 gr/h.

Calculation of work surface in heel of fin (rear part) :

For each rotor, the working height on the rear wing flank is equal to approximately 3mm for a first wing, 11.5mm for a second wing, 17mm for a third wing, 11.5 mm for a fourth wing and 3 mm for a fifth fin. That is a total working height of the rear sides of 46mm.

Calculation of the average effective working surface in heel of fins per rotor :

As previously written, the rotors have widths of approximately 6cm, 7cm, 8cm, 9cm and 10cm respectively, a vane radius distance from the center motor shaft geometry is 220mm and a vane length d about 25cm. This gives an effective average working surface at the heel of the fin for the first rotor 110 of 27.6cm2 (46mm x 6cm), for the second rotor 120 of 32.2cm2, for the third rotor 130 of 36.8cm2, for the fourth rotor 140 of 41.4cm2 and for the fifth rotor 150 of 46cm2.

Calculation of working force in heel of fin :

For all the rotors, a total working force of approximately 89930 N is obtained with a pressure drop coefficient of 1.62, which gives 34418N multiplied by 0.220 of fin heel distance, i.e. 7571 Nm, or 793Kw or 1078 Ch., with a rotation speed of 1000rpm.

Calculation of fuel consumption per KW :

11404gr for 793Kw gives 14.38gr per Kilowatt.

Work force calculation on the fin upper flank for the entire engine :

For the 110 rotor, the length is 25cm for a width of 6cm, which gives 150cm2 x60bars, or 90000N. By doing the same calculation for the rotors 120, 130, 140, 150, we obtain a total of 488750N. By calculating a pressure drop coefficient of around 1.62, we obtain 187067 N for a radius distance from the upper side of 0.080m, i.e. 14964 N.m, i.e. 1567Kw or 2131Ch.

Total force of the motor on the upper and rear sides of the motor fins :

793Kw and 1567Kw are approximately 2360Kw, or 3209Ch.

Fuel consumption :

11404Gr for 2360Kw, i.e. approximately 4.83Gr/KW.

The invention applies preferentially to a rotary internal combustion engine, but applications of the rotor are envisaged for hydraulic compressed air motors or even hydraulic turbines for generating electrical energy.

Claims (13)

Rotor (100) for a rotary engine comprising at least two fins (1A, 1B) and a first gear wheel (30) provided for driving a shaft (40) of said motor, characterized in that it comprises in outraged :
- first articulation means (4A, 4B, 5A, 5B, 8A, 8B) integrally assembling in chain said at least two fins (1A, 1B) by a front part (12A) and a rear part (14B) of ' fin, so as to form an articulated ring surrounding the first gear wheel (30) intended to be mounted movably in rotation in a stator (50) of the motor and to define a working surface on the outer surface of the ring, the first articulation means being arranged so that the front part (12A, 12B) of each of the fins is movable in pivoting relative to the rear part of the fin (14A, 14B), respectively, along a pivot axis (16A , 16B) positioned in said rear part of the fin (14A, 14B),
- second articulation means (16A, 6A) arranged so as to integrally connect each of said at least two fins (1A, 1B) to the first gear wheel (30) via the rear part (14A, 14B),
- third articulation means (7A, 20A, 7B, 20B) and a second gear wheel (20) arranged so as to integrally connect each of said at least two fins (1A, 1B) to the second gear wheel (20) by the front part (12A, 12B). Rotor according to Claim 1, characterized in that the first articulation means (4A, 4B, 5A, 5B, 8A, 8B) comprise, for each of said at least two fins (1A, 1B):
- a pivot guide (4A, 4B) in the rear part of the fin, and a ball joint (8A, 8B) in the front part of the fin,
- the pivot guide (4A, 4B) comprising an interior slide and a movable slide (5A, 5B) in translation in the slide, the slide (5A, 5B) comprising a nose at the end opposite the pivot guide, the nose of the slide ( 5B) of a first (1B) of said at least two fins (1A, 1B) being integrally connected in pivoting to the ball joint (8A) of a second (1A) of said at least two fins (1A, 1B). Rotor according to Claim 2, characterized in that the slide (5A, 5B) of each of said at least two fins is of the same width as the respective fin (1A, 1B) and forms a sealed articulation between the outer zone and the zone interior of the articulated ring. Rotor according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the second articulation means (16A, 16B, 6A, 6B) comprise, for each of said at least two fins:
- a cylindrical support guide (16A, 16B) of the rear portion (14A, 14B) of the fin parallel to the axis of the first gear wheel (30) and pivotally movable about the axis of said guide,
- an arm (6A, 6B) integrally connecting the support guide (16A, 16B) to the first gear wheel (30). Rotor according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the third articulation means (7A, 17A, 20A, 7B, 17B, 20B) comprise, for each of said at least two fins:
- an arm (7A; 7B) integrally connecting the second gear wheel (20) to the front portion (12A, 12B) of the fin,
- a first cylindrical support guide for the arm (7A, 7B) parallel to the axis of the second gear wheel and movable in pivoting around the axis of said first guide connecting a first end of the arm to a finger (20A; 20B) of the second gear wheel (20),
- a second cylindrical support guide of the fin front part (17A, 17B) parallel to the axis of the second gear wheel, movable in pivoting around the axis of said second guide and connecting a second end of the arm (7A, 7B) to the front fin part. Rotor according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that each of said at least two fins (1A, 1B) has a radial section in the form of a trapezoid with a curvilinear flank, the large base of which is the rear fin part ( 14A, 14B) and the small base is the front fin part (12A, 12B). Rotor according to Claim 6, characterized in that each of said at least two fins (1A, 1B) has an upper flank (11A, 11B) of curvilinear surface between the front part (12A, 12B) and the rear part (14A, 14B) ) fin oriented in opposition to the first gear wheel (30), and the shape of which is designed to match the internal wall of the stator of the motor over the entire surface of the upper flank. Rotor according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that it comprises five fins (1A, 1B, 1C, 1D, 1E) integrally connected to each other in a chain by the rear parts and the front parts so to form the articulated ring. Rotor according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the axis of rotation (X3) of the first gear wheel (30) and the axis of rotation (X2) of the second gear wheel (20) are offset with respect to each other. Rotary internal combustion engine (500) comprising a drive shaft (400), a stator (40), and at least one rotor (110) movable in rotation in at least one compartment (511) of the stator capable of rotating the stator. motor shaft (400) during a cycle of rotation of the rotor, a combustion chamber (506) at constant volume, a combustion gas expansion channel from the combustion chamber (506) to the stator compartment (511), the stator compartment (511) comprising an intake port and an exhaust port for combustion gases, the engine being characterized in that:
- the rotor (110) is according to any one of claims 1 to 9,
- the rear part of each of the fins is in constant and sealed contact with the internal wall of the stator compartment (511),
- the front part of each of the fins pivots with respect to the rear part between a low position and a high position so that the outer surface of the articulated ring defines during a cycle of rotation of the rotor (110) a chamber of expansion in communication cyclically with the intake port and the exhaust port. Rotary motor according to Claim 10, characterized in that it comprises five individual stator compartments (511, 512, 513, 514, 515) distributed successively along the axis of rotation of the motor shaft, five rotors (110, 120 , 130, 140, 150) and channels for the circulation of combustion gases between the stator compartments, each of the rotors (110, 120, 130, 140, 150) being mounted so as to be able to rotate inside a compartment of individual stator, each compartment (511, 512, 513, 514, 515) being provided with an intake port and an exhaust port, the circulation channels and said intake and exhaust ports being arranged so that the combustion gases circulate during the expansion phase of a first stator compartment and then successively from compartment to compartment as far as an exhaust channel for the combustion gases of the engine. Rotary motor according to Claim 11, characterized in that the rotors (110, 120, 130, 140, 150) and the stator compartments (511, 512, 513, 514, 515) have increasing widths according to the direction of the motor shaft in the direction of circulation of the combustion gases. Rotary motor according to any one of claims 10 to 12, characterized in that it further comprises an air compressor (501, 502) supplied by an air intake circuit delivering a flow of compressed air to the combustion chamber (506), in that the compressor (501, 502) is a piston compressor provided with a crankshaft (504) and in that it further comprises gear means (503, 507) arranged so that the motor shaft (400) is able to drive the compressor crankshaft in rotation.