JP6747697B2 - External combustion rotary engine - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an external combustion rotary engine, and more particularly, to an external combustion rotary engine provided so that a rotor housed in a housing rotates eccentrically.

Patent Document 1 describes a Wankel-type external combustion rotary engine. This external combustion type rotary engine has a structure in which a rotor is housed in an internal space of a housing, and two pairs of fluid inlets and fluid outlets are formed in the housing. The working fluid is introduced into the internal space from the fluid introduction port, and is discharged to the outside of the housing through the fluid discharge port which is paired with the fluid introduction port. The pressure of the introduced and discharged working fluid causes the rotor to eccentrically rotate in the internal space.

JP, 2010-53860, A

In order to recover the exhaust heat in the low temperature region with high efficiency using the external combustion type rotary engine, it is required to increase the energy efficiency of the external combustion type rotary engine.

An object of the present invention is to provide an external combustion type rotary engine with improved energy efficiency.

In order to solve the above problems, an external combustion rotary engine according to an aspect of the present invention includes a housing having an internal space and a rotor housed in the internal space. The housing includes a first introduction passage, a first discharge passage, a second introduction passage, and a second discharge passage that communicate with the internal space.

In the external combustion rotary engine according to one aspect of the present invention, the steam introduced into the internal space through the first introduction passage is discharged from the first discharge passage and introduced into the internal space through the second introduction passage. When the steam is discharged from the second discharge passage, the rotor is eccentrically rotated.

Further, the external combustion rotary engine according to one aspect of the present invention includes a first control valve that controls opening/closing of the first introduction passage and a second control valve that controls opening/closing of the second introduction passage.

The present invention has an effect of being able to provide an external combustion type rotary engine with improved energy efficiency.

It is a perspective view showing an external combustion type rotary engine of one embodiment. It is a front view showing the external combustion type rotary engine of one embodiment. It is a front sectional view showing an external combustion type rotary engine of one embodiment. 4A is a perspective view of the valve device according to the embodiment, FIG. 4B is a front view of the valve device according to the embodiment, and FIG. 4C is a sectional view taken along the line aa of FIG. 4B. 4C is a sectional view taken along line bb of FIG. 4C, and FIG. 4E is a sectional view taken along line cc of FIG. 4C. 5A is a perspective view of a cylinder body included in the valve device according to the embodiment, FIG. 5B is a side view of a cylinder body included in the valve device according to the embodiment, and FIG. 5C is d-d of FIG. 5B. FIG. 5D is a sectional view taken along line ee of FIG. 5B. 6A and 6B are schematic diagrams showing how the valve device of the embodiment suppresses the overlap phenomenon, and FIG. 6C is a schematic diagram illustrating another timing at which the valve opening is started. It is a schematic diagram which shows a mode that a through-pass phenomenon is suppressed in the valve device of one embodiment. FIG. 8A and FIG. 8B are schematic views showing how adiabatic expansion is generated in the valve device according to the embodiment. FIG. 9A is a perspective view showing a modified example of a cylinder body included in the valve device according to the embodiment, and FIG. 9B is a side view showing a modified example of the cylinder body included in the valve device according to the embodiment. 9B is a sectional view taken along line ff of FIG. 9B. FIG.

1 to 3 show an external combustion type rotary engine according to an embodiment of the present invention. In the following, the external combustion type rotary engine is simply referred to as “rotary engine”.

The rotary engine of the present embodiment is a two-section, three-leaf Wankel type rotary engine that includes a housing 1 and a rotor 2 (see FIG. 3) housed in the housing 1.

The rotary engine of this embodiment includes a first control valve 31 mounted on the outer surface 13 of the housing 1, a second control valve 32 mounted on the outer surface 13 of the housing 1, a first control valve 31, and a second control valve. The interlocking mechanism 6 for driving the opening/closing 32 is further provided.

First, the configuration of the housing 1 will be described.

As shown in FIG. 3, the housing 1 is provided with an internal space S1 capable of accommodating the rotor 2. The internal space S1 is a space surrounded by the inner surface 14 of the housing 1.

The inner surface 14 of the housing 1 has a cocoon-shaped cross-sectional shape formed along a peritrochoid curve. That is, the inner space S1 surrounded by the inner surface 14 of the housing 1 has a cocoon-shaped cross-sectional shape with a constricted portion in the center.

The internal space S1 has a longitudinal direction d1 and a lateral direction d2 which are orthogonal to each other. The internal space S1 has a first space S11 in one half of the longitudinal direction d1 and a second space S12 in the other half of the longitudinal direction d2. The constricted portion is located in the boundary region between the first space S11 and the second space S12.

In the present embodiment, the longitudinal direction d1 of the internal space S1 is the vertical direction of the housing 1, and the lateral direction d2 of the internal space S1 is the lateral direction of the housing 1.

The housing 1 further includes a first introduction path 111, a first discharge path 112, a second introduction path 121, and a second discharge path 122 that communicate with the internal space S1.

The first introduction path 111 and the first discharge path 112 are located in the internal space S1 so as to communicate with the first space S11. The second introduction passage 121 and the second discharge passage 122 are located in the internal space S1 so as to communicate with the second space S12. The first introduction path 111 and the second discharge path 122 are located side by side in the longitudinal direction d1, and the first discharge path 112 and the second introduction path 121 are located side by side in the longitudinal direction d1. Next, the configuration of the rotor 2 will be described. To do.

As shown in FIG. 3, the outer surface 21 of the rotor 2 has a substantially triangular cross-sectional shape formed along the inner envelope of the peritrochoid curve. The cross-sectional shape of the outer surface 21 is such that each side of an equilateral triangle is swollen. The outer surface 21 has three tops 22. In the present embodiment, three tops 22 are formed by the seals provided at the three apexes of the rotor 2, respectively.

The rotor 2 is rotatable around an eccentric portion 41 of the drive shaft 4 via a needle bearing 42. The eccentric portion 41 has a cylindrical shape eccentric from the rotation center A1 of the drive shaft 4 by a predetermined eccentric amount E1.

The rotor 2 can be eccentrically rotated with a predetermined eccentric amount E1 from the rotation center A1 while the three top portions 22 are in contact with the inner surface 14 of the housing 1. The space between the rotor 2 and the housing 1 is divided into three working chambers with three tops 22 of the rotor 2 as boundaries.

In the present embodiment, the steam supplied to the inner space S1 for eccentrically rotating the rotor 2 is steam obtained by heating and evaporating a low-boiling-point working fluid such as CFC-based refrigerant or ammonia. That is, the steam is not limited to water vapor. The steam is introduced into the internal space S1 through the first introduction path 111 and the second introduction path 121.

The steam introduced into the internal space S1 (first space S11) through the first introduction path 111 is discharged from the first discharge path 112 via any of the three working chambers. The steam introduced into the internal space S1 (second space S12) through the second introduction passage 121 is discharged from the second discharge passage 122 via any of the three working chambers.

The pressure of the steam at this time acts on the rotor 2, so that the rotor 2 eccentrically rotates in the rotation direction r2. The eccentric rotation of the rotor 2 is output as rotation about the rotation center A1 of the drive shaft 4. The first introduction path 111, the first discharge path 112, the second introduction path 121, and the second discharge path 122 are located in this order when the rotation direction r2 is used as a reference.

Next, the configurations of the first control valve 31 and the second control valve 32 will be described.

The rotary engine of the present embodiment includes the first control valve 31 and the second control valve 32, and improves the energy efficiency by controlling the timing and the supply amount of the steam supplied to the internal space S1.

The first control valve 31 opens and closes the first introduction path 111 in conjunction with the eccentric rotation of the rotor 2, and controls the timing and the supply amount of steam to be supplied to the first space S11 of the internal space S1. The second control valve 32 opens and closes the second introduction path 121 in conjunction with the eccentric rotation of the rotor 2 to control the timing and the supply amount of steam to be supplied to the second space S12 of the internal space S1.

Both the first control valve 31 and the second control valve 32 are configured using the valve device 5 shown in FIGS. 4A to 4E.

Hereinafter, the structure of the valve device 5 will be described.

As shown in FIGS. 4A to 4E, the valve device 5 of the present embodiment includes a cylindrical tubular body 51 provided so as to introduce steam into the interior 511, and a case 52 that houses the tubular body 51. In the case 52, the tubular body 51 is rotatable around its axis.

As shown in FIGS. 5A to 5D, the cylindrical body 51 has a bottomed cylindrical shape in which one side in the axial direction is open and the other side in the axial direction is closed. The opening of the tubular body 51 is an inlet 514 for introducing steam along the axial direction of the tubular body 51.

The tubular body 51 further has a pair of ventilation holes 512 penetrating in the radial direction and a pair of auxiliary ventilation holes 513 penetrating in the radial direction.

The vent holes 512 are rectangular holes that are arranged in the axial direction in a partial region (hereinafter, referred to as “first region”) of the peripheral wall 515 forming the tubular body 51. The auxiliary vent holes 513 are located side by side in the axial direction in a region of the peripheral wall 515 different from the first region (hereinafter referred to as “second region”).

The first region and the second region are circumferentially spaced apart from each other on the peripheral wall 515. The vent holes 512 in the first region and the auxiliary vent holes 513 in the second region are located on opposite sides of the inside 511 of the tubular body 51. Each auxiliary vent hole 513 has a significantly smaller opening area than each vent hole 512.

The vent holes 512 are not limited to one pair, and may be one or a plurality of three or more. Similarly, the auxiliary vent holes 513 are not limited to one pair, and may be one or a plurality of three or more.

As shown in FIGS. 4A to 4E, the case 52 includes a storage space 521 having a circular cross section in which the cylindrical body 51 can be rotatably stored. The case 52 has a pair of ports 522 communicating with the accommodation space 521 and an opening 524.

The pair of ports 522 radially penetrate the peripheral wall 525 that constitutes the case 52. The pair of ports 522 are located side by side in the axial direction. The pair of ports 522 are in one-to-one communication with the pair of ventilation holes 512 of the tubular body 51 when the tubular body 51 is at a predetermined rotation position. The port 522 is not limited to a pair, and may be one or a plurality of three or more.

The opening 524 penetrates the case 52 in the axial direction and communicates with the inlet 514 of the tubular body 51 regardless of the rotational position of the tubular body 51.

In the valve device 5 of the present embodiment, when the rotational position of the cylinder body 51 with respect to the case 52 is the rotational position where the vent hole 512 and the port 522 communicate with each other, the valve device is in a valve open state in which steam passes. As shown by the white arrow in FIG. 4C, steam is introduced into the valve device 5 along the axial direction and discharged from the valve device 5 along the radial direction. The steam introduction direction and the steam discharge direction are orthogonal to each other.

On the other hand, when the rotational position of the tubular body 51 with respect to the case 52 is a rotational position where the vent hole 512 and the port 522 do not communicate with each other, the valve is closed to shut off steam.

Further, in the valve device 5 of the present embodiment, as a structure for smoothly rotating the tubular body 51 without lubrication, a gap 53 is formed between the tubular body 51 and the case 52, and a flow for sending steam into the gap 53 is provided. A path 54 is provided.

The gap 53 is formed between the surface 516 of the cylindrical body 51 on the peripheral wall 515 and the inner surface of the case 52. The surface 516 of the peripheral wall 515 is a surface in which a part of the outer surface of the peripheral wall 515 is recessed by one step from the periphery.

As shown in FIG. 5C, the outer surface of the peripheral wall 515 other than the surface 516 has a circular cross-sectional shape with a radius R1 centered on the point P1. The surface 516 of the peripheral wall 515 has an arc-shaped cross section with a radius R2 centered on the point P1. The radius R2 is set to be slightly smaller than the radius R1.

The surface 516 of the cylindrical body 51 is located in the second region, as is the auxiliary ventilation hole 513. The gap 53 surrounded by the surface 516 of the tubular body 51 and the inner surface of the case 52, and the ventilation hole 512 existing in the first region of the tubular body 51 are located on the opposite sides of the inside 511 of the tubular body 51. ..

The flow path 54 radially penetrates the peripheral wall 515 of the cylindrical body 51. One end of the flow path 54 can communicate with the inside 511 of the tubular body 51, and the other end can communicate with the gap 53. In the present embodiment, the pair of channels 54 are provided with a distance in the axial direction, but the number of the channels 54 may be one or three or more.

On the inner surface of the case 52, a pair of groove portions 523 for radially expanding a part of the gap 53 are provided with a distance in the axial direction. The groove portion 523 is located on the opposite side of the port 522 with the accommodation space 521 interposed therebetween. When the valve device 5 is open, the flow path 54 communicates with the gap 53. In particular, when the valve device 5 is in the fully open state, the pair of flow paths 54 communicate with the pair of groove portions 523 in a one-to-one correspondence.

Therefore, in the valve device 5 of the present embodiment, when the valve is opened, the inside 511 of the tubular body 51 and the gap 53 communicate with each other through the flow path 54, and a part of the steam is sent into the gap 53. As a result, it is possible to suppress a pressure difference between the inside 511 of the cylindrical body 51 and the gap 53, minimize the resistance when rotating the cylindrical body 51, and rotate the cylindrical body 51 smoothly. And the wear of the cylinder 51 can be significantly suppressed.

If the gap 53 and the flow path 54 are not provided, the steam will escape from the vent holes 512 in the first region of the tubular body 51, whereas the pressure of the steam will flow in the second region of the tubular body 51. And is pressed against the case 52. On the other hand, in the valve device 5 of the present embodiment, the force for pressing the tubular body 51 against the case 52 is minimized by sending steam into the gap 53.

In order to prevent steam from leaking from the gap 53 to the port 522 when the valve is opened, the groove portion 523 is formed only on a part of the inner surface of the case 52 in the circumferential direction, and the groove portion 523 and the port 522 are provided with a circumferential direction. Have a sufficient distance to. Further, the surface 516 of the tubular body 51 is formed only in a part in the circumferential direction, and a distance is provided in the circumferential direction between the surface 516 and the ventilation hole 512.

Next, the interlocking mechanism 6 will be described.

The interlocking mechanism 6 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 drives the first control valve 31 configured by the valve device 5 and the second control valve 32 configured by the valve device 5 in association with the eccentric rotation of the rotor 2 to open and close. It is a mechanism to do.

The interlocking mechanism 6 includes a drive pulley 60, a first passive pulley 611, a first timing belt 612, a first idler 613, a second passive pulley 621, a second timing belt 622 and a second idler 623.

The drive pulley 60 is fixed to the drive shaft 4, and the drive pulley 60 and the drive shaft 4 rotate integrally.

The first passive pulley 611 is attached to the valve device 5 that constitutes the first control valve 31, and rotates integrally with the tubular body 51 of the valve device 5. The first timing belt 612 is spanned between the drive pulley 60 and the first passive pulley 611, and rotates the first passive pulley 611 once every one rotation of the drive pulley 60. The first idler 613 applies tension to the first timing belt 612.

The second passive pulley 621 is attached to the valve device 5 that constitutes the second control valve 32, and rotates integrally with the tubular body 51 of the valve device 5. The second timing belt 622 is stretched between the drive pulley 60 and the second passive pulley 621, and rotates the second passive pulley 621 once every one rotation of the drive pulley 60. The second idler 623 gives tension to the second timing belt 622.

By providing the interlocking mechanism 6 of the present embodiment, a part of the output that rotates the drive shaft 4 is dispersed and transmitted to the first control valve 31 and the second control valve 32, and the respective control valves 31, 32 are The rotor 2 can be opened and closed at the same timing as the eccentric rotation of the rotor 2.

In the two-section, three-leaf Wankel type rotary engine, the drive shaft 4 makes three revolutions while the rotor 2 makes one revolution. Therefore, the interlocking mechanism 6 makes the cylinder body 51 of the valve device 5 constituting the first control valve 31 rotate three times and configures the second control valve 32 every time the rotor 2 makes one revolution in the internal space S1. The cylinder 51 of the valve device 5 is rotated three times. Every time the cylinder body 51 makes one rotation, the valve opening state and the valve closing state of the valve device 5 are alternately switched.

That is, the cylinder 51 of the valve device 5 rotates once for each of the three working chambers formed in the internal space S1, and the opening/closing operation of the valve device 5 is performed once.

By the way, if the valve devices 5 forming the first control valve 31 and the second control valve 32 are both closed at the timing of starting the rotary engine of the present embodiment, the rotary engine may not be started. There is. That is, the first control valve 31 and the second control valve 32 are both closed, and unless the steam can be supplied to the internal space S1, the rotor 2 does not start rotating. The second control valve 32 maintains the closed state, and there is a fear that the rotary engine cannot be started.

On the other hand, in the valve device 5 of the present embodiment, in the valve closed state in which the vent hole 512 of the tubular body 51 does not communicate with the port 522, the minute auxiliary vent hole 513 located on the opposite side of the vent hole 512 has the port 522. And a small amount of steam is supplied to the internal space S1 through the auxiliary vent hole 513 even when the valve is closed.

Thereby, even if both the first control valve 31 and the second control valve 32 are closed, the rotary engine of this embodiment can be started. Since the auxiliary vent holes 513 are minute holes, they have almost no effect on the shielding property when the valve is closed.

Since the rotary engine of the present embodiment is provided with the above-described respective configurations, the first control valve 31 and the second control valve 32 are automatically opened/closed in synchronization with the eccentric rotation of the rotor 2, and the steam supply timing is adjusted. The energy efficiency can be improved by controlling the supply amount.

Specifically, by using the first control valve 31 and the second control valve 32, the steam is sufficiently supplied near the dead point of the rotor 2, and then the supply of the steam is interrupted at an appropriate timing. It suppresses the overlap phenomenon and the through-pass phenomenon that occur in (1) and increases the period during which adiabatic expansion occurs.

In the following, suppression of the overlap phenomenon will be described.

6A and 6B schematically show how the valve device 5 of the present embodiment is used to suppress the overlap phenomenon.

The overlap phenomenon is a phenomenon that can occur between the first introduction path 111 and the second discharge path 122, and similarly, a phenomenon that can occur between the second introduction path 121 and the first discharge path 112.

The overlap phenomenon occurring between the first introduction passage 111 and the second discharge passage 122 is caused by the fact that the working chamber 71 formed between the outer surface 21 of the rotor 2 and the inner surface 14 of the housing 1 becomes This is a phenomenon in which steam escapes from the first introduction path 111 to the second discharge path 122 via the working chamber 71 at the timing of communicating with the second discharge path 122. The inner surface 14 of the housing 1 has a constricted portion in the center, but there is a slight gap between the constricted portion and the rotor 2, through which the steam can move. The overlap phenomenon that occurs between the second introduction path 121 and the first discharge path 112 is a similar mechanism.

On the other hand, in the rotary engine of the present embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B, the first control valve 31 configured by the valve device 5 is attached to the first introduction path 111, and the working chamber 71 is The first control valve 31 is provided so as to be closed at the timing when the first introduction path 111 and the second discharge path 122 communicate with each other. As a result, it is possible to suppress the overlap phenomenon in which steam escapes from the first introduction path 111 to the second discharge path 122 and improve energy efficiency.

The rotation direction r5 shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B is the direction in which the cylindrical body 51 rotates. FIG. 6B shows the timing at which the first control valve 31 starts opening. As shown in FIG. 6B, when the rotor 2 is near the dead center (top dead center) and the volume of the working chamber 71 is as small as possible, the first control valve 31 starts to open, which causes the steam to flow into the working chamber 71. By sufficiently supplying and interrupting the supply of steam at an appropriate timing, it becomes possible to efficiently rotate the rotor 2 while suppressing the amount of steam supplied.

The timing of opening and closing the second introduction passage 121 by the second control valve 32 in order to suppress the overlap phenomenon between the second introduction passage 121 and the first discharge passage 112 is the same as that of the first control valve 31. That is, although not shown because it is similar to the case of the first control valve 31, the working chamber formed between the rotor 2 and the housing 1 communicates with the second introduction passage 121 and the first discharge passage 112. By providing the second control valve 32 so that it closes at the timing, it is possible to suppress the overlap phenomenon in which steam escapes from the second introduction path 121 to the first discharge path 112 and improve energy efficiency.

FIG. 6C shows another timing at which the first control valve 31 starts opening. As shown in FIG. 6C, it is also possible to set the first control valve 31 to start opening while the working chamber 71 is in communication with the first introduction passage 111 and the second discharge passage 122.

At the timing shown in FIG. 6C, it seems that the overlap phenomenon cannot be prevented, but there is a time lag between the opening of the first control valve 31 and the actual flow of steam into the working chamber 71. Since there is a time lag until the vent hole 512 and the port 522 are completely overlapped with each other by 51 rotation (that is, the valve device 5 is fully opened), the effect of preventing the overlap phenomenon is practically obtained.

On the other hand, when the first control valve 31 is set to start opening at the timing shown in FIG. 6C, steam can be supplied to the working chamber 71 at a high pressure near the dead center, and the air supply time is also increased. Since it becomes long, the rotor 2 can be efficiently rotated.

When the first control valve 31 is set to start opening in a state in which the working chamber 71 communicates with the first introduction path 111 and the second discharge path 122, the timing for starting opening the valve is the timing of starting the drive shaft 4. It is preferably between about 60° before dead center and the dead center based on the rotation angle. In FIG. 6C, the rotor 2 at a position of 60° before dead center is shown by an imaginary line and is denoted by reference numeral 2A. Similarly, the rotor 2 at the position of the dead point is indicated by an imaginary line and is designated by reference numeral 2B.

The time lag from the opening of the first control valve 31 until the steam actually flows into the working chamber 71 varies depending on the type of working fluid used as steam. Therefore, it is preferable to set the timing at which the first control valve 31 starts opening according to the type of working fluid.

Also in the second control valve 32, it is possible to start the valve opening at the same timing as the first control valve 31 in consideration of the time lag until the steam flows in after the valve opening.

Next, suppression of the through pass phenomenon will be described.

FIG. 7 schematically shows how the valve device 5 of the present embodiment is used to suppress the through-pass phenomenon.

The through-pass phenomenon is a phenomenon that can occur between the first introduction passage 111 and the first discharge passage 112, and similarly a phenomenon that can occur between the second introduction passage 121 and the second discharge passage 122.

The through-pass phenomenon that occurs between the first introduction path 111 and the first discharge path 112 is that the working chamber 72 formed between the outer surface 21 of the rotor 2 and the inner surface 14 of the housing 1 is This is a phenomenon in which steam escapes from the first introduction path 111 to the first discharge path 112 via the working chamber 72 at the timing of communicating with the discharge path 112. The through-pass phenomenon that occurs between the second introduction path 121 and the second discharge path 122 is a similar mechanism.

On the other hand, in the rotary engine of the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 7, the first control valve 31 configured by the valve device 5 is attached to the first introduction path 111, and the working chamber 72 has the first introduction path. The first control valve 31 is provided so as to be closed at the timing when the first control valve 31 and the first discharge path 112 communicate with each other. As a result, it is possible to suppress a through-pass phenomenon in which steam escapes from the first introduction path 111 to the first discharge path 112 and improve energy efficiency. A rotation direction r5 in FIG. 7 is a direction in which the cylindrical body 51 rotates.

The timing of opening and closing the second introduction passage 121 by the second control valve 32 in order to suppress the through-pass phenomenon between the second introduction passage 121 and the second discharge passage 122 is the same as that of the first control valve 31. In other words, although not shown because it is similar to the case of the first control valve 31, the working chamber formed between the rotor 2 and the housing 1 communicates with the second introduction passage 121 and the second discharge passage 122. By providing the second control valve 32 so that it closes at the timing, the through-pass phenomenon in which steam escapes from the second introduction path 121 to the second discharge path 122 can be suppressed, and energy efficiency can be improved.

Next, adiabatic expansion will be described.

8A and 8B schematically show how the valve device 5 of the present embodiment is used to cause adiabatic expansion.

In the rotary engine of the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 8A and FIG. 8B, the first control valve 31 configured by the valve device 5 is attached to the first introduction path 111, and the outer surface 21 of the rotor 2 and the housing 1 are installed. The first control valve 31 is closed at a timing when the working chamber 73 formed between the inner surface 14 and the inner surface 14 is in an expansion process in which the working chamber 73 communicates with the first introduction passage 111 and does not communicate with the first discharge passage 112. It is provided.

This can cause adiabatic expansion in the working chamber 73 and improve energy efficiency. A rotation direction r5 in FIGS. 8A and 8B is a direction in which the cylindrical body 51 rotates.

The timing for closing the first control valve 31 for adiabatic expansion is preferably between about 90° after dead center and about 180° after dead center based on the rotation angle of the drive shaft 4. In FIG. 8A, the rotor 2 at a position of 90° after the dead center is indicated by an imaginary line and is denoted by reference numeral 2C, and the rotor 2 at the position of 180° after the dead center is indicated by an imaginary line and denoted by a reference numeral 2D. ing.

If the timing of closing the first control valve 31 is early, the period of adiabatic expansion is lengthened and the energy efficiency is improved, but on the other hand, it becomes difficult to output. If the valve closing timing is late, the output is likely to be output, but the adiabatic expansion period is shortened and it is difficult to improve the energy efficiency. It is preferable that the valve closing timing be set at a timing at which both output and energy efficiency are compatible, in consideration of the type of working fluid used for steam.

The timing of closing the second control valve 32 to cause adiabatic expansion is the same as that of the first control valve 31. That is, although it is not shown in the drawing because it is similar to the case of the first control valve 31, an expansion process that communicates with the second introduction passage 121 and does not communicate with the second discharge passage 122 between the rotor 2 and the housing 1. By closing the second control valve 32 at the timing when the working chamber is formed, adiabatic expansion is generated in the working chamber, and energy efficiency can be improved.

As described above, in the rotary engine of the present embodiment, the first control valve 31 and the second control valve 32 are attached to the housing 1, and these are opened and closed at the timing matched with the eccentric rotation of the rotor 2, In the vicinity of the dead point of the rotor 2, steam is supplied while rapidly increasing the pressure, and further, the first action of suppressing the overlap phenomenon, the second action of suppressing the through-pass phenomenon, and the adiabatic expansion are caused. It is configured to exert the third action together.

Therefore, in the rotary engine of the present embodiment, the amount of steam required at the rated output can be minimized and the maximum output can be maximized.

The through-pass phenomenon can be completely prevented. Further, it is also possible to configure the opening and closing timings of the first control valve 31 and the second control valve 32 so as to exert any one or two of the above-mentioned first, second and third actions. Is.

Further, in the rotary engine of the present embodiment, the first control valve 31 is attached to the first introduction passage 111 and the second control valve 32 is attached to the second introduction passage 121. It is also possible to mount a third control valve on the second exhaust passage 122 and a fourth control valve on the second discharge passage 122, and open and close the third and fourth control valves in accordance with the eccentric rotation of the rotor 2. is there. The third and fourth control valves can be configured by the valve device 5, like the first and second control valves 31, 32. Further, a mechanism similar to the interlocking mechanism 6 may be provided to open/close the third and fourth control valves.

By further providing the third and fourth control valves, it is possible to control both the timing of supplying steam and the timing of discharging steam, and further improve energy efficiency. In particular, it becomes possible to completely prevent the overlap phenomenon.

Next, a modification of the rotary engine of this embodiment will be described.

9A to 9C show modified examples of the cylindrical body 51.

In this modified example, the pair of ventilation holes 512 formed in the tubular body 51 are both provided in a pentagonal shape. In each ventilation hole 512, the end edge 512a of the tubular body 51 located in the rotation direction r5 is straight, and the end edge 512b located in the opposite direction of the rotation direction r5 is V-shaped.

On the other hand, the pair of ports 522 formed in the case 52 are both rectangular (see FIG. 4A). Therefore, when the valve device 5 is configured by using the tubular body 51 shown in FIGS. 9A to 9C, the vibration when the tubular body 51 rotates in the rotation direction r5 and switches from the valve open state to the valve closed state is suppressed. be able to.

That is, since the vent hole 512 has the V-shaped edge 512b, when the valve opening state is switched to the valve closing state, the vapor is prevented from being suddenly cut off and the vibration generated in the valve device 5 is suppressed. be able to.

In each of the vent holes 512, it is also possible to provide an end edge 512a located in the rotation direction r5 of the tubular body 51 in a V shape and an end edge 512b located in the opposite direction to the rotation direction r5 in a straight line. .. Further, it is possible to provide the edges 512a and 512b on both sides in a V shape.

When the edge 512a of the vent hole 512 is provided in a V shape, it is possible to suppress vibration when the valve device 5 switches from the valve closed state to the valve opened state.

In addition, in this modification, the outer surface other than the surface 516 of the peripheral wall 515 has a circular cross-sectional shape centered on the point P1, whereas the surface 516 of the peripheral wall 515 has a sectional circle centered on the point P2. It has an arcuate shape (see FIG. 9C). The points P1 and P2 are displaced from each other by an eccentricity amount E2. As a result, the surface 516 of the peripheral wall 515 is a surface in which a part of the outer surface of the peripheral wall 515 is recessed one step from the surroundings.

Next, the features of the rotary engine of this embodiment will be described again.

As described above, the rotary engine of this embodiment includes the housing 1 having the internal space S1 and the rotor 2 housed in the internal space S1. The housing 1 includes a first introduction path 111, a first discharge path 112, a second introduction path 121, and a second discharge path 122 that communicate with the internal space S1.

In the rotary engine of the present embodiment, the steam introduced into the internal space S1 through the first introduction passage 111 is discharged from the first discharge passage 112, and the steam introduced into the internal space S1 through the second introduction passage 121 is discharged into the second discharge passage 122. The rotor 2 is eccentrically rotated by being discharged from.

As a first feature, the rotary engine of the present embodiment includes a first control valve 31 that controls opening/closing of the first introduction passage 111 and a second control valve 32 that controls opening/closing of the second introduction passage 121.

Therefore, in the rotary engine of the present embodiment, the first control valve 31 controls the timing of supplying steam to the internal space S1 through the first introduction path 111 and the timing of interrupting the supply, and the second control valve 32 By controlling the timing of supplying steam to the internal space S1 through the second introduction path 121 and the timing of interrupting the supply, it is possible to improve energy efficiency. By providing a rotary engine with improved energy efficiency, and combining the rotary engine with a heat exchanger or a condenser to form a Rankine cycle, exhaust heat in a low temperature region (for example, 40° to 200°) can be efficiently discharged. An exhaust heat recovery system that recovers and converts to mechanical energy or electrical energy is realized.

As a second feature, the rotary engine of this embodiment further includes an interlocking mechanism 6 that opens and closes the first control valve 31 and the second control valve 32 in conjunction with the eccentric rotation of the rotor 2.

Therefore, in the rotary engine of the present embodiment, the power for the eccentric rotation of the rotor 2 is transmitted to the first control valve 31 and the second control valve 32 via the interlocking mechanism 6, and the first introduction path 111 and the second introduction path are provided. It is possible to automatically switch the opening and closing of 121 according to the eccentric rotation of the rotor 2.

As a third feature, in the rotary engine of the present embodiment, the first chamber is formed between the rotor 2 and the housing 1 at the timing when the working chamber communicating with the first introduction path 111 and the second discharge path 122 is formed. The control valve 31 is closed to suppress the overlap phenomenon. Further, the second control valve 32 is closed at a timing when the working chamber communicating with the second introduction passage 121 and the first discharge passage 112 is formed between the rotor 2 and the housing 1, thereby suppressing the overlap phenomenon. ..

Therefore, in the rotary engine of the present embodiment, it is possible to suppress the overlap phenomenon by using the first control valve 31 and the second control valve 32 and improve the energy efficiency.

As a fourth characteristic, in the rotary engine of the present embodiment, the first operation is formed between the rotor 2 and the housing 1 at the timing when the working chamber communicating with the first introduction path 111 and the first discharge path 112 is formed. The through valve phenomenon is suppressed by closing the control valve 31. Further, the second control valve 32 is closed at the timing when the working chamber communicating with the second introduction passage 121 and the second discharge passage 122 is formed between the rotor 2 and the housing 1 to suppress the through-pass phenomenon.

Therefore, in the rotary engine of the present embodiment, it is possible to suppress the through-pass phenomenon by using the first control valve 31 and the second control valve 32 and improve the energy efficiency.

As a fifth feature, in the rotary engine of the present embodiment, a working chamber in an expansion process is formed between the rotor 2 and the housing 1 so as to communicate with the first introduction passage 111 and not with the first discharge passage 112. At the timing, the first control valve 31 is closed to cause adiabatic expansion. In addition, the second control valve 32 is closed at a timing between the rotor 2 and the housing 1 at a timing when an operation chamber in an expansion process that communicates with the second introduction passage 121 and does not communicate with the second discharge passage 122 is formed. Cause adiabatic expansion.

Therefore, in the rotary engine of the present embodiment, it is possible to use the first control valve 31 and the second control valve 32 to cause adiabatic expansion and improve energy efficiency.

As a sixth feature, in the rotary engine of the present embodiment, the first control valve 31 and the second control valve 32 are a cylinder 51 into which steam is introduced into the interior 511, and a case that rotatably accommodates the cylinder 51. The valve device 5 is provided with 52. It is also possible to configure only one of the first control valve 31 and the second control valve 32 with the valve device 5. The cylindrical body 51 includes a ventilation hole 512 penetrating in the radial direction. The case 52 includes a port 522 capable of communicating with the ventilation hole 512. The valve device 5 opens when the tubular body 51 is in the rotation position where the vent hole 512 and the port 522 communicate with each other. The valve device 5 closes when the tubular body 51 is in the rotational position where the vent hole 512 and the port 522 do not communicate with each other.

Therefore, in the rotary engine of the present embodiment, the opening and closing of the valve device 5 can be controlled by rotating the tubular body 51 in accordance with the eccentric rotation of the rotor 2, and the energy efficiency can be improved.

As a seventh feature, in the rotary engine of the present embodiment, the valve device 5 further includes a flow path 54 for sending a part of the steam into a gap 53 interposed between the tubular body 51 and the case 52. ..

Therefore, in the rotary engine of the present embodiment, the cylinder 51 can be smoothly rotated even without lubrication, and the wear of the cylinder 51 can be significantly reduced. Since it is not necessary to use the lubricating oil to reduce the wear of the cylindrical body 51, it is possible to prevent the lubricating oil from being mixed into the steam and causing a trouble.

As an eighth characteristic, in the rotary engine of the present embodiment, the cylindrical body 51 further includes an auxiliary vent hole 513 that is smaller than the vent hole 512. Further, the auxiliary vent hole 513 is provided so as to communicate with the port 522 when the tubular body 51 is in a rotation position where the vent hole 512 and the port 522 do not communicate with each other.

Therefore, in the rotary engine of the present embodiment, even when the valve device 5 is closed at the engine start timing, a small amount of steam is supplied to the internal space S1 through the auxiliary ventilation hole 513 to rotate the rotor 2. By doing so, the engine can be started.

Although the embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment. Appropriate design changes can be made within the scope intended by the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Housing 111 1st introduction path 112 1st discharge path 121 2nd introduction path 122 2nd discharge path 31 1st control valve 32 2nd control valve 2 rotor 4 drive shaft 5 valve apparatus 51 cylinder body 52 case 53 gap 54 flow path 511 Internal 512 Vent hole 513 Auxiliary vent hole 521 Storage space 522 Port 6 Interlocking mechanism S1 Internal space

Claims (2)

A housing with an internal space,
A rotor housed in the internal space,
A drive shaft that outputs the eccentric rotation of the rotor as a rotation about a predetermined rotation center,
The housing includes a first introduction path, a first discharge path, a second introduction path and a second discharge path that communicate with the internal space,
The steam introduced into the internal space through the first introduction path is discharged from the first discharge path, and the steam introduced into the internal space through the second introduction path is discharged from the second discharge path, An external combustion rotary engine configured to eccentrically rotate a rotor,
A first control valve having a rotatable cylinder, and controlling the opening and closing of the first introduction path by rotation of the cylinder;
A second control valve that has a rotatable cylindrical body and controls opening and closing of the second introduction path by rotation of the cylindrical body ;
In conjunction with the eccentric rotation of the rotor so as to open and close the said first control valve second control valve, the drive shaft, the cylinder of said cylinder and said second control valve of the first control valve And an interlocking mechanism mechanically connected to each other,
The first control valve is
Between the rotor and the housing, the valve is closed at the timing when the working chamber communicating with the first introduction path and the second discharge path is formed, and the overlap phenomenon is suppressed, and the rotor and the housing. Eccentric rotation of the rotor via the interlocking mechanism so as to close the valve by closing the valve at a timing at which a working chamber communicating with the first introduction path and the first discharge path is formed between In conjunction with
The second control valve is
Between the rotor and the housing, a valve is closed to prevent an overlap phenomenon at a timing when a working chamber communicating with the second introduction passage and the first discharge passage is formed, and the rotor and the housing. Eccentric rotation of the rotor via the interlocking mechanism so as to close the valve and suppress the through-pass phenomenon at a timing at which a working chamber communicating with the second introduction path and the second discharge path is formed between In conjunction with
In each of the first control valve and the second control valve, the tubular body has an inlet provided on one side in the axial direction so as to introduce steam along the axial direction of the tubular body, and the tubular body. An external combustion type rotary engine having a vent hole penetrating in a radial direction of a body . The first control valve is closed and heat-insulated between the rotor and the housing at a timing at which a working chamber in an expansion process that communicates with the first introduction passage and does not communicate with the first discharge passage is formed. Causes swelling,
The second control valve is closed and heat-insulated between the rotor and the housing at a timing at which a working chamber in an expansion process is formed that communicates with the second introduction passage and does not communicate with the second discharge passage. The external combustion rotary engine according to claim 1, wherein the external combustion rotary engine is configured to cause expansion.

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