Internal-combustion engines – Rotary – With transfer means intermediate single compression volume...
Reexamination Certificate
1999-04-12
2001-10-09
Denion, Thomas (Department: 3748)
Internal-combustion engines
Rotary
With transfer means intermediate single compression volume...
C418S226000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06298821
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to rotary apparatuses, specifically to rotary combustion engines, rotary pumps, rotary compressors, and rotary motors.
2. Description of the Related Art
A rotary apparatus serves as a foundation of various internal combustion engines, pumps, and motors. Hundreds of patents have been issued in the United States alone for inventions of various rotary engines. Such a flood of inventions is not accidental as it is a known fact that about fifty percent of U.S. domestic oil consumption goes into automotive fuel, while fuel efficiency of commercial internal combustion engines is below 50 percent. Therefore, even a several percent improvement in fuel efficiency of internal combustion engines would be an economically justifiable goal. All attempts of prior art in the field of internal combustion engines have been directed to such a goal. Yet, it is also a well known fact that the reciprocal piston internal combustion engines have practically reached their technical/ecological limits in fuel efficiency, size, weight, specific power. The crankshaft and connecting rod mechanisms create a bottleneck that prevents reaching higher compression ratio (i.e. higher efficiency). Pressure value that combustion gas can exert on the total surface of a reciprocating piston is limited by the material strength of the connecting-rod and crankshaft. Reciprocal inertial movements of the piston and connecting-rod cause high inertial loads in the mechanical parts of a reciprocating piston engine, limiting high revolution rate (high specific power). Moreover, the connecting-rod passes large dynamic force onto the piston/cylinder boundary surface, which results in friction heat that accounts 8 to 15 percent in fuel waste and requires complicated lubrication and cooling system of engine cylinders to prevent burning of the engine oil. All this adds extra complexity, materials, and cost in traditional internal combustion engines.
Prior art discloses rotary engines in which rotors have radiancy or axially movable blades or fans which exert large mechanical pressure on the movable contact surfaces of the blades, complicating the rotary engine design. Known in prior art are also planetary rotary engines, yet in these designs the engine's rotor must perform complicated spatial rotations around more than one axis.
There are many various internal combustion rotary engine inventions, but only the Wankel rotor engine has been so far commercially manufactured to some extended degree. The Wankel's engine however has many disadvantages. For example, the spinning of the Wankel's engine is not uniform and the compression ratio is very limited. Therefore the high power density and the fuel savings are not obtainable in the Wankel engine. The Wankel engine has an extended combustion chamber that leads to incomplete fuel combustion and harmful exhaust into the atmosphere. In the Wankel engine, the rotor's pressure on the stator not only limits large compression ratio of the engine but also produces a lot of friction heat that requires intensive cooling of the rotor.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The goal of the disclosed invention is the elimination of drawbacks of current commercial internal combustion engines, pumps, and compressors, leading to better fuel economy, increase of specific power, increase in engine's rotation speed, reduction in size, weight, and construction simplification. The stated objectives are reached in the disclosed preferred embodiments of the present invention.
The main parts of the rotary engine are a housing, a rotor, and separating valves. The housing encloses the rotatable rotor and separating valves. The separating valves partition the engine displacement volume into intake/compression sections and expansion/exhaust sections. Depending on an engine embodiment the separating vales perform either rotatable or reciprocating movement. The rotor performs simple rotation around its shaft axis. The rotor has a plurality of radially extended blades, also called protrusions or protuberances. The rotor blades extends substantially perpendicular to the rotor's peripheral surface.
The rotor peripheral profile features a plurality of blades spaced around the rotor. In some designs of the rotor, the rotor has its peripheral geometry precisely shaped to obtain required blades. In other designs, rotor blades can be made as separate parts which are assembled with the rotor, i.e. attached immovably to the rotor.
Depending on an engine embodiment and/or ramification, separating valves can be one of the following: a glass-shape valve, a disc valve, a slide-slot valve, a slide valve, or a swaying-lever valve. The peripheral surface of the rotor, the inside concave surface of the housing, and the external surfaces of the separating valves, in combination, define a plurality of the compression and expansion sections of the rotary engine.
A bypass channel is used in the engine to convey a working fluid from the engine compression section into the engine expansion section. The bypass channel can be located inside the rotor's body, or a bypass channel can be placed on the housing wall. In the latter case, a combustion chamber can be accommodated inside of the bypass channel.
The inventive rotary engine is distinguished for its high energy efficiency, small dimensions, and lower weight. The engine design allows ceramic isolation of internal engine surfaces which are exposed to hot combustion gases. The engine can use standard automotive fuel as well as heavy petroleum fuels.
The novel features which are considered as characteristic for the present invention are set forth in particular in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its construction and its method of operation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will be best understood from the following specification and description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawing.
REFERENCES:
patent: 2010797 (1935-08-01), Archbold et al.
patent: 2379838 (1945-07-01), Stanzel
patent: 2944533 (1960-07-01), Park
patent: 3073288 (1963-01-01), Moriarty
patent: 4399654 (1983-08-01), David
patent: 4967707 (1990-11-01), Rogant
Denion Thomas
Nguyen Tu M.
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