Internal-combustion engines – Rotary – With transfer means intermediate single compression volume...
Reexamination Certificate
2001-03-05
2002-02-26
Nguyen, Hoang (Department: 3748)
Internal-combustion engines
Rotary
With transfer means intermediate single compression volume...
C123S224000, C123S221000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06349695
ABSTRACT:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
Not applicable
STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY FUNDED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT
Not applicable
REFERENCE TO A MICROFICHE APPENDIX
Not applicable
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
At the present time, machines employed for the production of mechanical energy by internal combustion of organic fuel consist primarily of mechanical displacement machines, generally called “reciprocating” engines, and gas turbines.
Reciprocating internal combustion machines employ reciprocating mechanical motion of pistons and valves for working fluid manipulation and fuel combustion is a pulsed, non-continuous, process. The function of a reciprocating internal combustion engine is theoretically described in terms of a thermodynamic cycle such as first postulated by Sadi Carnot (1824) or one of the alternative thermodynamic cycles such as postulated by Nicholas Otto (1876), and Rudolph Diesel (1892). Gas turbines employ purely rotational components, aerofoil surfaces, and aerodynamic interaction for working fluid manipulation and fuel combustion is a self-sustaining continuous process. In general, gas turbines theoretically function in accordance with a thermodynamic cycle such as postulated by G. B. Breyton (1876).
Reciprocating machines offer an operationally flexible, relatively high torque power source and are economically satisfactory for many commercial applications, however their featured reciprocating components and pulsed combustion are inherent sources of undesirable noise and vibration. In comparison, gas turbine machines offer a relatively high rotational speed power source, and, relatively, reduced emissions of noise and vibration but offer economic superiority only in applications requiring relatively high measures of power density and delivered power.
Over a number of years significant inventive effort has been directed toward the derivation of a “rotary” internal combustion machine such as would feature mechanical displacement for working fluid manipulation but employ only rotationally dynamic components to accomplish fluid manipulation. By retention of the mechanical displacement means for working fluid manipulation the “rotary” machine is perceived to offer the performance characteristics given by reciprocating type machines, but, through elimination of reciprocating components, preclude their concomitant mechanical complexity and potential for emission of noise and vibration. The radial vane type rotary machine has been the subject of particular attention in this regard.
Conceptually the rotary vane machine primarily consists of a stationary containment structure and an internal assembly of rotationally dynamic components. The stationary containment structure consists of a containment cylinder with a precisely or approximately circular bore, installed with end closure structures. Ports are installed for induction of combustion air and for discharge of combustion products through the boundary of said containment structure.
The internal assembly of rotationally dynamic components primarily consists of a rotational armature, a plurality of radial vanes, and a means for extracting rotary power. Said rotational armature is precisely or approximately circular in cross section. The diameter of said rotational armature is less than the bore diameter of said containment cylinder such as to create an annular cavity between the peripheral surface of said rotational armature and the bore of said containment cylinder. Said rotational armature is fitted with a plurality of radial slots equally spaced around its periphery and parallel to its longitudinal axis. Each said slot accommodates and provides annular sliding support for one radial vane. Each said radial vane is a relatively thin structural panel axially extending through the armature length and radially extending from within said slot to contact or closely approach the bore of said containment cylinder. The plurality of said radial vanes subdivides the volume of aforesaid annular cavity into a plurality of annular segmental cells. Said rotational armature is supported such as to rotate on an axis parallel to, but radially displaced from the bore axis of said containment cylinder. Since the rotational axis of said rotational shaft is radially displaced from the bore axis of said containment cylinder, the relative volume of any given segmental cell is dependent upon its orbital location and, therefore, cyclically changes through rotation of said rotational armature. Said rotationally related cyclical change in relative volume functionally equates to the change in relative volume caused by the reciprocation of a piston within a cylinder such as employed in reciprocating type internal combustion and provides the basic features of working fluid manipulation necessary for the function of a heat engine cycle. For a given set of said containment cylinder proportions, the manipulated volume is inversely influenced by the diameter of said armature. Within certain limits, the compression ratio or expansion ratio of the volumetric cycle is directly influenced by both the number of segmental cells surrounding said rotational armature and the distance separating the rotational axis of said rotational armature from the bore axis of said containment cylinder. Said compression ratio is also influenced by the angular width and radial location of the sector allocated for the combustion air supply port. Similarly the expansion ratio is influenced by the angular width and radial location of the sector allocated for the combustion product discharge port. Means for extracting rotary power from the machine may consist of an axial extension of said rotational armature through one or both aforesaid end closure structures or by means of a rotational shaft functionally integrated with said rotational armature.
A number of patents have been awarded for rotary vane internal combustion machine concepts. However, despite the potentially excellent qualities offered by the rotary vane machine, as of this writing none of the concepts presented in prior art are known to have matured sufficiently to demonstrate practical utility. It may be reasonably hypothesized that the reason for such non-maturation is the result of singular or compounded inadequacies regarding functional viability considerations.
As known to persons skilled in the art, the fundamental functional viability of all machines is their capability to function within the constraints of common natural laws as defined in mechanics, physics, and mathematics. It is also known to persons skilled in the art that, beyond these fundamental considerations, the functional viability of an energy related machine is demonstrated by its capability to meet thresholds for efficiency, and power density within constraints of imposed by the physical properties of economically available constituent materials. The overall efficiency of thermal machines is the product of thermodynamic cycle efficiency and mechanical efficiency. The physical properties of constituent materials such as dimensional stability and lubricity may be significantly influenced by thermal environment. For these reasons the potential functional viability of a thermal machine may be theoretically assessed by analysis of its functional geometry and components features relative to thermodynamic cycle efficiency, mechanical efficiency, and thermal control considerations.
For internal combustion machines thermodynamic cycle efficiency is directly influenced by the compression ratio of the volumetric cycle. For machines based on Carnot principles, and with numerically equal compression and expansion ratios, the basic relationship between cycle efficiency (“Air Standard Efficiency”) and compression ratio is described as:
η
c
=
1
-
1
v
(
κ
-
1
)
Where:
η
c
=
Cycle
Efficiency
v
=
Compression
Ratio
k
=
Universal
Gas
Constant
As previously noted, the compression ratio of a rotary vane machine is directly rela
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