IL287648B2

IL287648B2 - Rotary engine

Info

Publication number: IL287648B2
Application number: IL287648A
Authority: IL
Inventors: Gregory KATS
Original assignee: Gregory KATS
Priority date: 2021-10-28
Filing date: 2021-10-28
Publication date: 2023-06-01
Also published as: IL287648B1; IL287648A

Description

ROTARY ENGINE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Technical Field The present invention generally relates to turbomachines, and more specifically it relates to turbomachines that extract energy from a fluid flow and convert it into useful work.

Background Turbomachines are machines that transfer energy between a rotor and a fluid. Rotary engines are mechanical devices that extract energy from a fluid flow and convert it into useful work. The work produced by a rotary engine can be used for generating electrical power when combined with a generator.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a cost-efficient and effective rotary engine powered by a pressurized gas/fluid, and which can be used for generating electrical power when combined with a generator.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A rotary engine of the invention includes a housing having a front wall with an axle opening, a rear wall with a rotor opening, a flow outlet, and a rotor positioned inside the housing. The rotor comprises a front disk with an opening in its center and a plurality of flow passages located on the inner side of the front disk and extending from the opening to the periphery of the front disk, wherein the flow passages are formed by vanes circumferentially spaced on the inner side of the front disk and having a curved, crescent-like shape. The rotor further comprises a rear disk having a diffuser in its center and a plurality of flow passages located on the inner side of the rear disk and extending from the diffuser to the periphery of the rear disk. The flow passages are formed by vanes circumferentially spaced on the inner side of the rear disk and having a curved, crescent-like shape. The flow passages and the vanes of the rear disk are a mirror image of the flow passages and the vanes of the front disk. The front disk and the rear disk are co-axially attached together to form a wheel having a plurality of flow passages and circumferentially spaced vanes with a curved, crescent-like shape. The wheel has a flow inlet located in its center and flow outlets located on its periphery. The rotor further comprises a front hollow half-axle co-axially attached to the front disk and a rear hollow half-axle co-axially attached to the rear disk. The rotary engine also includes a cover having an opening in its center and attached to the rear wall of the housing, a rear half-axle support means attached to the cover, a front half-axle support means attached to the front wall of the housing, and an inlet element having a tubular member, the inlet element is co-axially attached to the front axle support means, with the tubular member co-axially positioned inside the hollow front half-axle.

The summary of preferred and exemplary embodiment of the present invention is merely illustrative of the inventive concepts presented herein and is not intended to limit the scope of the present invention in any manner.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The above-mentioned and other features and advantages of the invention, and the manner of attaining them, will become more apparent and the disclosure will be better understood by reference to the following description of an embodiment of the invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein: FIG. 1 is a perspective rear view of a rotary engine according to an embodiment of the invention; FIG. 2 is a perspective front view of a rotary engine according to an embodiment of the invention; FIG. 3 is a perspective cut-off view of a rotary engine according to an embodiment of the invention; FIG. 4, FIG.5 show an exploded view of a rotary engine according to an embodiment of the invention; FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a rotor of a rotary engine according to an embodiment of the invention; FIG. 7, FIG. 8 show an exploded view of a rotor of a rotary engine according to an embodiment of the invention; FIG. 9 is an exploded view of a hollow front half-axle support means of a rotary engine according to an embodiment of the invention; FIG. 10 is a cut-off view of a hollow front half-axle support means and a front hollow half-axle of a rotary engine according to an embodiment of the invention; FIG. 11 is a cut-off side view of a rotary engine according to an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 12 is a perspective view of an inner side of a rear disk of a rotor of a rotary engine according to an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 13 is a perspective view of an inner side of a front disk of a rotor of a rotary engine according to an embodiment of the invention.

The exemplifications set out herein illustrate preferred embodiment of the invention, and such exemplifications are not to be construed as limiting the scope of the invention in any manner.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION For a better understanding of the invention and to show how the same may be carried into effect, reference will now be made, purely by way of example, to the accompanying drawings. With specific reference to the drawings in detail, it is stressed that the particulars shown are by way of example and for purposes of illustrative discussion of preferred embodiment of the present invention only and are presented for the purpose of providing what is believed to be the most useful and readily understood description of the principles and conceptual aspects of the invention. In this regard, no attempt is made to show structural details of the invention in more detail than is necessary for a fundamental understanding of the invention. From the description taken together with the drawings it will be apparent to those skilled in the art how the several forms of the invention may be embodied in practice. Moreover, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting the scope of the invention hereof.

The present invention is a rotary engine comprising a housing, a rotor configured to rotate inside the housing and supported by its axle assembly from the front and rear sides of the housing. The rotor comprises a wheel with flow passages (which may be convergent or non-convergent) located inside the wheel and formed by vanes preferably having a curved, crescent-like shape. The wheel further comprises a flow inlet located in its center and flow outlets located on the periphery of the wheel. The wheel is designed to receive a working fluid (gas) through a hollow front half-axle connected to the flow inlet of the wheel.

Exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings.

A rotary engine 1 according to an embodiment of the invention comprises a housing 10 having a front wall 16 with an axle opening 17, a rear wall 13 with a rotor opening 14, a flow outlet 11, and a rotor 30 configured to rotate inside the housing 10.

In an embodiment of the invention, the rotor 30 may be comprised of a pair of parallel co-axial disks (a front disk 35 and a rear disk 36) attached to each other by connectors or fasteners 371.

The front disk 35 contains on its inner side 18 a plurality of flow passages 63a extending from an opening 38 located in the center of the front disk 35, to a periphery of the front disk 35. The flow passages 63a are circumferentially spaced in a uniform pattern on the inner side 18 of the front disk 35. The flow passages 63a preferably have a curved shape.

The flow passages 63a are formed by primary vanes 61a extending from the opening 38 to the periphery of the front disk 35. The primary vanes 61a are circumferentially spaced in a uniform pattern on the inner side 18 of the front disk 35. The primary vanes 61a preferably have a curved, crescent-like shape.

The front disk 35 further comprises auxiliary vanes 62a preferably having a curved, crescent-like shape. The auxiliary vanes 62a are located between the primary vanes 61a and improve the flow of a working fluid inside the flow passages 63a.

Preferably, a leading edge 64a of the primary vanes 61a and a leading edge 65a of the auxiliary vanes 62a are tangential to the radius of the front disk 35. A trailing edge 66a of the primary vanes 61a is tangential to the circumference of the front disk 35.

The rear disk 36 contains on its inner side 19 a plurality of flow passages 63b extending from a flow diffuser 37 located in the center of the rear disk 36, to a periphery of the rear disk 36. The flow passages 63b are circumferentially spaced in a uniform pattern on the inner side 19 of the rear disk 36. The flow passages 63b preferably have a curved shape.

The flow passages 63b are formed by primary vanes 61b extending from the diffuser 37 to the periphery of the rear disk 36. The primary vanes 61b are circumferentially spaced in a uniform pattern on the inner side 19 of the rear disk 36. The primary vanes 61b preferably have a curved, crescent-like shape.

The rear disk 36 further comprises auxiliary vanes 62b preferably having a curved, crescent-like shape. The auxiliary vanes 62b are located between the primary vanes 61b and improve the flow of a working fluid inside the flow passages 63b.

Preferably, a leading edge 64b of the primary vanes 61b and a leading edge 65b of the auxiliary vanes 62b are tangential to the radius of the rear disk 36. A trailing edge 66b of the primary vanes 61b is tangential to the circumference of the rear disk 36.

The shape and position of the flow passages 63b, primary vanes 61b and auxiliary vanes 62b of the rear disk 36 mirror the shape and position of the flow passages 63a, primary vanes 61a and auxiliary vanes 62a of the front disk 35.

The flow diffuser 37 of the rear disk 36 may have a concave cone shape and is used for directing an incoming working fluid towards flow passages 63.

The front disk 35 and the rear disk 36 are co-axially attached together to form a wheel 31 having a flow inlet located in its center and flow outlets 311 located on the periphery of the wheel 31.

The wheel 31 contains a plurality of flow passages 63 located inside the wheel and extending from the inlet 38 to periphery of the wheel 31. The flow passages are circumferentially spaced in a uniform pattern about the wheel 31. The flow passages 63 preferably have a curved shape.

The flow passages 63 are formed by primary vanes 61 extending from the center to periphery of the wheel 31. The primary vanes 61 are circumferentially spaced in a uniform pattern about the wheel 31. The primary vanes 61 preferably have a curved, crescent-like shape.

The wheel 31 further comprises auxiliary vanes 62 preferably having a curved, crescent-like shape. The auxiliary vanes 62 are located between the primary vanes and improve the flow of a working fluid inside the flow passages 63.

Preferably, a leading edge 64 of the primary vanes 61 and a leading edge 65 of the auxiliary vanes 62 are tangential to the radius of the wheel 31. A trailing edge of the primary vanes 61 is tangential to the circumference of the wheel 31.

In some embodiments, the flow passages 63, 63a, 63b may be convergent flow passages (i.e. flow passages for which the cross-sectional area decreases with distance).

The rotor 30 further comprises a hollow front half-axle 32 co-axially attached to the front disk 35 and a hollow rear half-axle 33 co-axially attached to the rear disk 36.

The rotary engine 1 further comprises a cover 12 attached to the rear wall 13 of the housing 10. The cover 12 has an opening in its center for a hollow rear half-axle 33. The rotary engine 1 further comprises a rear half-axle support means attached to the cover 12, and a front half-axle support means 50 attached to the front wall 16 of the housing 10. The rear half-axle support means 40 may contain high-speed ball bearings 41 to enable a high-speed rotation of the rear half-axle 33.

The front half-axle support means 50 comprises a roller assembly 53 containing rollers 54 which are designed to hold the front half-axle 32 while enabling its axial rotation. The roller assembly 53 is encased in a housing 50 which is covered with a front plate 51 and a back plate 52.

The rotary engine 1 further comprises an inlet element 15 fixated to the front plate 51. The inlet element 15 comprises a tubular member 151 having an outer diameter smaller than the inner diameter of the hollow front half-axle 32, and configured to fit inside the hollow front half-axle 32.

During the operation of the rotary engine 1 air is drawn through the hollow rear half-axle 33 and cools the rear half-axle support means 40. Air is also drawn through a gap between the tubular member 151 and the bore wall 39 of the hollow front half-axle 32, thus cooling the hollow front half-axle 32.

Geometric designations, such as axial, radial, tangential or circumferential direction are always in relation to a rotation axis of the rotor wheel, providing reference to the contrary is not specified.

While this disclosure has been described as having a preferred design, the present embodiment can be further modified within the scope of this disclosure. This application is therefore intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of the embodiments using their general principles. Further, this application is intended to cover such departures from the present disclosure as come within known or customary practice in the art to which this disclosure pertains and which fall within the limits of the appended claims.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A rotary engine comprising: a. a housing having a front wall with an axle opening, a rear wall with a rotor opening, and a flow outlet; b. a rotor positioned inside the housing and comprising: i. a front disk with an opening in its center and a plurality of flow passages located on the inner side of the front disk and extending from the opening to the periphery of the front disk, wherein the flow passages are formed by primary vanes circumferentially spaced on the inner side of the front disk and having a curved, crescent-like shape; ii. a rear disk having a diffuser in its center and a plurality of flow passages located on the inner side of the rear disk and extending from the diffuser to the periphery of the rear disk, wherein the flow passages are formed by primary vanes circumferentially spaced on the inner side of the rear disk and having a curved, crescent-like shape; and wherein the flow passages and the primary vanes of the rear disk are a mirror image of the flow passages and the primary vanes of the front disk; and wherein the front disk and the rear disk are co-axially attached together to form a wheel having a plurality of flow passages formed by circumferentially spaced primary vanes having a curved, crescent-like shape; and wherein the wheel has a flow inlet located in its center and flow outlets located on its periphery; iii. a front hollow half-axle co-axially attached to the front disk; iv. a rear hollow half-axle co-axially attached to the rear disk; c. a cover having an opening in its center, and attached to the rear wall of the housing; d. a rear half-axle support means attached to the cover; e. a front half-axle support means attached to the front wall of the housing; f. an inlet element having a tubular member, the inlet element is co-axially attached to the front axle support means, and the tubular member is co-axially positioned inside the hollow front half-axle.

2. The rotary engine of claim 1, wherein said flow passages are convergent flow passages.

3. The rotary engine of claim 1 or 2, wherein the front and the rear disks further comprise auxiliary vanes positioned between the primary vanes.

4. The rotary engine of claim 1 or 2 or 3, wherein the rear half-axle support means comprise high-speed ball bearings and the front half-axle support means comprise a roller assembly.

5. The rotary engine of any one of the previous claims, wherein the rear half-axle support means are cooled by air drawn through the opening of the hollow rear-half axle, and the front half-axle is cooled by air drawn through a gap between the tubular member of the inlet element and a bore wall of the hollow front half-axle.