WO2004070169A1 - Rotary engine - Google Patents

Abstract

The Quasiturbine (Qurbine in short) uses a rotor arrangement peripherally supported by four rolling carriages, the carriages taking the pivoting blade pressure-load, of the blades forming the rotor, and transferring the load to theopposite contoured housing wall. The present invention discloses a central, annular, rotor support for the geometry defined by the pivoting blades and associated wheelbearings, while still maintaining the important center-free engine characteristic. The pressure-load on each pivoting blade is taken either by its own set of wheel-bearings rolling on annular tracks attached to the central area of lateral side covers forming part of the casing, or is cancelled out in symmetrically pressurized fluid energy converter mode through the central holding action of annular power sleeves. This central, annular, rotor support could generally apply to all the family of Quasiturbine rotor arrangements and particularly to the limit case here considered, where the previous carriage design is replaced by a cylindrical pivoting blade joint as developed in the present patent, and for which an efficient solution of the five bodies rotary engine sealing problem is given.

Description

ROTARY ENGINE

FIELD OF THE INVENTION:

This invention relates generally to a perfectly balanced, zero vibration, rotary device, and specifically to rotary engines, compressors, and pressure or vacuum pumps.

DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART:

The patent USA 6,164,263 discloses a general rotary device called the Quasiturbine (Qurbine in short), which uses four pivoting blades and four rolling carriages to make a rotor of variable diamond-shaped geometry, the rotor mounted within a contoured housing wall formed along a Saint-Hilaire confinement profile shaped somewhat like a skating rink, the sides of the housing wall closed by lateral side covers. That Quasiturbine device uses four peripheral rolling carriages to hold the rotor in place within the housing wall and to transfer the pivoting blade radial load-pressure to the opposite part of the housing wall, in such a manner as to remove all load pressure from the center, making the Quasiturbine a center-free engine. USA 6,164,263 also discloses an effective but simple rotor-to-shaft differential linking mechanism and further provides a general method for the precise calculation of the Saint-Hilaire confinement profile family of curves for the housing wall. In most rotary engines, the sealing at the pivot connection or apex between two adjacent blades must be done simultaneously with the contoured housing wall and also with the two lateral side covers which is a critical and difficult five-bodies sealing problem. This sealing problem was satisfactorily solved in patent USA 6,164,263 through a male-female pivot design overlapped by the carriage. Results of theoretical simulation and some experimental data revealed exceptional engine characteristics for the Quasiturbine device, and in particular the possibility of a shorter pressure pulse with a linear ramp compression-pressure raising-falling slope near top dead center.

In the present context, this invention is not an improvement of the Quasiturbine device in USA 6,164,263, but instead discloses a "central, annular, rotor support" applicable to all the family of Quasiturbine rotor arrangements for similar or other applications, where pivoting blades, wheel-bearings, and annular tracks are located within the rotor, while maintaining a center-free engine characteristic for direct power takeoff. To illustrate the central, annular, rotor support, an embodiment of the Quasiturbine has been used which employs a rotor made up of four blades incorporating simple cylindrical pivoting joints between adjacent blades without rolling carriages. The pivoting joint includes an underneath holding finger at die male end, and efficiently solves the five bodies sealing problem. The device of the present invention includes wheel-bearings and lateral side covers carrying the annular tracks to take the pressure-load applied by the blades. The invention also provides a precise parametric calculation method and criteria for unique selection of the appropriate Saint-Hilaire confinement profile so as to satisfy the optimum engine efficiency of the PV (Pressure- Volume) diagram; and this geometry permits the Quasiturbine to be scaled-up to provide power in excess of 100 MW and more. This new rotor arrangement further allows the insertion of annular power sleeves each linking each pair of two opposite blades with or without centrifuge clutch weights, on the external surface of the sleeves. A Modulated Inner Rotor Volume (MIRV) allows pumping-ventilating action and is particularly useful to cool the interior of the rotor in an internal combustion engine mode. The MIRV is also generally applicable to the Quasiturbine design disclosed in patent USA 6,164,263. Finally, on the interior wall of the annular power sleeve, differential washers make a large diameter tangential mechanical differential coupling with the power disk and shaft. Due to a shorter confinement time and a faster linear ramp compression-pressure raising-falling slope, a new combined Otto and Diesel QTIC-cycle mode is made possible, and is photo-detonation compatible.

OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION:

The object of this invention is to provide a Quasiturbine central, annular, rotor support using pivoting blades, wheel-bearings, and lateral side covers carrying annular tracks (or alternatively the canceling out of the pressure-load in the fluid energy converter mode through the annular power sleeves) generally applicable to all the family of Quasiturbine rotor arrangements and other rotary engines, compressors or pumps, and particularly to an embodiment of the Quasiturbine which employs four blades incorporating simple cylindrical pivoting joints between adjacent blades without carriages, all this while maintaining a large empty area in the center of the engine for direct power takeoff and preserving most previously claimed Quasiturbine characteristics.

Another object of this invention is to provide a "Saint-Hilaire confinement profile calculation method" of the contoured housing wall appropriate to the chosen Quasiturbine design arrangement, minimizing the surface to volume ratio in the compression chambers and reducing the flow turbulence. This calculation method includes criteria for engine optimum confinement profile selection from the family of curves to generate the contoured housing wall.

A further object of this invention is to provide a low friction, pivoting blade, joint design which is particularly suitable for non-metallic material like plastic, ceramic or glass, the joint allowing for maximum air-tightness; space for gate-type, near zero in-groove movement with single or multiple contour seals; higher maximum RPM; and suitable for very high-pressure 80 applications with the seals designed accordingly. A compression ratio tuner can replace the sparkplug in high compression ratio photo-detonation combustion engine mode.

Another further object of this invention is to provide a Modulated Inner Rotor Volume (MIRV) producing annular pumping-ventilating action between the inner surfaces of the moving pivoting blades and the outer surfaces of the annular power sleeves, with or without centrifuge clutch weights. The Modulated Inner Rotor Volume (MIRV) is particularly useful to cool the interior of the rotor in an internal combustion engine mode, while allowing for the insertion of the differential washers on the inner surface of the annular power sleeves, to be able to make a large diameter tangential mechanical differential coupling with the power disk 90 and shaft.

Yet another further object of this invention is to provide a new combined Otto and Diesel Quasiturbine operation in an Internal Combustion QTIC-cycle mode, this due to the possible shorter confinement time and the faster linear ramp compression-pressure raising-falling slope, which is photo detonation compatible.

In order to achieve these objects, the Quasiturbine rotor arrangement makes use of an appropriate contoured housing wall calculated to receive the present, pivoting blades, rotor geometry, with a set of contour and lateral seals (linear gate type and pellets) engineered for 100 the selected rotor arrangement.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS:

A more complete appreciation of the invention will be readily apparent when considered in reference to the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective exploded view of the Quasiturbine device with a contoured housing wall and the four interconnected pivoting blades shown in a square configuration.

110 FIG. 2 is a top view with the lateral side covers removed, the four interconnected pivoting blades shown in a diamond configuration.

FIG. 3 is a detail perspective exploded view of the Quasiturbine showing interior details, where the contoured housing wall and two of the pivoting blades have been removed for better viewing.

DETADLED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT:

The USA 6,164,263 patent disclosed a Quasiturbine rotor arrangement using four rolling 120 carriages to take the pivoting blade pressure-load and transfer it to the opposite contoured housing wall. The present invention discloses a Quasiturbine rotor arrangement without carriages, where the pressure-load on each pivoting blade is taken by its own set of wheelbearings located in a power transfer slot in the inner side of blade, the wheel-bearings rolling on annular tracks, one track attached to the central area of each lateral side cover. This rotor supporting configuration can apply to all the Quasiturbine family of designs, and is here illustrated on a specific Quasiturbine embodiment without rolling carriages. This Quasiturbine rotor arrangement reduces the number of components, reduces the friction surface, reduces the total wall surface in the compression chambers, and is particularly suitable for non- metallic pivoting blades, the blades being made instead from material such as plastic, ceramic 130 or glass. Furthermore, this rotor arrangement allows for single or multiple contour seals with a near zero in-groove movement, and eliminates the need of a cooling system for carriages. This invention applies generally to rotary engines, compressors, or pressured or vacuum pumps.

The present Quasiturbine invention is generally referred on FIG. 1 as number 10, and comprises a stator casing 12- made of a contoured housing wall 14 and two lateral side covers 16, one on each side of the housing wall 14,, and a rotor 18 of four or more pivoting blades 20 confined within this casing. Each pivoting blade 20 carries a power transfer slot 22 on its inner surface 24 in which wheel-bearings 26 are located. The lateral side covers 16 each have 140 an annular track 28, not necessarily circular, on their inner surface 30 to support the wheelbearings 26 carried by the pivoting blades 20, the wheel-bearings rolling on the tracks. Multiple notches 32 are provided on the external perimeter of the covers 16 where cooling fins 34 can be inserted. Liquid cooling is also easily feasible. Radial intake 36 and exhaust 38 ports are located in the housing wall 14 or axially (not shown) in the lateral side covers 16. A check-valve port 40 can be located through each pivoting blade 20 to benefit from the centrifuge intake pressure. A compression ratio tuner 42 can replace the sparkplug 44 at high compression ratio photo-detonation mode. One end of each pivoting blade 20 carries a male connector 46 and the other end carries a 150 complementary female connector 48, the male and female connectors of adjacent blades connected to provide a low friction pivot joint 50 as shown in FIG. 2. The cylindrical male connector 46 carries a contour seal groove 52 and has a rounded outer portion that acts as a guiding-rubbing pad 54 with the contoured housing wall 14, with provision for a hard metal or ceramic insert in that guiding-rubbing area. The pivoting blades 20 also have a lateral pellet hole 56 in the male connector 46 at the joints 50, and lateral seal grooves 58 along their sides extending between the connectors 46 48. The set of seals used in the pivoting blades is made up of contour seals 60; lateral arched side cover seals 62 (which can be made continuous when located in a groove within the lateral side covers 16), and small pellet seals 64 in the male connector 46 at the pivoting blade joint 50. All the seals have a back spring, and in 160 addition the contour seal 60 sits on a contour seal damper made of a rubber band lying in the bottom of its groove to help extend the seal life from hammering against the housing wall.

Two annular power sleeves 66, 68 are provided, as shown in FIG. 3, each linked to the axels 70 of the wheel-bearings 26 in two opposed pivoting blade power transfer slots 22 by opposed rings 72 on each sleeve. The sleeves 66, 68 leave a large circular hole in the engine center for the shaft power disk, a direct power takeoff or other uses. The annular power sleeves 66, 68 can carry their own set of lateral side cover seals (not shown) to insulate their inward central area from their outward area. Furthermore, the inner surface 74 of the annular power sleeves 66, 68 carries several grooves 76 from which any mechanism enclosed by the sleeves can be 170 driven. Centrifuge clutch weights 78 are located between the inner surface 24 of the pivoting blades 20 and the outer surface 80 of the annular power sleeves 66, 68, a clutch weight 78 located adjacent each side of each of the power transfer slots 22. A tangential mechanical differential is located on the inner surface 74 of the annular power sleeves 66, 68, and is made of several (from two to twelve or more) differential washers 82 linking the annular power sleeves 66, 68 to the central power disk 84 and the shaft 86. A calculation method for the stator Saint-Hilaire confinement profile of the contoured housing wall 14 is disclosed for the chosen Quasiturbine rotor arrangement, with a set of optimum engine contoured housing wall 14 selection criteria.

180 FIG. 1 shows the four interconnected pivoting blades 20 in a square configuration within the housing wall 14, guided by the solid guiding-rubbing pads 54 provided by the male connectors 46 at the joints 50 between adjacent blades. The wheel-bearings 26 of the blades 20 roll on the annular tracks 26 carried by the lateral side covers 16. The port locations 36, 38 shown are the ones used when the Quasiturbine is operated as a fluid energy converter or compressor. The spark plug 44 is positioned as for the internal combustion mode. For clarity, the centrifuge weights 78 are not shown on FIG. 1.

FIG. 2 shows the four interconnected pivoting blades 20 in a diamond configuration. FIG. 2 also shows details of the interconnecting pivot joint 50 including details of the male 46 and

190 female 48 connectors; the contour 60 and lateral arched seals 62 and pellet seal 64; the wheelbearings 26 and annular track 28 positioning; and the guiding-rubbing action of the pad 54 in the cylindrical male joints 50. The compression ratio tuner 42, the flame transfer slot-cavity 88 and one of the pivoting blade check valve ports 40 with the central area are shown. The port locations 36, 38 shown in FIG. 2 are the ones used when the Quasiturbine is operated in an internal combustion engine mode with counterclockwise direction of rotation. FIG. 2 also shows the Modulated Inner Rotor Volumes (MIRV) 90. Annular pumping action is provided by the varying size of the volumes 90, each located in between the inner surface 24 of the pivoting blades 20 and the outer surface 80 of the annular power sleeves 66, 68. It will be seen that the centrifuge clutch weights 78 are located within the volumes 90 and move along

200 the outer surface 80 of the power sleeves 66, 68.

FIG. 3 shows details of the Quasiturbine with the contoured housing wall 14 and two of the pivoting blades 20 removed. It also shows details of the centrifugal clutch weights 78, which weights could possibly pivot around the closest wheel-bearings, the annular power sleeves 66, 68 and the differential washers 82 making a large diameter tangential mechanical differential coupling with the power disk 84 and shaft 86.

The four pivoting blades 20 are attached to one another as a chain in forming the rotor 18 and show a variable diamond-shaped geometry while moving in a Saint-Hilaire-like confinement

210 profile of the contoured housing wall 14 calculated to confine the rotor 18 at all angles of rotation. Contour seals 60 between the pivoting blades 20 and the contoured housing wall 14 are located at each pivot joint 50. The expansion or combustion chamber 92 is defined by the volume in-between the outer surface 94 of a pivoting blade 20 and the inner surface 96 of the contoured housing wall 14 and extends from one pivot joint contour seal 60 to the next. Referring to FIG. 2, as the rotor 18 turns, it does make minimum combustion chamber 92 volumes at the top and bottom (TDC), and maximum volumes at left and right (BTC). During one rotation, each pivoting blade 20 goes through four complete engine strokes, so that a total of sixteen strokes are completed in every rotation. Furthermore, as an expansion stroke starts from a horizontal pivoting blade 20 and ends when it gets vertical, the next following pivoting

220 blade 20 is immediately starting a new expansion cycle without any dead time, which means that the Quasiturbine is a quasi-continuous flow engine at intake and exhaust, both of which can be located either radially in the contoured housing wall 14 or axially in the lateral side covers 16. Several removable intake and exhaust plugs 98 may be used to convert the two parallel compression and expansion circuits into a sole serial circuit. The two quasi- independent circuits are used in parallel with all plugs removed, for operation as a two stroke internal combustion engine, fluid energy converter, compressor, vacuum pump and flow meter. The two quasi-independent circuits are used in serial by plugging intermediate ports, to make a four stroke internal combustion engine as shown in the port arrangement of FIG. 2. Notice that the intake and exhaust ports have different locations for different applications and

230 their position can be time advanced or delayed for exliaust and intake as shown in FIG. 2. The load-pressure force exercised by the compressed fluids on each pivoting blade 20 is taken by the wheel-bearings 26 rolling on the annular tracks 28 attached to their respective lateral side covers 16. With this geometrical arrangement, even with heavy pressure-loads on the pivoting blades 20, the diamond-shaped deformation of the rotor 18 requires only very little energy, and the rubbing pads 54 located in the vicinity of the pivot joints 50 and contour seals 60 guide the rotor 18 during its diamond-shaped deformation. During rotation, the wheelbearings axels 70 are not moving at a constant angular velocity and for this reason, a differential linkage must be built within the annular power sleeves 66, 68 to drive the power disk 84 and shaft 86 at constant angular velocity.

240

The stator 12 and the lateral side covers 16 are centered on the engine rotor axis. The lateral side covers 16 have annular tracks 28 receiving the wheel-bearings 26 carried by the blades 20, which tracks are not necessarily circular. FIG. 1 shows a central hole 100 in the lateral side covers 16 that can be made large enough so that the power disk 84 and the differential washers 82 can be slide in-and-out without having to dismantle the engine. A cap bearing- holder can be inserted in the large side cover hole 100. Intake and exhaust ports 36, 38 are located either radially in the stator 12 or axially (not shown) in the lateral side covers 16. For the Modulated Inner Rotor Volume (MIRV) 90, the lateral side covers 16 carry a set of ventilation ports 102 for cooling the rotor 18. A sparkplug 44 can be located at a variable

250 angle on the top of the stator 12, and also at bottom (not shown) in the two stroke engine mode, and replaced, when in a very high compression ratio photo-detonation mode by a small threaded piston called a "compression ratio tuner" 42, which can be feedback controlled to optimize combustion chamber conditions for different fuels or running operation. The surface of contact between the stator 12 and the lateral side covers 16 carry a fix gasket 104.

The annular tracks 28 are circular only if the wheel-bearings 26 are on the line joining the axis of two successive blade pivots. The central opening in the rotor 18 could be made smaller or larger by moving the wheel-bearings 26 towards or away of the outer surface 94 of the pivoting blades 20, out of alignment with pivot joints 50, but then the annular track 28 in the 260 side covers 16 will no longer be a perfect circle, but be elliptical-like in shape. The wheelbearings 26 are located on each side of the pivoting blade 20 and carry roller or needle bearings 106. The blade rubbing pads 54, located in the vicinity of the contour seals 60, can be formed by the pivoting blade male connector 46 itself, or it can be formed by a little insert (not shown) containing the contour seal 60 so as to prevent the hardening of the whole pivoting blade 20. In this arrangement, hard inserts can, alternatively, be used to make the complete pivoting blade joint 50. Pressure in the combustion chamber 92 does not generate a significant torque around the wheel-bearings axles 70 carried by the pivoting blades 20 and consequently the combustion chamber pressure has little effect on the rubbing pad 54 pressure against the housing contour wall 14. The rubbing pad pressure is essentially due to the small 270 rotor deformation, which is quite independent of the pressure-load. However, this same pressure-load gives a great tangential rotational force on the whole rotor. The combustion chamber 92 can be enlarged by cutting the pivoting blade 20 and the very high compression ratio photo-detonation mode makes use of a "compression ratio tuner" 42 instead of a sparkplug 44. The manufacturing method allows for the entire stator and rotor to be made out of a cylindrical disk, the housing contour wall being formed in the interior of the disk and the pivoting blades being formed in the outer periphery. Alternatively, the contoured housing wall 14 can be shaped by precision forging and the pivoting blades 20 can be metal cast or metal powder pressed. Similar techniques and molds will also work for plastic or ceramic.

280 The pivoting blades 20 can be made all alike with a male connector 46 and a female connector 48 to form the pivot joints 50. Alternatively, half the blades 20 can have two female connectors and the other half two male connectors. A good "five-bodies" sealed joint design is quite important and must satisfy an extensive force vector analysis. The blade pivot joint 50 of the present invention must be strong enough to take some load-pressure and all the tangential push-and-pull forces of the torque, while allowing independent low-friction rotational movement of the two connected pivoting blades 20. Simultaneously, the joint must be leak proof within itself, the contoured housing wall 14 and with the two lateral side covers 16. This pivot joint 50 has space, if needed, to enclose a bearing to further reduce the required rotor energy deformation. Extensive research has led to a double chisel joint pivot concept

290 detailed on FIG. 2, where the male connector 46 has two different radii 106, 108 on its main body 110 and a finger 112 spaced from the main body 110 for use in holding the pivoting blades together. The female connector 48 has also two different radii 114, 116 located on an extending arm 118, the radii 114 116 cooperating with the radii 106, 108 on the male connector 46 when the arm 118 is mounted between the main body 110 and the finger 1 12, and preventing the connectors 46, 48 from opening up. As the rotor torque increases, the joints 50 get tighter and tighter, and still more leak proof.

The contour seals 60 are single or multi-pieces drawer type seals located in the axial direction along the pivoting blade male connector 46 and have a near zero in-groove displacement,

300 making a contact angle almost perpendicular to the contoured housing wall 14 at all times, departing only slightly from -6,35 to +6,35 degrees for the selected arrangement. Consecutive multiple pieces contour seals (not shown) can be used to prevent two successive chambers to be in contact with one another at the time the joint 50 passes in front of the ports 36, 38. This multi-seals configuration would also insure that at least one of the seals is at all times moving inward in its groove, while the others may be moving outward. In addition, .the contour seal sits on a contour seal damper made of a rubber band lying in the bottom of its groove 52 or between the springs to help extend the seal life from hammering against the housing contour wall. The pivoting blades 20 seal with the lateral side covers 16, on each side, by a linear or slightly curved gate-type lateral seal 62 and. a pellet type seal 64 at the end of the male

310 connector 46. The seal grooves are at different depth levels, so that the pressure gas behind the seals cannot propagate. A non-mandatory linear intra-pivot seal can be incorporated in the female connector 48 from one lateral side cover to the other, if required. When the pivoting blades 20 are made of smooth or fragile material like plastic, ceramic or glass, there is room for a metal insert to be placed at each pivoting blade joint 50 for proper movement and friction control. When shaped as an arc, the pivoting blade lateral seal grooves 58 are easy to make on a lathe. This arched seal, positioned near the edge of the outer surface of the pivoting blade 20 traps a minimum volume in combustion mode, and being at the far reach of the rotor, it keeps the high-pressure in the outer area of the covers 16, which reduces the total pressure- force on them. A continuous elliptical-like seal, shaped like a slightly shrunken confinement

320 wall profile, and incorporated into the lateral side covers 16 i≤ also a simple alternative to the multi-components lateral seal set described. All seals 60, 62, 64 have a back spring to maintain them at all time respectively in contact with the housing wall 14 and the lateral side covers 16. The low-friction wheel-bearings 26, the pivot joint 50 design, and the described seal set, allow the Quasiturbine to withstand high-pressure-load, while maintaining an excellent leak proof condition.

Many Quasiturbines may benefit in having some type of centrifuge clutches. The Quasiturbine geometry permits it to have the centrifuge clutch weights 78 within the rotor 18, each weight located between the wheel-bearings 26 and a blade end, in-between the pivoting 330 blades 20 and the outer surface 80 of the annular power sleeves 66, 68 within the volumes 90 well ventilated by the Modulated Inner Rotor Volume (MIRV) annular central pump effect. The centrifuge clutch weights 78 can pivot around the wheel-bearings axis 70. As with any centrifuge clutches, the weights 78 will contribute slightly to increase the rotor inertia. The centrifuge clutch weights 78 can be used to drive clutch friction pads (not shown) located either on the outer surface 80 of the annular power sleeves 66, 68; or within the power disk 84 where the angular rotational speed is uniform; or externally to the Quasiturbine. Notice that with such a centrifuge clutch in place, a conventional starter must be used to drive the Quasiturbine rotor and not the power shaft 86, unless some kind of clutch-locking is provided.

Because each pair of opposed wheel-bearings 26 does not rotate at constant angular velocity, two distinct but identical central annular power sleeves 66, 68 are used side-by-side along the engine axis as shown on FIG. 3, each one linking two different opposite wheel-bearings axis 70 by opposed rings 72. Each annular power sleeve 66, 68 is in the form of an annular ring with the two outer opposed rings 72 on the outer surface 80 taking the torque from the opposite pivoting blades 20 via the wheel-bearings axis 70. As an alternative of the two outer opposed mounting rings 72 on the annular power sleeves 66, 68, conventional centrifuge clutch pads (not shown) linked to the centrifuge weights 78 could be inserted between the two consecutive wheel-bearings 26 and the outer surface 80 of the annular power sleeves 66, 68. Inside the annular sleeves 66, 68 are multiple grooves 76 in the inner surface 74 in which the differential washers 82 can be attached, via washer pins 118 thereon. The differential washers 82 are rotably attached to the surface of the power disk 84 via power disk pins 120 to link the power disk 84, via an oscillating movement of the washers 82 around the power disk pins 120, to the power sleeves 66, 68. In the design shown, the maximum relative angular variation of the annular power sleeves 66, 68 is 6.35 degrees ahead and behind their respective average angular position, for a maximum differential angle of 12.7 degrees, which produces a +/- 15 degrees oscillation of the differential washers 82. In the case of the pressurized fluid energy converter mode, like pneumatic or steam, where both the upper and lower chambers are symmetrically pressurized, the annular power sleeves 66, 68 can take and cancel out the mutual pressure-load of the two opposite pivoting blades 20, possibly suppressing in this case the need to use the wheel-bearings 26 and the lateral side cover annular tracks 28.

To power the shaft 86 by the two side-by-side annular power sleeves 66, 68, the shaft power disk 84 or the large diameter shaft have multiple radial extending disk pins 120 on which sits the set of differential washers 82. Each washer 82 has two opposite radially extending washer pins 118, each one fitting into its own internal groove 76 on power sleeve 66, 68 respectively. The thicker, or wider, that the Quasiturbine design is, the greater can be the diameter of the differential washers 82, however, fewer differential washers can be setup on the circumference of the power disk 84, except if one accepts a partial overlapping, which is well possible. Practically, the numbers of differential washers 82, the number of power disk pins 370 120 and the corresponding grooves 76 in the power sleeves 66, 68 can vary from two to twelve or more. In the design shown, the differential washers 82 angular oscillation around the disk pin 120 is +/- 15 degrees, which requires a little play between the power disk 84 and the internal surface 74 of the annular power sleeves 66, 68 to account for the washer being slightly off shaft axis during oscillation. Alternatively, if the power disk 84 external surface is shaped as part of a sphere of the same diameter, the differential washer 82 can sit perfectly on it if also shaped accordingly and furthermore, since the washer pins 118 on the differential washers 82 need to be cylindrical only on a 15 degree arc, the two pins shape can be elongated toward the washer center for better strength. Each radially extending disk pin 120 can be part of the differential washer itself, and can carry a bearing. This set of differential

380 washers 82 makes a large diameter tangential mechanical differential coupling between the two annular power sleeves 66, 68 and the unique power disk 84, and suppresses the rotational harmonic for a constant and uniform rotational speed of the output shaft. Another differential design is presented in USA 6,164,263, and most other conventional differential designs can work, but the above described tangential differential design is more convenient because it works at a high radius, where the torque-force is minimal; it takes up little space; and it leaves a large central-free engine area for power take-off. Furthermore, it allows the large shaft diameter or the power disk-shaft 84 86 assembly to slide in-and-out of the Quasiturbine engine without it being disassembled. Like for the Quasiturbine rotor, this differential design has a fixed center of gravity during rotation and maintains the zero vibration engine

390 characteristics. The power disk can hold a conventional feed-through shaft, or can carry, or be part of, a very large diameter thin wall tube shaft. This tube shaft may enclose a propeller screw for a water jet or pumping, or an electrical generator or else. It can also carry an axial thrust bearing at least at one end, and an engine crank starting device at either ends.

Each Modulated Inner Rotor Volume (MIRV) 90 is generally triangular in shape, each volume formed by the inner surfaces 24 of adjacent pivoting blades 20 extending from their common pivot 50 to their respective transfer slots 22 and the outer surface 80 of the annular power sleeves 66, 68. The volumes 90 vary as the rotor 18 rotates. The volumes 90 are forty five degrees out of phase with the outer combustion chambers 92, and make an integrated 400 efficient annular pump or ventilating device, displacing a total of 8 times its volume in every rotation. Ventilating ports 102 are located in the lateral side covers 16 near the external surface of the annular track 28 in the vicinity of the wheel-bearings 26 when the rotor is in its maximum diamond length configuration. The geometry permits pulsing ventilation if all the ventilating ports, 102 in the lateral side covers 16 are open, or two different one-way ventilation circuits in the same or opposed axial direction, if proper ventilation ports 102 are selected on both sides of the engine. When the side covers 16 have only a crossed- symmetrical-through-center set of ventilation ports 102, as shown in FIG. 1, entrances occur only from one engine side and exits to the other, while consecutive ports on the same side covers would make the entrances and exits on the same engine side. Using a radial check

410 valve 40 across and through the pivoting blade body could allow transfer to-and-from the chambers with the central area, which may be of interest for example in the Quasiturbine- Stirling-Steam engine, compressor, or enhanced mixture intake by the gas centrifuge force through the central engine area. The Modulated Inner Rotor Volumes (MIRV) 90 forms a well-integrated annular pump and can be used as such in many applications, or to venti late and cool the rotor in engine mode. They can also form a second stage low flow high-pressure device when in compressor mode, or to provide the pressure fluctuation required by a standard carburetor diaphragm fuel pump. Furthermore, a very high-pressure can be obtained from the scissor-pivoting-blade effect at the joint 50 when the guiding male finger 112 moves in and out of position. Similarly, other piston-like devices can be incorporated in this scissor

420 action to produce high-pressure pumping effect like a Diesel fuel pump to drive the fuel injectors. Ultimately, the Modulated Inner Rotor Volumes (MIRV) 90 can also be made to work as an Inward Rotor Engine Quasiturbine (IREQ), while the Quasiturbine outward rotor is used as a compressor, a pump, or for other applications.

A new Quasiturbine Internal Combustion QTIC-cycle mode is made possible, combining Otto, Diesel and eventually photo-detonation mode. Otto engine cycle intakes and compresses a sub-atmospheric manifold pressure air-mixture for uniform combustion, while the Diesel engine cycle always intakes and compresses atmospheric pressure air-only, which gives a non-uniform injected fuel combustion. Due to the possibility of a shorter confinement time

430 and a faster linear ramp compression-pressure raising-falling slope, the new Quasiturbine Internal Combustion QTIC-cycle mode consists of intaking, at atmospheric pressure, a continuous air-fuel mixture for uniform combustion, thereby combining Otto and Diesel modes. This mode is not possible with a piston engine, because the sine-wave shape of the maximum compression ratio poorly defines the top dead center by making an unnecessary long confinement time, consequently requiring a reliable external trigger source such as a sparkplug or a fuel injector. The Quasiturbine Internal Combustion QTIC-cycle can work at a moderate compression ratio with a sparkplug 44, or without it at a very high compression ratio for almost any fuel, the photo-detonation being auto-synchronized by its very short linear ramp pressure pulse tip. A regular piston cannot stand photo-detonation because it

440 keeps the mixture confined too long, and because the relatively small piston mass required by the severe accelerations at both strokes ends prevent making a stronger piston. The upward piston momentum aggravates the effect of knocking, while the homo-kinetic rotation of the Quasiturbine allows for relatively more massive pivoting blades making the passage at top dead center almost without momentum change. This QTIC-cycle mode only requires a non- synchronized fuel pulverization and vaporization in the Quasiturbine atmospheric intake continuous airflow, suppressing the need of conventional vacuum carburetor or synchronized fuel injector and sparkplug timing in photo-detonation mode, and allows for a much higher RPM than the conventional mode due to continuous intake flow without valve obstruction and faster photo-detonation chemistry combustion. The photo-detonation being a fast radiative

450 volumetric combustion, it leaves much less unburnt hydrocarbon that has plenty of extra time left for completing the combustion. Furthermore, due to the possibility of shorter confinement time, the combustion chemistry does not have enough time-pressure to produce the NO_x before expansion begins, producing a cleaner exliaust, including with the hot hydrogen combustion in presence of nitrogen. Because of the zero dead time, the Quasiturbine can provide continuous combustion by using an ignition transfer slot-cavity 88 cut into the housing wall 14 for flame transfer from one chamber to the following one. This ignition flame transfer slot-cavity 88 also allows the injection of high-pressure hot burning gas into the following, ready-to-fire, chamber, producing a dynamically enhanced compression ratio, since near top dead center, a little volume change in the combustion chamber makes a large

460 change in the compression ratio. For better multi-fuel capability, a compression ratio tuner 42 made of a simple small threaded piston in a tube is used in place of the sparkplug 44, and allows compression ratio fine-tuning as needed, and can be dynamically feedback controlled.

The Quasiturbine can be generally used as an engine, compressor or pump, and sometimes in a dual mode. To name a few applications, it is suitable for small or very large units in steam, pneumatic and hydraulic mode (including use in reversible waterfall hydro-electric stations), and in a combined engine-turbo-pump mode where one intake port and its corresponding exhaust port are used in a compressed fluid energy converter engine mode while the other intake and exhaust ports can be used as a positive or vacuum pump or compressor. The

470 Quasiturbine can be used as an internal combustion engine in Otto or Diesel in two or four stroke mode. The Quasiturbine engines in photo-detonation mode with a high compression ratio (20 to 30: 1) are particularly suitable for natural gas and other fuels that are hard to burn to environmental standards like jet fuel or low specific energy gases, in which case the fuel is simply mixed to the atmospheric pressure intake without any synchronization means. It can be further used in a continuous combustion mode with a flame transfer cavity 88 at the forward contour seal 60 near top dead center. It can be used in a Quasiturbine-Stirling-Steam rotary engine mode with pressurized gas or phase change liquid-steam, with the hot poles alternating with the cold poles, a device which is reversible and can be used as a heat pump. Most of the previous engine modes allow operation without a sparkplug (no electromagnetic field), with a

480 plastic or ceramic engine bloc and with low noise level, all qualities most suitable for low signature stealth military operation. Furthermore, those previous modes permit very energy efficient operation and more complete internal combustion than conventional piston engines to meet the most severe environmental standards of the future. The Quasiturbine can also be used as an engine to drive a turbo-jet engine-compressor, allowing the suppression of the hot- power-turbine and its associated limitations in temperature, efficiency and speed. In the opened or closed Brayton mode, a cold Quasiturbine can act as compressor while a second hot Quasiturbine possibly on the same shaft can produce power in a pneumatic mode, in order to make a jet engine without jet (no gas kinetic energy intermediary transformation is involved, which makes it almost insensitive to dust particles). The second hot Quasiturbine can be

490 suppressed and the system used as a high flow hot gas generator. It can be used in a vacuum engine mode, including with imploding Brown gas. Many applications do not require the Quasiturbine to have its own power disk 84 and/or shaft 86, since the shaft attachment differential washers 82 can be fixed directly on the accessory shaft (of a generator, a gearbox, a differential shaft, by way of example) and the Quasiturbine simply slides over the accessory shaft to mount it without any need for shaft alignment. The empty center of the Quasiturbine is particularly suitable to locate a propeller therein and makes a self-integrated marine jet propulsion system, or a liquid or gas turbine-like pump, where the complete engine can be submerged. This empty center is also suitable to locate electrical components for a lightweight compact electrical generator or electrical motor for a compressor or pump. The

500 fast acceleration resulting from the absence of the flywheel and the high engine specific power density allows the use of the engine in strategic applications, as in heavy load soft landing parachuting. Improved engine intake characteristics allow the Quasiturbine to run better than piston engines in rarefied-air as in high altitude airplane operation. Its low sensitivity to photo-detonation and potentially oil-free operation make it most suitable for hydrogen fuel operation, including with lateral intake stratification and natural atmospheric aspiration. Since the Quasiturbine has no oil pan and does not require gravity oil collection, it can run in all possible orientations, and even out in space in micro-gravity. The Quasiturbine can also be used as a general replacement engine, compressor or pump in most present and future applications, and with most principles or processes where modulated volume is

510 required.

The contoured housing wall 14 is derivate from an empirical generating equation of the variable diamond geometry of the rotor for all rotation angles. The housing wall 14 is not unique but part of a family of curves, and selection must be done according to an engine efficiency criteria. Before calculating the Saint-Hilaire confinement profile for the housing wall 14, one must calculate the blade pivots 44 profile curve. Since this profile does require only symmetry across the central engine axis, any initial arbitrary pivot movement from 0 to 45 degrees (or 1/8 of a turn in a non-orthogonal axis situation) does determine the complete pivot point curve. This empirical 0 to 45 degree curve must meet three constraints: be parallel ₍ to the y- axis at 0 degree angle x- crossing; be matching at the diamond-square configuration corners; and furthermore, the slope at those corners must be continuous. Assuming Rx the pivot profile radius on the x- axis, and Ry the pivot profile radius on y- axis, and R45 the pivot profile radius at 45 degrees where the rotor is in square configuration, the modified M(θ) linear radius variation between 0 and 45 degree could be empirically of the form (pivot profile, not the actual housing contour wall 14):

R(θ) = (Rx - (Rx - R45) θ /45) M(θ)

Where the modifying parametric function M(θ) has the form:

M(θ) = 1 + A sin(4 θ (1 - P sin(4 θ)))

The pivot profile in the 45 (R45) to 90 (Ry) degrees interval is simply given by the Pythagoras diamond-lozenge formula. The two constants A and P provide a parametric adjustment of the radius variation where +/- A controls the amplitude and affects mostly the axis areas, and +/- P controls the angular maximum variation position and affects the wideness of the overlap zone near 45 degree from the x- axis. This empirical representation has been found adequate to explore most of the family of pivot profiles of interest, including the very high eccentricities leading to two lobes confinement profiles. The housing wall 14 presented in Figs. 1 and 2 is obtained from the pivot concave eccentricity limit profile curve, enlarge by the rubbing pad radius 106 all around. This enlargement must be perpendicular to the local pivot profile tangency at all angles. Furthermore, in order for the engine to be described by the most efficient Pressure - Volume PV diagram, the final expansion volume of the engine chamber must be equal to the volume generated by the variable surface of tangential push, which is proportional to the radius difference of two successive contour seal 60 positions during rotation. These criteria permit to select a subfamily for the optimum engine mode efficient housing wall 14. A good way to fine-tune the value of the A and P parameters is to control the smoothness of the calculated confinement wall radius of curvature. This radius of curvature continuity can be easily achieved for the no-lobe limit case with both A and P positive and less than 0.09, but it is not progressive here as other profiles previously reported in USA 6,164,263. Great care must be taken not to be mislead by the appearance of this housing wall 14 which is far more complex than an ellipse. For the example presented here, where the pivot to pivot length is L = 3.5" and the pivot rubbing pad 47 diameter is D = 0.5", the housing wall 14 radius of curvature in one quadrant goes from 2.67" near the x- axis, down to 2.05" near 33 degrees, up to 4.50" near 65^'degree, and finally down again to 2.60" near the y- axis, which indicates a relative flat zone between 33 and 65 degree. This flat zone housing wall 14 structure is not as obvious in USA 6,164,263, but demands- a high precision calculation method. An additional interesting exploratory profile parameter is the exponent of M(θ) in the 0.3 to 3 range, which is not detailed here. Notice that 560 the profile complexity depends greatly on the selected pivoting blades diamond eccentricity (here Ry /Rx = 0.8).

The Saint-Hilaire housing wall 14 presented on the FIGURES uses nearly the same rotor pivot eccentricity (Ry /Rx = 0.8) as the Quasiturbine in patent USA 6,164,263. One should notice that increasing the radius of the joint-rubbing pad centered on each pivot tends to attenuate the high curvature in the corners of the Saint-Hilaire "skating rink" confinement profile, but contributes to increase the maximum torque, with no net penalty on the specific power and weight density of the Quasiturbine, without however achieving as stiff a linear ramp pressure that the rolling carriages design permits. If the rotor can be made of strong

570 material like steel, the pivot pad radius 106 can be made relatively small and lead to the selected housing wall 14 shown, which is a near optimum Quasiturbine specific power and weight density. It is hard to notice by looking at the housing wall 14 that the radius of curvature fluctuates along the profile. Inside the rotor 18, one notices a generally triangular Modulated Inner Rotor Volume (MIRV) 90 in-between the inner surface 24 of the pivoting blades 20 and the outer surface 80 of the annular power sleeves 66, 68 at every rotor pivot 50 location. Changing the shape of the rotor 18 for the purpose of producing internal central volume variation for an annular pumping application would need no rotor rotation, but only a steady on-site "oscillating rotor deformation", possibly driven by a rotating external confinement profile, or by a x- or y- axes movement. The rotor deformation could also be

580 driven from an alternating pressurization of these Modulated Inner Rotor Volumes (MIRV) 90, such as to make an Internal Rotor Engine Quasiturbine (IREQ). This calculation method does not require profile symmetry through x- and y- axes, but only through the central point, which means that the axes may not be orthogonal with this same calculation method, in which case the confinement profile could be asymmetrical, producing an interesting Quasiturbine with different intake and exhaust volume characteristics, and with only minor rotor change. QUASITURBINE (QURBINE) ROTOR WITH

CENTRAL ANNULAR SUPPORT AND VENTILATION

CROSS REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS:

U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS

USA 6,164,263 Dec. 26, 2000 Saint-Hilaire et al. 123/205

Claims

WE CLAIM:

1. A rotary apparatus able to produce mechanical energy from pressurized fluid flow such as hydraulic, steam, pneumatic, and from Stirling cycle, Brayton cycle, Otto and Diesel internal combustion cycles and to pump, vacuum and compress, generally referred to as a Quasiturbine, and comprising:

- a casing having an internal contoured housing wall, including two lateral side covers;

- pivoting blades consecutively pivoted one to the other at their ends, the pivot axes parallel 610 and each blade carrying an inwardly directed power transfer slot;

- an assembly of said pivoting blades and joints forming a X, Y, θ variable-shape rotor rolling inside said housing wall about a central axis;

- a calculation method for the housing contour wall family of curves, and selection criteria to meet the pressure-volume engine PV diagram;

- the said lateral side covers each carrying an annular track on their inner surface;

- a set of contour seals in contact with the said housing wall, and a system of lateral seals in contact with the said lateral side covers;

- chambers of variable volume, each limited by two successive contour seals, and extending along the inner surface of the housing wall, and the outer surface of the said pivoting blades;

620 - said pivoting blade carrying a combustion chamber cavity;

- a set of ports in the said housing for intakes and exhausts;

- a set of ports in the said lateral side covers for intakes and exhausts;

- A set of ports through the said pivoting blade, connecting the said chamber to the central area;

- an ignition flame transfer slot-cavity;

- a compression ratio tuner;

- a set of clutch centrifuge weights inside the said rotor;

. - a set of annular power sleeves located inside the said rotor;

- Modulated Inner Rotor Volumes (MIRV) within the said rotor;

630 - a mechanical tangential differential linking the said annular power sleeves to the power disk and the power shaft;

-wherein all consecutive compressions housing areas' are occurring repetitively in the same housing areas, and all consecutive expansions are- also occurring repetitively at different intermediate housing areas;

- wherein the two compression housing areas are opposed, as well as the two opposed expansion housing areas;

- wherein each successive compression stroke and expansion stroke start and end simultaneously;

- wherein the distance between two consecutive contour seals stays almost constant during a 640 revolution of the said rotor;

- wherein the contour seals stay almost perpendicular to the said housing contour wall at all time;

- wherein the said mechanical differential prevents the wheel-bearings axes rotational harmonic to reach the said power shaft;

- wherein the said rotor and said mechanical tangential differential centers of mass are immobile during rotation;

- wherein the said chamber volume is asymmetric from mid-value, and the pressure pulse is short and increases and decreases linearly near the top dead center;

- wherein a Quasiturbine Internal Combustion cycle (QTIC) results from the said pressure 650 pulse characteristic;

- wherein the said Modulated Inner Rotor Volume (MIRV) is 45 degrees out of phase with the said outward rotor chambers; and

- wherein the said Modulated Inner Rotor Volume (MIRV) can be alternately pressurized to make an Inward Rotor Engine Quasiturbine (IREQ), driving the said rotor from its interior;

- Wherein the direction of rotation can be reversed, reversing the direction of the flow.

2. A rotary apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the said contoured housing wall is generally shaped like a rounded corner parallelepiped, with four areas of maximum curvature and four intermediate areas of minimum curvature, and wherein the complexity of the housing 660 contour wall makes the radius of curvature to slightly fluctuate within one single quadrant.

3. A rotary apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein to permit higher eccentricity of the said rotor, the calculated housing wall is lobed shaped, with six areas of maximum curvature and six intermediate areas of minimum curvature.

4. A rotary apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the mathematical contour profile of the said housing wall is one of a family of curves requiring only symmetry about the center of the contour wall and not through the x- or y- axis, and the method for calculating the said housing contour profile, including for large eccentricity lobed solutions and limit cases, referred the 670 following calculation steps: - First, select the diamond-shaped rotor eccentricity which imposes and defines at design the x- and y- axes blade pivot profile coordinates, while the square said rotor configuration defines the 45 degrees pivot profile coordinates;

- A set of possible blade pivot profile is first calculated;

- Empirical blade pivot profile radius in the 0 - 45 degrees interval is first assumed linear, and modulated by at least a two parameters function which does not change the 0 and 90 degree area tangenciality;

- In the case of the perpendicular x- and y- axes, the 45 - 90 degrees interval is a simple Pythagoras lozenge-diamond mapping of the 0 - 45 degrees interval, with slope continuity in

680 the 45 degrees area, otherwise oblique lozenge mapping is appropriate;

- The corresponding set of possible housing wall is obtained by enlarging the said blade pivot profile by one pivot radius all around;

- Wherein from the set of possible housing walls, the selection of an optimum engine application housing wall is done such as the final said chamber expansion volume equals the volume generated by the movement of the tangential surface of push, in order to meet the pressure-volume standard engine PV diagram; and

- Wherein the method applies for all values, positive, negative or null of the eccentricity, the pivot diameters alike or not, and the x- and y- arbitrary axes angle.

690 5. A rotary apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the lateral side covers have:

- multiple notches on their periphery for thermal fins;

- an annular track on their inner surface for the pivoting blade wheel-bearings, the tracks not necessarily circular except if the pivoting blade wheel-bearings are located on the axis of two successive pivots;

- a bearing holder on the engine axis for the power shaft;

- a large aperture on one lateral side cover on the engine axis, permitting the power disk and the power shaft to slide in-and-out the casing without dismantling the engine;

- a bearing-cap fitting the large aperture, and holding a bearing and the power shaft; and

- volume modulator ports outside the periphery of the annular track, for the Modulated Inner 700 Rotor Volumes (MIRV).

6. A rotary apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the pivoting blade comprises:

- an outward surface shaped to insure free rotation of the rotor within the housing wall for all angles of rotation;

- an outward surface being cave-cut to enlarge the combustion chamber when required;

- a check-valve port made radially through the said pivoting blade, and linking the said combustion chambers to the central engine area; - said check- valve port allowing chamber intake enhancement by centrifuge force;

- a power transfer slot extending inwardly toward the central rotor area;

710 - a receptacle space within the said Modulated Inner Rotor Volumes (MIRV), on both side of the said transfer slot, to locate the centrifuge clutch weights; and

- An all directions but axial strong pivoting joint at the said pivoting blades ends.

7. A rotary apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said ports are radial housing ports for a spark plug, a compression ratio tuner, and for intake and exliaust ports located near where the contour seals stand at top dead center.

8. A rotary apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said ports are lateral side cover ports for a spark plug, a compression ratio tuner, and for intake and exhaust ports located on the pivoting

720 blade pivots path, near the blade pivot positions when at top dead center.

9. A rotary apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the said intake and exhaust ports comprise:

- Several removable intake and exhaust plugs, which are used to convert the two parallel compression and expansion circuits into a sole serial circuit;

- Two quasi-independent circuits used in parallel with all plugs removed for operation as a two stroke rotary internal combustion engine, a fluid energy converter, a compressor, a vacuum pump and a flow meter; and

- Two quasi-independent circuits used in serial by plugging intermediate ports, to make a four 730 stroke internal combustion rotary engine.

10. A rotary apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said intake and exhaust ports have different locations for different applications, and wherein:

- Symmetrically opposed said ports with respect to engine center are used for fluid energy converter, compressor and two strokes engine applications;

- Said symmetrically opposed ports are slightly moved toward the high-pressure zone, to take advantage of the pivoting blade port obstruction during port-seal crossing, preventing momentarily free intake-to-exhaust flow;

- Said intake port for internal combustion engine is an arc-shaped like opening in an angular 740 suction zone in relation to the forward contour seal, and extending further to account for fluid flow time delay;

- Said check-valve port made radially through the said pivoting blade, permits chamber central intake enhancement by the centrifuge force;

- Said exhaust port for internal combustion engine is shaped as an elongated angular opening, extending to account for fluid flow time delay and inertial exhausting; and

- Said sparkplug and compression ratio tuner are located in the high-pressure zone, anywhere in between the pivoting blade contour seals when at top dead center horizontal position, extending further to account for fluid flow time delay.

750 11. A rotary apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said pivoting blade joint comprises:

- A male and a female part at the respective ends of the said pivoting blade;

- Two female parts at both ends of the same said pivoting blades, while said male parts are at both ends of the two complementary pivoting blades of the said rotor;

- the male part made cylindrical with two different radiuses of curvature, having an underneath holding finger so that four and more pivoting blades can be firmly assembled together;

- the male part acting as a rubbing pad against the housing wall to guide the rotor deformation into proper diamond shape, having provision for hard metal insert to allow for material like plastic, ceramic, glass or others;

760 - the female part having an arm extension also holding two different radiuses of curvature;

- An in-joint seal within a groove located in and along the said female part; and

- the joint having a provision for an in-joint bearing, linking friction-free the cylindrical male part to the female part.

12. A rotary apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the said transfer slot comprises:

- A pivoting blade wheel-bearings shaft parallel to the engine axis, near mid-way between the said blade pivots;

- A cylindrical wheel-bearings shaft holder fitting tightly with the wheel-bearings shaft and the transfer slot;

770 - The extremities of the said wheel-bearings shaft each carrying one wheel-bearings rolling on the said lateral side cover annular track; and

- An attachment space on the said wheel-bearings shaft for one of the said annular power sleeves bearing ears, allowing driving of the central power disk and power shaft.

13. A rotary apparatus as defined in claim 1, having a set of contour seals each located in a linear groove extending along the engine axis within the said pivoting blade male joint and comprising:

- A gate type seal plate made as a back spring-loaded sliding;

- A gate type seal plate made as a back spring-loaded sliding in fit contact simultaneously 780 with the housing contour wall and the lateral side covers; and

- A contour seal damper made of a rubber band lying in the bottom of the groove on which the said contour seal and spring are sited.

14. A rotary apparatus as defined in claim 1, having a system of lateral seals carried by the said pivoting blades and comprising:

- A curved groove and a curved seal in contact with the said lateral side covers; and

- A moon-like shaped groove and pellet seal on each side of the said male joint.

15. A rotary apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the said lateral seals include: 790 - A moon-like shaped groove and pellet seal on each side of the said male joint; and

- An almost elliptic pivots path groove and static back-pressured ring in each side cover, which by design is in permanent contact with the rotor.

16. A rotary apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the lubrication can be suppressed, and comprising:

- A favorable geometry where lubricant is not needed for cooling;

- A favorable geometry where no internal parallax forces exist;

- A favorable geometry where no -seal is under internal stress, and subject to hydrogen fragilisation; and

800 - Said contour seals and lateral seals system made of very hard material for operation without lubricant.

17. A rotary apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the said annular power sleeves comprises:

- An empty annular ring concentric with the engine axis, with an interior receptacle for the said tangential mechanical differential and the power disk;

- Two opposed small bearing-rings, each linked to a pivoting blade wheel-bearings axis;

- Multiple grooves on the inner surface of the said empty annular ring, for torque transfer to the said tangential differential washers;

810 - A set of seals carried by the said empty annular ring, to leak proof the inner area from the outer area;

- Wherein the two said annular power sleeves are inserted co-linearly 90 degrees apart within the Quasiturbine, each one making a relative back and forth rotation not at constant angular speed; and

- Wherein the load-pressure on two opposed said pivoting blades when in the fluid energy converter mode is canceled out by the annular power sleeves, generally suppressing the need for the said wheel-bearings and the annular track.

18. A rotary apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the said clutch centrifuge weights 820 comprise:

- A plurality of said clutch centrifuge weights located in-between the said pivoting blade and the annular power sleeves;

- The said clutch centrifuge weights pivoting around the closest wheel-bearings axes;

- A plurality of friction clutch pads located on the outer surface of the annular power sleeves, where the rotation is not at constant angular speed;

- A plurality of friction clutch pads located on the inside surfaces of the said annular power sleeves, where the rotation is not at constant angular speed;

- A plurality of friction clutch pads located on the surface of the said power disk, where the rotation is at constant angular speed;

830 - A plurality of friction clutch pads located outside the Quasiturbine engine, but driven by the inside said clutch centrifuge weights; and

- A clutch pads locking mechanism to permit to crank the engine by the said power shaft for starting.

19. A rotary apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the said Modulated Inner Rotor Volume (MIRV) comprises:

- A triangular shaped-like chamber defined by the inward joint of two successive said pivoting blades and the outer surface of the annular power sleeves, and extending from one respective pivoting blade wheel-bearings axis to the other;

840 - Wherein the Modulated Inner Rotor Volumes (MIRV) are 45 degrees out of phase with the said outward rotor chambers;

- Wherein the said triangular shaped-like chamber has a minimum volume at open diamond corner angles and a maximum volume at closed angles;

- Wherein the rotation of the said rotor expels the gas-liquid enclosed in the maximum volume, and intakes similar content from the minimum volume configuration;

- Wherein the said Modulated Inner Rotor Volumes (MIRV) can act as a compressor- ventilator, and as a second stage low-flow high-pressure compressor mode;

- Wherein the said Modulated Inner Rotor Volumes (MIRV) can ventilate the rotor inside area through two independent top and bottom circuits by either pulsing, parallel and opposite

850 flow directions;

- Wherein the said Modulated Inner Rotor Volumes (MIRV) can circle air-liquid coolant through the engine block and in the rotor central area, providing an integral cooling active circuit;

- Wherein the said Modulated Inner Rotor Volumes (MIRV) can provide the pressure fluctuation required to operate a standard carburetor fuel diaphragm pump; - Wherein the said Modulated Inner Rotor Volume (MIRV) works in both directions of rotation, upon reversing the direction of the flow; and

- Wherein very high-pressure can be obtained from the pivoting blades scissor-effect, such as to drive a Diesel fuel pump or other device.

860

20. A rotary apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the said Modulated Inner Rotor Volumes (MIRV) can work as a compressor, a pump and an oscillating engine, without rotation but simply by successive oscillating deformation of the said rotor diamond-shaped, by using an alternating piston, external fluid pressure or otherwise.

21. A rotary apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the said pivoting blade Modulated Inner Rotor Volumes (MIRV) can act as an Inward Rotor Engine Quasiturbine (IREQ), and comprises:

- A triangular shaped-like chamber defined by the inward joint of two successive said 870 pivoting blades and the outward surface of the annular power sleeves, and extending from one respective pivoting blade wheel-bearings axes to the other;

- Wherein the said triangular shaped-like chamber has a minimum volume at open diamond corner angles, and maximum volume at closed angles;

- Wherein a pressure in the minimum volume configuration of the said chamber provokes the said rotor to rotate 90 degrees toward a maximum volume configuration;

- Wherein successive said triangular shaped-like chamber pressurizations can continuously drive the said rotor in an engine mode; and

- Wherein the said Inward Rotor Engine Quasiturbine (IREQ) mode leaves the rotor outward areas free for compressor, pump and other uses.

880

22. A rotary apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the said mechanical tangential differential comprises:

- A large diameter power disk concentric to, and carrying the power shaft, and having a plurality of radially extending pins receptacles;

- A set of differential washers carrying two washer-pins inserted into the said radially extending pins;

- The said power disk external surface shape as part of a sphere of same diameter and the differential washer shaped accordingly to permit perfect sitting on the power disk spherical surface.

890 - The said two washer-pins of the differential washers fitting into the said annular power sleeves interior grooves and steps;

- A play in-between the said power disk external diameter and the said annular power sleeves internal diameter to permit the said differential washers to rotate slightly around the said radially extending pins;

- A curvature of the said power disk perimeter surface along the axial direction, to give room for the rotation of the said differential washers;

- A design permitting the sliding in-and-out of the said tangential differential assembly through one of the Quasiturbine said lateral side covers central aperture without dismantling the engine; and

900 - Wherein the said mechanical tangential differential prevents the said pivoting blades rotational harmonic to reach the said power disk and power shaft.

23. A rotary apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the said central shaft comprises:

- A central shaft collinear with the central housing axis, crossing the two said lateral side covers and supported by bearings in at least one of the lateral side covers;

- A central shaft coupling mechanism composed of the said power disk and the said mechanical tangential differential;

- Wherein the shaft coupling mechanism is made as a sliding plug-in unit, easily slide in-and- out without dismantling the engine;

910 - Wherein the said mechanical tangential differential coupling mechanism removes the RPM harmonic modulation on the shaft;

- Wherein the shaft gives full power takeoff at both of its ends;

- Wherein the said power disk and power shaft are not mandatory for engine operation and can be removed;

- Wherein the central shaft can be a very large diameter thin wall tube shaft carrying an axial thrust bearing at least at one end, and an engine crank starting device at either ends, enclosing accessories like propellers screw, electrical components, generator, gearbox shaft and similar; and

- Wherein several Quasiturbines possibly in different modes, can be stacked side-by-side on a 920 single common said power shaft through simple ratchet coupling for torque addition.

24. A rotary apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein in engine mode, the said ignition flame transfer slot-cavity comprises:

- A cut into the housing contour wall, located nearby where the forward contour seal stands at maximum chamber pressure, such as to allow a flame transfer from one said chamber to the next following chamber, to permit continuous combustion; and

- Wherein the said ignition flame transfer slot-cavity allows the injection of high-pressure hot burning gas into the next ready to fire chamber, producing a dynamically enhanced compression ratio. 930

25. A rotary apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein in engine mode, the high-tech fuel gases and hydrogen fuel capability comprise:

- Multi facing said intake ports located axially one each side of the engine, and easily accessible to permit independent and stratified admission of fuel and air;

- Multi side-by-side said intake ports located radially on the housing contour wall, and easily accessible to permit independent and stratified admission of fuel and air;

- Said pivoting blades, wheel-bearings and annular tracks made very strong; and

- An intake chamber area kept cold, such as to permit direct high-tech fuel gas and hydrogen backfire-proof intake and engine photo-detonation mode if require.

940

26. A rotary apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the said Quasiturbine Internal Combustion QTIC-cycle comprises:

- A fast and linear pressure-compression raising-falling Quasiturbine characteristic near top dead center;

- A continuous atmospheric air pressure intake without butterfly valve restriction;

- A fuel vaporized, sprayed, and mixed directly into the said continuous atmospheric air pressure intake without synchronization means;

- A compression of the said fuel mixture to standard pressure level, and a uniform combustion triggered by a sparkplug;

950 - A said compression ratio tuner made of a small adjustable threaded piston, to replace the sparkplug at very high compression ratio;

- A compression of the said fuel mixture to the Diesel-like pressure level by the short fast raising-falling Quasiturbine pressure pulse, and a uniform combustion driven by the adiabatic high temperature and radiation conditions;

- At very high-pressure, a photo-detonation engine mode made possible, where no sparkplug or otherwise synchronization mean is needed;

- A volume variation near top dead center without said pivoting blade mass momentum transfer, to well resist the photo-detonation knocking; and

- A heavy construction of the said rotor pivoting blades for inertial smooth-out of the photo- 960 detonation knocking.

27. A rotary apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein thermalization comprises:

- The said cylindrical shape male joint of the pivoting blade being in direct mechanical contact with the said housing contour wall, thereby increasing the combustion chamber walls thermalization, heat transportation and dissipation; - At least one of the two lateral side covers having a large central hole exposing the pivoting blades central area of the rotor, thus eliminating the so called internal engine parts, and so improving the cooling and reducing the need for lubricant thermal role; and

- A forced liquid and gas ventilation by the said Modulated Inner Rotor Volumes (MIRV) in the area between the said pivoting blades and the said annular power sleeves.

^■k A -V & A