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US 2009/0255506 A1Published application
Rotary internal combustion engine
OwnerS. Paul Walkerinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present invention relates to a rotary internal combustion engine that extracts power from expansion gases supplied to a rotary power-extraction assembly, and related methods. The disclosed engines include a compressor assembly, a combustion assembly, and a rotary power-extraction assembly. The compressor assembly supplies a compressed charge to the combustion assembly. The combustion assembly initiates combustion and discharges expansion gases to the rotary power-extraction assembly. A rotary power-extraction assembly can be configured to include an annular chamber where expansion gases drive a power rotor.
Claims20
A rotary internal combustion engine, comprising:
- a compressor assembly;
- a combustion assembly coupled with the compressor assembly so as to receive a compressed charge from the compressor assembly, the engine adapted to provide isolation between the compressor assembly and the received compressed charge, the combustion assembly adapted to initiate combustion after the isolation of the compressed charge and discharge expansion gases;
- and
- a rotary power-extraction assembly coupled with the combustion assembly so as to receive expansion gases discharged by the combustion assembly, the rotary power-extraction assembly comprising:
- a housing, the housing including a cavity, and
- a power rotor rotationally disposed within the cavity and adapted to extract power from the received expansion gases.
3 more elements
A rotary internal combustion engine, comprising:
- a compressor assembly;
- a combustion assembly coupled with the compressor assembly so as to receive a compressed charge from the compressor assembly;
- the combustion assembly adapted to discharge expansion gases;
- and
- a rotary power-extraction assembly coupled with the combustion assembly so as to receive expansion gases discharged by the combustion assembly, the rotary power-extraction assembly adapted to extract power from the received expansion gases, the rotary power-extraction assembly including:
- a housing including:
- a first cavity disposed within the housing and substantially defined by axial-symmetric walls;
- and
- a second cavity disposed within the housing and substantially defined by axial-symmetric walls, the second cavity intersecting the first cavity;
- a power rotor rotationally disposed within the first cavity, the power rotor and the housing defining an annular chamber therebetween, the power rotor including a vane extending from the power rotor into the annular chamber;
- a sealing rotor rotationally disposed within the second cavity, the sealing rotor including a recess sized to accommodate the vane during a rotation of the power rotor;
- an inlet coupled with the combustion assembly and the annular chamber for the transfer of expansion gases from the combustion assembly to the annular chamber;
- and
- an outlet coupled with the annular chamber for the discharge of expansion gases from the annular chamber.
11 more elements
A method of manufacturing a rotary internal combustion engine, comprising:
- providing a compressor assembly;
- coupling a combustion assembly with the compressor assembly so as to receive a compressed charge from the compressor assembly, the engine adapted to provide isolation between the compressor assembly and the received compressed charge, the combustion assembly adapted to initiate combustion after the isolation of the compressed charge and discharge expansion gases;
- and
- coupling a rotary power-extraction assembly with the combustion assembly so as to receive expansion gases discharged by the combustion assembly, the rotary power-extraction assembly including:
- a housing, the housing including a cavity, and
- a power rotor rotationally disposed within the cavity and adapted to extract power from the received expansion gases.
3 more elements
A method of manufacturing a rotary internal combustion engine, comprising:
- providing a compressor assembly;
- coupling a combustion assembly with the compressor assembly so as to receive a compressed charge from the compressor assembly;
- the combustion assembly adapted to discharge expansion gases;
- and
- coupling a rotary power-extraction assembly with the combustion assembly so as to receive expansion gases discharged by the combustion assembly, the rotary power-extraction assembly adapted to extract power from the received expansion gases, the rotary power-extraction assembly including:
- a housing including:
- a first cavity disposed within the housing and substantially defined by axial-symmetric walls;
- and
- a second cavity disposed within the housing and substantially defined by axial-symmetric walls, the second cavity intersecting the first cavity;
- a power rotor rotationally disposed within the first cavity, the power rotor and the housing defining an annular chamber therebetween, the power rotor including a vane extending from the power rotor into the annular chamber;
- a sealing rotor rotationally disposed within the second cavity, the sealing rotor including a recess sized to accommodate the vane during a rotation of the power rotor;
- an inlet coupled with the combustion assembly and the annular chamber for the transfer of expansion gases from the combustion assembly to the annular chamber;
- and
- an outlet coupled with the annular chamber for the discharge of expansion gases from the annular chamber.
11 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.