GB2508426A

GB2508426A - Rotary engine

Info

Publication number: GB2508426A
Application number: GB201221659A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Jorgen Egil Tveit
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2012-12-02
Filing date: 2012-12-02
Publication date: 2014-06-04

Abstract

An internal combustion engine comprises a part-spherical housing divided into chambers by dividers 7 extending radially from, and arranged for rotation about, a central axis 13 of the housing. Pistons are formed, one in each chamber, by sectors of a disc 6 which rotates about an axis 17 inclined to the central axis such that, as the dividers and disc rotate, the pistons move within the chambers to provide compression and expansion. The axis of the disc may be inclined at between 10Âº and 30Âº to the central axis. Grooves in the housing may be provided to guide the rotating disc. The dividers are wider at their middle than at each end to compensate for the projected width of the disc sectors throughout their cycle.

Description

TITLE

The Pure Rotary Engine

BACKGROUND

This invention relates to an internal combustion engine.

The internal combustion engine is the main propulsion device used to power cars, motorcycles, boats and is even used to power airplanes. Since its conception, the reciprocating piston has been the dominant engine design. However, due to the reciprocating movement of the piston, it achieves relatively low efficiency in converting the fuel into mechanical motion. Over the years several alternative engine designs have been created in an attempt to improve this efficiency. Most notable among these is the Wankel engine which uses rotary motion to cut down on the losses caused by the reciprocating motion. Despite many attempts, no solution has yet proven successful in creating a pure circular motion with efficiency and ability to seal that can challenge the reciprocating piston engine.

STATEMENT OF INNOVATION

To improve the efficiency of the internal combustion engine, the present invention proposes a new type of "pure" rotary engine. The principle of this engine builds on the ability of a spherically shaped chamber to accommodate circular movement at different angles. This is used to rotate a vertical set of dividing bars on one plane while sectors of a hollow disk are rotated on a plane at, say, 10 to 30° offset.

Combining this with a spherical shaped inner wall and conically shaped top and bottom caps, it is possible to create an expanding and contracting combustion chamber as the sectors of a hollow disk move through a full rotation. The dividing bars are attached to the top and bottom caps and rotate about the central axis of the engine. The rotating sectors of a hollow disk seal against these dividing bars as they rotate together about the centre point of the engine.

ADVANTAGES

The advantage of the pure rotary engine is that it operates with a simple rotating motion leading to minimal loss from mechanical inefficiencies. No vibrating parts and no reciprocal motion is necessary to generate the full cycle of compression, ignition, expansion, exhaustion and suction. This mechanical balance will also allow the engine to operate at high speeds [r.p.m.) reducing the size of engine required for a given power output.

INTRODUCTION TO DRAWINGS

Figure 1 shows the conically shaped top and bottom plate of the engine.

Figure 2 shows the dividing bars of the engine.

Figure 3 shows the dividing bars of the engine.

Figure 4 shows the assembly of the conically shaped top and bottom cap and the dividing bars. These rotate together as an assembly abut the engine centreline.

Figure 5 shows the rotating disk segments that are formed by segments of a hollow disk Figure 6 shows the assembly of the rotating parts of the engine consisting of the conically shaped top and bottom cap, the dividing bars that join the top and bottom caps, and the disk segments. The disk segments rotate on a plane that is offset from the plane of rotation of the caps and dividing bars, but always stays within the gap of two adjacent dividing bars.

Figure 7 shows the assembly of the rotating parts of the engine consisting of the conically shaped top and bottom cap, the dividing bars that join the top and bottom caps, and the disk segments. The disk segments rotate on a plane that is offset from the plane of rotation of the caps and dividing bars, but always stays within the gap of two adjacent dividing bars. The axis of rotation of the disks is shown relative to the centreline of the engine which is the angle of rotation of the caps and dividing bars assembly. The two axes intersect at the centre of the engine.

Figure 8 shows the spherically shaped inner wall of the engine and also shows the groove cut in the wall for guiding and supporting the disks.

Figure 9 shows the spherically shaped outer wall of the engine and also shows the groove cut in the wall for guiding and supporting the disks.

Figure 10 shows the full engine assembly without the conically top cap.

Figure 11 shows the assembly of the inner and outer spheres and the disks. It also shows the grooves in the outer and inner spheres that guides the disks on the offset plane.

Figure 12 shows the assembly of the outer sphere and the disks only. It also shows the groove that guides the disks on the offset plane.

Figure 13 shows the full engine assembly (injection/exhaust ports are omitted).

Figure 14 shows the full engine assembly (injection/exhaust ports are omitted).

Figure 15 shows the assembly of the rotating parts of the engine consisting of the conically shaped top and bottom cap, the dividing bars that join the top and bottom caps, and the disk segments. The disk segments rotate on a plane that is offset from the plane of rotation of the caps and dividing bars, but always stays within the gap of two adjacent dividing bars. The axis of rotation of the disks is shown relative to the centreline of the engine which is the angle of rotation of the caps and dividing bars assembly. The two axis intersect at the centre of the engine..

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The engine 1 consists of a chamber created by a spherically shaped outer wall 2, a spherically shaped inner wall 3, a conically shaped top 4 and bottom S caps, rotating disk segments 6 and dividing bars 7 that follow the movement of the disk.

The dividing bars seal against the disk segments and close the gap between the inner spherical wall, the outer spherical wall and the top and bottom cap. The bars are fixed to the top and bottom conical caps and rotate together about the central axis 8 of the engine. Together with the spherical inner and outer wall they create the enclosure of the combustion chamber. The rotating disk segments close the gap between the dividing bars, the inner and outer spherical walls, and create the equivalent to the piston of the combustion chamber. The disk segments rotate at an offset angle 9, typically between 10 and 30°, relative to the caps. As a result, the disk segments go through a cycle: at 0010 they are close to the bottom cap; at 180° 11 they are close to the top cap; and returning to their lowest at the end of the cycle at 3600 10. Through one cycle the disk segments create a compression chamber where an air/fuel mix can be compressed, ignited and expanded. The following cycle will allow the exhaust gas to be exhausted before fresh air/fuel mix is sucked in during the second half of the rotation. This process is repeated every two turns.

As the disk segments rotate inside the sphere, and the point of rotation is at the centre of the sphere 12, the disk segments will always seal on the curved inside and outside spherical walls of the engine even when spinning on a plane at an offset angle. This spherical construction allows the bars and the disk segments to rotate on separate planes, and while the bars rotate about the axis of the engine 13, the disk segments rotate on a plane 17 about the same point but at an offset angle relative to the axis of the engine.

A circular recess 14 and 15 are cut into the outer and inner spherical walls provide guidance and support to the disk segments. Bearings may be incorporated in this recess to reduce friction between the disk segments and the walls.

To compensate for the geometry effect of moving on different angled planes, the dividing bars are curved 16 in order to follow the path described by the disk segments as they move up and down relative to the dividing bars. The disk segments can seal directly against the dividing bars or, alternatively, a separate seal similar to a piston ring or other seal arrangements could be used. Similarly, a separate seal similar to a piston ring or other seal arrangements could be used to seal the dividing bars against the outer and inner spherical walls.

Air/fuel mixture can be sucked in or blown into the engine during the expansion movement by slots in the outside sphere or slots through the conically shaped end plate. Exhaust gas can be let out through similar slots across the compression movement.

Ignition can be performed by a spark plug located in the outside/inside sphere or on the conically shaped end pbte.

Claims

CLAIMS1. An internal combustion engine made up of an engine housing containing dividers, oriented perpendicular to the rotation and rotating about the centre line of the engine) and pistons, formed by sectors of a hollow disk and rotating on the plane of the disk but about an axis which is at an angle relative to the centre line of the engine, rotating together such that each piston stays within the gap of its adjacent dividers and maintaining a seal against the dividers and the housing) but where the plane of the pistons create a relative movement such that the piston describes a motion within the gap of the dividers that generates the compression and expansion movement when dividers and pistons move through a full cycle of rotation.
2. The main body of the engine according to claim 1 is made up of an outer spherically shaped wall and an inner spherically shaped wall allowing the sectors of a hollow disk to rotate about the centre point of the engine but on different axis to the centre line of the engine.
3. The parts of the engine according to claim 1 rotating about the same centre but on different planes/axes create relative movement.
4. All major components of the engine according to claim 1 are shaped by lines drawn from the centre point of the engine and each part has constant radial distances of inner and outer surfaces.
5. Cone shaped top and bottom caps of the engine according to claim 1 have the same angle as the plane on which the sectors of a hollow disk rotate and create the roof of the combustion chamber of the engine.
6. In the engine according to claim 1, cone shaped top and bottom caps are linked by dividing bars shaped to follow the outer and inner spherically shaped walls of the engine.
7. The dividing bars used in the engine according to claim 1 contain curved surfaces towards the disks to compensate for the sinusoidal curve of the projected movement of the disk relative to the movement of the dividers making the dividing bars wider in the middle than at the top and bottom, as manifested by the projected width of the disk segments which is greater at the point where the disk is closest to the top and bottom cone.
8. Individual sectors ofa hollow disk act as pistons in the engine according to claim 1 and rotate on a common plane about the centre of the engine but on an axis at an angle relative to the centre of the engine.
9. Individual sectors of a hollow disk are guided by grooves cut into the outer and inner spherical walls of the engine according to claim 1 and perform a simple rotational motion on the plane of the disk segments.
10. Sectors of a hollow disk act as pistons of the engine according to claim land these pistons have a pure rotating movement with no unbalancing movement.
11. The dividing bars rotate about the axis of the engine according to claim tin a pure rotating movement with no unbalancing effects.
12. The number of combustion chambers in the engine according to claim 1 can vary and each individual sector of a hollow disk can act as a piston in both directions making the total number of possible combustion chambers twice that of the number of disks.
13. The number of dividing bars in the engine according to claim us equal to the number of sectors of a hollow disk