Overexpansion rotary engine

Details Overexpansion rotary engine Overexpansion rotary engine

1998-07-29

2001-05-29

Koczo, Michael (Department: 3746)

Internal-combustion engines

Rotary

With compression, combustion, and expansion in a single...

C418S148000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06237560

ABSTRACT:

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to internal combustion engines which can provide a high engine torque output even in a lower engine rotation state, and in particular to overexpansion rotary engines.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In general, there are two types of internal combustion engines, one being a reciprocating engine in which a piston performs linear strokes, and the other being a rotary engine in which the piston performs rotary motion.
The rotary engine includes a rotor operatively engaged with an engine output shaft, and a rotor housing accommodating therewithin the rotor. In a typical rotary engine, the rotor acting as a rotating piston is adapted to perform eccentric rotary motion within the rotor housing, in such a way that the engine output shaft is provided with an external toothed gear, which is engaged with the internal toothed gear of the rotor that is larger in diameter than the external gear of the engine output shaft, so that the eccentric rotation of the rotor is transmitted to the engine output shaft. The outline of the cross- section of the rotor sliding inner surface of the rotor housing is shaped to a substantially cocoon-shaped peritrochoid curve, and the cross-section of the rotor is shaped to a substantially equilateral triangle. The three vertex portions of the rotor slide on the peritrochoid curved inner surface of the rotor housing during the eccentric rotation of the rotor to form separate and independent compartments for suction, compression, explosion and exhaust, respectively within the engine compartment between the rotor and the inner surface of the rotor housing. Such prior art typical rotary engine avoids problems relating to the use of a suction valve and an exhaust valve related to the engine compartment, which are necessary for the reciprocating engine.
In such a typical rotary engine, during one rotor eccentric revolution, only one sequence of suction, compression, explosion and exhaust is carried out, and therefore there is such disadvantage that a high engine torque is not obtainable unless the operation of the engine becomes a high rotation speed. This disadvantage also exists in the case of the reciprocating engine. Further, a complicated mechanism is needed to cause the rotor to rotate eccentrically with respect to the engine output shaft, which results in increase in cost.
The idea of overexpansion, i.e. that an expansion volume is greater than a compression volume to increase engine efficiency, has been considered but is too impractical to implement in traditional reciprocating engines.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Therefore, an object of this invention is to eliminate the above-mentioned disadvantages of the prior art internal combustion engines and provide an improved overexpansion rotary engine by which it is possible to output a high engine torque even at the time of a low engine rotation state.
Another object of this invention is to provide the rotary engine with an operational mechanism which is very simple in comparison with the prior art rotary engine.
Yet another object of this invention is to provide a rotary engine which is easily applicable to a jet propulsion engine.
An overexpansion rotary engine according to this invention comprises a rotor housing having an inner wall, a rotor rotatably mounted within the rotor housing, with a plurality of sealing blades extending from the rotor, each sealing blade being biased to contact the inner wall, an ignitor in the inner wall, a compression chamber formed by two sealing blades while approaching the ignitor due to the rotation of the rotor, and an expansion chamber formed by two sealing blades after having passed the ignitor due to the rotation of the rotor, wherein a maximum volume of the expansion chamber is greater than a maximum volume of the compression chamber.
In accordance with another characteristic feature of this invention, it produces a burnt gas blast directed along one direction during the explosion cycle of the engine, and a burnt gas pressure bearing surface formed by a wall defining a notch in the rotor which is substantially normal to the direction of the burst gas blast to efficiently convert it into rotational energy for the rotor. The burnt gas blast may be provided by a blast guide hole formed in the rotor housing and a spark plug mounted at the end at which said blast guide hole is terminated, said blast guide hole having its length from said end to the position of the hole from which the blast goes out, which is enough for the blast to be directed along said one direction. The surface at the end of said blast guide hole at which said sparking plug is mounted may have a substantially parabolic shape of which the focal point is positioned substantially at the sparking point of said spark plug.
An embodiment of the overexpansion rotary engine includes an ejection port for ejecting a jet stream of combustion gas.
Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the specification, when taken in conjunction with the drawings, in which like reference numerals refer to like elements in the several views.


REFERENCES:
patent: 813018 (1906-02-01), Okun
patent: 3762375 (1973-10-01), Bentley
patent: 4556372 (1985-12-01), Leroy et al.
patent: 5711268 (1998-01-01), Holdampf
patent: 289644 (1988-11-01), None
patent: 456996 (1913-07-01), None
patent: 17706 (1913-08-01), None
patent: 999836 (1951-10-01), None
patent: 1345300 (1963-10-01), None
patent: 515189 (1955-02-01), None

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