US20070068481A1 - Concentric internal combustion rotary engine - Google Patents
Concentric internal combustion rotary engine Download PDFInfo
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- US20070068481A1 US20070068481A1 US11/177,175 US17717505A US2007068481A1 US 20070068481 A1 US20070068481 A1 US 20070068481A1 US 17717505 A US17717505 A US 17717505A US 2007068481 A1 US2007068481 A1 US 2007068481A1
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- housing
- rotor
- elliptical body
- internal combustion
- rotary engine
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Classifications
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- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F01—MACHINES OR ENGINES IN GENERAL; ENGINE PLANTS IN GENERAL; STEAM ENGINES
- F01C—ROTARY-PISTON OR OSCILLATING-PISTON MACHINES OR ENGINES
- F01C1/00—Rotary-piston machines or engines
- F01C1/30—Rotary-piston machines or engines having the characteristics covered by two or more groups F01C1/02, F01C1/08, F01C1/22, F01C1/24 or having the characteristics covered by one of these groups together with some other type of movement between co-operating members
- F01C1/36—Rotary-piston machines or engines having the characteristics covered by two or more groups F01C1/02, F01C1/08, F01C1/22, F01C1/24 or having the characteristics covered by one of these groups together with some other type of movement between co-operating members having both the movements defined in sub-groups F01C1/22 and F01C1/24
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- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F02—COMBUSTION ENGINES; HOT-GAS OR COMBUSTION-PRODUCT ENGINE PLANTS
- F02B—INTERNAL-COMBUSTION PISTON ENGINES; COMBUSTION ENGINES IN GENERAL
- F02B53/00—Internal-combustion aspects of rotary-piston or oscillating-piston engines
-
- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F01—MACHINES OR ENGINES IN GENERAL; ENGINE PLANTS IN GENERAL; STEAM ENGINES
- F01C—ROTARY-PISTON OR OSCILLATING-PISTON MACHINES OR ENGINES
- F01C11/00—Combinations of two or more machines or engines, each being of rotary-piston or oscillating-piston type
- F01C11/006—Combinations of two or more machines or engines, each being of rotary-piston or oscillating-piston type of dissimilar working principle
- F01C11/008—Combinations of two or more machines or engines, each being of rotary-piston or oscillating-piston type of dissimilar working principle and of complementary function, e.g. internal combustion engine with supercharger
-
- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F02—COMBUSTION ENGINES; HOT-GAS OR COMBUSTION-PRODUCT ENGINE PLANTS
- F02B—INTERNAL-COMBUSTION PISTON ENGINES; COMBUSTION ENGINES IN GENERAL
- F02B53/00—Internal-combustion aspects of rotary-piston or oscillating-piston engines
- F02B53/04—Charge admission or combustion-gas discharge
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- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F03—MACHINES OR ENGINES FOR LIQUIDS; WIND, SPRING, OR WEIGHT MOTORS; PRODUCING MECHANICAL POWER OR A REACTIVE PROPULSIVE THRUST, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- F03C—POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT ENGINES DRIVEN BY LIQUIDS
- F03C2/00—Rotary-piston engines
- F03C2/30—Rotary-piston engines having the characteristics covered by two or more of groups F03C2/02, F03C2/08, F03C2/22, F03C2/24 or having the characteristics covered by one of these groups together with some other type of movement between co-operating members
- F03C2/306—Rotary-piston engines having the characteristics covered by two or more of groups F03C2/02, F03C2/08, F03C2/22, F03C2/24 or having the characteristics covered by one of these groups together with some other type of movement between co-operating members having both the movements defined in sub-groups F03C2/22 and F03C2/24
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- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F04—POSITIVE - DISPLACEMENT MACHINES FOR LIQUIDS; PUMPS FOR LIQUIDS OR ELASTIC FLUIDS
- F04C—ROTARY-PISTON, OR OSCILLATING-PISTON, POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT MACHINES FOR LIQUIDS; ROTARY-PISTON, OR OSCILLATING-PISTON, POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT PUMPS
- F04C18/00—Rotary-piston pumps specially adapted for elastic fluids
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- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F04—POSITIVE - DISPLACEMENT MACHINES FOR LIQUIDS; PUMPS FOR LIQUIDS OR ELASTIC FLUIDS
- F04C—ROTARY-PISTON, OR OSCILLATING-PISTON, POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT MACHINES FOR LIQUIDS; ROTARY-PISTON, OR OSCILLATING-PISTON, POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT PUMPS
- F04C2250/00—Geometry
- F04C2250/30—Geometry of the stator
- F04C2250/301—Geometry of the stator compression chamber profile defined by a mathematical expression or by parameters
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- Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
- Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
- Y02T—CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION
- Y02T10/00—Road transport of goods or passengers
- Y02T10/10—Internal combustion engine [ICE] based vehicles
- Y02T10/12—Improving ICE efficiencies
Definitions
- the field of the invention generally relates to combustion engines. More specifically, the field of the invention relates to internal combustion rotary engines.
- Combustion engines that operate using a reciprocating piston suffer from a number of disadvantages.
- First and foremost is the inefficient manner in which components such as, for example, pistons are repeatedly accelerated, stopped, and reversed during operation of the engine.
- conventional piston-based engines are both unbalanced and inefficient due to the constant momentum changes occurring within the engine. It has been estimated, for example, that about 13% of fuel energy is lost in a conventional piston-based engine due to internal friction and pumping losses.
- the internal combustion rotary engine is one alternative to piston-based combustion engines which can mitigate, to some extent, these inherent inefficiencies.
- Felix Wankel is credited with inventing an internal combustion rotary engine which operates by using a triangular-shaped rotor spinning within a housing shaped in the manner of a epitrochoid (e.g., peanut-shaped).
- the internal combustion rotary engine includes a number of advantages over piston-based combustion engines.
- internal combustion rotary engines are more lightweight and compact.
- Second, internal combustion rotary engines are smoother since there is no reciprocating motion of pistons.
- Third, internal combustion rotary engines have an extended power stroke rotation of the output shaft as compared to their piston-based counterparts.
- Fifth, internal combustion rotary engines have a generally flat torque curve because no valves are used.
- Sixth, combustion in internal combustion rotary engines are generally cooler than their piston-based counterparts. This means fewer oxides of nitrogen are created.
- third, internal combustion rotary engines separate the combustion region from the intake region, thereby making these engines good candidates for hydrogen fuel-based engines.
- Wankel-type internal combustion rotary engines generally leak combustion gases, making these types of engines less desirable.
- rotational speed i.e., revolutions per minute (RPM)
- RPM revolutions per minute
- An internal combustion rotary engine includes a housing having an inlet and an outlet and a rotatable rotor centrally mounted within the housing.
- the rotor includes a plurality of pockets located about its circumference.
- the rotor is further connected to a rotor shaft that is mechanically connected to an output shaft.
- a rotatable elliptical body is disposed in each of the plurality of pockets.
- Each rotatable elliptical body is coupled to respective planet gears.
- Each of the respective planet gears is meshed with a centrally disposed fixed sun gear.
- an ignition source is disposed in each of the plurality of pockets. For each 360° rotation of the rotor, each elliptical body rotates through 720°.
- the rotary engine includes four separate regions in which the intake, compression, power, and exhaust strokes take place.
- the rotor includes three pockets located about its circumference.
- the pockets may be equally spaced about the circumference of the rotor.
- an internal combustion rotary engine in another aspect of the invention, includes a housing having an inlet and an outlet, the inlet being coupled to a compressor.
- a rotatable rotor is centrally mounted within the housing.
- the rotor includes a plurality of pockets located about its circumference.
- the rotor is connected to a rotor shaft, which in turn, is coupled to an output shaft.
- An elliptical body is disposed in each of the plurality of pockets with each elliptical body being mounted on a rotational shaft at one end and coupled at an opposing end to a planetary gear.
- Each planet gear is engages with a fixed, centrally located fixed sun gear.
- An ignition source is disposed in each of the plurality of pockets. For each full rotation of the rotor (i.e., 360°) each elliptical body rotates through 720°.
- each elliptical body includes a seal disposed on an exterior surface thereof.
- the elliptical body is interposed between two outer spools to form an elliptical body assembly.
- the rotor is coupled to a distributor. The distributor rotates with the rotor and includes an electrical contact for each ignition source (e.g., three electrical contacts).
- the rotor shaft includes a passageway or bore therein in fluid communication with a bore in the rotational shaft of the elliptical body assembly.
- the passageway and bore provide an access path for oil or other lubricant to lubricate the elliptical body bearings, and the planetary and sun gears.
- each planet gear has a pitch diameter that is equal to the pitch diameter of the sun gear.
- FIG. 1 illustrates a rotor contained within a housing of an internal combustion rotary engine according to one preferred embodiment of the invention.
- the engine housing is open to expose the rotor, the three pockets, and the three elliptical bodies.
- FIG. 2 illustrates an internal combustion rotary engine with the rotor being exposed.
- FIG. 3A illustrates a top down view of the ellipse body assembly.
- the rotational shaft of the ellipse body assembly is shown coupled to a planetary gear.
- FIG. 3B illustrates an end view of a ellipse body assembly taken along the line A-A in FIG. 3A .
- the assembly includes a circular end or spool containing a seal around a circumferential surface thereof.
- An elliptical body is supported on a rotational shaft.
- the coupled planetary gear is also shown.
- FIG. 5 illustrates a rotor showing the sparkplugs connected to a central distributor.
- FIG. 6 illustrates a gearbox and reduction gears illustrating the mechanically coupled rotor shaft, jackshaft, and output shaft.
- FIG. 7 illustrates a sectional view of the engine according to one preferred aspect of the invention.
- FIG. 7 illustrates a compressor interposed between the center plate and the gear box.
- FIG. 8 illustrates a front view of the centrifugal compressor impeller taken along the line A-A in FIG. 7 .
- FIG. 9 illustrates an end view of the engine illustrating the enclosed rotor.
- FIG. 10A illustrates a magnified sectional view of an elliptical body assembly contained in a pocket formed between the rotor and housing.
- FIG. 10B illustrates an end view of an elliptical body according to one aspect of the invention.
- FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrates an internal combustion rotary engine 2 according to a preferred embodiment of the invention.
- the internal combustion rotary engine 2 includes a housing 4 which is generally oblong-shaped having a minor axis (the distance between the top and bottom portions of the housing 4 in the direction of arrow A shown in FIG. 1 ) and major axis (the distance between the left and right portions of the housing 4 in the direction of arrow B shown in FIG. 1 ).
- the housing 4 includes an inlet 6 which serves as the inlet for the fuel/air mixture which is combusted inside the engine 2 .
- the inlet 6 may be coupled to an optional compressor 8 , for example, as illustrated in FIGS. 7 and 8 .
- the housing 4 further includes an outlet 10 which serves to exhaust combustion gases/air outside of the engine 2 .
- the housing 4 when viewed in cross-section, has a profile of a spline curve.
- a rotatable rotor 12 is disposed centrally inside the housing 4 .
- the rotor 12 is mounted on a rotor shaft 14 and is rotatable within the housing 4 in the direction of arrow C in FIG. 1 .
- the rotor shaft 14 is mechanically connected through appropriate gearing, for example, through a jackshaft 16 , to an output shaft 18 (shown e.g., in FIGS. 6 and 7 ).
- the rotatable rotor 12 further includes a plurality of pockets 20 located about the rotor's circumference.
- the pockets 20 generally comprise a hemispherical or semi-hemispherical cavity within the rotor 12 .
- the rotor 12 includes two pockets 20 .
- the pockets 20 there are three pockets 20 as is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 .
- the three pockets 20 are spaced equidistant from one another (e.g., 120° spacing).
- the pockets 20 working in connection with associated rotatable elliptical bodies 22 , increase and decrease the displacement volume as the rotor 12 rotates around rotor shaft 14 .
- the displacement volume is formed between an outer surface of the rotor 12 as well as the volume of the pockets 20 and the inner surface of the housing 4 .
- FIG. 1 shows that an optional purge port 24 may be incorporated into the pockets 20 .
- the air purge port 24 is used to aid in expelling spent combustion gases from the pocket 20 . It should be understood, however, that the air purge port 24 is entirely optionally and may be omitted entirely.
- each elliptical body 22 is affixed to a rotational shaft 26 .
- the rotational shaft 26 of each elliptical body 22 is connected to a planetary gear 28 (shown in dashed lines in FIG. 1 and also shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B ).
- Each planetary gear 28 is meshed with a centralized, fixed sun gear 30 (shown in dashed lines in FIG. 1 and also seen in FIGS. 3 A- and 3 B).
- the planetary gears 28 thus orbit the centralized, fixed sun gear 30 during operation of the engine 2 .
- the planetary gears 28 and the centralized, fixed sun gear 30 have the same pitch diameter and have a multiple of two (2) teeth as well as a multiple of three (3) teeth (e.g., 12, 18, 24, 30, etc. teeth).
- the elliptical bodies 22 rotate in the direction of arrow D in FIG. 1 , namely, the same direction as the rotation of the rotor 12 (arrow C in FIG. 1 ).
- the planetary gears 28 and sun gear 30 are geared such that the elliptical bodies 22 rotate at twice the rate (2:1) of the rotor 12 . More specifically, in a preferred aspect of the invention, when the rotor 12 rotates through 360°, the elliptical bodies 22 rotate through 720°. Other rotation ratios, however, can also be used in connection with the engine 2 .
- FIG. 1 also illustrates the outline E of an elliptical body 22 as it travels within the housing 4 .
- FIG. 2 illustrates an open rotor 12 bolted through a series of bolts 32 through a center plate 34 and gear box 36 (see also FIG. 7 ).
- the center plate 34 includes a plurality of engine mounting holes 38 .
- FIG. 2 further illustrates three distributor mount holes 40 for securing distributor 42 (described in more detail below).
- the elliptical bodies 22 are formed from industrial ceramic materials although other materials such as metals and alloys can also be used.
- the elliptical bodies 22 are machined or otherwise formed with strict tolerances in order to minimize any leakage of air and/or fuel between the elliptical bodies 22 and the interior of the housing 4 .
- the elliptical bodies 22 are preferably sealed inside the pockets 20 , for example, via seals 96 .
- the elliptical body 22 is contained in an elliptical body assembly 44 that includes two circular ends 46 , 48 or spools.
- the circumference of each end 46 , 48 may include a seal 50 for forming a combustion seal within each respective pocket 20 .
- An optional wearing surface 52 for the seals 50 such as hardened steel, as is shown in FIG. 10A , may be provided within the rotor 12 .
- the seals 50 keep the fuel/air/combustion gases contained within the pocket 20 and/or housing 4 .
- each elliptical body 22 also includes a rotational shaft 26 on which the elliptical body 22 is mounted.
- FIG. 4 illustrates fixed sun gear 30 and surrounding planetary gears 28 .
- the fixed sun gear 30 may be affixed to the center plate 34 (shown in FIG. 2 ) through, for example, a plurality of bolts 32 (as shown in FIG. 7 ).
- the three planetary gears 28 are equally spaced about the central sun gear 30 (separated by 120°) and are affixed, respectively, to the ends of the rotational shafts 26 of each elliptical body 22 .
- the rotor shaft 14 passes through the central sun gear 30 and may be rotationally held via a rotatable bearing 58 or the like (as is shown in FIG. 7 ). As seen in FIGS. 4 and 7 , the rotor shaft 14 continues into the gear box 36 and is mechanically coupled through a jackshaft 16 to an output shaft 18 .
- an ignition source 60 is preferably associated with each pocket 20 in the rotor 12 .
- the ignition source 60 is preferably a sparkplug.
- a conventional distributor-type structure is used to fire the individual ignition sources.
- FIG. 5 illustrates how each ignition source 60 is connected to a centralized, electrically conductive distributor 42 . In this regard, no wires are directly connected to the individual sparkplugs 60 .
- the distributor 42 is mounted directly on the rotor 12 via distributor mounting holes 40 as shown in FIG. 2 . As best seen in FIG.
- distributor 42 includes three contact points 62 (such as high voltage electrical pick-ups) that are electrically connected to a respective ignition source 60 via a rigid conductor member 64 (e.g., rigid spark plug strap).
- a rigid conductor member 64 e.g., rigid spark plug strap.
- the distributor 42 rotates about the rotor shaft 14 .
- a stationary electrical contact member 66 is provided at a point about the rotational circumference circumscribed by the contact points 62 .
- the stationary contact member 66 is positioned such that it electrically engages with one of the three contact points 62 as the distributor 42 is rotated about its axis.
- electrical contact is made between the source of electricity (e.g., a high voltage source) and the respective ignition sources 60 as the rotor 12 and distributor 42 rotate about the rotor shaft 14 .
- the electrical contact causes the ignition source 60 to fire, thereby initiating the combustion process in one of the three pockets 20 to provide the motive force to the rotor 12 .
- FIGS. 6 and 7 illustrate the interior of the gear box 36 .
- the rotor shaft 14 includes a splined or meshed portion 14 a that engages with splined or meshed portion 16 a of a jack shaft 16 .
- the jack shaft 16 is in turn, coupled to a splined or meshed portion 18 a of an output shaft 18 .
- the gearing of the rotor shaft 14 serves to reduce the rotational speed of the output shaft 18 compared to the rotational speed of the rotor shaft 14 . For example, a reduction of around 8:1 may be needed to reduce the rotational rate from turbine speeds to lower rotational speeds generally used for motor vehicles, boats, or airplanes.
- FIG. 7 illustrates a sectional view of an engine 2 according to one preferred embodiment of the invention.
- the gear box 36 contains a series of bearings 68 or other rotational supports for holding the rotor shaft 14 , jack shaft 16 , and output shaft 18 .
- a passageway 70 within the rotor shaft 14 may be provided to lubricate the rotational elliptical body bearings 86 .
- the rotational shaft 26 of the elliptical body assembly 44 may include a bored shaft 26 a that communicates with the passageway 70 .
- oil passing through the passageway 70 and bored shaft 26 a may act as a bearing oil return that lubes the elliptical bodies 22 and/or gears 28 , 30 .
- the engine 2 generally includes five regions 100 , 110 , 120 , 130 and 140 that correspond to the four cycles of a four stroke engine.
- Region 100 which is regarded as the intake stroke, is generally bounded by space between the inlet 6 and a portion of the space formed within the lower leftmost pocket 20 .
- Region 110 which is regarded at the compression stroke of the engine 2 , is generally bounded by the space between the lower leftmost pocket 20 and a small portion of the top dead-center pocket 20 .
- Region 120 which is bounded by the space between the elliptical body 22 and the pocket 20 , is regarded as the combustion chamber.
- Region 130 which is regarded as the power stroke, is generally bounded by space between the top dead-center pocket 20 and the lower rightmost pocket 20 .
- Region 140 which is regarded as the exhaust stroke, is generally bounded by the space between the lower rightmost pocket 20 and the exhaust outlet 10 .
- a compressor 8 is interposed between the center plate 34 and the gear box 36 .
- the compressor 8 is affixed to the rotor shaft 14 and includes an intake 8 a , an output 8 b , and a waste gas outlet 8 c (best seen in FIG. 8 ).
- Rotation of the rotor shaft 14 rotates a plurality of vanes 8 d within the compressor 8 to compress air into the inlet 6 of the engine 2 .
- a fuel injector 72 is disposed inline between the compressor output 8 b and the engine inlet 6 .
- the compressor 8 is able to increase the compression ratio of the engine 2 .
- the engine is able to achieve a compression ratio of about 10.58.
- the compressor 8 is able to double the compression ratio of engine 2 from about 5.29 to about 10.58.
- the housing 4 of the engine 2 includes a plurality of fins 74 for cooling the engine 2 .
- the fins 74 may be made of a heat conducting metal such as, for example aluminum.
- the rotor 12 includes a plurality of fan blades 76 .
- the fan blades 76 may include an arcuate or toroidal shape and are used to generate airflow to cool the engine 2 during operation.
- a rotor cap 78 is affixed to the engine 2 via a plurality of bolts 79 .
- the rotor cap 78 is preferably formed as a single piece and includes air redirect portions 78 a to direct the airflow created by the fan blades 76 across the surface of the plurality of fins 74 .
- the rotor cap 78 also serves to secure the stationary electrical contact member 66 .
- the elliptical body assembly 44 includes a partially threaded rotational shaft 26 (as shown in FIGS. 7 and 10 A).
- the elliptical body assembly 44 may be readily assembled and disassembled, for example, to replace the seals 50 or elliptical bodies 22 .
- the elliptical body assembly 44 may be formed by inserting a first spool 46 on the rotational shaft 26 . The elliptical body 22 can then be feed onto the rotational shaft 26 .
- the receiving hole of the elliptical body 22 may be keyed, as is shown in FIG.
- the second spool 48 may then be placed over the rotational shaft 26 .
- the second spool 48 may include a plurality of recesses 84 for receiving a tool (not shown) that is used to tighten (or loosen) the second spool 48 .
- the recesses 84 may be formed to accept wrench or spanner pins.
- the elliptical body 22 is thus sandwiched between the first and second spools 46 , 48 .
- the rotational shaft 26 is rotatable within two body bearings 86 .
- the oil passageway 70 in the rotor shaft 14 is coupled to lubrication spaces 88 for the two body bearings 86 . Oil is thus able to pass through the oil passageway 70 into the outer body bearing 86 , through the bored shaft 26 a , and into the interior body bearing 86 .
- Oil seals 90 are provided to seal the body bearings 86 from the interior (i.e., combustion regions) of the rotor 12 .
- the lubrication space 88 of the inner body bearing 86 communicates with a plenum or space 91 within the planetary gear 28 .
- the planetary gear 28 may be a cupped planetary gear 28 to reduce overhang and provide gear lubrication.
- One or more weep holes 92 are provided in the cupped planetary gear 28 that permit oil to lubricate the interface between the planetary gear 28 and the fixed sun gear 30 (not shown in FIG. 10A ).
- FIG. 10A illustrates the wearing surfaces 52 and seals located on the exterior of the spools 46 , 48 .
- the wearing surfaces 52 may be formed from, for example, hardened steel.
- FIG. 10B illustrates a end view of an elliptical body 22 according to one aspect of the invention.
- the elliptical body 22 may include one or more voids 94 that can be used to provide balance to the elliptical body 22 .
- the outermost regions (along the long axis of the elliptical body 22 ) may include seals 96 .
- the seals 96 form a substantially airtight seal between the elliptical bodies 22 and the pocket 20 /housing 4 . In this regard, there is substantially no intermingling of gases between the five regions of the engine (e.g., regions 100 , 110 , 120 , 130 , and 140 in FIG. 1 ).
- the housing 4 when viewed in cross-section, has a profile of a spline curve.
- Tables 1 and 2 reproduced below illustrates the radius of the internal surface of the housing 4 at 2° increments through 180° (the measurements for the remaining 180° are not included because the symmetrical nature of the housing 4 ).
- Radius measurements are provided for an interference fit between the elliptical bodies 22 as well for a running fit.
- the running fit includes an approximate clearance of 0.002 inches between the elliptical bodies 22 and the interior of the housing 4 .
- the measurements assume a 1.5 inch minor axis and 3 inch major axis for the elliptical bodies 22 .
- the radius of the rotor 12 is assumed to be 7.5 inches and the radius of the centers of the elliptical bodies 22 is assumed at 7 inches.
- TABLE 1 Interference Degree Running Fit 0 7.7520′′ 7.7500′′ 2 7.7680 7.7660 4 7.7878 7.7858 6 7.8110 7.8090 8 7.8345 7.8325 10 7.8596 7.8576 12 7.8854 7.8834 14 7.9120 7.9100 16 7.9376 7.9356 18 7.9638 7.9618 20 7.9893 7.9873 22 8.0148 8.0128 24 8.0408 8.0388 26 8.0665 8.0645 28 8.0909 8.0889 30 8.1153 8.1133 32 8.1392 8.1372 34 8.1625 8.1605 36 8.1853 8.1833 38 8.2075 8.2055 40 8.2294 8.2274 42 8.2500 8.2480 44 8.2703 8.2683 46 8.2902 8.2882 48 8.3088 8.3068 48 8.3088′′ 8.3068′′ 50 8.3265 8.3245 52 8.3430 8.341 54 8.3596 8.3576
- the air/fuel charge follow behind and fills the intake sweep (i.e., region 100 in FIG. 1 ).
- the air/fuel charge will be pressurized at about two atmospheres.
- the air/fuel charge then enters the compression region of the engine (i.e, region 110 in FIG. 1 ).
- the air/fuel charge is ignited by the ignition source 60 carried by the rotor 12 .
- the ignition source 60 is ignited prior to the elliptical body 22 reaching top-dead center (e.g., early ignition) to accommodate ignition advance.
- top-dead center e.g., early ignition
- the combustion gases are exposed to the driving region 130 , it is well on the way to total combustion and optimum driving pressure. After the power stroke, the combustion gases are exhausted outside of the space between the rotor 12 and housing 4 via the outlet 10 .
- the building pressure in the confined area does not work against the engine 2 as in a conventional piston engine.
- the elliptical body 22 With reference to the lower right elliptical body 22 , after completion of the power stroke, the elliptical body 22 actually aids in expelling combustion gases from the engine 2 via the outlet 10 . This occurs for each elliptical body 22 (e.g., three in a preferred embodiment of the invention), thereby producing the same number of power strokes per revolution as a conventional six cylinder, four stroke piston-based engine.
- the present engine 2 can be used in any applications where combustion engines are typically used, for example, automobiles and planes.
- the engine 2 may be used in hydrogen-powered applications.
- Multiple rotors 12 can also be used to increase the output of the engine 2 .
- the present engine 2 produces motion which is entirely concentric and thus is in dynamic balance. There is no flip-flop motion associated with the rotor 12 as is present, for example, in the Wankel-type rotary combustion engines.
- the present engine 2 is able to rotate at high rates, for example, between about 25,000 and 50,000 RPM. This compares favorable with piston engines which revolve at a rate between about 4,000 and 6,000 RPM.
- the practical RPM of the engine 2 will be very high, similar to that of a turbine. In addition there is little bypass of gases. The very long torque arm will generate high torque and the long swept volume will cause the complete combustion of the fuel, leaving a very clean, cool exhaust. It is estimated that the engine 2 can offer an 18% increase in efficiency over a modern reciprocating engine.
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- Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
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- Supercharger (AREA)
- Ignition Installations For Internal Combustion Engines (AREA)
Abstract
An internal combustion rotary engine includes a housing having an inlet and an outlet and a rotatable rotor centrally mounted within the housing. The rotor includes a plurality of pockets located about its circumference, the rotor further being connected to a rotor shaft. A rotatable elliptical body is disposed in each of the plurality of pockets. Each rotatable elliptical body is coupled to respective planet gears and each respective planet gear is meshed with a centrally disposed fixed sun gear. An ignition source is disposed in each of the plurality of pockets for igniting a fuel/air mixture. During operation of the internal combustion rotary engine, for each 360° rotation of the rotor, each elliptical body rotates through 720°.
Description
- This Application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/587,948 filed on Jul. 14, 2004. The '948 Application is incorporated by reference as if set forth fully herein.
- The field of the invention generally relates to combustion engines. More specifically, the field of the invention relates to internal combustion rotary engines.
- Combustion engines that operate using a reciprocating piston suffer from a number of disadvantages. First and foremost is the inefficient manner in which components such as, for example, pistons are repeatedly accelerated, stopped, and reversed during operation of the engine. In this regard, conventional piston-based engines are both unbalanced and inefficient due to the constant momentum changes occurring within the engine. It has been estimated, for example, that about 13% of fuel energy is lost in a conventional piston-based engine due to internal friction and pumping losses.
- In addition, in conventional piston-based engines, there is only a brief moment (if at all) when the torque arm is in its optimum configuration with the piston/connecting rod. This typically occurs a few degrees before the middle of the piston stroke. In fact, a true 90° (optimal) torque arm is never achieved in a conventional piston-based combustion engine.
- The internal combustion rotary engine is one alternative to piston-based combustion engines which can mitigate, to some extent, these inherent inefficiencies. Felix Wankel is credited with inventing an internal combustion rotary engine which operates by using a triangular-shaped rotor spinning within a housing shaped in the manner of a epitrochoid (e.g., peanut-shaped). The internal combustion rotary engine includes a number of advantages over piston-based combustion engines.
- First, internal combustion rotary engines are more lightweight and compact. Second, internal combustion rotary engines are smoother since there is no reciprocating motion of pistons. Third, internal combustion rotary engines have an extended power stroke rotation of the output shaft as compared to their piston-based counterparts. Fourth, there are fewer moving parts, e.g., no valves, connecting rods, cams, and timing chains. Timing of the intake and exhaust strokes are accomplished directly by the motion of the rotor. Fifth, internal combustion rotary engines have a generally flat torque curve because no valves are used. Sixth, combustion in internal combustion rotary engines are generally cooler than their piston-based counterparts. This means fewer oxides of nitrogen are created. Finally, internal combustion rotary engines separate the combustion region from the intake region, thereby making these engines good candidates for hydrogen fuel-based engines.
- The problem with Wankel-type internal combustion rotary engines is that they generally leak combustion gases, making these types of engines less desirable. In addition, the rotational speed (i.e., revolutions per minute (RPM)) of Wankel-type internal combustion rotary engines is limited because of the manner in which the triangular rotor flip-flops around the interior of the epitrochoid housing.
- There thus is a need for a true internal combustion rotary engine that is not limited in its rotational speed. In addition, there is a need for an internal combustion rotary engine that has very low emissions. In addition, there is a need for an internal combustion rotary engine that has high horsepower and high torque while at the same time is fuel efficient.
- An internal combustion rotary engine includes a housing having an inlet and an outlet and a rotatable rotor centrally mounted within the housing. The rotor includes a plurality of pockets located about its circumference. The rotor is further connected to a rotor shaft that is mechanically connected to an output shaft. A rotatable elliptical body is disposed in each of the plurality of pockets. Each rotatable elliptical body is coupled to respective planet gears. Each of the respective planet gears is meshed with a centrally disposed fixed sun gear. In addition, an ignition source is disposed in each of the plurality of pockets. For each 360° rotation of the rotor, each elliptical body rotates through 720°. The rotary engine includes four separate regions in which the intake, compression, power, and exhaust strokes take place.
- In one aspect of the invention, the rotor includes three pockets located about its circumference. The pockets may be equally spaced about the circumference of the rotor.
- In another aspect of the invention, an internal combustion rotary engine includes a housing having an inlet and an outlet, the inlet being coupled to a compressor. A rotatable rotor is centrally mounted within the housing. The rotor includes a plurality of pockets located about its circumference. The rotor is connected to a rotor shaft, which in turn, is coupled to an output shaft. An elliptical body is disposed in each of the plurality of pockets with each elliptical body being mounted on a rotational shaft at one end and coupled at an opposing end to a planetary gear. Each planet gear is engages with a fixed, centrally located fixed sun gear. An ignition source is disposed in each of the plurality of pockets. For each full rotation of the rotor (i.e., 360°) each elliptical body rotates through 720°.
- In another aspect of the invention, each elliptical body includes a seal disposed on an exterior surface thereof. In still another aspect of the invention, the elliptical body is interposed between two outer spools to form an elliptical body assembly. In yet another aspect of the invention, the rotor is coupled to a distributor. The distributor rotates with the rotor and includes an electrical contact for each ignition source (e.g., three electrical contacts).
- In another aspect of the invention, the rotor shaft includes a passageway or bore therein in fluid communication with a bore in the rotational shaft of the elliptical body assembly. The passageway and bore provide an access path for oil or other lubricant to lubricate the elliptical body bearings, and the planetary and sun gears. In one preferred aspect of the invention, each planet gear has a pitch diameter that is equal to the pitch diameter of the sun gear.
- It is an object of the invention to provide an internal combustion rotary engine that has high horsepower, very high torque, and very low emissions. It is a further object of the invention to provide an internal combustion rotary engine that is balanced and uses a rotor that rotates about a single axis. It is yet another object of the invention to provide an internal combustion rotary engine that uses a concentrically balanced rotor.
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FIG. 1 illustrates a rotor contained within a housing of an internal combustion rotary engine according to one preferred embodiment of the invention. The engine housing is open to expose the rotor, the three pockets, and the three elliptical bodies. -
FIG. 2 illustrates an internal combustion rotary engine with the rotor being exposed. -
FIG. 3A illustrates a top down view of the ellipse body assembly. The rotational shaft of the ellipse body assembly is shown coupled to a planetary gear. -
FIG. 3B illustrates an end view of a ellipse body assembly taken along the line A-A inFIG. 3A . The assembly includes a circular end or spool containing a seal around a circumferential surface thereof. An elliptical body is supported on a rotational shaft. The coupled planetary gear is also shown. -
FIG. 4 illustrates the centralized sun gear and surrounding planetary gears. The rotational direction of the planetary gears is shown by arrows A and B. A single ellipse body assembly is also illustrated. -
FIG. 5 illustrates a rotor showing the sparkplugs connected to a central distributor. -
FIG. 6 illustrates a gearbox and reduction gears illustrating the mechanically coupled rotor shaft, jackshaft, and output shaft. -
FIG. 7 illustrates a sectional view of the engine according to one preferred aspect of the invention.FIG. 7 illustrates a compressor interposed between the center plate and the gear box. -
FIG. 8 illustrates a front view of the centrifugal compressor impeller taken along the line A-A inFIG. 7 . -
FIG. 9 illustrates an end view of the engine illustrating the enclosed rotor. -
FIG. 10A illustrates a magnified sectional view of an elliptical body assembly contained in a pocket formed between the rotor and housing. -
FIG. 10B illustrates an end view of an elliptical body according to one aspect of the invention. -
FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrates an internalcombustion rotary engine 2 according to a preferred embodiment of the invention. The internalcombustion rotary engine 2 includes ahousing 4 which is generally oblong-shaped having a minor axis (the distance between the top and bottom portions of thehousing 4 in the direction of arrow A shown inFIG. 1 ) and major axis (the distance between the left and right portions of thehousing 4 in the direction of arrow B shown inFIG. 1 ). Thehousing 4 includes aninlet 6 which serves as the inlet for the fuel/air mixture which is combusted inside theengine 2. Theinlet 6 may be coupled to anoptional compressor 8, for example, as illustrated inFIGS. 7 and 8 . Thehousing 4 further includes anoutlet 10 which serves to exhaust combustion gases/air outside of theengine 2. In one aspect of the invention, thehousing 4, when viewed in cross-section, has a profile of a spline curve. - A
rotatable rotor 12 is disposed centrally inside thehousing 4. Therotor 12 is mounted on arotor shaft 14 and is rotatable within thehousing 4 in the direction of arrow C inFIG. 1 . Therotor shaft 14 is mechanically connected through appropriate gearing, for example, through ajackshaft 16, to an output shaft 18 (shown e.g., inFIGS. 6 and 7 ). Therotatable rotor 12 further includes a plurality ofpockets 20 located about the rotor's circumference. Thepockets 20 generally comprise a hemispherical or semi-hemispherical cavity within therotor 12. In one aspect of the invention therotor 12 includes twopockets 20. Preferably, however, there are threepockets 20 as is shown inFIGS. 1 and 2 . The threepockets 20 are spaced equidistant from one another (e.g., 120° spacing). As explained below, thepockets 20, working in connection with associated rotatableelliptical bodies 22, increase and decrease the displacement volume as therotor 12 rotates aroundrotor shaft 14. The displacement volume is formed between an outer surface of therotor 12 as well as the volume of thepockets 20 and the inner surface of thehousing 4. -
FIG. 1 shows that anoptional purge port 24 may be incorporated into thepockets 20. Theair purge port 24 is used to aid in expelling spent combustion gases from thepocket 20. It should be understood, however, that theair purge port 24 is entirely optionally and may be omitted entirely. - As seen in
FIGS. 1 and 2 , theelliptical bodies 22 are affixed to arotational shaft 26. Therotational shaft 26 of eachelliptical body 22 is connected to a planetary gear 28 (shown in dashed lines inFIG. 1 and also shown inFIGS. 3A and 3B ). Eachplanetary gear 28 is meshed with a centralized, fixed sun gear 30 (shown in dashed lines inFIG. 1 and also seen in FIGS. 3A- and 3B). Theplanetary gears 28 thus orbit the centralized, fixedsun gear 30 during operation of theengine 2. Preferably, theplanetary gears 28 and the centralized, fixedsun gear 30 have the same pitch diameter and have a multiple of two (2) teeth as well as a multiple of three (3) teeth (e.g., 12, 18, 24, 30, etc. teeth). - During operation of the
engine 2, theelliptical bodies 22 rotate in the direction of arrow D inFIG. 1 , namely, the same direction as the rotation of the rotor 12 (arrow C inFIG. 1 ). Preferably, theplanetary gears 28 andsun gear 30 are geared such that theelliptical bodies 22 rotate at twice the rate (2:1) of therotor 12. More specifically, in a preferred aspect of the invention, when therotor 12 rotates through 360°, theelliptical bodies 22 rotate through 720°. Other rotation ratios, however, can also be used in connection with theengine 2.FIG. 1 also illustrates the outline E of anelliptical body 22 as it travels within thehousing 4. -
FIG. 2 illustrates anopen rotor 12 bolted through a series ofbolts 32 through acenter plate 34 and gear box 36 (see alsoFIG. 7 ). As seen inFIG. 2 , thecenter plate 34 includes a plurality of engine mounting holes 38.FIG. 2 further illustrates three distributor mount holes 40 for securing distributor 42 (described in more detail below). - In one preferred aspect of the invention, the
elliptical bodies 22 are formed from industrial ceramic materials although other materials such as metals and alloys can also be used. Preferably, theelliptical bodies 22 are machined or otherwise formed with strict tolerances in order to minimize any leakage of air and/or fuel between theelliptical bodies 22 and the interior of thehousing 4. In addition, theelliptical bodies 22 are preferably sealed inside thepockets 20, for example, via seals 96. - With reference now to
FIGS. 3A and 3B , in one aspect of the invention, theelliptical body 22 is contained in anelliptical body assembly 44 that includes two circular ends 46, 48 or spools. The circumference of eachend seal 50 for forming a combustion seal within eachrespective pocket 20. An optional wearingsurface 52 for theseals 50, such as hardened steel, as is shown inFIG. 10A , may be provided within therotor 12. Theseals 50 keep the fuel/air/combustion gases contained within thepocket 20 and/orhousing 4. Still referring toFIGS. 3A and 3B , eachelliptical body 22 also includes arotational shaft 26 on which theelliptical body 22 is mounted. -
FIG. 4 illustrates fixedsun gear 30 and surroundingplanetary gears 28. The fixedsun gear 30 may be affixed to the center plate 34 (shown inFIG. 2 ) through, for example, a plurality of bolts 32 (as shown inFIG. 7 ). The threeplanetary gears 28 are equally spaced about the central sun gear 30 (separated by 120°) and are affixed, respectively, to the ends of therotational shafts 26 of eachelliptical body 22. Therotor shaft 14 passes through thecentral sun gear 30 and may be rotationally held via arotatable bearing 58 or the like (as is shown inFIG. 7 ). As seen inFIGS. 4 and 7 , therotor shaft 14 continues into thegear box 36 and is mechanically coupled through ajackshaft 16 to anoutput shaft 18. - Referring to
FIGS. 1, 2 , and 5 anignition source 60 is preferably associated with eachpocket 20 in therotor 12. As shown inFIGS. 1 and 2 , theignition source 60 is preferably a sparkplug. In order to fire the ignition sources 60, a conventional distributor-type structure is used to fire the individual ignition sources.FIG. 5 , for example, illustrates how eachignition source 60 is connected to a centralized, electricallyconductive distributor 42. In this regard, no wires are directly connected to theindividual sparkplugs 60. Thedistributor 42 is mounted directly on therotor 12 viadistributor mounting holes 40 as shown inFIG. 2 . As best seen inFIG. 5 ,distributor 42 includes three contact points 62 (such as high voltage electrical pick-ups) that are electrically connected to arespective ignition source 60 via a rigid conductor member 64 (e.g., rigid spark plug strap). During operation of theengine 2, thedistributor 42 rotates about therotor shaft 14. As best seen inFIG. 7 , a stationary electrical contact member 66 is provided at a point about the rotational circumference circumscribed by the contact points 62. The stationary contact member 66 is positioned such that it electrically engages with one of the threecontact points 62 as thedistributor 42 is rotated about its axis. In this regard, electrical contact is made between the source of electricity (e.g., a high voltage source) and therespective ignition sources 60 as therotor 12 anddistributor 42 rotate about therotor shaft 14. The electrical contact causes theignition source 60 to fire, thereby initiating the combustion process in one of the threepockets 20 to provide the motive force to therotor 12. -
FIGS. 6 and 7 illustrate the interior of thegear box 36. Therotor shaft 14 includes a splined ormeshed portion 14a that engages with splined or meshedportion 16 a of ajack shaft 16. Thejack shaft 16 is in turn, coupled to a splined or meshedportion 18 a of anoutput shaft 18. The gearing of therotor shaft 14 serves to reduce the rotational speed of theoutput shaft 18 compared to the rotational speed of therotor shaft 14. For example, a reduction of around 8:1 may be needed to reduce the rotational rate from turbine speeds to lower rotational speeds generally used for motor vehicles, boats, or airplanes. -
FIG. 7 illustrates a sectional view of anengine 2 according to one preferred embodiment of the invention. Thegear box 36 contains a series ofbearings 68 or other rotational supports for holding therotor shaft 14,jack shaft 16, andoutput shaft 18. Apassageway 70 within therotor shaft 14 may be provided to lubricate the rotationalelliptical body bearings 86. Therotational shaft 26 of theelliptical body assembly 44 may include abored shaft 26 a that communicates with thepassageway 70. In this regard, oil passing through thepassageway 70 andbored shaft 26 a may act as a bearing oil return that lubes theelliptical bodies 22 and/or gears 28, 30. - Referring back to
FIG. 1 , theengine 2 generally includes fiveregions Region 100, which is regarded as the intake stroke, is generally bounded by space between theinlet 6 and a portion of the space formed within the lowerleftmost pocket 20.Region 110, which is regarded at the compression stroke of theengine 2, is generally bounded by the space between the lowerleftmost pocket 20 and a small portion of the top dead-center pocket 20.Region 120, which is bounded by the space between theelliptical body 22 and thepocket 20, is regarded as the combustion chamber.Region 130, which is regarded as the power stroke, is generally bounded by space between the top dead-center pocket 20 and the lowerrightmost pocket 20.Region 140, which is regarded as the exhaust stroke, is generally bounded by the space between the lowerrightmost pocket 20 and theexhaust outlet 10. - Referring to
FIGS. 7 and 8 , acompressor 8 is interposed between thecenter plate 34 and thegear box 36. Thecompressor 8 is affixed to therotor shaft 14 and includes anintake 8 a, anoutput 8 b, and awaste gas outlet 8 c (best seen inFIG. 8 ). Rotation of therotor shaft 14 rotates a plurality ofvanes 8 d within thecompressor 8 to compress air into theinlet 6 of theengine 2. As seen inFIG. 8 , afuel injector 72 is disposed inline between thecompressor output 8b and theengine inlet 6. Thecompressor 8 is able to increase the compression ratio of theengine 2. - For example, in an
engine 2 having arotor 12 with a diameter of 15.5 inches, elliptical bodies having dimensions of 3 inches by 1.5 inches, planetary gears of 7 inch diameter, the engine is able to achieve a compression ratio of about 10.58. Thecompressor 8 is able to double the compression ratio ofengine 2 from about 5.29 to about 10.58. - Referring to
FIGS. 2, 5 , and 7 thehousing 4 of theengine 2 includes a plurality offins 74 for cooling theengine 2. Thefins 74 may be made of a heat conducting metal such as, for example aluminum. In addition, as best seen inFIGS. 5 and 7 , therotor 12 includes a plurality offan blades 76. Thefan blades 76 may include an arcuate or toroidal shape and are used to generate airflow to cool theengine 2 during operation. Referring toFIGS. 7 and 9 , arotor cap 78 is affixed to theengine 2 via a plurality ofbolts 79. Therotor cap 78 is preferably formed as a single piece and includes air redirectportions 78 a to direct the airflow created by thefan blades 76 across the surface of the plurality offins 74. Therotor cap 78 also serves to secure the stationary electrical contact member 66. - With reference not to
FIGS. 3A, 3B , 7, 10A and 10B, in one aspect of the invention theelliptical body assembly 44 includes a partially threaded rotational shaft 26 (as shown inFIGS. 7 and 10 A). In this regard, theelliptical body assembly 44 may be readily assembled and disassembled, for example, to replace theseals 50 orelliptical bodies 22. For example, theelliptical body assembly 44 may be formed by inserting afirst spool 46 on therotational shaft 26. Theelliptical body 22 can then be feed onto therotational shaft 26. The receiving hole of theelliptical body 22 may be keyed, as is shown inFIG. 10B , to properly orient theelliptical body 22 within theassembly 44. Thesecond spool 48 may then be placed over therotational shaft 26. Thesecond spool 48 may include a plurality ofrecesses 84 for receiving a tool (not shown) that is used to tighten (or loosen) thesecond spool 48. For example, therecesses 84 may be formed to accept wrench or spanner pins. Theelliptical body 22 is thus sandwiched between the first andsecond spools - As best seen in
FIGS. 3A and 10A , therotational shaft 26 is rotatable within twobody bearings 86. In one aspect of the invention, theoil passageway 70 in therotor shaft 14 is coupled tolubrication spaces 88 for the twobody bearings 86. Oil is thus able to pass through theoil passageway 70 into the outer body bearing 86, through thebored shaft 26 a, and into the interior body bearing 86. Oil seals 90 are provided to seal thebody bearings 86 from the interior (i.e., combustion regions) of therotor 12. - Still referring to
FIG. 10A , thelubrication space 88 of the inner body bearing 86 communicates with a plenum orspace 91 within theplanetary gear 28. Theplanetary gear 28 may be a cuppedplanetary gear 28 to reduce overhang and provide gear lubrication. One or more weepholes 92 are provided in the cuppedplanetary gear 28 that permit oil to lubricate the interface between theplanetary gear 28 and the fixed sun gear 30 (not shown inFIG. 10A ). -
FIG. 10A illustrates the wearingsurfaces 52 and seals located on the exterior of thespools FIG. 10B illustrates a end view of anelliptical body 22 according to one aspect of the invention. Theelliptical body 22 may include one ormore voids 94 that can be used to provide balance to theelliptical body 22. The outermost regions (along the long axis of the elliptical body 22) may include seals 96. Theseals 96 form a substantially airtight seal between theelliptical bodies 22 and thepocket 20/housing 4. In this regard, there is substantially no intermingling of gases between the five regions of the engine (e.g.,regions FIG. 1 ). - As explained above, in one aspect of the invention, the
housing 4, when viewed in cross-section, has a profile of a spline curve. Tables 1 and 2 reproduced below illustrates the radius of the internal surface of thehousing 4 at 2° increments through 180° (the measurements for the remaining 180° are not included because the symmetrical nature of the housing 4). Radius measurements are provided for an interference fit between theelliptical bodies 22 as well for a running fit. The running fit includes an approximate clearance of 0.002 inches between theelliptical bodies 22 and the interior of thehousing 4. The measurements assume a 1.5 inch minor axis and 3 inch major axis for theelliptical bodies 22. The radius of therotor 12 is assumed to be 7.5 inches and the radius of the centers of theelliptical bodies 22 is assumed at 7 inches.TABLE 1 Interference Degree Running Fit 0 7.7520″ 7.7500″ 2 7.7680 7.7660 4 7.7878 7.7858 6 7.8110 7.8090 8 7.8345 7.8325 10 7.8596 7.8576 12 7.8854 7.8834 14 7.9120 7.9100 16 7.9376 7.9356 18 7.9638 7.9618 20 7.9893 7.9873 22 8.0148 8.0128 24 8.0408 8.0388 26 8.0665 8.0645 28 8.0909 8.0889 30 8.1153 8.1133 32 8.1392 8.1372 34 8.1625 8.1605 36 8.1853 8.1833 38 8.2075 8.2055 40 8.2294 8.2274 42 8.2500 8.2480 44 8.2703 8.2683 46 8.2902 8.2882 48 8.3088 8.3068 48 8.3088″ 8.3068″ 50 8.3265 8.3245 52 8.3430 8.341 54 8.3596 8.3576 56 8.3749 8.3729 58 8.3896 8.3876 60 8.4032 8.4012 62 8.4160 8.4140 64 8.4278 8.4258 66 8.4385 8.4365 68 8.4482 8.4462 70 8.4574 8.4554 72 8.4659 8.4639 74 8.4734 8.4714 76 8.4799 8.4779 78 8.4856 8.4836 80 8.4905 8.4885 82 8.4948 8.4928 84 8.4984 8.4964 86 8.5002 8.4982 88 8.5013 8.4993 90 8.5020 8.5000 -
TABLE 2 Interference Degree Running Fit 92 8.5013″ 8.4993″ 94 8.5002 8.4982 96 8.4984 8.4964 98 8.4948 8.4928 100 8.4905 8.4885 102 8.4856 8.4836 104 8.4799 8.4779 106 8.4734 8.4714 108 8.4659 8.4639 110 8.4574 8.4554 112 8.4482 8.4462 114 8.4385 8.4365 116 8.4278 8.4258 118 8.4160 8.4140 120 8.4032 8.4012 122 8.3896 8.3876 124 8.3749 8.3729 126 8.3596 8.3576 128 8.3430 8.3410 130 8.3265 8.3245 132 8.3088 8.3068 134 8.2902 8.2882 136 8.2703 8.2683 138 8.2500 8.2480 140 8.2294 8.2274 142 8.2075″ 8.2055″ 144 8.1853 8.1833 146 8.1625 8.1605 148 8.1392 8.1372 150 8.1153 8.1133 152 8.0909 8.0889 154 8.0665 8.0645 156 8.0408 8.0388 158 8.0148 8.0128 160 7.9893 7.9873 162 7.9638 7.9618 164 7.9374 7.9354 166 7.9120 7.9100 168 7.8856 7.8836 170 7.8596 7.8576 172 7.8345 7.8325 174 7.8110 7.8090 176 7.7878 7.7858 178 7.7680 7.7660 180 7.7520 7.7500 - During operation of the
engine 2, as theelliptical body 22 clears theinlet 6 or intake port, the air/fuel charge follow behind and fills the intake sweep (i.e.,region 100 inFIG. 1 ). Typically, with theoptional compressor 8, the air/fuel charge will be pressurized at about two atmospheres. The air/fuel charge then enters the compression region of the engine (i.e,region 110 inFIG. 1 ). Near top-dead center, in thecombustion chamber region 120 shown inFIG. 1 , which is bounded by the space between theelliptical body 22 and thepocket 20, the air/fuel charge is ignited by theignition source 60 carried by therotor 12. In one aspect of the invention, theignition source 60 is ignited prior to theelliptical body 22 reaching top-dead center (e.g., early ignition) to accommodate ignition advance. In this regard, when the combustion gases are exposed to the drivingregion 130, it is well on the way to total combustion and optimum driving pressure. After the power stroke, the combustion gases are exhausted outside of the space between therotor 12 andhousing 4 via theoutlet 10. - It should be noted that the building pressure in the confined area does not work against the
engine 2 as in a conventional piston engine. With reference to the lower rightelliptical body 22, after completion of the power stroke, theelliptical body 22 actually aids in expelling combustion gases from theengine 2 via theoutlet 10. This occurs for each elliptical body 22 (e.g., three in a preferred embodiment of the invention), thereby producing the same number of power strokes per revolution as a conventional six cylinder, four stroke piston-based engine. - The
present engine 2 can be used in any applications where combustion engines are typically used, for example, automobiles and planes. Theengine 2 may be used in hydrogen-powered applications.Multiple rotors 12 can also be used to increase the output of theengine 2. Thepresent engine 2 produces motion which is entirely concentric and thus is in dynamic balance. There is no flip-flop motion associated with therotor 12 as is present, for example, in the Wankel-type rotary combustion engines. Thepresent engine 2 is able to rotate at high rates, for example, between about 25,000 and 50,000 RPM. This compares favorable with piston engines which revolve at a rate between about 4,000 and 6,000 RPM. - The practical RPM of the
engine 2 will be very high, similar to that of a turbine. In addition there is little bypass of gases. The very long torque arm will generate high torque and the long swept volume will cause the complete combustion of the fuel, leaving a very clean, cool exhaust. It is estimated that theengine 2 can offer an 18% increase in efficiency over a modern reciprocating engine. - While embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, various modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. The invention, therefore, should not be limited, except to the following claims, and their equivalents.
Claims (20)
1. An internal combustion rotary engine comprising:
a housing having an internal surface which is substantially symmetrical about a minor-axis centerline of said housing, an inlet disposed on one side of the minor-axis centerline of the housing and an outlet disposed on an opposing side of the minor-axis centerline of the housing; and
a rotor assembly concentrically mounted in the housing in relation to the inner surface of the housing, and a rotational axis of the rotor assembly being substantially perpendicular to the minor-axis centerline of the housing and a major-axis centerline of the housing, the rotor assembly comprising:
a rotatable rotor comprising a rotor shaft, a substantially solid circumferential surface, and a plurality of pockets located about the circumference of the rotor, a center of each respective one of the plurality of pockets being located substantially equidistant from the center of the rotor;
a rotatable elliptical body having a substantially solid outer surface and disposed in each of the plurality of pockets, each elliptical body being mounted to the rotor such that an axis of rotation of the elliptical body is centrally located at the center of the pocket, each rotatable elliptical body having a drive shaft that is coupled to an elliptical body driving mechanism that causes the elliptical body to rotate about its axis of rotation in correspondence with rotation of the rotor, wherein, when the elliptical body is rotated about its axis, the outer surface of the elliptical body engages the inner surface of the housing, and a portion of the outer surface nearest the vertices along a major-axis of each elliptical body engages a surface of the respective pocket in which the elliptical body is mounted, and
wherein, as the rotor rotates concentrically within the housing through one revolution, each elliptical body rotates correspondingly through two revolutions about its axis, and the elliptical body, by engaging the inner surface of the housing and the pocket during the rotation, causes a first increase in volumetric displacement in an intake region, a corresponding first decrease in volumetric displacement in a compression region, a second increase in volumetric displacement in a power stroke region, and a corresponding second decrease in volumetric displacement in an exhaust region.
2. The internal combustion rotary engine of claim 1 , wherein the rotor includes three pockets located about its circumference.
3. The internal combustion rotary engine of claim 2 , wherein the three pockets have an equal angular spacing about the center of the rotor.
4. The internal combustion rotary engine of claim 1 , further comprising an ignition device disposed in each pocket.
5. The internal combustion rotary engine of claim 1 , wherein the elliptical body driving mechanism comprises a planet gear connected to the drive shaft of the elliptical body, and a sun gear engaging the planet gear concentrically mounted about the rotor shaft.
6. The internal combustion rotary engine of claim 1 , further comprising an output shaft mechanically geared with the rotor shaft.
7. The internal combustion rotary engine of claim 1 , further comprising an exhaust gas purge port disposed in the plurality of pockets in the rotor.
8. The internal combustion rotary engine of claim 1 , further comprising a compressor coupled to the inlet of the housing.
9. The internal combustion rotary engine of claim 6 , wherein the rotor shaft is mechanically coupled to the output shaft via a jack shaft.
10. The internal combustion rotary engine of claim 1 , wherein each elliptical body includes a seal substantially disposed on the exterior surface nearest the vertices along a major axis of the elliptical body.
11. The internal combustion rotary engine of claim 1 , wherein each elliptical body is interposed between two outer circular members.
12. The internal combustion rotary engine of claim 4 , wherein the rotor is coupled to a distributor, and the distributor includes an electrical contact for each ignition device.
13. The internal combustion rotary engine of claim 1 , wherein in the intake and compression regions, a fuel/air mixture is introduced into the inlet of the housing and is compressed by the rotation of the elliptical body into a combustion chamber defined by the surface of the pocket and the outer surface of the elliptical body.
14. The internal combustion rotary engine of claim 13 , wherein the fuel/air mixture compressed within the combustion chamber defined by the surface of the pocket and the surface of the elliptical body is ignited by the ignition device.
15. The internal combustion rotary engine of claim 14 , wherein in the power stroke and exhaust regions, the ignited fuel/air mixture is burned and then exhausted through the outlet of the housing.
16. The internal combustion rotary engine of claim 1 , wherein the rotor shaft includes a passageway therein in communication with a bore contained in the drive shaft of the elliptical body, as a path of lubrication.
17. The internal combustion rotary engine of claim 5 , wherein each planet gear has a pitch diameter equal to the pitch diameter of the sun gear.
18. The internal combustion rotary engine of claim 1 , further comprising a first seal member in the housing surface located along the minor-axis centerline of the housing between the inlet and the outlet, and a second seal member in the housing surface substantially opposed to the first seal member along the minor-axis centerline of the housing, said first and second scat members engaging with the circumferential surface of the rotor and the surface of each elliptical body so as to form an intake/compression chamber on the inlet side of the housing, and a combustion/exhaust chamber on the outlet side of the housing.
19. The internal combustion rotary engine of claim 1 , wherein the inner surface of the housing has a substantially epitrochoid-like shape.
20. A method for an internal combustion rotary engine, the engine comprising (1) a housing having an internal surface which is substantially symmetrical about a minor-axis centerline of said housing, an inlet disposed on one side of the minor-axis centerline of the housing, and an outlet disposed on an opposing side of the minor-axis centerline of the housing; and (2) a rotor assembly concentrically mounted ill the housing in relation to the inner surface of the housing, and a rotational axis of the rotor assembly being substantially perpendicular to the major-axis centerline of the housing and a major-axis centerline of the housing, the rotor assembly comprising (a) a rotatable rotor comprising (i) a rotor shaft, (ii) a substantially solid circumferential surface, and (iii) a plurality of pockets located about the circumference of the rotor, a center of each respective one of the plurality of pockets being located substantially equidistant from the center of the rotor, (b) a rotatable elliptical body having a substantially solid outer surface and disposed in each of the plurality of pockets, each elliptical body being mounted to the rotor such that an axis of rotation of the elliptical body is centrally located at the center of the pocket, each rotatable elliptical body having a drive shaft that is coupled to an elliptical body driving mechanism that causes the elliptical body to rotate about its axis of rotation in correspondence with rotation of the rotor, wherein, when the elliptical body is rotated about its axis, the outer surface of the elliptical body engages the inner surface of the housing, and a portion of the outer surface nearest the vertices along a major-axis of each elliptical body engages a surface of the respective pocket in which the elliptical body is mounted, and wherein, as the rotor rotates concentrically within the housing through one revolution, each elliptical body rotates correspondingly through two revolutions about its axis, and the elliptical body, by engaging the inner surface of the housing and the pocket during the rotation, causes a first increase in volumetric displacement in an intake region, a corresponding first decrease in volumetric displacement in a compression region, a second increase in volumetric displacement in a power stroke region, and a corresponding second decrease in volumetric displacement in an exhaust region, the method comprising:
introducing a fuel/air mixture into an intake side of the housing, via the housing inlet, between a first one of the elliptical bodies passing the inlet and a second one of the elliptical bodies passing the inlet;
compressing the fuel/air mixture by rotating the rotor and the second elliptical body until the fuel/air mixture is compressed within the pocket of the second elliptical body between the surface of the pocket and the surface of the second elliptical body;
igniting the compressed fuel/air mixture within the pocket of the second elliptical body;
burning the ignited fuel/air mixture in a combustion side of the housing in a chamber formed between the second elliptical body and the inner surface of the housing so as to power the rotation of the rotor; and
exhausting the burned fuel/air mixture from the housing via the outlet after the second elliptical body passes the outlet.
Priority Applications (6)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US11/177,175 US7188602B1 (en) | 2004-07-14 | 2005-07-08 | Concentric internal combustion rotary engine |
CN2005800299544A CN101014758B (en) | 2004-07-14 | 2005-07-14 | Concentric internal combustion rotary engine |
CA2573769A CA2573769C (en) | 2004-07-14 | 2005-07-14 | Concentric internal combustion rotary engine |
EP05770164.1A EP1784563B1 (en) | 2004-07-14 | 2005-07-14 | Concentric internal combustion rotary engine |
JP2007521644A JP4445548B2 (en) | 2004-07-14 | 2005-07-14 | Concentric internal combustion rotary engine |
KR1020077003411A KR100871992B1 (en) | 2004-07-14 | 2005-07-14 | Internal Combustion Rotary Engine and Method of Operation for the Same |
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US58794804P | 2004-07-14 | 2004-07-14 | |
US11/177,175 US7188602B1 (en) | 2004-07-14 | 2005-07-08 | Concentric internal combustion rotary engine |
Publications (2)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
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US7188602B1 US7188602B1 (en) | 2007-03-13 |
US20070068481A1 true US20070068481A1 (en) | 2007-03-29 |
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Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
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US11/177,175 Active US7188602B1 (en) | 2004-07-14 | 2005-07-08 | Concentric internal combustion rotary engine |
Country Status (7)
Country | Link |
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US (1) | US7188602B1 (en) |
EP (1) | EP1784563B1 (en) |
JP (1) | JP4445548B2 (en) |
KR (1) | KR100871992B1 (en) |
CN (1) | CN101014758B (en) |
CA (1) | CA2573769C (en) |
WO (1) | WO2006019928A2 (en) |
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WO2013184549A1 (en) * | 2012-06-05 | 2013-12-12 | WILKINSON, Cassandra, L. | Rotary energy transducer |
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US9194283B2 (en) | 2011-05-06 | 2015-11-24 | Lawrence McMillan | System and method of transducing energy from hydrogen |
US10502127B2 (en) * | 2016-01-04 | 2019-12-10 | Zhaoyan HAN | Rotary engine |
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Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
US7188602B1 (en) | 2007-03-13 |
CN101014758B (en) | 2012-01-04 |
EP1784563A2 (en) | 2007-05-16 |
KR20070060078A (en) | 2007-06-12 |
CN101014758A (en) | 2007-08-08 |
WO2006019928A3 (en) | 2006-09-28 |
CA2573769C (en) | 2010-04-27 |
KR100871992B1 (en) | 2008-12-05 |
JP2008506884A (en) | 2008-03-06 |
CA2573769A1 (en) | 2006-02-23 |
JP4445548B2 (en) | 2010-04-07 |
EP1784563B1 (en) | 2013-09-18 |
EP1784563A4 (en) | 2009-11-18 |
WO2006019928A2 (en) | 2006-02-23 |
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