Charged cooled rotary engine

Details Charged cooled rotary engine Charged cooled rotary engine

2000-06-24

2001-12-04

Koczo, Michael (Department: 3746)

Rotary expansible chamber devices

Heat exchange or non-working fluid lubricating or sealing

Heat exchange by diverted incoming or outgoing working fluid

C418S094000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06325603

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to rotary engines. More specifically, the present invention relates to an improved rotor and intake charge entry port configuration providing substantially uniform intake charge cooling of a Wankel type rotary engine. Improved heat transfer devices are provided within rotor cavities and a novel seal lubricating arrangement is included.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Wankel type rotary engines are commonly used in many applications including automobiles and other motor vehicles. These engines operate according to a four stroke process having four cycles including intake, compression, expansion, and exhaust.
FIGS. 1A through 1D
illustrate side views of a typical prior art rotary engine engaged in the four cycles of operation.
As shown in
FIGS. 1A through 1D
, the engine typically includes a rotor
102
having three flanks forming combustion surfaces
101
a,
101
b,
and
101
c
located between three apexes, and a crankshaft
104
having an eccentric
105
disposed within a rotor housing
106
. Rotor housing
106
, which has an inner surface
107
in the shape of a peritrochoid curve, includes an intake port
108
and an exhaust port
110
. End plates (not shown) are affixed to ends of rotor housing
106
to form a closed chamber
112
.
The rotor
102
engages eccentric
105
of the crankshaft via a rotor bearing (not shown) which typically includes an inner bearing race, an outer bearing race, and a plurality of roller bearings. Rotor
102
, which drives crankshaft
104
, includes rotor gears
114
which engage crankshaft gears
116
of the crank shaft. The rotor revolves at one third the speed of the crankshaft and fires once per revolution of the crankshaft.
In operation, as rotor
102
rotates, the three combustion surfaces
101
i a,
101
b,
and
101
c
serve to variously combine with the inner surface of housing
106
to variously define an intake volume, a compression volume, an ignition volume, and an exhaust volume of closed chamber
112
.
FIG. 1A
depicts in particular the intake cycle during which intake port
108
is open and the rotor surface
101
a
defines an intake volume
109
of the closed chamber which increases in volume to draw charge there-into from an external source such as a carburetor (not shown).
FIG. 1B
specifically depicts the engine during the compression cycle in which the compression volume
111
is decreased to compress the charge.
FIG. 1C
shows at
113
the ignition cycle during which compressed charge is ignited by a spark to provide a force pushing the rotor around as the ignited charge expands.
FIG. 1D
depicts at
115
the exhaust cycle wherein the contents of the exhaust volume is cleared via exhaust port
10
to prepare the engine for another cycle. Note that as the rotor
102
turns within the housing
106
, the rotor surfaces
101
b
and
101
c
likewise define intake, compression, combustion, and exhaust cycles.
FIG. 2A
shows an exploded perspective view of the prior art engine of FIG.
1
A. Rotor
102
includes a central hub
117
having a central axis A, rotor flanks
118
, and flank supports
119
extending transverse to the central axis and joining the hub to the flanks. As depicted, the engine further includes a first end plate
122
and a second end plate
124
for attachment to first and second ends of rotor housing
106
to form the closed chamber
112
.
Housing
106
includes spark plug holes
126
bored there through to receive spark plugs (not shown) used for ignition. Housing
106
further includes peripheral ports
128
which are open to chamber
112
and allow charge to flow into the chamber as explained further below.
Rotor
102
includes large flow passages
130
, located between flank supports
119
, which allow charge to flow through the rotor, parallel to crankshaft
104
(FIG.
1
A), from first end plate
122
to second end plate
124
as explained further below. Because rotor
102
includes flow passages
130
, the rotor lacks structural support material in locations where support could most effectively add strength to the rotor. To compensate and strengthen the rotor, more material must be added to the rotor elsewhere thereby detrimentally increasing its weight. The weight of the rotor is critical because it effects the weight of crankshaft
104
(FIG.
1
A), the amount of counter-weight required, the size of the rotor bearing (not shown), and the overall structure of the engine.
First end plate
122
includes a fuel/air inlet
132
which receives charge from an external source (not shown). First end plate
122
also includes a first port
134
formed by a cavity, or slot, on an inner surface
133
of the first end plate and open at various times to flow passages
130
and interior
123
of the rotor
102
. First port
134
is in communication with inlet
132
and allows for flow of charge from the external source into flow passages
130
of rotor
102
.
Second end plate
124
includes a distribution chamber
135
formed by a cavity in an inner surface
137
of the second end plate and open to chamber
112
. Distribution chamber
135
has a side port
136
defined by the edges of distribution chamber
135
and a dashed line
141
. Side port
136
communicates with closed chamber
112
subject to obstruction by rotor
102
. The remaining portion of distribution chamber
135
, excluding side port
136
, is identical to first port
134
and communicates with flow passages
130
, interior
123
of rotor
102
, and passage
152
. Second end plate
124
does not include a fuel/air inlet. Side port
136
receives the charge from the first port
134
of the first end plate via flow passages
130
of the rotor and distribution chamber
135
. Distribution chamber
135
is in communication with a port outlet
138
formed on the inner surface of a flange of the second end plate. Outlet
138
provides passage of charged air from distribution chamber
135
to a peripheral port inlet
140
of rotor housing
106
when second end plate
124
is affixed to rotor housing
106
.
In the depicted engine, intake charge is received solely via fuel/air inlet
132
of the first end plate
122
. The engine therefore uses a single entry port configuration in which cooling charge enters the engine from an external source via one side of the engine only. The port configuration is formed essentially by inlet
132
, first port
134
, flow passages
130
of the rotor, distribution chamber
135
, side port
136
, side port outlet
138
, peripheral port inlet
140
, and peripheral ports
128
. The exact flow path of charge through the port configuration of the engine varies with the position and rotational speed of rotor
102
. Flow paths
142
,
144
, and
146
illustrate the flow of charge through the engine.
According to flow path
142
, charge flows: (1) from an external source (not shown) through fuel/air inlet
132
of first end-housing
122
to first port
134
; (2) through flow passages
130
of the rotor parallel to crankshaft
104
(FIG.
1
A); (3) to distribution chamber
135
of the second end plate; and (4) into closed chamber
112
via flow path
144
and/or flow path
146
. Charge flows from side port
136
directly into chamber
112
subject to partial obstruction by rotor
102
. Charge also flows from distribution chamber
135
along another path
146
into closed chamber
112
via passage
152
, side port outlet
138
, peripheral port inlet
140
, and peripheral ports
128
.
Because charge enters the engine through first end plate
122
only, via first port
134
and flows through rotor
102
, the side of the rotor adjacent end plate
122
forms a charge entering end of the rotor. Also, because cooling charge does not enter side port
136
directly from an external source, the second end plate is referred to as a charge exiting side of the rotor. As the charge is passed through flow passages
130
of the rotor, via flow path
142
, it absorbs heat and its cooling ability is diminished on the exiting side of the rotor. Thus, the r

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