WO2009154807A1 - Rotary power apparatus and method - Google Patents

Abstract

A generally trihedral inwardly curved Routrihedron™ chamber wall cooperates with a complementary complex curved, elongated and nonellipsoidal rotor or Roudiarcadron ™. The rotor maintains sealable contact with three surfaces of the chamber at all rotations of the shaft with rotor apices nesting in chamber vertices thus producing two working chambers in a pump or motor and three working chambers in an engine, successively alternating through expansion and contraction and simultaneously expanding and collapsing and pivoting through three orientations. The rotor rotates within a chamber counter rotationally and drives a pin attached to a shaft extending beyond the working chamber, or vice versa. The outwardly curved rotor imparts blocking and unblocking of ports in the walls of a pump, or cooperates with ports in crank plates and rotor passageways to provide blocking and unblocking of a working fluid throughout the functions.

Description

Rotary Power Apparatus and Method

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention improves upon the art of rotary power devices and methods. Such devices and methods use a chamber and a cooperating rotor to generate or apply energy to or from an output/input such as a rotating axle or shaft via multiple, variable volume subchambers which effect the energy conversion. This invention uses a chamber having a triangular working volume characterized by a heretofore undiscovered relationship of (1) selected inward chamber wall curvature, (2) a tangential relationship of the inward chamber wall curvature to chamber vertex curvature, and (3) elongated rotor face outward curvature all mutually proportioned such that the rotor apexes nest in the chamber vertices, and mechanical, chemical or fluid energy produced rotor rotation engages the chamber sides with the rotor faces in rotor actuating relation to drive the rotor apexes into opposing chamber vertices as a function of their respective curvatures and free of any apex-vertex clearance in excess of mechanical clearance to counter rotate the rotor relative to a crank plate and shaft, thereby to fully displace fluids present in these vertices and sealably close the vertices for increased efficiency in energy conversion.

2. Description of the Related Art

The related art is that of rotary power devices used as engines, motor and pumps. BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention is applicable to rotary pumps, to motors, and to internal combustion engines and their operation for the conversion of energy from one form to another, e.g. fluid energy such as steam or elsewhere compressed gases gas energy to mechanical energy, mechanical energy such as from a motor to fluid energy in the form of in situ compressed or pumped gases, and chemical energy to mechanical or compressed gas energy as in a motor or internal combustion engine having an output such as a drive or compressor shaft.

It is an object of the invention to provide improvements in the art of energy conversion devices. It is a further object to provide an improved rotary power device in which the efficiency is increased through exacting control of sealing at the rotor apexes and vertices by fully nesting the rotor tips therein while maintaining the rotor body in sealing contact with the surrounding chamber. It is a further object to provide selected configurations of rotor and chamber including complementary curvatures that enable the full nesting of the rotor apexes in the chamber vertices to effect the mentioned sealing there. Yet another object includes a rotor driving or being driven by an input/output shaft or axle without the chamber through one or more crank plates in the chamber end walls pin-coupled to the rotor center to drive the rotor rotationally and not translationally relative to the crank plate while rotatably sealed against the crank plate. A further object includes supplying a working fluid such as a combustible fuel mixture or pressurized gases such as steam and air into the chamber to coact with the rotor in energy exchanging relation, fluid energy to mechanical and vice-versa. A particular object is to effect a beyond the chamber passage of compressed combustion gases from in front of to behind the rotor. A further object includes passing working fluid into the chamber through passages in the rotor and out of the chamber via the crank plates.

These and other objects of the invention to become apparent hereinafter are realized in an energy conversion device for converting between mechanical and fluid energy, comprising a chamber defining a generally triangular shaped volume within opposed planar chamber end walls, at least one crank plate journaled in the chamber end wall and at least partially defining the chamber end wall, the chamber end walls being spaced by three chamber sides each chamber side having an inward first curvature and a uniform height and by three rounded vertices connecting the chamber sides, the arc of the vertices being tangent to the chamber sides first curvature, an input/output shaft without, i.e. extending beyond, the chamber volume and rotatable coaxially with the first crank plate under mechanical or chemical energy, an elongated, nonellipsoidal rotor within the chamber volume having dimensions of length, width and height and pivotally coupled at its geometric center with attachment through a crank pin to the crank plate for movement by and relative to the crank plate in multiple subchamber defining relation and freely of rotor translational movement and rotor rotation timing gearing, the rotor having oppositely outwardly curved rotor faces of a second curvature and planar rotor end walls that are spaced by the rotor faces and that have sealing contact with the chamber end walls and two rounded rotor apexes connecting the rotor faces that are congruent with the chamber vertices and have sealing contact with the chamber sides and vertices, the rotor dimensions being selected such that mechanical or chemical energy-produced rotor rotation engages the chamber sides with the rotor faces in rotor actuating relation to drive the rotor apexes into the chamber vertices as a function of their respective first and second curvatures and free of any apex -vertex clearance in excess of mechanical clearance to counter- rotate the rotor relative to the crank plate and shaft, fully displace fluids present in the vertices and sealably close the vertices for increased efficiency in energy conversion.

In this and like embodiments, typically, the rotor and chamber are relatively configured as shown in Figs. IA, IB, 2, 3, 4 and 9A to 9F, the rotor geometric center is located at the intersection of the rotor bisector and rotor long axis, the tπangular chamber has a center locus, and the rotor center travels a constant radius path about the center locus, the chamber has a center locus, one chamber side forming a base, and an altitude normal to the base, the rotor when normal to the base having its long axis equal in length to and coincident with the altitude and its rotor center farther from the base than from the chamber center locus, the rotor when horizontal having its long axis transverse to the altitude, its rotor center spaced from the base and closer thereto than the center locus, and a relationship of the first and second curvatures providing apex-shoulder contact between the rotor apexes and the chamber sides, there is further included a working fluid supply to the chamber, and inlet and outlet passages through the rotor for flow of the working fluid to and from the subchambers in selected registration of the passages with inlets and outlets of the chamber, the rotor defines fluid inlet and outlet passages for the subchambers, the crank plate is a first crank plate and defines a fluid supply inlet port, there is a second crank plate coaxial with the first crank plate and jointly carrying the crank pin with the first crank plate, the second crank plate defining a working fluid outlet port, the rotor inlet and outlet passages being arranged to register selectively with the working fluid inlet and outlet ports being arranged to register selectively with the working fluid inlet and outlet ports to carry working fluid to and from the subchambers in energy converting relation, the working fluid is a combustible fuel mixture whose compression and combustion in a subchamber dπves the rotor and shaft thereby, there is further included a fuel transfer lock at each chamber vertex for receiving from the chamber the combustible fuel mixture being compressed in front of the rotor and returning the combustible fuel mixture to the chamber behind the rotor, the working fluid supply comprises a pressurized fluid whose depressurization drives the rotor and shaft thereby, such as pressurized steam or a compressed noncombustible gas in compressed fluid motor devices utilizing multiple tandem chambers with vertexes offset by 60 degrees connected to a common shaft.

In the invention method aspects there is provided a method of converting between mechanical and chemical energy via a working fluid, including coupling an input/output shaft to a crank plate journaled in an end wall of a generally triangular chamber volume containing the working fluid and having between chamber volume end walls inwardly curved sides and vertices therebetween whose arcs are tangent with the curve of adjacent volume sides, pin-coupling the crank plate to the center of an elongated, nonelhpsoidal rotor having end apexes and dimensions of length, width and height relative to the chamber volume for rotational and not translational movement relative to the crank plate to define multiple variably sized subchambers therein and outwardly curved faces complementary to the chamber mward curved sides to effect full nesting of the rotor apexes in the vertices during rotor rotation and full displacement of fluids therein, maintaining a rotating seal between the chamber sides and the rotor against working fluid passage between the subchambers, and exchanging energy between the working fluid and the rotor for the rotor to correspondingly drive or be driven by the input/output shaft through the crank plate.

In this and like embodiments, typically, the method further includes selecting a combustible fuel mixture as the working fluid and providing at the vertices a fuel transfer lock for fuel transfer from before to behind the rotor, and where the crank plate is a first crank plate and the chamber wall includes a second crank plate opposed to the first crank plate and also pin-coupled to the rotor center, the method includes supplying working fluid to the chamber volume through the first crank plate, removing the working fluid from the chamber volume through said second crank plate, and passing working fluid through the rotor between the first and second crank plates

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING

The invention will be further described in conjunction with the attached drawings in which:

Fig. IA is a schematic view of the invention energy conversion device chamber and rotor;

Fig. IB is a further view thereof;

Fig. 2 is a further view thereof ;

Fig. 3 is a further view thereof;

Fig. 4 is a further view thereof;

Fig. 5 is a further view thereof;

Fig. 6A is a further view thereof;

Fig. 6B is a further view thereof;

Fig. 7 is a further view thereof;

Fig. 8 is a further view thereof;

Fig. 9A is a further view thereof;

Fig. 9B is a further view thereof;

Fig. 9C is a further view thereof;

Fig. 9D is a further view thereof; Fig. 9E is a further view thereof;

Fig. 9F is a further view thereof;

Fig. 10 is a further view thereof;

Figs. 1 IA and 1 IB are non-invention devices shown for comparison;

Fig. 12A is a longitudinal sectional view of an internal combustion engine incorporating the invention in one embodiment;

Fig. 12B is an elevational view of the chamber end wall, crank plate and sealing ring of the Fig. 12A embodiment;

Fig. 13 is an oblique view of the input/output shaft, crank plates and rotor of the Fig 12A embodiment;

Fig. 14A is a longitudinal sectional view of an internal combustion engine incorporating the invention in a further embodiment;

Fig. 14B is an elevational view of the chamber end wall, crank plate and sealing ring of the Fig. 14A embodiment;

Fig 15 is a further schematic view of the invention chamber and rotor;

Fig 15 A is a further schematic view of the invention chamber and rotor;

Fig 15B is a further schematic view of the invention chamber and rotor;

Fig 15C is a further schematic view of the invention rotor in development;

Fig 15D is a further schematic view of the invention rotor in development; and,

Figs. 16A-E are schematic views of the invention in a further embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS "Chemical energy" herein includes fluid energy, i.e energy carried m a fluid medium as opposed to a mechanical medium, and includes fluids per se such as compressed air, nitrogen and steam and noncombustible gases generally in which the energy content is derived from previous compression and/or heating, and fluids having energy through chemical reaction such as gaseous combustion products that are sometime referred to herein as being or having chemical energy "Mechanical energy" herein includes energy obtained by mechanical means such as motor-driven shafts "Positive displacement" herein, and its cognitives, refers to displacement obtained in a chamber having a rotor in continuous, contiguous, sealing contact at all axle rotation angles (when coupled to the rotor) so as to produce multiple sealed working subchambers "Cranking relation" herein refers to an offset relationship of an applied force on a pivotable structure, e g , on a rotor that is pivoted about an axis even a circular axis, a cranking force is applied at a locus spaced outward from the rotor axis of rotation "Nested" said of rotor apexes in chamber refers to elimination of all fluids from between the nested parts "Oppositely directed convexly curved faces" such as spaced symmetrically arched rotor apexes refers to curvature which can be mathematically derived

All embodiments herein share the benefits of a highly economical design with few moving parts, modularity in components and minimized sealing problems The invention herein described provides both an increase in efficiency and a reduction in noise while maintaining the high sealability characteristic of conventional reciprocating piston pumps and engines

Family of Chambers and Rotors

The invention devices and methods are based on a family of inwardly curved chambers having rounded vertices, mterfitted with outwardly convex arched (i e continuously curved over a span) rotors having curvilinear shapes that ensure that the rotor outward arcs and apices sides are in contact, typically at three moving points, with the rotation of axle and crank to create multiple, e g two or three sealable variably sized, expanding and collapsing working chambers at all rotations and at all times

It will be obvious as we proceed that sufficient length and width dimensions, herein termed "roundness" of the rotor are required to provide blocking and unblocking of ports in the walls of pump and motor devices, and to allow sufficient inlet and outlet sizes with intake and exhaust ports from and to their respective manifolds in internal combustion engine devices Moreover, sufficient roundness is also required of various rotor designs to provide sealing surface at the intake manifold port/rotor passageway interface and the exhaust manifold port/rotor passage interface while also allowing for sufficient intake and exhaust size in internal combustion engine devices Outward curvature of the rotor also plays a role providing sufficient port size and sealing

Routπhedron^tm Chambers

As distinguished from the prior art rounded vertex trihedron chambers having straight sides or inward curvature (inward toward the chamber center) unrelated to the rounded vertices, a Routπhedron^tm chamber is one of a family having specific mward concave sides with a particular curvature related to a selected vertex roundness defining the chamber This design has significant advantages over the prior art in that it relies only on a cranking rotation of the rotor, and not a translational shifting of the rotor center with respect to the trihedron chamber origin or axle

The arc curvatures of the chamber side curvilinear portions are intermediate between the Reuleaux triangle and a nearly straight sided triangle, and are concave inward. (Note: Herein Rou... is used in preference to Reu... to anglicize the terms Routrihedron^tm and Roudiarcadron¹"¹ and emphasize the relationship of the invention chamber shapes to Reuleaux triangles but also to emphasize the nonidenticality of Rou devices with Reuleaux triangle shapes).

The Routrihedron"¹¹ or main chamber herein has a working volume defined by the chamber that is equi-triangular in its main plane, having roundness at its vertices and having inwardly curved walls that have a unique curvature fitted to the rounded vertices. This main chamber is in its preferred modes simple, regular and symmetrical geometry that is easily designed and fabricated and scalable; the chamber is referred to herein as the Routrihedron^tm (or Routrihedral^tm) chamber and encloses a volume for rotor rotation called the chamber working volume.

Roudiarcadron^tm Rotors

The Roudiarcadron ^tm rotor can be sized, shaped and driven to subdivide the chamber working volume into a rolling series of working sub-zones or subchambers. In the first approximation, a Roudiarcadron¹"¹ rotor is defined herein as a generally nonellipsoidal, three-dimensional body with circularly rounded apices having outwardly convex curved circular arcs. In a second approximation Roudiarcadron"¹¹ rotors have more complex outward convex curvatures. In either approximation, the rotor end sides space the rotor major surfaces or major face arcs therebetween that are circular in their first approximation, and have more complex curved arches in their second and third approximations, that reside in an x-y plane. The x-y plane has a centerline along the rotor long axis in its horizontal orientation, and a center that resides at the intersection of the rotor long axis and its bisector. The rotor arcuate major surfaces, in their first approximation, are defined by two circular arcs respectively whose centers lie on the rotor long axis to produce at opposite rotor ends rounded apices equidistant from a bisector of the rotor. A Roudiarcadron^tm rotor apex has roundness if its vertex (not the vertex of the chamber sides) is formed by a first line projection along the long axis to the apex and a second line projection to a point of tangency with a major arc producing an angle that is greater than zero degrees. The two arcuate major surface centers he on the rotor bisector and laterally are equidistant from the rotor long axis. External arcuate surface centers thus define the origins for scribing two major surface arcs which define the rotor body arcuate major surfaces, these arcuate major surfaces outwardly and glancingly meet with and are tangent with their opposing two apex arcs. As noted, the rotor oppositely directed major arcuate surface arcs are tangent to the rotor rounded apices. The arcuate surface arcs project into the z-axis and form the arcuate major surfaces. The Roudiarcadron^tm rotor has height or thickness limited by needing to have mechanical clearance between the chamber end walls and length and width dimensions that allow rotation given the inward curvature of the chamber side walls as will be described in detail hereinafter.

The two rounded rotor apices are typically congruent with the rounded vertices of the trihedron. The arcs of the arcuate major surfaces, also termed herein rotor oppositely directed faces, are tangent to the rounded apices; the shoulders of apices, as opposed preferably to the outermost portions or peaks thereof, are in continual sealing contact with trihedron chamber sides (side walls defining the chamber periphery and between the chamber end walls), and one or the other major arcuate surface is in continual sealing contact with a chamber side (i.e. the side between the vertex contacts), except at those angles where the long axis of the rotor is perpendicular to a side of the trihedron chamber; the minor surfaces defined by end walls of the rotor are in continual sealing contact with the chamber walls including the crank plates journaled therein at all rotation positions.

In all embodiments where the rotor apices have degrees of roundedness conforming or congruent with the degrees of roundedness of the Routπhedral"¹¹ volume vertices less mechanical clearance, the leading and trailing rotor apexes each meet the chamber side walls along incrementally and progressively defined thin contact lines. The progressively and incrementally defined thin contact lines (for a given rotor apex) change contact position on the chamber side walls based upon the angle of rotation of the rotor as determined by the device crank plates, to be described. Thus, the series progression of contact lines creates incrementally a zone of tangencies that is characteristic of rotors having rounded apices, rather than a single line of tangency characteristic of pointy apexed rotors having single line contact along either the leading or trailing "knife edge" pointy apices.

A Crank Drive Mechanism with Crank Plates

An external mechanical force on the axle or input shaft carries a force to the crank plates where, in turn, the crank plates within the Routπhedron^tm carry the crank pm (or simply pin) fixed at a set distance from the axle center, the triangle origin or the geometric center of the triangle, i e. the center locus of the chamber. The pm travels in a circular path around the axle center. The pin engages with a typically congruent fitting such as a hole within the Roudiarcadron^tm rotor, the opening being e.g. a circular hole of the diameter of the pin plus mechanical clearance, e g , for slip fit and not a slot or otherwise noncongruent, oversized (beyond mechanical clearance) opening. The Roudiarcadron^tm rotor rotates in a counter-rotating cranking relationship about the pin while maintaining a sealing relationship with the inward curvature of the chamber sides. The crank plate and the rotor body in a pump embodiment are suitably opening-free and bodily block and unblock port openings. The crank plate can also work cooperatively with counter-rotation of the rotor so the rotor and its passages work cooperatively with ports in the crank plates to provide timed blocking and unblocking of fuel for ingress to multiple working chambers on a sequential rolling basis, for fuel compression, transfer of fuel from in front of the rotor to behind the rotor, for powering of the rotor after ignition, for exhaust of combusted fuels, all in an internal combustion engine arrangement.

In a range of Routπhedron^tm chambers, a Roudiarcadron"¹¹ rotor is operating within the chamber through the input impetus or output impetus of an mput/output shaft coupling that is concentric to the rotor. For example, the pin connection can be established between a rotor and a crank plate suitably journaled in an end wall of the chamber (an end wall is parallel to the chamber major plane and is not the side or side wall that (1) extends normal to the chamber major plane, (2) defines the chamber z axis dimension, and (3) separates, i.e. spaces, the chamber end walls to define the chamber). The crank plate also couples to an axle or input/output shaft. Finally, there is an input or output shaft drivingly coupled to the crank plates that extends beyond the trihedron chamber to apply or receive energy from the movement of the crank plates under force from the pm and rotor combination within the trihedron chamber.

In a pump application, a force is applied by the shaft through the crank plate to the pm, and, at certain discrete axle rotations the rotor long axis assumes a right angle orientation with respect to a line between the triangle origin and the pm, and a fully tangential force (i.e., a force with no radial component) is applied to the rotor. The tangential force of the pin produces a rotational force to the rotor at these angles by application of a force couple through cooperation with the chamber sides. When the rotor has rotated 60° beyond these disadvantaged angles, the rotor long axis becomes collmear with a line extending from the triangle origin to the pin, and a purely tangential force is applied to the rotor center creating the largest rotational force coupled to a vertex of the chamber sides. In the engine application, a chemical force such as from an explosion or other fluid force is applied to the rotor directly providing a rotation of the rotor about its center which, in turn, produces a counter-rotational force on the axle through the pin.

The Relationship between the Routπhedron'"¹ Chamber Vertex Roundness and the

Inward Curvature of the Chamber Sides

Referencing Figs. IA through 16E, and more particularly at this point Fig. IA, the mathematical basis is illustrated for the relationship of chamber vertex roundness to chamber side inward curvature The Routπhedron^tm is imbedded contiguously within a parent equilateral triangle having a base length equal to S 2, where in our examples S is selected to have a length of 1 00000, and having an altitude A (which is naturally 0.86603A or taken to be 0.86603 where side S =1.00000) In Fig. IA the vertex roundness 4 is selected to be 0 IOOOOS or 0 100000 The inward concave curvature of the chamber wall sides 6 must have the following relationship to the round vertices 4 of the chamber sides for a rotor 8 oriented vertically

Rou Equation I - N = A - Lv - R

Lv 10 is the length requirement of the rotor in its vertical orientation to achieve scalability of working chambers at three points 12, and N 16 is the inward curvature described by the length 16 of an inwardly directed line from the tπangle side bisector to the mward curvature of the side, perpendicular to each side The value of N 16 must be the same at the base and on the sides for the chamber to be symmetrical. The relationship between R 4 and N 16, in the first approximation, is immutable for the family of all inwardly concave curved Routrihedron^tm chambers of this invention.

Rou Equation 2: R + Lv/2 + C = 0.57735S, or R + Lv/2 + C = 0.57735 for S = 1.00000

Lv/2 is the distance from the rotor apex 18 to its rotor center 20 lying on the bisector 22 of its long axis and long axis bisector, and C is the radius 24 of a circular path 26 made by the rotor center or pin about the origin 28 of the triangle or about the axle center, and point 20 must lie directly above the origin on its long axis producing distance C 24 between the origin 28 and the location of the rotor center 20 as the rotor lies in its vertical orientation. D 32 is the diameter of the circle as distinct from C 24, the radius, and where 0.57735S is the distance from the top vertex 34 of the parent triangle to the origin 28 of the triangle, and is a constant relationship for all equilateral triangles.

Rou Equation 3: N + (Lv/2) - C = 0.28868S, or N + Lv/2 - C = 0.28868 for S = 1.00000

The constant 0.28868S is a constant related to all equilateral triangles, and is the distance between the triangle origin 28 and the triangle base 36. It has a value 0.28868 when the base of the triangle has length S =1.00000. It follows that the rotor in its horizontal orientation must have its center 38 lying directly below the triangle origin 28 and axle center. Rou Equation 4: Lv = Lh = L

Lh 14 is the length requirement for the rotor long axis between apices 40 and 44 for the rotor lying in its horizontal orientation, and L is substituted for Lv 10 and Lh 14 m one simultaneous equation. For a rigid rotor, the rotor length requirement Lh 14 must be the same length requirement Lv 10 for the rotor in its vertical orientation. Rou Equation 5: Z + C = 0.28868S, or Z + C = 0.28868 for base length S

Referring to Fig. IB: Z is the elevation of the rotor long axis Lh 14 at a point 42 above the triangle base 2 as the rotor lies in its horizontal orientation. It will be shown that the length of the rotor in its horizontal orientation, m its first approximation, must fit at some elevation Z (in this example elevation Z is the same as point 42) so that the length Lh 14 is equal to Lv 10. We will further show that that as the inward curvature N 16 of the sides is increased, the rotor length requirement Lv 10 in its vertical orientation must decrease causing its center 20 to be displaced further upwards from the origin 28 of the triangle, consequently increasing radius C 24. It is also a natural consequence that the rotor in its horizontal orientation must have its elevation Z (e.g., at point 42) displaced further downwards with increasing curvature, thus increasing its length requirement Lh 14.

Rou Equation 6' Y = Z + R sin α

Y is the distance of point 46 above the triangle base 2 and is at elevation 70 where the point of tangency 48 occurs between the rotor apex and the chamber inward curving side, and where R sin α 56 (also shown at the opposite apex for a less crowded display) is the vertical distance between point 64 elevation Z 42 and point 48 at elevation Y 70.

Rou Equation 7- (Lh/2) - R + R cos α + Δ + Y tan 30° = S/2

[(Lh/2) -R] 58 is the distance from a point 38 on the vertical triangle bisector 88 to the center 60 of the circle making the rotor apex, where α is the angle whose vertex 50 is formed by a first line projection 52 along the long axis to the apex and a second line projection 54 to a point of tangency 48 with the triangle side, where R cos α is the horizontal distance between circle center 60 producing the apex and the point 64 on the long axis 14 at elevation Z, where Δ (delta) 68 is the distance from a point 66 on the triangle side 2 and a point 48 (also the point of tangency between the rotor apex and the mward curving side) on the mward curving side 6 at elevation Y 70, and where Y tan 30° (tan 30 ° = 0 57735) is the horizontal distance between point 46 and the point 66 on the straight sloping side 2 of the triangle at elevation 70.

Rou Equation 8 sin α ~ (0.57735 + C) / (0.57735 + 2R + 2C)

Referencing Fig. 2, create an upside down equilateral triangle with a horizontal line 74 of altitude A having side length S = 1.00000 creating point 76. Then project a line 72 from the triangle origin 28 to point 76 which intersects with a line 74 From point 76, project line 78 to the point of tangency 48 between the inward curving chamber side 6 and the rotor apex 84 as the rotor is lying in its horizontal orientation Line78 is colhnear with line 54 extending from circle center 60 to point of tangency 48. Line 78 intersects with horizontal line 90 producing angle β 92 Angle β 92 (equal to angle α 94) has its sin described by the length between points 76 and 96 on vertical line 98 divided by the hypotenuse line 78 between points 76 and 48. Angle α 94 also has its sin described by the length between points 76 and 97 on vertical line 98 divided by the hypotenuse line 78 between points 76 and 60. Line 98 from point 76 to point 97 is equal to 0 57735 plus C. Hypotenuse line 78 from point 76 to point 60 is equal to A' + N' + R and approximately A + N + R.¹ Thus sin α ~ (0 57735 + C) / (0.86603 + N +R). Using Rou Equations 1 and 2 to substitute the value C for N, we have sin α ~ (0.57735 + C) / (0.57735 + 2R + 2C). Thus, we have produced Rou Equation 8 in terms of radius C 24, the travel of the pin 26 or rotor center 26 about the triangle center 28, and roundness R 4 and other known constants.

Rou Equation 9: W/2 + C + N = 0.28868

Referencing Fig. 3, W/2 100 is half the width of the rotor at its long axis bisector described by the rotor center 38 extending down to the intersection point 12 between the inward curving side wall near the base and the triangle vertical bisector 88.

Rou Equation 10: Δ = (M + A + N) cos g - [M sin (90 -g) + S/2 + Y tan 30°].

Referencing Fig. 4, line 104 from point 106 to point 108 is the radius of the mward curve for the chamber side wall The radius is also shown as line 1 10 from point 106 to point 48, where point 48 is the point of tangency between the inward circle arc of the chamber side wall 6 and the rotor apex 84. We can draw a right triangle between points 106, 1 14 and 1 16 where point 1 16 is the point of tangency between the parent triangle side 2 and the rotor apex 84 as the rotor is in its vertical orientation. Line 1 18 drawn from point 1 14 to point 1 16, is perpendicular to the line between the points 106

¹ The value of the sum of A' + N' is approximately the sum of A + N, and this approximation has little effect on the value of Rou Equation 8 and 1 14. The line between the points 106 to 116 is the hypotenuse of the triangle. Angle d 120 is formed by the projection of the lines from point 106 and 1 14 and by the projection of the hypotenuse line from point 106 to point 1 16.

Line 104 is composed of line segments M from point 106 to 122, altitude A from point 122 tol l4, and line segment N from point 114 to 108, and the total of M+A+N is expressed as U where M + A + N = U.

For hypotenuse U the trigonometric relationships are U sin d for the line segment between point 1 14 and 116 and U cos d for the line segment between points 106 and 1 14, which can also be expressed as U(I- sm² d)^1/2.

Angle g 128 is produced by the projection of hypotenuse line 1 10 from point of tangency 48 and the projection of another line 132 which is a horizontal line at elevation Y above the triangle base. Angle g has as its sm the line segment 134 between point 106 and 136. Horizontal line 132 at elevation Y is composed of line segment from point 136 to point 138, which is the M sin (90 -g), segment from point 138 to point 140, which has length S/2, line segment from point 140 to point 142, which is elevation Y tan 30°, and line segment from point 142 to point 48 which is the unknown quantity Δ. Since the total line segment from point 48 to point 136 is U cos g, then Δ = U cos g - [M sm (90 -g) + S/2 + Y tan 30°], or Δ = (M + A + N) cos g - [M sin (90 -g) + S/2 + Y tan 30°].

It is clear that the determination of the value Δ is dependent upon having established the value M and angle d a prion, and the determination of C, the motion of the pin about the triangle center, cannot be made without knowing value Δ or first knowing length M and angle d Thus, by first selecting roundness R, we cannot solve for chamber side wall curvature N directly to produce the condition that Lv = Lh, to achieve the first approximation. The question is asked: What if we first select length M and angle d and then attempt to determine N and related value R for meeting the condition that Lh = Lv? By selecting angle d, we are inferring that we already know R. We are left with more unknowns than equations to solve for them. However, by first selecting roundness R, we can by successive approximations choose curvature N to produce Lv = Lh.

Derivation of C: Viewing Fig.5, we see the half the length of the base S/2 is the summation of the series of line segments {Y tan30° 144 from point 46 to a point 66 on the parent triangle wall 2 at elevation 70, Δ 68 from point 66 on the parent triangle wall 2 to a point 48 on the chamber side wall 6 at elevation 70, R cos α 52 from intersection point 64 to apex circle center 60 at the elevation Z of the horizontal rotor long axis Lh 14, and [(Lh/2) -R] } 58 from apex circle center 60 to point 38 which is the intersection of the triangle vertical center line 88 and the horizontal rotor long axis Lh 14. The above equations can be summarized in an equation with unknowns R, N, α and Δ. Selecting any R 4 between the range from 0.01 to 0.25, we can determine N 16. In the example of Fig. 5, we have selected R = 0.10000. Therefore from Rou Equations 1-7, and solving for C 24,

C = [0.24402 - 2R + 0.57735 R sin α + R cos α + Δ]/l .57735. and since the cos α = (1- sin²α) ^m, C = [0.24402 - 2R + 0.57735 R sin α +R (1- sin²α)^1/2 + Δ]/l .57735, where α = sin ¹ (0.57735+C)/(0.57735+2R+2C), and where the sin α is shown as a function of C, and the selection of R and known constants. Having solved for C using knowledge of Δ, it also follows that we can solve for the maximum width of the rotor W using Rou Equation 9. The distance along the long axis bisector of the rotor in its vertical orientation between points 38 and 12, is half of the maximum width of the rotor, W/2. In this example, W/2 = 0.11850 and W = 0.23700. Thus, having selected R 4, we have solved for C 24 but cannot solve for N 16 since we have shown above that we must select N 16 a prion to arrive at Δ 68 However, we show below that a process of successive approximations allows us to determine N 16 from which W 150, the distance between points 12 and 246, can be calculated or measured

Finding Lv = Lh using the SohdWorks^® Design Program

Selecting the desired value for R (along with the size of the parent triangle) is based on extrinsic design factors. In general, we want to select sufficient roundness to impart a sufficient force couple and intake and exhaust port sizes (in the case of designing an internal combustion engine), but we do not want to make the roundness too large at the expense of excessively reducing the compression ratio or displacement. The same considerations pertain to pumps and compressed air or fluid driven motors.

It is now our objective to use the SohdWorks^® design program to approximate the value for N 16 and its associated value W 150. However, we must first determine the value R 4 for the vertex roundness. In Tables 1 2, 3 and 4, we show how for a parent triangle of side S = 1 and four different selected roundnesses R (R = 0.0500, 0 0750, 0.1000, and 0 1500) we can select various values N and arrive at Lv-Lh = 0.0000 by successive approximations. (Note: N is increasing in each row and the interpolated value of 0.0001 is found in one of the middle rows. We have carried the interpolated value to within 0 0001). Table 1

Table 2

Table 3

R N Lv C Y W/2 Lh Lv-Lh

0. 10000 0. 05000 0.71603 0.23867 0.23751 0 11934 0.71571 +0.04107

0. 10000 0. 05056 0.71547 0.23923 0.23751 0 11850 0.71546 +0.00001

0. 10000 0. 05060 0.71543 0.23927 0.23751 0 11844 0.71545 -0.00002

0. 10000 0. 05100 0.71503 0.23967 0.23750 0 11784 0.71527 -0.00024

0. 10000 0. 05200 0.71403 0.24067 0.23749 0 11034 0.71483 -0.00080

0. 10000 0. 05600 0.71003 0.24467 0.23749 0 11034 0.71315 -0.00312

0. 10000 0. 06000 0.70603 0.24867 0.23746 0 10434 0.71157 -0.00554 Table 4

R N Lv C Y W/2 Lh Lv-Lh

0. 1250 0. 05000 069103 0 21367 026903 0. 13184 0.69458 -0.00355

0. 1250 0. 04386 0.69717 0 20753 0.26922 0 14105 069716 +0.00001

0 1250 0. 04374 0.69729 0 20741 0.26922 0 14123 0.69722 +000007

0 1250 0. 04000 070103 0 20367 026931 0 14684 0.69891 +000212

From Tables 1 -4, it is seen that we can arrive a relationship between R and N to produce Lv - Lh = 0.0000.

From Table 5, it is seen that as R increases N decreases. Table 5

The value of N for roundness R = 0.00000 provides the basis for the upper limit of N to still allow outward convex curvature of a Roudiarcadron™.

Constructing the Routπhedron^tm

Refer to Fig. 6A first for the process of building the Routπhedron^tm. Herein we emphasize that to build the Routπhedron^tm we must select a parent equilateral triangle having a given arbitrary size, based on the application of the device. In this case, we select a side S 2 to have a nominal length of 1. Side S 2 is measured from vertex V 154 to vertex V 154 to vertex V 154 in the parent triangle. To build the Routrihedron^tm based upon the system application, we can select vertices R₀ 4 to have any curvature, but we like the simplicity of starting with the selection of circular- arched vertices Ro 4 rather than flattened-arched or elongated-arched vertices R_υ 4. Next we select a particular radius for the vertices. We have selected the apices to have a specific radius R 158. We just refer to the radius just as R rather than RS since we have selected unitary side S dimensions. Now we go about determining the inward curvature based upon our selection of radius R 158. It is emphasized that there can be only one unique curvature, expressed as a inward displacement N 16 perpendicular to the parent triangle sides at the bisectors, to meet the condition that three sides, two apices 160 and 160 and one major arc 162 as seen for the Roudiarcadron^tm rotor in its horizontal orientation, maintain contact with the three side wall inward curve arcs 6 of the Routrihedron^tm chamber at all rotational angles of the axle and at all times. [There are three specific rotor orientations, separated by a 120 degrees arc, as seen for the rotor in its vertical orientation, where the rotor apices 160 and 160 can be considered to be the only two contact points or areas with the walls. Note: Apex 160 differs from vertex 4 only by mechanical clearance.]

Method of Constructing the Required Rotor Length to meet Both Vertical and

Horizontal Fit Requirements:

Refer to Fig. 6B for the method of successive first approximations that follows:

1. Within the parent triangle with sides 2, 2 and 2 (enclosing chamber 166), scribe circles 4 of a desired radius R 158 as near as possible to vertices V 154 and let these circles be tangent to sides S 2. 2. Arbitrarily select a maximum inward displacement N 16. Then scribe circle segments 6 which have arcs tangent to circles 168 at points 172, and to maximum inward displacement points 174

3 Scribe the long axis 10 of the rotor 8 residing vertically within the chamber 166

4 Locate the origin 28 of the parent triangle 166

5. Scribe a circle 26 around the origin 28 which is tangent at the intersection point 20 between the rotor long axis Lv 10 and its bisector 22

6. At the base of this circle 26, scribe another horizontal line 14 which is tangent to circle 26 at point 38

7 Make an apex circle arc 192 having radius R whose center is coincident with this horizontal tangent line 14 and is also tangent to the inward curve arc 6 at 194 on the left side of the Routπhedron^tm. Do the same for the right side providing circle arc 196 which is tangent at point 198. This produces circles 192 and 196 which describe respectively the apex points 200 and 202 on the horizontal long axis 14 of the rotor 8 as it lies in its horizontal orientation.

8. Measure the length Lh of the rotor long axis 14, described by the distance between points 200, 202 in the rotor's horizontal orientation, and then compare it to the distance between points 206, 208 on rotor long axis Lv 10 as it lies in its vertical orientation The length of the rotor long axis Lh 14 in its horizontal orientation [described by the distance between points 200, 202] will be either the same length, shorter or longer than the length of the rotor long axis Lv 10 in its vertical orientation [described by the distance between points 206, 208] 9. If the lengths Lh 14, Lv 10 of rotor long axis in the horizontal orientation and vertical orientation are not the same, repeat steps 1 through 7 selecting another curvature 16. By increasing or decreasing the curvature 16, the length Lh 14 of the long axis in its horizontal orientation can be found which matches the length Lv 10 of the long axis of the rotor in its vertical orientation.

Constructing the Arcs of the Roudiarcadron^tm

Refer to Fig. 7 throughout the process of building the Roudiarcadron^tm. With the rotor

8 lying in its horizontal orientation, we can construct the major arcs 210 and

212 of the rotor.

1. First notice the point 214 on the long axis Lv 10 of the rotor in its vertical orientation. Then notice that point 214 lies below the horizontal long axis Lh 14 of rotor 8 lying in its horizontal orientation, and that point 214 is coincident to the maximum inward curvature 12 at the base of the Rou trihedron"¹¹.

2. Scribe an arc 232 which is tangent to the circles 192, 196 of the apices 200, 202 of rotor 8 in its horizontal orientation, and to the point of tangency 214. Arc 232 becomes a major arc of the Roudiarcadron^tm rotor 8.

3 Then measure the distance (W/2) between point 38 on the rotor horizontal long axis Lv 14 and the point of tangency 214.

4. Scribe another horizontal line 238 above the rotor long axis Lh 14 of its horizontal orientation, which has a dimension W/2 above the long axis Lh 14.

5. Scribe another arc 244 on the top side of the rotor 8, while in its horizontal orientation, which is tangent at points 240, 242 with the circles 192, 196 and horizontal line 238 at point 246. Arc 244 becomes a second major arc of circles 192, 196. 6. The major arcs 232, 244, and tangential circle segments 192, 196 describe the Roudiarcadron^lm rotor major surfaces and rounded apices respectively.

Locating the Rotor Crank Pin

Refer again to Fig. 7 throughout the following process of locating the rotor pin.

1. The long axis of the rotor of the device 3 in its vertical orientation Lv 10 intersects the long axis of the rotor in its horizontal orientation Lv 14 at point 38. Point 38 is the position of the rotor pin or pin 248 while the rotor is in its horizontal orientation.

2. The circle 26 describes the path that the rotor center travels around the origin 28 of the parent triangle otherwise describing the rotation of the pm 248 about the axle (not shown) as the rotor 8 is rotating.

3. The rotor pin 248 is journaled to the axle face (not shown) having sufficient diameter to incorporate the path of the rotor center 38 and the rotor pin 248.

The energy conversion device 3 is shown for converting between mechanical energy and fluid or chemical energy, the device comprising an elongated, nonellipsoidal rotor 8 having oppositely directed arc faces 232, 244 that define outwardly curved central face portions spacing symmetrically arched end face portions 192, 196, a generally triangular chamber 166 having a center 28 and inwardly curved central side portions 6 spacing symmetrically arched end side portions or vertices 4. Rotor 8 has a long axis 10 length Lv equal to the height of the chamber 116. Input/output shaft (not shown) has a rotation direction counter clockwise (CCW) and is coupled to rotor center 38 rotating clockwise (CW) in an energy input or output relation. The rotor 8 and chamber 116 are mutually configured to sealably define between the chamber circle segments three progressively shape- and size-varying subchambers on a rolling basis, subchambers 260, 262 and 264 shown for the rotor in its horizontal orientation.

Making the Second Approximation to Rotor Curvature:

Referring to Fig. 8, ultimately we want to achieve tangency between the rotor and chamber side walls at three points at all rotations and at all times. Now we show that the simple circle curvature for apex 192 and 196 arcs and the simple circular arcs for the major arcs of the rotor 232, 244 can be given more complex curvature to achieve tangencies at intermediate angles. We want to rotate the axle center 28 counter clockwise (CCW) producing a new position for rotor center 38. This is a first intermediate angle we want to evaluate because it produces a tangency which is close to the discontinuity between one apex 196 and the upper major arc 244. The axle center 28 is shown rotated 20° CCW producing pin location and rotor center 38, and the rotor long axis Lh 14 naturally assumes a counter rotation of 10° CW from the horizontal orientation 280 of its long axis. In due course we will evaluate axle and corresponding rotor counter rotations at a sufficient number of axle angles to produce a smooth and precise enough curvature to achieve sealability at all axle and rotor rotations. It is convenient that the rotor positions repeat themselves every 60 degrees of axle rotation, simplifying the process. For example, doing second approximations of curvature every one degree (requiring 60 repetitions) typically produces sufficient precision for an entire 360 axle rotation.

The geometry of the chamber, pin and rotor are set up on the MasterCam computer program. The orientation of the Routrihedron^tm chamber is maintained as in Fig. 8. Then we create circle 26 around origin 28 and scribe a line of radius C to produce rotor center 38, which has as its first rotation 20° CCW (20° CCW with reference to vertical center line 88 through origin 28). The rotor is then turned 10° CW about its center 38 producing the orientation shown in Fig. 8. Measurements were taken on MasterCam.

With the first axle rotation of 20°, we extend a line 282 from the rotor center 38 to the closest point of approach to the chamber wall 6 at 288. In this case, upon expansion of the view, we see that the rotor overlaps the chamber wall slightly. (However, in other cases the rotor curved wall will fall short of the chamber wall. In these cases, a line is drawn to the closest point of approach to the chamber wall.) We record the acute angle 284 that is formed by the projection of the line from rotor center 38 to the point of tangency 288, and by the projection of another line along the long axis 14. We measure the distance that line 282 extends beyond chamber wall 6. We then adjust this length so that this line just meets chamber wall 6 at point of tangency 288, less mechanical clearance.

We then extend another line 292 from the rotor center 38 to the closest point of approach to the chamber wall 294 at point 296. In this case the rotor major arc 270 falls short of the chamber wall. We record the distance along the line 292 that falls short the chamber wall and the acute angle 306. We than adjust this length so that this line just meets chamber wall 294 at point of tangency 296.

We then extend another line 298 from the rotor center 38 to the closest point of approach to the chamber wall 300 at point 302. In this case the rotor apical arc 266 falls short of the chamber wall. We record the distance along the line 298 that falls short of chamber wall 300. We then adjust this length so that this line just meets chamber wall 300 at point of tangency 302. The above process of approximation is used again after adjusting the axle rotation and rotor counter rotation over the range of intermediate angles. Connecting the series of points adjusts rotor curvature to come into close approximation of the chamber side walls for achieving tangency. Some of these points are on the rotor apices, and some are on the major arcs of the rotor. If any point adjusts the apical arcs from circle curvature, this adjustment is only a very small correction of typically less than 0.0030 inch for a side S = 6.0 inches. Typically, this adjustment does require redoing the first approximation process as a third approximation which would readjust C, etc. The curvature produces a mechanical clearance of less than 0.0010 inch at all axle rotations and at all times. The computer itself and the machinist are the limitation of precision. Adjustment is typically required around the point of tangency with the apexes, particularly when axle rotation θ involves the contact of both major arcs with the chamber walls.

Relationship of Roundness R to Curvature N

Figs. 9A through 9F show the vertical rotor length requirement (Lv) equal to the horizontal rotor length requirement (Lh) to produce sealabihty of working chambers for roundnesses R = 0.00000, 0.05000, 0.07500, 0.10000. 0.12500 and 0.15000 respectively. It is noticed that as roundness R increases, Lv-Lh -L decreases respective to the above increments by the amounts 0.38264, 0.37603, 0.36689, 0.35773, 0.34858 and 0.32766, C decreases respective to the above increments by the amounts 0.18792, 0.15132, 0.13546, 0.11962, 0.10377 and 0.08330, and the rotor long axis is displaced upwards by 0.00000, 0.07340, 0.09580, 0.11850, 0.14105 and 0.17141. Establishing the Limits of the Rou

Lower Limit:

For a Routπhedron^tm having a side S equal to 1.000, a Routnhedron^tm has concave curvature withm a limited range expressed by the number N. Number N has at its lower limit, a value of greater than zero pertaining closely to a straight-sided trihedron and a highly outwardly convex curved Roudiarcadron^tm. This limit is expressed as N where number N is some decimal greater than 0.00100.

Upper Limit

We define the Roudiarcadron^tm of the Rou as having outward curvature. Outward curvature of the rotor is important in some cases to produce sufficient blocking and unblocking of intake and outlet orifices in the crank plates or chamber walls. Outward curvature of the rotor is important in other cases to produce cooperative porting through the chamber plates and crank plates with passageways in the rotor itself. Using Fig. 9A which has zero roundness, we find that the circle radius for the travel of the center of a thin line rotor must be less than C which is equal to 0.18692. Thus, to produce an outwardly curving rotor in this chamber having zero roundness, we must select some limit E less than C by some value of K. We select a value for K = 0.00100 so that E = C - K, or E = 0.18692 - 0 00100 = 0.18592.

15. Operation of the Mechanism as a Pump

Description of Tour

We define the axle rotation at θ = 0 when the crank pin is in a position exactly below the axle (the origin of the triangle) where a line from the origin to the crank pin is extending downward vertically. Axle rotation θ is positive when the crankshaft turns counter clockwise (CCW). The rotor phase angle φ is 0 when the rotor long axis through the rotor center (corresponding to the crank pin) is horizontal. The rotor phase angle φ is positive when the rotor and its long axis turns clockwise (CW).

The start of each Tour describes the simultaneous opening of one of the intake ports and the closing of a corresponding exhaust port When the axle makes a rotation θ, it is a natural occurrence that the rotor should make a counter-rotary rotation about its center of angle φ = θ/2 A full Tour occurs as the crank pin makes a 180° rotation around the axle or when the rotor makes a 60° counter rotation about its center. The simultaneous functions of the working chambers are described in Table 6 for each Tour of the 12 Tours that occur in a complete cycle of the rotor where apex A ends up at its starting position. A Tour can start at any multiple of 60° θ and ends as that multiple plus 1. There is an overlap between Tours 1-3, Tours 4-6, etc. Figs. 16A-E depicts what occurs as the axle rotates. The intake and exhaust manifold covers and the chamber walls are removed to show the position of the axle faces, rotor and flow of fluid. Tour 1

Tour 1 starts as shown in Fig. 16A where we are looking at the intake crank face head-on Because we want to get maximum volumetric expansion out of working chamber Hl, we start Tour 1 at Hl when the axle rotation is at 660° θ shown by the position of the crank pin 632 rather than at some later rotation angle such as 0° θ. Port 606 is in a position to open when the edge of the notch 602 on the manifold (facing) side of the intake crank face 634 just interfaces with the channel 604 on the manifold side of the intake chamber plate 636 leading to port 606 opening to working chamber Hl The rotor is at phase angle of 330° φ when the crank pin is in this position. It is also seen that the rotor portion 610 is blocking the port 606 at this rotation which prevents intake of fluid from the manifold at this instant. As the axle 600 and crank pin 632 continue turning CCW to 1/3 the way to 0° θ through Tour 1, rotor 608 continues turning CW to 0° φ, the trailing edge 610 of rotor 608 unblocks the port at 606, and the leading edge of the rotor 608 heads toward the vertex of working chamber H2 as shown in Fig. 16B and a vacuum is created in working chamber Hl drawing fluid. It is noticed that the notch 616 on the manifold side of the intake crank face 634 has also closed to the channel 618 leading from port 620 to working chamber H3. at this instant. It is also seen that notch 616 is not interfacing with the channel leading to working chamber H2. Fig. 16C shows an oblique view of the intake manifold area 638, as fluid flows past notch 602, through channel 604, through port 606 into working chamber Hl as rotor 608 movement 614 draws a vacuum. Fig 16D shows an oblique view of the exhaust manifold area 622 as the crank pin 632 (now at 60° θ and hidden) and rotor 608 (at 30° φ) are 2/3 the way through Tour 1. Ports 606 and 620 are open at this transition, and continue to draw in fluid. The vacuum necessary to draw in fluid is created by ports 624 and 626 being closed, caused by the back side of the exhaust crank face 628 having notch 630 facing upwards and away from channels 634 and 640. In Fig. 16E, Tour 1 is just finished as crank pin 632 reaches 120° rotation and rotor 608 reaches 60°φ rotation at its most upward tilt, maximizing the volume and vacuum of working chamber Hl. At this instant the notch 602 on the back side of the intake crank face 634 just stops interfacing with channel 604 leading through port 606 to working chamber Hl, which is communicated with rotor 608. Table 6:

Porting in a Pump, Compressed Air Motor or Internal Combustion Engine We refer to Fig 10 to point out the importance of roundness to porting in a Rou chamber First we describe the features" We are viewing the schematic of a Rou chamber 166 with rotor 8 m its horizontal orientation, with working chambers 260, 262 and 264 showing the outline of the peripheral side walls. This view is with the exhaust wall removed to view the working chambers in the x-y plane having depth z and to reveal the features of the intake end wall, which include respective intake port holes 320, 322 and 324 Within the intake end wall is journaled a crank plate 332 carrying and drive pin 248 at rotor center 38 In the intake manifold plane behind the wall are channels 326, 328 and 330. Also shown in the manifold plane is one design of a notched plate with outlines of 340, 342 and 344, working in cooperation with the crank plate 332 to provide access of fluid to working chamber 260. It is clear that sufficient roundness is required to provide sufficiently large ports and sufficiently wide channels to reduce the flow restriction of fluids entering the working chamber under the influence of vacuum produced upon expansion of each working chamber. It is also clear that high roundness is required to provide relatively low restriction to fluid flow in expelling fluid from working chambers upon collapse of working chambers.

The Use of Straight-Sided Rotors for Pumps, Motors and Engines: Straight-sided rotors that can be constructed and incorporated inside of Routrihedron^tm chambers fall outside the definition of the Rou because they fail to meet the sealing requirements where Lv = Lh = L. That is, when the straight-sided rotor apexes he in their horizontal orientation, they can be contiguous to the peripheral side walls of the Routrihedron^tm, but lose congruity 800 and are unable to nest in the chamber vertices as shown in non-Rou Fig. HA. Conversely, when straight-sided rotor apices are congruent to the chamber vertices, they lose contiguity 802 with the chamber peripheral side wall as shown in non-Rou Fig. HB. Thus, in these non-Rou devices the full capabilities of expansion cannot be realized during intake; nor can the full collapse of the working chamber be achieved during compression, and consequently the full capabilities of displacement cannot be realized in a rotor/stator combination of a pump or motor device. Straight-sided rotors also preclude the transfer of fuel from in front of the rotor through a fuel lock to behind the rotor in preparation for ignition and powering in an internal combustion engine device. This is because the airlock needs to be nested in the vertex of the chamber to be effective, and the rotor must pass over each airlock completely sealing each airlock against the working chambers to prevent leakage during transfer of the fuel from in front of the rotor to behind the rotor for powering.

There is also a subset of straight-sided rotor arrangements having circular- arched apices that can be constructed and incorporated inside of an equilateral triangle-shaped chamber having hypocycloid-shaped spring-loaded slideable inserts along each peripheral wall. This straight-sided rotor can maintain a seal against the inserts in its vertical orientation, but lacks the ability to nest congruently at the vertexes. This construction also falls outside of the definition of a Rou since the Roudiarcadron^tm rotor has outward curving sides.

Construction of the Crankshaft¹

A crankshaft for a piston engine is typically cast and post-machined on its bearing surfaces; then connecting rods surrounding the crankshaft are bolted on. In Rou constructions, the rotor is analogous to the connecting rods. It is inconvenient to construct split-halves of a Roudiarcadron rotor for small engines and then bolt them together since re-surfacing the major arcs of the rotor over the bolts and their seats can either compromise the integrity of the curved major surfaces or be very expensive to construct.

An alternative is to construct the crankshaft m two sections - an exhaust section comprising the following: an axle (or shaft), an exhaust crank face and a crank stem (including an extension of the crank stem that slides inside of a corresponding hole in the intake crank face), and the intake section comprising the intake crank face. However, it is critical that this split-section construction use some means to maintain alignment of the intake and exhaust crank faces. One means is to key the crank stem extension that sides inside of the intake crank face to maintain alignment. This construction is expensive and difficult to assemble.

A more convenient alternative is to first align the intake and exhaust sections in a jig and then pm the crank stem extension extending from the exhaust section into the intake crank face to maintain alignment. However pinning the two section together locks the crank faces together at a set distance, that distance logically being the width between the minor flat faces of the rotor plus mechanical clearance However, no adjustment is possible for relative thermal expansion and contraction once the sections are pinned in place.

The Preferred Rou:

An alternative is to construct a crank face portion on the intake section that is independent of the crank body portion of the intake crank face that is pinned to the crank stem. Then by spring-loading the crank face with a compression spring supported by the intake crank body, a mechanical seal is maintained during thermal expansion and contraction between the intake crank face and rotor flat face on the intake side. An illustration of the construction of a preferred Rou engine design is shown in Fig 12A in its cross-section including the component parts described above- Intake chamber plate 350, exhaust chamber plate 352, exhaust axle 354, intake crank body 356, intake crank face 358, working chamber 360, rotor 362, carburetor and throttle 364, intake cap 366, intake channel 368, exterior intake bearing 370, sintered oil bearing 372, intake interior bearing seal 374, intake interior bearing 376, interior intake compression spring 378, exhaust interior bearing seal 380, exterior exhaust bearing 382, sparkplug 384, exhaust compression spring 386, exhaust interior beaπng 388 and exhaust spring bushing 390 A Ringwall/Rmggroove construction is shown in Fig. 13. The intake Rmgwall 392 is a round wall construction incorporated onto the intake face of the rotor to capture all incoming fuel mixture and direct that fuel mixture to a rotor intake recess (not shown) such as a curved recess forming an arcwell as fully described in my copending application Serial No. 12/129,676, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein above. The Ringgroove 394 is a complementary ringed groove incorporated into the intake crank face, into which the Rmgwall 392 slides when the rotor fits flush with the intake crank face. The exhaust Ringwall 396 is shown on the exhaust side of the rotor which slides into a corresponding Ringgroove 398 (not visible) on the exhaust crank face.

An advantageous feature of the crank face/crank body construction of Fig. 12A is that the intake channel 368 is perpendicular to the crank face. This allows the crank face to slide freely and remain aligned with the crank body during thermal expansion and contraction. Looking at the chamber head on in corresponding Fig. 12B, it is seen that the intake channel 400 falls within the preferred feature of the Ringwall 402, by design. Only when the geometry has a certain limited range of radii for C 404, based on a limited selection of roundness R and curvature N of the peripheral chamber side wall 408, can the intake manifold channel 400 fall within the Ringwall 402. It is also a feature of this limited range of constructions that the intake channel 400 is perpendicular to the crank face. Constructing the intake channel 400 perpendicular to the crank face 410 is preferred for allowing sufficient room for both the intake channel 400 and the crank stem 412 to share the limited area within the Ringwall 402. Another element of perpendicularity is that the channel of the crank body and the channel of the crank face can remain in alignment during thermal expansion and contraction. Fig. 14A shows a less advantaged construction of the invention, one that has an intake manifold channel 416 that emanates from the carburetor and must be constructed at a slant in order to enter the confines of the Ringwall and interface with the mentioned rotor intake recess or arcwell (not shown) Corresponding Fig. 14B shows the chamber head on and the intake channel 418, entering at a slant, and crank stem 420 sharing the area within the Rmgwall/Ringgroove 422 of the crank face 424. The basic geometry which determines radius C 426 is established by the peripheral side wall 428 of roundness R and curvature N

It is seen that the circle C radius (0.170S) in Fig 12B is optimized for maintaining perpendicularity with the crank face wall, hi Fig. 14B, circle C has a radius of 0 213S, sufficiently large that a slanted hole construction is required to direct intake fuel to within the confines of the Ringwall/Ringgroove. So there must be some limit in the largeness of circle C to maintain perpendicularity, and that limit is set at 0.180S for the preferred construction of the Rou.

It is seen from Fig 12B that the circle C must have some minimum radius in order to house both a robust crank stem and an intake manifold channel sufficiently large to avoid restriction to fluid flow. That minimum radius is established as 0.160S for the Preferred Rou. Consequently the preferred Rou is defined by the range of circle C radius from 0.170S +/- 0 01 OS

Mathematical Description of Roudiarcadron Major Arc Curvature: The motion of a general point G₁ on the rotor rotating about the triangle center is epicychc or in the form of an epicycloid. The epicycloid is composed of a first small circle having radius C represented by the motion of the crank pin or the rotor center about the axle. We can consider that C, is the general description of the position of the crank pin or rotor center for a general axle rotation θ. A second larger circle is swept by an inferred lower major arc center E₁ counter rotating about point C₁. A third still larger circle is made by a general point G₁ at any point on the rotor rotating counter to point E₁. Point G₁ is rotating at some undetermined rate δ with respect to point E. If point G₁ lies on the circle arc of the first approximation tangent to the chamber wall at a general axle rotation θ, it would lie on a locus of points S₁. If point Gj lies at the intersection of the rotor long axis bisector and the circle arc of the first approximation tangent to the chamber wall at axle rotation θ equal to zero, it would lie on point D of Fig. 15A. Point D is the only point S, that can be tangent to the inward curving chamber wall.

However, we are interested in developing a locus of points P₁ for a rotor second approximation major arc so that all these points are tangent to the inward chamber wall circle arc. If we were to assign just one point P of the locus of points P₁, we would go to inferred point E and scribe a circle arc of radius H. Point P would be determined by where H becomes tangent to the inward chamber wall arc. However, we must develop a locus of points P; for the second approximation, so we would need to draw a series of circle arcs of radius H₁ emanating from a series of points E₁, in turn developed by having a series of radii B₁ from points Ci. Thus, the second approximation major arc becomes a connection of points P₁ from this set of arcs.

Each line having a length directed at an angle becomes a vector whose line length becomes the magnitude of that vector and whose angle becomes the angle of the vector. For example, the addition of vector from O to C₀ of magnitude C, vector Co to A of magnitude Bo, and the vector from A to D of magnitude Ho provides the resultant vector O to D providing the position of point D which is the point of tangency between the lower major circle arc and the wall inward curvature for θ equal to zero. The angle between vector O to C₀ and vector C₀ to A is zero, and the angle between vector Co to A and A to D is also zero.

We want to describe the position of a general point P; on the rotor second approximation major arc which is tangent to the chamber wall and what its position would be with respect to the rotor center C₁. General point P₁ can be seen as the summation of three vectors, the first vector from O to C₁, the second vector from C₁ to E, and the third vector from E₁ to P₁ The first vector Vi₁ from O to C₁ has a non varying magnitude C; the second vector V₂, has a variable magnitude B₁ from point C₁ to point E₁ which is the center of the lower major arc; the third vector V₅₁ has a variable magnitude H; from point Ei to point Pi.

The distance from origin O to point D becomes the scalar magnitude of vector V₃. The chamber wall radius U (the distance from point D to point F) becomes the scalar magnitude of vector V₄. We add vectors Vi₁ and V₂₁ to arrive at point E₁; we add vectors V₃ and V₄ to arrive at point F. We can then scribe a line from point E₁ to point F, and the intersection of this line with the chamber wall determines the point Pi. The distance H₁ from the center E₁ to the intersection with the chamber wall at point P₁ becomes the scalar magnitude of vector V₅*; the distance from point P, on the chamber wall to the center F of the arc radius of the chamber wall becomes the scalar magnitude of vector V₆₁.

Points P₁ on the major arc must have an incremental surface normal to a normal surface on the chamber wall in order to produce sealing. These normal surfaces are limited to an incremental line intersecting a line between the rotor major arc center and the chamber wall inward curvature center at axle rotations θ. It is quite natural to use the parts file of SolidWorks^® to develop figures built with magnitudes and directions to represent vectors, and sum them and subtract them as necessary to determine specific points P₁ relating to θ. Otherwise, scribe lines like those shown in Fig. 15 A to various point pertaining to the particular chamber and rotor manually.

Diagrams Fig. 15 and Fig. 15A become vector diagrams by describing the various lines as vectors. We must first sum vector V_u with V₂; and vector V31 with V₄₁, then subtract the summation of vectors (V₃₁ and V₄₁) from the summation of (Vh + V₂O to determine the summation of V₅₁ and V₆,. Once we have determined the summation of vectorsV₅, and V₆,, we can then determine angles d to points Pi, and individual vectors V₅₁ and V₆₁. In a strict mathematical sense, we create vector Vi₁ by placing its tail at the origin of the triangle, and then directing its head at a length C and in the direction θ. Then the tail of vector V₂i emanates from the head of vector Vi, at a scalar magnitude equal to the distance from point Ci to point Ei and directing it at an angle of 3Θ/2 from its reference rotation which is horizontal.. We do likewise to create the addition of vectors V₃, and V₄₁. hi order to create the summation of vectors V₅, and V61, we must subtract vectors V₃, and V₄, from vectors V_h and V₂,. To accomplish this, we place the tail of V₃₁ + V₄, at the tail of Vu + V₂,, which is automatically done because both vectors Vi₁ and V₃, emanate from the triangle origin O. Then we draw an arrow from the head of V₂₁ to V41 making sure that we start at V₂, rather than V₄, to arrive at the summation of positive vectors V₅₁ plus V_6I.

Vector V₅, emanates at point Ei and terminates at point Pi. Vector V₆, emanates at point Pi and terminates at point F. Now we can scribe each new vector V₇, which becomes the vector sum of V₂₁ and V₅₁. The vector V₇, has a tail which emanates from point Ci and terminates at each point Pi. The distance from C₁ to P₁ is the magnitude T₁ of each new vector V₇,, the direction for each new vector V₇, is defined by its angle g with respect to the long axis L. This general point P₁ lying on the major arc of Figure 15A is a unique point Pi in that it represents the point of tangency between the apex arc and the circular lower major arc of the first approximation. Its distance B, from point Ci to point Ei pertains to the specific axle rotation θ and rotor rotation θ/2 and its radius Hi from the rotor major arc center to the pint of tangency Pi The resultant of these vectors is vector V5 from rotor center C₁ to tangency point Pi.

It is our intention to have resultant vector V₅ plus V₆ intersect with point P]. Thus we need to adjust axle rotation θ and rotor counter rotation θ/2 to intersect Pi This occurs at approximately 50 degrees θ and at approximately 75 degrees θ/2 for the preferred Rou and in that vicinity for other Rou's. The reason we want vectors V₅ plus V₆ to overlap Pi is to address the discontinuity in that region. All further points P₁ must be established by the intersection with vectors V₅₁ plus V₆, because the tangency of the second approximation major arc and the chamber wall arc must be in line with the centers of these arcs.

Information is lacking on variable magnitude B, of vector V₂ for point Pj. However, we can establish the magnitude of Bi to achieve a fit of the major arc with the rotor apices by referring to Fig 15B which shows the rotor with an axle rotation of 50.0° θ. The right rotor apex center has a line J aligned with point Pi at a measurable distance from apex center Q. The location of line J is transferred to Fig. 15C which shows the rotor long axis L and the location of the apexes and the right apex center Q and line J perpendicular to the long axis L. Thus we can establish angle g and magnitude Ti for θ equal to 50.0°.

The necessary angle g and distance Ci to P] is transferred back to Fig. 15A and vector V₇ magnitude Ti is adjusted to Tf by forcing the overlap of the line from Ei to F. This process creates a magnitude B' can be used to approximate new points P₁ There is no good method for establishing a new magnitude B' for each new point P₁ except to apportion the values B' between Bi and B₀. Fortunately, varying value B' does not have a substantial effect in determining point P₁.

Various magnitudes T and their respective angles γ are recorded in Table 7

Table 7. Rotor major arc second approximation data

Table 7 data is translated into the construction of ribs for the rotor This construction is shown in Fig 15D The points of the ribs are connected with the long axis and apices to form the outline of the rotor with second approximation curvature.

A test of the fit must be made by drawing the chamber walls around the rotor and turning the chamber walls with respect to the rotor or vice versa If the right side rotor apex falls outside of the chamber wall, adjust the position of the chamber wall relative to the rotor by adjusting the rotor counter rotary angle a few tenths of a degree from θ/2 This is allowable since the rotor hub is independent of gears which allow the rotor to float free to a slight extent. The discontinuity around point Pi on the rotor major arcs can be adjusted by adjusting the dimensions of the ribs of Fig. 15D.

Conversion to Cartesian Coordinates:

Our framework of the Cartesian coordinate system has an X-axis (abscissa) which represents positive values to the right and negative values to the left, and a Y- axis (ordinate) which has positive values upward and negative values downward. However, we had previously adopted a system where rotation angle θ is 0 when the rotor resides exactly below the triangle origin O, and where a positive rotation of the rotor (e.g., 50°) is counter clockwise. Vector Vi for 50° axle rotation lies in the quadrant which has a positive value in X and a negative value in Y. The rotor is initially in its horizontal orientation when axle rotation is 0. The rotor will rotate clockwise by a value of θ/2 (e.g., 25° for every rotation θ of the axle). The line from the rotor center to the lower major arc center Vector V₂ initially lies on the positive Y- axis, and will tilt clockwise by 25° for a 50° axle rotation. The vectors of our system can be expressed in terms of parametric equations in X and Y as follows:

Vector Vi is expressed as V_xl - + C sin θ and Vγi = - C cos θ.

Vector V₂ is expressed as V_X2 = + B cos (90-Θ/2) and V_Y2 = + B sin (90-Θ/2).

(V₁ + V₂)γ = V_{1 Y} + V_2Y

Vector V3 is expressed as Y₃ = + (D + Co) cos θ

Vector V4 is expressed as Y₄ = + (F) cos θ

The line from point E to point F must be established before we can determine angle d: Then subtract the summation of vectors (V₃ + V₄) from the summation of (Vj + V₂) to determine the summation of (Vs + Ve): (V₅ + V₆) = (V₁ + V₂) - (V₃ + V₄)

(V₅ + V₆)χ = (V₁ + V₂)χ - (V₃ + V₄)χ

(V₅ + V₆)γ = (V₁ + V₂)γ - (V₃ + V₄)γ

Point P₁ lies at the intersection of vector (V₅ + V₆) and the chamber wall inward circle arc at the base of the triangle.

Summary of the Invention Method and Apparatus

The invention provides an energy conversion device for converting between mechanical energy and fluid energy, the device comprising a generally equilateral triangular chamber having a center and inwardly curved central side portions joined by vertices and intermediate between the extreme inward curvature of a deltoid (Fig. 9A) and lack of inward curvature of straight sides, being single-bodied and not requiring inserts, the inward curving sides proportioned to predetermined symmetrically arched end wall portions to produce sealed expandable and collapsible working chambers at all rotations and at all times with a corresponding rotor, the rotor rotating independently ("independently" herein with respect to rotor rotation relative to end plate rotation includes engaged but separate rotation paths and speeds, e.g. differential rotation) of the ongoing rotation of the one or two end plates and elongated having oppositely directed convexly curved faces spacing symmetrically arched apex portions, and having a center at the intersection of its long axis and its bisector, the rotor center traveling a path of constant radius around the triangle center, the rotor center residing exactly above the triangle center and the rotor long axis being coincident with the chamber center when in their vertical orientation, the rotor center residing exactly below the triangle center when in its horizontal orientation at an elevation above the triangle base to allow the rotor apex portions to mterfit the chamber inward curving sides at some locus other than along its long axis to meet sealing requirements in both vertical and horizontal orientations and at all rotor orientations with full rotation of the axle, the rotor long axis having a length equal to the height of the chamber, the rotor having major arc maximum width that maintains sealing contact with the inward curving chamber side portion at the base, the rotor apexes being sealingly congruent with the chamber vertices, a working fluid within the chamber, and an input/output shaft having a rotation direction and counter rotationally coupled to the rotor in energy input or output relation, the rotor and chamber being mutually configured to sealably define between the chamber sides and the rotor faces three progressively shape- and size-varying subchambers on a rolling basis in working fluid working relation

The invention provides an energy conversion method for converting between mechanical energy and fluid energy, the method comprising a generally equilateral triangular chamber having a center and inwardly fixedly curved central side portions joined by vertices and intermediate in curvature between the extreme inward curvature of a deltoid (see Fig. 9A) and lack of inward curvature of straight sides, being smgle-bodied and not requiring inserts, the inward curving sides proportioned to predetermined symmetrically arched apex portions to produce sealed expandable and collapsible working chambers at all rotations and at all times with a corresponding rotor, the rotor being elongated and having oppositely directed convexly curved faces spacing symmetrically arched apex portions, and having a center at the intersection of its long axis and its bisector, the rotor center traveling a path of constant radius around the triangle center, the rotor center residing exactly above the triangle center and the rotor long axis being coincident with the chamber center when in their vertical orientation, the rotor center residing exactly below the triangle center when in its horizontal orientation at an elevation above the triangle base to allow the rotor apical portions to interfit the chamber inward curving side walls at some locus other than along its long axis to meet sealing requirements in both vertical and horizontal orientations and at all rotor orientations with full rotation of the axle, the rotor long axis having a length equal to the height of the chamber, the rotor having major arc maximum width that maintains sealing contact with the inward curving chamber side wall portion at the base, the rotor apexes being sealingly congruent with the chamber vertices, a working fluid within the chamber, and an input/output shaft having a rotation direction and counter rotationally coupled to the rotor in energy input or output relation, the rotor and chamber being mutually configured to sealably define between the chamber sides and the rotor faces multiple progressively shape- and size-varying subchambers on a rolling basis in working fluid working relation, wherein the energy conversion device has a chamber, a rotor has the range of configurations shown in Figs. 9A through 9F, and/or the chamber has the range of configurations shown in Figs. 9A through 9F. Fig. 9A shows the path of the rotor center, circle C 700, contiguous to inward curving sides 702, and thin line rotor 704 at the base of the chamber, and chamber sides within parent triangle 706. Fig. 9B shows the path of the rotor center, circle C 708, inward curving sides 710, and rotor 712 with long axes 714 in its vertical and horizontal orientation, and chamber sides within parent triangle 716. Fig. 9C shows the path of the rotor center, circle C 718, inward curving sides 720, and rotor 722 with long axes 724 in its vertical and horizontal orientation, and chamber sides within parent triangle 726. Fig. 9D shows the path of the rotor center, circle C 728, inward curving sides 730, and rotor 732 with long axes 734 in its vertical and horizontal orientation, and chamber sides within parent triangle 736. Fig. 9E shows the path of the rotor center, circle C 738, inward curving sides 740, and rotor 742 with long axes 744 m its vertical and horizontal orientation, and chamber sides within parent triangle 746. Fig. 9F shows the path of the rotor center, circle C 748, mward curving sides 750, and rotor 752 with long axes 754 in its vertical and horizontal orientation, and chamber sides within parent triangle 756.

The invention further provides an energy conversion device for converting between mechanical energy and fluid energy, the device comprising a generally equilateral triangular chamber having a center and inwardly curved central side portions intermediate between the extreme inward curvature of a deltoid (Fig 9A) and lack of inward curvature of straight sides, being smgle-bodied and not requiring inserts, the inward curving sides proportioned to predetermined symmetrically arched end side portions to produce sealed expandable and collapsible working chambers at all rotations and at all times with a corresponding rotor, the rotor rotating independently of one or two end plates, the rotor being elongated and having oppositely directed convex complexly curved faces spacing symmetrically arched end face apical portions, and having a center at the intersection of its long axis and its bisector, the rotor center traveling a path of constant radius around the triangle center, the rotor center residing exactly above the triangle center and the rotor long axis being coincident with the chamber center when in their vertical orientation, the rotor center residing exactly below the triangle center when in its horizontal orientation at an elevation above the triangle base to allow the rotor apical portions to interfit the chamber inward curving side walls at some locus other than along its long axis to meet sealing requirements in both vertical and horizontal orientations and at all rotor orientations with full rotation of the axle, the rotor long axis having a length equal to the height of the chamber, the rotor having major arc maximum width that maintains sealing contact with the mward curving chamber side wall portion at the base, the rotor apices being seahngly congruent with the chamber vertices, a working fluid withm the chamber, and an input/output shaft having a rotation direction and counter rotationally coupled to the rotor in energy input or output relation, the rotor and chamber being mutually configured to sealably define between the chamber sides and the rotor faces three progressively shape- and size-varying subchambers on a rolling basis in working fluid working relation, wherein the energy conversion device has a chamber, a rotor has the range of configurations shown in Figs 9A through 9F, and/or the chamber has the range of configurations shown in Figs. 9A through 9F.

The invention thus contemplates in one embodiment a method for converting between chemical energy and mechanical energy including defining a triangular chamber having roundness at the vertices and corresponding common inward radius producing curving sides and walls defining height and substantially filled with a working fluid, the peripheral wall of the chamber being single-bodied and not requiring inserts, enclosing an elongated rotor having oppositely directed complexly curved faces and a length equal to the chamber height in the chamber having roundness correspond to chamber side vertices and with a width corresponding to the mward curvature of the chamber sides and which also mterfits the chamber in its horizontal orientation and at all rotor orientations with full rotation of the axle with the side walls so as to produce sealing of two or three expandable and collapsible working chambers, on a rolling basis, a rotor rotating independently of one or two end plates, offset coupling the rotor to an input/output shaft coaxial with the rotor in cranking relation for counterrotation relative to the shaft at one half the rotation rate, the shaft being journaled in a the wall portion, in working fluid driving or driven relation to convert between the energies. Typically, the method further includes defining rounded apices on the rotor having a common radius and oppositely directed faces, and inwardly deflecting the chamber walls to a curvature corresponding to the common radius, whereby the rotor apices and a the rotor face are in contact with the chamber walls at all rotations of the input/output shaft, the rotor apices being sealingly congruent with the chamber vertices and wherein the rotor and/or the chamber or both have the range of configurations shown in Figs 9A through 9F.

The invention thus contemplates in one embodiment a device for converting between chemical energy and mechanical energy including defining a triangular chamber peripheral wall having roundness at the vertices and corresponding common inward radius producing curving sides and walls defining height and substantially filled with a working fluid, the peripheral wall being single-bodied and not requiring inserts, enclosing an elongated, nonelhpsoidal rotor rotating independently of end plates and having outwardly convex complexly curved faces and a length equal to the chamber height in the chamber having roundness correspond to chamber side vertices and with a width corresponding to the inward curvature of the chamber sides and which also interfits the chamber m its hoπzontal orientation and at all rotor orientations with full rotation of the axle with the side walls so as to produce sealing of two or three expandable and collapsible working chambers, on a rolling basis, offset coupling the rotor to an input/output shaft coaxial with the rotor in cranking relation for counterrotation relative to the shaft at one half the rotation rate, the shaft being journaled in a the wall portion, in working fluid driving or driven relation to convert between the energies. Typically, the device further includes defining rounded apices on the rotor having a common radius and oppositely directed faces, and inwardly deflecting the chamber walls to a curvature corresponding to the common radius, whereby the rotor apices and a the rotor face are in contact with the chamber walls at all rotations of the input/output shaft, the rotor apices being sealingly congruent with the chamber vertices and wherein the rotor and/or the chamber or both have the range of configurations shown in Figs. 9A through 9F.

In this and like embodiments, typically, the energy conversion method rotor has oppositely directed and outwardly curved face portions, having complex curvature arrived at by testing and refitting while counterrotating the rotor about its center at one half degree for every degree of corresponding shaft rotation, including a face portion in sealing contact with the chamber at a locus and curvilinear end face portions in sealing contact with the chamber spaced from the face portion sealing contact locus, the complex curvilinear end face portions comprising apices of the rotor and are circular arc-shaped segments of complex curvature arrived at by testing and refitting, the rotor rotating independently of one or two end plates and having apices rotatably congruent with the chamber vertices, the chamber comprising a peripheral wall being single-bodied and not requiring inserts having three sides joined by three vertices and opposed wall portions spaced by the sides and vertices, the shaft being journaled in a the wall portion, the rotor having oppositely directed and outwardly curved face portions including a face portion in sealing contact with a the chamber side at a locus and curvilinear end face portions in sealing contact with the chamber spaced from the face portion sealing contact locus, the complex curvilinear end face portions comprising apices of the rotor and are complex circular-shaped arc segments, the vertices being sealingly congruent with the apices, the chamber comprising three inwardly curved sides joined by three vertices and opposed wall portions spaced by the sides and vertices, the shaft being journaled in a the wall portion, and the particular cases in the foregoing and like embodiments, wherein the energy conversion device has a chamber, a rotor has the range of configurations shown in Figs. 9A through 9F, and/or the chamber has the range of configurations shown in Figs. 9A through 9F.

In this and like embodiments, typically, the energy conversion device rotor rotates independently of one or two end plates and has oppositely directed and outwardly curved face portions, having complex curvature arrived at by testing and refitting while counterrotating the rotor about its center at one half degree for every degree of corresponding shaft rotation, including a face portion in sealing contact with the chamber at a locus and curvilinear end face portions in sealing contact with the chamber spaced from the face portion sealing contact locus, the complex curvilinear end face portions comprising apices of the rotor and are circular arc-shaped segments of complex curvature arrived at by testing and refitting, the rotor apices being sealingly congruent with the chamber vertices, the chamber comprising a peripheral wall being single-bodied and not requiring inserts having three sides joined by three vertices and opposed wall portions spaced by the sides and vertices, the shaft being journaled in a the wall portion, the rotor having oppositely directed and outwardly curved face portions including a face portion in sealing contact with a the chamber side at a locus and curvilinear end face portions in sealing contact with the chamber spaced from the face portion sealing contact locus, the complex curvilinear end face portions comprising apices of the rotor and are complex circular-shaped arc segments, the vertices being sealingly congruent with the apices, the chamber comprising three inwardly curved sides joined by three vertices and opposed wall portions spaced by the sides and vertices, the shaft being journaled in a the wall portion, and the particular cases in the foregoing and like embodiments, wherein the energy conversion device has a chamber, a rotor has the range of configurations shown in Figs. 9A through 9E, and/or the chamber has the range of configurations shown in Figs. 9A through 9E.

In a further method embodiment, the invention provides the method of converting fluid energy and mechanical energy from one to the other via a working fluid, including rotating a rotor independently of one or two end plates, which has oppositely directed and outwardly curved face portions joined at opposite end rounded apices in an angular direction sealably within a generally triangular working zone having a peripheral wall being single-bodied and not requiring inserts and comprised of three side walls with substantially inwardly concave curvilinear portions bracketed by adjacent symmetrically arched vertices generally congruent with the rotor apices, the working zone having plural sub-working zones each progressively defined within the working zone by a face and one of the rounded apices of the rotor rotating under fluid energy or mechanical energy, coupling a shaft extending beyond the working zone to the rotor for rotation with the rotor but in a counter angular direction, sequencing working fluid ingress and egress from the sub-working zones in timed relation to rotor rotation in energy converting relation, and driving the rotor with fluid energy or the shaft with mechanical energy respectively to convert the working fluid energy to mechanical energy on the shaft or the mechanical energy on the shaft to working fluid energy.

In this and like embodiments, typically, the method can further include selecting as the rotor a rotor rotating independently of one or two end plates, a rotor having oppositely directed and complexly convex curved faces which are tangent to the rounded apices selecting as the rotor a rotor having oppositely directed planar minor faces of complex curvature bounding the arcuate faces of complex curvature between the apices, and selecting as the rotor a rotor having rounded apices whose radii and one major arc are tangent to the substantially inwardly concave curvilinear side wall portions or vertices, and having rotor apices being sealingly congruent with the chamber vertices.

In a still further apparatus embodiment, the invention provides a device for converting fluid energy and mechanical energy from one to the other via a working fluid, comprising an outwardly convex complexly curved rotor having generally rounded apices rotatable in an angular direction sealably within a generally triangular working chamber having a peripheral wall being single-bodied and not requiring inserts and comprised of inwardly curved sides and generally rounded vertices generally congruent with the rounded apices, the working chamber having plural sub- working chambers progressively definable within the working zone by the rotor rotating under fluid energy or mechanical energy, valve-controlled inlet and outlet ports to each sub-working chamber for sequencing working fluid ingress and egress from the sub-working chambers in energy converting relation, a shaft extending beyond the working chamber and coupled to the rotor for rotation with the rotor but in a counter angular direction rotating independently of one or two end plates, whereby driving the rotor with fluid energy or the shaft with mechanical energy respectively converts the working fluid energy to mechanical energy on the shaft or the mechanical energy on the shaft to working fluid energy.

In this and like embodiments of the invention fluid and mechanical energy conversion device, typically, the rotor has oppositely directed convex complexly curved faces whose arcs are tangent to the complex arced apices, each arced apex comprising a complex arced peak and adjoining shoulders arranged for engaging the sides with the shoulders in preference to the peak, the device further comprising a fluid energy supply for rotating the rotor to drive the shaft independently of one or two end plates, and the shaft being mechanical energy driven to rotate the rotor.

In a further internal combustion engine embodiment, the invention provides for converting chemical energy into mechanical energy via the chemical working fluid adapted to operatively connect with a working fluid energy supply, comprising a generally triangular working chamber for containing the working fluid, the working chamber having first and second crank plates and three sides and three generally rounded vertices joining the first and second crank plates in working chamber- defining relation, the first and second crank plates having respective ingress and egress ports communicating with passageways in the major and minor faces of the rotor in turn communicating with each of the three working chambers by offset apertures sequentially blocking and unblocking the port channels on opposite sides of the working chamber, the rotor apices nesting perfectly within the chamber vertices to compress all fuel into airlocks and communicating with the chamber walls for transfer of compressed fuel from in front of to behind the rotor, and a rotor passageway blocking and unblocking an ignition spark in communication with a magneto or battery spark source, to provide the sequential functions of fuel intake, fuel compression, transfer of fuel from in front of to behind the rotor, powering after ignition spark and exhausting of explosion gases, an input/output shaft carried by a plate and extending outward therefrom, a rotor rotating independently of one or two drive plates, sealably rotatable in an angular direction within the working chamber, the rotor comprising a body having an axis and oppositely facing arcuate major faces meeting at body opposite end rounded apices on the body axis that substantially interfϊt with the working chamber vertices, the rotor body having minor faces extending between the major faces, the minor faces having passageways communicating with crank plate ports and with major face port, the major face ports communicating with the three working chambers in a sequentially timed communication basis, the rotor body being proportioned to simultaneously engage the working chambers having a peripheral wall being single-bodied and not requiring inserts at three angularly distributed loci defined by a body major face and both the apices during rotor rotation and translation along the body axis under chemical or fluid energy input to progressively define three rolling sub-working chambers of continually varying volume within the working chamber, to simultaneously impel and expel different sub-portions of the working fluid to and from the sub-working chambers responsive to the sub-working chambers' volume variation.

In a further embodiment, the invention provides an engine device comprising a generally triangular chamber having a peripheral wall being single-bodied and not requiring inserts and a height and substantially filled with a working fluid, an elongated, nonellipsoidal rotor of a length equal to the chamber height disposed in the chamber for rotation independently of one or two drive plates at a speed and having a mass, an input/output shaft coaxial with the rotor and offset-coupled to the rotor via an axle face having a mass and arranged for rotation counter to and at twice the speed of the rotor rotation, whereby the angular momentum of the rotor is substantially balanced out by the angular momentum of the axle face in engine precession reducing it to substantially zero relation.

Advantages of the Rou

Several advantages are obtained with the Roudiarcadron^tm rotor rotating within a Routrihedron^tm chamber: 1. The drive system does not need gears, pinion gears or slots, just a pin closely and nontranslationally fitting within a corresponding hole.

2. Economy of Moving Parts: The device as an engine has an economy of moving parts, those being the two crank plates and the rotor rotating independently of drive plates, and includes internal timing through ports and blocking and unblocking of ignition set out in my copending application Serial No. 12/129,676 that eliminates timing gearing, external valves and associated cams and eliminates the need for external ignition timing.

3. A more subtle aspect of the design is that the rotor moves counter-clockwise about the pin while the two crank plates move clockwise. Thus, the engine design produces a rotation having two nearly tandem angular momenta, one by the rotor and one by the crank plates that can be purposely offset and nulled in the design. Thus, application of the invention device to an aircraft engine will be advantageous due to reduction or elimination of gyroscopic motion, angular momentum and impulse.

4. The rotor has apexes which nest into the vertices of the chamber.

The invention thus provides improvements in the art of energy conversion devices including an improved rotary power device in which the efficiency is increased through exacting control of sealing at the rotor apexes and vertices by fully nesting the rotor tips therein while maintaining the rotor body in sealing contact with the surrounding chamber via provision of selected configurations of rotor and chamber including complementary curvatures that enable the full nesting of the rotor apexes in the chamber vertices to effect the mentioned sealing there, rotor driving or being driven by an input/output shaft or axle extending beyond the chamber through one or more crank plates in the chamber end walls pin-coupled to the rotor center to drive the rotor rotationally and not translationally relative to the crank plate while rotatably sealed against the crank plate, supplying a working fluid such as a combustible fuel mixture or pressurized gases such as steam and air into the chamber to coact with the rotor in energy exchanging relation, chemical energy to mechanical and vice-versa. The invention further provides for effecting a beyond-the-chamber passage of compressed combustion gases from in front of to behind the rotor and passing working fluid into the chamber through passages in the rotor and out of the chamber via the crank plates.

Claims

I claim:

L An energy conversion device for converting between mechanical and fluid energy, comprising a chamber defining a generally triangular shaped volume within opposed planar chamber end walls, at least one crank plate journaled in a said chamber end wall and at least partially defining said chamber end wall, said chamber end walls being spaced by three chamber sides each said chamber side having an inward first curvature and a uniform height and by three rounded vertices connecting said chamber sides, the arc of the vertices being tangent to said chamber sides first curvature, an input/output shaft extending beyond said chamber volume and rotatable coaxially with a said crank plate under mechanical or chemical energy, an elongated, nonellipsoidal rotor within said chamber volume having dimensions of length, width and height and pivotally coupled at its geometric center with attachment through a crank pin to a said crank plate for movement by and relative to said crank plate in multiple subchamber defining relation and freely of rotor translational movement and rotor rotation timing gearing, said rotor having oppositely outwardly curved rotor faces of a second curvature and planar rotor end walls that are spaced by said rotor faces and that have sealing contact with said chamber end walls and two rounded rotor apexes connecting said rotor faces that are congruent with said chamber vertices and have sealing contact with said chamber sides and vertices, said rotor dimensions being selected such that mechanical or chemical energy produced rotor rotation engages said chamber sides with said rotor faces in rotor actuating relation to drive said rotor apexes into opposing chamber vertices as a function of their respective first and second curvatures and free of any apex-vertex clearance in excess of mechanical clearance to counter rotate said rotor relative to said crank plate and shaft, fully displace fluids present in said vertices and sealably close said vertices for increased efficiency in energy conversion.

2. An energy conversion device according to claim 1, in which said rotor and chamber are relatively shaped, sized and located as shown in Figs. IA, IB, 2, 3, 4 and 9A-9F.

3. The energy conversion device according to claim 1, in which said rotor geometric center is located at the intersection of the rotor bisector and rotor long axis.

4. The energy conversion device according to claim 1, in which said triangular chamber has a center locus, and said rotor center travels a constant radius path about said center locus.

5. The energy conversion device according to claim 1, in which said chamber has a center locus, one chamber side forming a base, and an altitude normal to said base; said rotor when normal to said base having its long axis equal in length to and coincident with said altitude and its rotor center farther from said base than from said chamber center locus; said rotor when horizontal having its long axis transverse to said altitude, its rotor center spaced from said base and closer thereto than said center locus, and a relationship of said first and second curvatures providing apex shoulder contact between said rotor apexes and said chamber sides.

6. The energy conversion device according to claim 1 , including also a working fluid supply to said chamber, and inlet and outlet ports through said rotor for flow of said working fluid to and from said subchambers.

7. The energy conversion device according to claim 1, in which said rotor defines fluid inlet and outlet passages for said subchambers, said crank plate is a first crank plate and defines a fluid supply inlet port, there is a second crank plate coaxial with said first crank plate and jointly carrying said crank pin with said first crank plate, said second crank defining a working fluid outlet port, said rotor inlet and outlet passages being arranged to register selectively with said working fluid inlet and outlet ports to carry working fluid to and from said subchambers in energy converting relation.

8. The energy conversion device according to claim 7, in which said working fluid is a combustible fuel mixture whose compression and combustion in a said subchamber drives said rotor and shaft thereby.

9. The energy conversion device according to claim 8, including also a fuel transfer lock at each said chamber vertex for receiving from said chamber said combustible fuel mixture being compressed in front of said rotor and returning said combustible fuel mixture to said chamber behind said rotor.

10. The energy conversion device according to claim 1 , including also a working fluid supply to said chamber, said working fluid comprising a pressurized fluid whose depressurization drives said rotor and shaft thereby.

1 1. The energy conversion device according to claim 10, in which said pressurized fluid comprises pressurized steam or a compressed noncombustible gas.

12. An energy conversion device for converting between mechanical and fluid energy, comprising a chamber defining a generally triangular shaped volume within opposed planar chamber end walls, at least one crank plate journaled in a said chamber end wall and at least partially defining said chamber end wall, said chamber end walls being spaced by three chamber sides each said chamber side having an inward first curvature and a uniform height and by three rounded vertices connecting said chamber sides, the arcs of the vertices being tangent to said chamber sides first curvature, an input/output shaft extending beyond said chamber volume and rotatable with a said crank plate under mechanical or fluid energy, an elongated nonellipsoidal rotor within said chamber volume having dimensions of length, width and height and pivotally coupled to its center with attachment through a crank pin to a said crank plate for movement by and relative to said crank plate in multiple subchamber defining relation and freely of rotor translational movement and rotor rotation timing gearing, said rotor having oppositely outwardly curved rotor faces of a second curvature and planar rotor end walls that are spaced by said rotor faces and that have sealing contact with said chamber end walls and two rounded rotor apexes connecting to said rotor faces that are congruent with said chamber vertices and have sealing contact with said chamber sides and vertices, said rotor dimensions being selected such that mechanical or fluid energy produced rotor rotation engages said chamber sides with said rotor faces in rotor actuating relation to drive said rotor apexes into opposing chamber vertices as a function of their respective first and second curvatures and free of any apex- vertex clearance in excess of mechanical clearance to counter rotate said rotor relative to said crank plate and shaft, fully displace fluids present in said vertices and sealably close to said vertices for increased efficiency in energy conversion.

13. An energy conversion device for converting between mechanical and fluid energy, comprising a chamber described as a Routrihedron defining a generally triangular shaped volume within opposed planar chamber end walls, at least one crank plate journaled in a said chamber end wall and at least partially defining said chamber end wall, said chamber end walls being spaced by three chamber sides each said chamber side having an inward first curvature and height and by three rounded vertices connecting said chamber sides, the arc of the vertices being tangent to said chamber sides first, an input/output shaft extending beyond said chamber volume and rotatable coaxially with a said crank plate under mechanical or fluid energy, the inward first curvature being selected to complement the radii of the three rounded vertices to meet the condition that a rotor described as a Roudiarcadron is in contact less mechanical clearance with all Routrihedron chamber sides with its long axis orientation normal to each chamber side and with its long axis orientation parallel to each chamber side and said rotor having an elongated nonellipsoidal shape within said chamber volume, and said rotor having its dimensions of length, width and height and pivotally coupled to its center with attachment through a crank pin to a said crank plate for movement by and relative to said crank plate in multiple subchamber defining relation and freely of rotor translational movement and rotor rotation timing gearing, said rotor having oppositely outwardly curved rotor faces of a second curvature and planar rotor end walls that are spaced by said rotor faces and that have sealing contact with said chamber end wall and two rounded rotor apexes connecting said rotor faces that are congruent with said chamber vertices and have sealing contact with said chamber sides and vertices, said rotor dimensions being selected such that mechanical and or fluid energy produced rotor rotation engages said chamber sides with said rotor faces in rotor actuating relation to drive said rotor apexes into opposing chamber vertices as a function of their respective first and second curvatures and free of any apex-vertex clearance in excess of mechanical clearance to counter rotate said rotor relative to said crank place and shaft, fully displace fluids present in said vertices and sealably close said vertices for increased efficiency in energy conversion, said Routrihedrons and Roudiarcadrons being described in Figures 9A through 9F, having the exacting relationship between Routrihedron vertex radii and inward curvature to produce sealed subchambers when the Roudiarcadron is both its vertical orientation and in its horizontal orientation.

14. A device comprising a generally trihedral inwardly curved Routrihedron™ chamber wall in cooperating relation with a complementary complex outwardly curved elongated and nonellipsoidal rotor Roudiarcadron™, said rotor maintaining sealable contact with three surfaces of the chamber at all rotations of the shaft with rotor apices nesting in chamber vertices thus producing two working chambers in a pump or motor and three working chambers in an engine that successively alternate through expansion and contraction and simultaneously expanding and collapsing and pivoting through three orientations, said rotor rotating within said chamber counter rotationally and driving or being driven by a pin attached to a shaft extending beyond the working chamber, said rotor imparting blocking and unblocking of ports in the walls of a pump or cooperating with ports in crank plates and rotor passageways to provide blocking and unblocking of a working fluid throughout the functions of intake, compression, transfer of fuel from in front of to behind the rotor, powering after ignition and exhaust in an internal combustion engine having three working chambers on a rolling basis, whereby said device drives said rotor with chemical or working fluid energy to produce mechanical energy through rotation of the shaft, or produces fluid or chemical energy through mechanical rotation of the shaft.

15. A method of converting between mechanical and chemical energy via a working fluid, including coupling an input/output shaft to a crank plate journaled in an end wall of a generally triangular chamber volume containing the working fluid and having between chamber volume end walls inwardly curved sides and vertices therebetween whose arcs are tangent with the curve of adjacent volume sides, pin- coupling the crank plate to the center of an elongated nonellipsoidal rotor having end apexes and dimensions of length, width and height relative to the chamber volume for rotational and not translational movement relative to the crank plate to define multiple variably sized subchambers therein and outwardly curved faces complementary to the chamber inward curved sides to effect full nesting of the rotor apexes in the vertices during rotor rotation and full displacement of fluids therein, maintaining a rotating seal between the chamber sides and the rotor against working fluid passage between the subchambers, and exchanging energy between the working fluid and the rotor for the rotor to correspondingly drive or be driven by the input/output shaft through the crank plate.

16. The method according to claim 15, including also selecting a combustible fuel mixture as the working fluid and providing at the vertices a fuel transfer lock for fuel transfer from before to behind the rotor.

17. The method according to claim 15, in which said crank plate is a first crank plate and said chamber wall includes a second crank plate opposed to said first crank plate and also pin-coupled to the rotor center, the method further including supplying working fluid to the chamber volume through said first crank plate, removing said working fluid from said chamber volume through said second crank plate, and passing working fluid through the rotor between the first and second crank plates.