WO1995012053A1

WO1995012053A1 - Rotary piston machine (r.p.m)

Info

Publication number: WO1995012053A1
Application number: PCT/NL1994/000259
Authority: WO
Inventors: Pieter Adolf De Geus
Original assignee: Pieter Adolf De Geus
Priority date: 1993-10-29
Filing date: 1994-10-25
Publication date: 1995-05-04
Also published as: EP0745177A1; NL9301867A

Abstract

Rotary piston machine, existing of the following parts: 1. a housing with a square inner area (1) with side parts (11); 2. a shaft (3) with eccentric (4) through the longitudinal central axis, encamped (9) in the side parts; 3. a rotary piston (2), encamped on the eccentric (10), rotatable fitting in the square inner area; 4. the rotary piston has the length of the inner area and has in cross section the perimeter of a smoothly closed curve of constant diameter with three axes of symmetry; 5. two meshing gear wheels, one connected to the housing (8b) and one connected to the rotary piston (8a) with their toothing in proportion 4:3; 6. a system of special play sealings is part of the invention.

Description

Rotary Piston Machine (R.P.M.)

The invention refers to a Rotary Piston Machine (R.P.M.) with housing, consisting of an enclosing body with inner surfaces and side parts, which together enclose an inner area and which through the longitudinal central axis of the inner area in at least one of the side-parts an encamped shaft lays, with an eccentric, around which a Rotary Piston (R.P.) is encamped, of a length, equal to that of the inner area and which in cross section has a form, which during rotation of the R.P. makes parts of the R.P. glide along the inner area surface whereby between R.P. and inner area surface, volume changing working chambers are being formed and in respect of the power activities through both parallel axes of the R.P.M. meshing gear wheels can be fixed.

Of this type of R.P.M. diverging designs are known and with varying results applied when compressing and displacing of gases and liquids and the transforming of liquid and gas pressures in rotating movement, whether or not at high temperatures.

One of the occurring execution types (see drawing 1 and page 14, consulted literature) is marked by application of an enclosing body with four flat inner surfaces of equal width and equal length (1), forming an in cross section square inner area, with an R.P. (2), which in cross section has the form of an equilateral triangle of constant diameter (constant thickness), of which the diameter is equal to the distance (R) between two parallel inner surfaces of the square inner area. During rotation of the shaft with eccentric, the R.P. will glide nd rpl], along the inner surfaces of the square housing with three in longitudinal direction placed angle straights, named hereafter "ribs of the R.P." and with three in longitudinal direction placed cylindric surfaces, named hereafter "jξlankρ of the R.P.").

The movements of the R.P. have been combined from a rotation around the own centre axis (Z), plus a rotation of the centre axis around the longitudinal central axis (M) of the square inner area, in a rotation direction which is opposite to the rotation-direction of the R.P.

During a complete revolution of the R.P., the own centre-axis Z rotates three times around the longitudinal central axis M.

Because of its constant diameter will the R.P. in the square inner area in every position touch each of the four inner area surfaces along a straight line in the longitudinal direction, called hereafter "touching straight".

During rotation of the R.P. the touching straights will shift parallel over the inner chamber surfaces, whereby the touching straights with the ribs of the R.P. move in direction of rotation of the R.P. and the touching straights with the flanks of the R.P. move opposite the rotation direction.

These to and fro motions of the four touching straights are limited to parts of the inner surfaces which are situated inside the extreme touching straights at some distance from the angle straights of the square inner area. The angle straights of the square inner area with the adjacent strips of the inner area surfaces, which are not touched by the R.P., will hereafter be called "free angles" (5). Between the four "free angles" and the R.P. with the touching straights, moving to and fro over the inner surfaces, four, divided from each other and changing in volume, working chambers (6) are being formed.

The "free angles" of the square inner area offer possibilities to fix various, for this type of machine common provisions, such as inlet and exhaust ports, with valves or slides, igniting mechanisms, heating elements, fuel injection mechanisms, etc. without hampering the free revolution of the R.P. in the inner area.

The free angles also offer within reasonable limitations the possibilities to give to the volume changes of the working chambers each desired proportion between the largest and the smallest volume, when constructing applications of these machines. The relation between the constant diameter R and the eccentricity r is as following: r = 0,07735 x R.

The relation between the constant diameter R and the legs of a free angle is as following: V.H. = 0,134 R.

Through affixing meshing gears to both of the parallel rotary axes of the R.P., one with external the other with internal gearing it can be achieved that during power exchange from or to the R.P. the actual position of the R.P. is not being determined by touching the inner area surfaces of the housing, but rather by the gear wheels, through which the R.P., in principle with relative small play, rotates freely inside the square housing.

If the internal gear wheel is firmly connected to the R.P. and the external gear wheel is firmly connected to the housing, the toothing must be in proportion of 3:2 and in reverse 3:4.

An R.P. which in cross section has a perimeter of an equilateral triangle of constant diameter (constant thickness) is a special realisation in a range of possibilities, which all in cross section have a perimeter of a smoothly closed curve of a constant diameter with three axes of symmetry. Such curves occur by drawing from the centre points of three equal and in aequilateral triangel relation placed circles (see fig. 2), hereafter called angle circles (7), tangent circle curves (8) on the back of the two opposite angle circles. The found "smoothly closed curves of constant diameter (constant thickness) with three axes of symmetry" can in any position be circumscribed by a square with square sides R and will have a point of contact with each square side. By further retaining the same constant diameter R, to vary the radius of the angle cylinders between zero and the half of the constant diameter R, a range of smoothly closed curves occurs. which are all representative for a possible type of execution of a R.P., exactly fitting into constantly the same square inner area.

All embodiments of this type, except the first (the triangular embodiment) and the last (the round embodiment), belong to the invention and under certain circumstances can be found to be an useful application.

Special qualities of the range of execution forms are the linear becoming smaller of the eccentricity of the R.P.M. (Rotary Piston Machine), together with the linear becoming wider of the free angles of the square inner area, according to which a cross section is being chosen with a bigger diameter of the three angel circles. The relation between the constant diameter R, the angle circle diameter D and the eccentricity r is as following: r = 0,07735 x (R-D)

The relation between the constant diameter R, the angle circle diameter D and the legs of the free angle is as following: V.H. = 0,134 R + 0,366 D

An important function of a rib of a R.P. during its track along the inner area surfaces, consist of the separation of the two working chambres on both sides of the rib, with possible mutual bigger pressure- and temperature differences. This separation of 2 working areas, done by a sharp angle rib of the already known R.P. with triangular cross-section, will be according to the invention taken over by "angle cylinders" (7) corresponding with angle circles, called hereafter "rib- cylinders".

The part of the surface of a rib-cylinder which is positioned on the surface of the R.P., which is a 1/6 part

(9), will hereafter be defined as "cylindrical rib".

The importance of this invention lies for the greater part in the fact that the cylindrical ribs offer excellent starting points to the constructor of the machine to accomplish effective separation of two working chambers on both sides of a cylindrical rib.

How the specific qualities of the cylindrical ribs of the invention can be used in different ways, in accomplishing efficient separation functions of the ribs, shall be explained in fig. 3.

Execution and working of the play sealing Al (fig. 3. detail All

Every cylindrical rib of the R.P. is over the full length replaced by a cylindrical boring in longitudinal direction

(15), whereby the axis of the boring coincides with the axis of the rib-cylinder and whereby the diameter of the bore is equal to the diameter of the rib cylinder.

Within two touching surfaces on both sides of the boring (16), mutually under an angle of around 60°, all material of the

R.P. is taken away. In the v-shape groove with cylindrical bottom, a cylindrical rod (sealing element) (17) is being brought over the full length, with the diameter of the rib cylinder. During pressure differences on both sides of the cylindrical rod the play between rib and inner chamber surface will close off on the side of the lowest pressure.

While passing of a free angle, the cylindrical rod is being led by the form of the free angle ' or by special conduction strokes (18).

Execution and working of the play sealing A2 (figure 3. detail

A2).

Each cylindrical rib of the R.P. is over the full length replaced by a cylindrical boring in the longitudinal direction (12), whereby the axis of the boring coincides with the axis of the rib-cylinder and whereby the diameter of the boring is greater than the diameter of the rib cylinder.

In the bore, a cylindrical rod of the same length as the bore fits freely rotating around its length-axis, which is provided with a levelling over the entire length and to a depth on which the levelling touches the imaginary rib cylinder.

When placing a sealing element in the lengthwise boring, the ,- -

levelling of the sealing element with some play leans against an inner chamber surface and during gliding along the inner chamber surface the sealing section in respect of the inner chamber surface remains in the same position through capsizing around its length-axis. During pressure differences on both sides of the rib, the cylindrcal rod will seal off the play between rib and inner chamber surface . During reaching and passing of a free angle of the square inner area, the sealing element can be capsized with the aid of a suitable form of the free angle or by special conduction strokes in the free angle (18), over an angle until a suitable starting position for the gliding of the flat stroke along the next inner surface.

Execution a i working of the play sealing A3 (figure 3. detail A3

Each cylindrical rib of the R.P. is over the full length and the full breadth replaced by a radial groove in longitudinal direction (19), for example rectangled in cross section. In that groove fits a radial movable sealing element of the same length, which, towards the exterior facing side in longitudinal direction, has the form of a cylindrical surface of 60°, with the radius of a rib cylinder (20). This sealing element is being pushed to the exterior with the aid of spring pressure and/or centrifugal force, so that during passing of an inner chamber surface the sealing element touches along the contact straights of the cylinder surface. When a pressure difference on both sides of the rib occurs, the sealing element is pushed against a side wall of the groove and is held tightly in this position until the pressure difference falls off.

Apart from the play sealings, Al, A2 and A3 other constructions are possible as combinations or varieties of the described designs, in which forms, measures and workings of those play sealings have also exact relation with the extent of eccentricity of the machine, and with the quality of constant diameter of the R.P. and are therefore part of the invention.

Sealing elements can be constructed either completely and/or partly solid or hollow.

Figure 4 shows a cross-section and a longitudinal section of a technical construction of the invention according to items discussed up till now. The central shaft (3) is encamped (12) in the side parts (11) of the housing; the R.P. (2) is encamped on the eccentric (4). On the R.P. a gear wheel (8a) is fitted of which the centre coincides with the centre axis of the R.P.

This gear wheel is meshing a ring gear wheel (8b) with internal gearing, which is firmly connected with the square housing and of which the centre coincides with the longitudinal central axis of the square housing. When the R.P. makes 1/3 revolutions, the gear wheel runs completely through the internal gearing, which means that the proportion of the gear wheels is 3 : 4. The rotation of the R.P. consists of the resultant of two clean rotations, through which the machine can become totally outbalanced and no free forces of inertia need to remain, for instance with the aid of a flywheel with counter-weight or by letting more machines work on one axis with their eccentricities equally distributed over 360 degrees perimeter. Between the R.P. and the external gear wheel connected, there is a side part firmly fixed to the housing (11a) with a passage opening of smaller diameter than the diameter of the firmly with the housing connected ring gear wheel. The reason for this is that the R.P. needs to retain sufficient touching plane with its side-parts during its movements, in connection with the sealing on the side surfaces of the R.P. The "separating functions" of the ribs of the R.P. come about in figure 4 with the play sealing Al of figure 3.

R.P.M.s (Rotary Piston Machines) of this type can be applied to displace fluids and gases, whereby the possible high number of revolutions of the machines and the as a consequence thereof large capacity in proportion to its own weight and volume can signify extraordinary advantages. For this type of R.P.M.s it is an attractive quality that possibilities in the free angles for adding of suction and/or pressure valves on the construction exist, without the need to influence the rotation in the housing of the R.P. Even the compression ratio can be chosen within a wide range. This way these machines are applicable as compressor, self- sucking liquid pumps, compressed gas motor, hydraulic motor. The possibility also to install other provisions in the free angles of the housing, such as for the injection of fuel and ignition provisions, gas heaters and gas coolers, opens the options for the use of these machines as combustion engine, (two- or four-stroke), and as hot gas R.P. engine.

On all these applications, the R.P.M. according to the invention, offers decisive advantages because of its possible effective play sealings on the spot of the cylindrical ribs. The flanks of the R.P. will during the rotation of the R.P. in the square inner area roll along the inner chamber surface in a direction opposite to the direction of rotation of the R.P. and at the same time to a relative small extent slide along the inner chamber surface in a direction which corresponds with the rotation direction of the R.P. For the roll and slide purposes, plays have to be kept to by the construction of the machine between its flanks and the inner area surface .

With certain applications of this R.P.M., the plays can manifest themselves as sealing defects between two working chambers and have a disadvantageous influence on the intended workings of the machine. In order to stop or limit this disadvantageous influence, the flanks can be provided with a co-operating system of flank play sealings. A flank play sealing consists in principle of a radial groove (27), made in the flank in longitudinal direction of the R.P. (see figure 5). Over the full length of such a groove there is a sealing element (28), which by centrifugal force or spring pressure (29) stretches up till outside the surface of the flank. When the flanks are rolling and gliding, other parts of the flanks will always touch the inner chamber surface. As soon as the sealing element touches the inner chamber surface, the element will consequently be pushed against the spring pressure and/or against the centrifugal force deeper into the groove and following under pressure give temporarily support to the sealing between the two working areas on both sides of the imaginary contact straights of the flank with the inner chamber surface. With a co-ordinating system of flank play sealings, a number of these grooves with sealings must be fixed in one flank on at least such distance among each other, that during off-rolling of the flank along an inner chamber surface, at least one of the sealing elements must be operational.

Because the individual flank play sealing elements during off- rolling of an R.P. flank become consecutively merely for a short time operational, and an operating sealing element only slides over a limited distance across an inner chamber surface, a rather strong radial spring pressure on the sealing element can be applied without much loss, which is of utter importance, in view of the possibilities of applying the invention at processes with high pressures and temperatures.

For sealing purposes of the play between a side surface of the R.P. and a side part of the square inner area, a side area play sealing can be fixed (figure 5) (30) according to a known technique which consists of one or more parallel bent strips, for example rectangled in cross section, in fitting grooves, which through spring pressure, for instance through a corrugated leaf spring on the bottom of the groove stretches till outside of the side surface, but can be completely pressed into the groove. At the three ribs of the R.P., these grooves can go through and eventually end in for instance cylindrical discs (22) which lie against the sealing . „ -

elements of the ribs and which can also stretch under spring pressure till outside of the side surface, through which an all-round closed side surface play sealing is accomplished.

It is obvious that the different play sealings on ribs, flanks and side surfaces of the R.P. have to be designed and constructed as one connecting to each other and coordinating system of play sealing. The possibility of constructing the in longitudinal direction affixed sealing elements of the R.P. with a to a maximum striving varying length, achieved by spring pressure, so that the head surfaces of the sealing elements under axial pressure lie against the side parts of the inner area, can provide an important contribution to the suitability of the whole.

EXAMPLES FOR APPLICATION

Figure 6 indicates the principle draft of an execution type of the R.P.M. according to the invention, with a system applied and already known in the technique of radial valve ports (47) in the R.P. and grooves (48) in the eccentric, which are formed and positioned in such a way that during rotation of the R.P. around the eccentric in the cylindrical touching plane the four working chambers successively and periodically remain in connection with the grooves in the eccentric and the connected channels (49) in the central shaft for the supply (T) or the discharge (A) of gasy or liquid matter. In the drawn-up construction form are the supply channels (T) situated in the front half of the R.P. in longitudinal direction, whereby the outlet channels (A) are situated in the back half of the R.P. in longitudinal direction; this is also the case with the supply- and outlet-channels in the central shaft and eccentric.

A machine, furnished like this or in a similar way, can in principle work as compressed gas engine, as compressor, as self-suction liquid pump or as hydraulic motor, well or not in combination with functions affixed in the free angles of the machine .

Reversal of the direction of rotation leads to exchange in the supply and discharge channels; exchange of supply- and discharge channels leads to reversal of the direction of rotation.

Figures 7, 8 and 9 indicate global sketches of an application of the invention as combustion engine of the type "liquid cooled four-stroke engine". In the following legend of these sketches, the same numbering has been kept up as for parts which are equivalent to the parts of the preceding figures 1 to 6.

With the aid of the preceding description with sketches and the three sketches with legend, the working of this application can be fully understood.

Legend belonging to figures 7. 8 and 9

1 Square inner area

2 Rotary piston of constant diameter

3/4 Central axis with eccentric (in fig. 9, composition in longitudinal cross-section)

6 Working area

9 Encamping central shaft

10 Encamping rotary piston on eccentric 8a Two gear wheels on rotary piston 8b Two internal ring gear wheels to housing

11 Side parts

11a Diameter minimization for enlargement of the touching plane with the rotary piston

17 Loose cylindrical rod (play sealing Al, figure 3)

18 Form of the "free angle"

22 Sealing disc (with pressure spring)

27 Flank play sealing (fig. 5 with radial helicoid pressure springs and pins (29)) 30 Side surface play sealing

37 Compensation of variations in lengths

50 Cooling liquid connection channels 50a Annular cooling liquid channels

51 Cooling liquid channels through the central axis with eccentric (possibly cooled lubricating oil)

52 Tubular rotating inlet and exhaust ports

53 Outlet pipes

54 Supply fuel mixture (possibly under over pressure) 54a Valve ports in inlet valves 55 Sparking plug

56 Gear wheel distribution cabinet

57 Driving gear wheel of the distribution

58 Distribution toothed lockwasher

59 Possible drive shafts for auxiliary tools (ignition mechanism, cooling water pump, lubricating oil pump, ventilator, dynamo and such likes)

60 Gear wheels on the rotating in and outlet valves 61 Bolts of the rotary piston composition

62 Toothed clutch between rotary piston and gear wheel (on behalf of assembly and disassembly)

63 Flywheel with balancing 64 Starting motor position

The following qualities can be added to the draft of application examples:

- Machine-drafts with special suitability for high numbers of revolutions

- Machine-drafts with special suitability for realization of a high shaft capacity in relation to its own weight and required volume - Machine drafts which can be correctly balanced

- Machine drafts with special simplicity of construction and simplicity of spare parts

- Machine drafts with excellent starting points for cooling off excessive heat. - Machine drafts with favourable expectation in respect of the energetic output.

- Machine drafts with suitable starting points for effective internal process sealings.

Similar constructions

The construction described up to here originates from Rotary Piston machines of which the cross section have a circumference of fluently closed curves of constant diameter R with three axes of symmetry, rotatable fitting in square inner areas of which the inscribed cylinders have the diamter R.

Equal constructions can be obtained when starting from the rotary piston machine, of which the cross section has a circumference of fluently closed curves of a constant diameter R, with respectively five, seven, nine etc axes of symmetry, rotatable fitting in respective regular hexagon, octagon, decagon etc inner areas, in general: rotary piston machines of which the cross section the circumference have of fluently closed curves of a constant diameter R and 2n-l (n > 2) axis of symmetry, rotatable fitting in enclosing bodies with 2n inner chamber surfaces which together form regularly prismatic inner areas of which the inscribed cylinders have the diameter R.

The construction principles and application possibilities of such machines are generally equal to the up to here described execution.

A special advanatage of the rotary piston machine with increasing number of axes of symmetry in the cross section can lie in the number of axes of symmetry reversed proportional number of revolutions of the rotary piston machine, at remaining an equal number of revolutions of the central axis with eccentric. (See fig. 10, principle drawing for n=3) .

Consulted Literature: l.Offenlegungsschrift 1924380, 19 november 1970 Bundesrepublik Deutschland

Pumpe Oder Kraftmaschine mit in einem quadratische GehSuse rotierenden Kolben

2. Offenlegungsschrift 1921901, 12 november 1970 Bundesrepublik Deutschland Drehkolbenmaschine

3. F. Wankel, (summer 1963) Rotary Piston Machines piass,ification of Design Principles for Engines, Pumps arid Compressors

Following the classification of this book, the here described Invention belongs to "Model Sheet 14", types of internal axis, the third and the fifth row, but is not represented at this sheet

Claims

1) Rotary Piston Machines of the type which consists of an enclosed body with a number of 2n (n > 2) flat inner area surfaces and side parts which together enclose a regular prismatic inner area of which the inscribed cylinder has the diameter R, and whereby through the longitudinal central axis of the prismatic inner area one in at least one of the side parts encamped shaft with an eccentric is positioned, on which a Rotary Piston is encamped with a length which is equal to the length of the inner area and which in cross section has a perimeter of a regular multi-angle with 2n-l angles, of constant diameter R, so when rotating the shaft with eccentric, parts of the Rotary Piston slide along the inner area surface, whereby between the Rotary Piston and angles of the prismatic inner area working chambers are being formed separately from each other and which during rotation of the Rotary Piston around its centre axis pass through cyclic volume changes and whereby in respect of the power drive in both the parallel axis of the R.P.M. at least one system of two meshing gear wheels has been fitted, of which one gear wheel with internal gearing and one gear wheel with external gearing, characterised in that the Rotary Piston in cross section has the perimeter of a fluently closed curve of constant diameter R (constant thickness R) with 2n-l axes of symmetry.

2) A Rotary Piston Machine as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that each cylindrical rib of the Rotary Piston for improvement of the gas tight or liquid tight separation of both adjacent working chambers over the entire length has been replaced by a movable and entirely or partly cylindrical sealing element which according to its shape and working has an exact relation with the measurement of eccentricity of the machine, so that the quality of constant diameter of the Rotary Piston remains functional and during moving along an inner chamber surface the sealing element against the inner chamber surface is being pressed by element and/or by centrifugal force and/or by radial spring pressure.

3) A Rotary Piston Machine as claimed in claim 1 or 2, whereby each flank of the Rotary Piston for the sealing of the plays between flanks and inner chamber surfaces in longitudinal direction is provided with a number of parallel and radial grooves with inside movable sealing elements under radial spring pressure which in rest position stick out to outside the flank surface on a distance which is greater than the play to be sealed, characterised in that during rolling of the flank along an inner chamber surface in a direction opposite the rotation direction of the Rotary Piston, the sealing elements in succession and of short duration can start operating through touching of successive strokes of the inner chamber surface, whereby the periods of working of each pair of successive sealing elements partly overlap one another.

4) A Rotary Piston Machine as claimed in claim 1 or 2, characterised in that with an aimed composition of the angles of the regular prismatic inner area, or by fixing of appropriately formed conduction strokes in the angles, the movable sealing elements for replacement of the cylindrical ribs of the Rotary Piston are being kept in their place in the Rotary Piston and/or capsized during passing of these angles.