Rotor housing assembly for rotary engine and related devices and methods
AssigneeRotary Engine Technologies, Inc.
InventorsWilliam L. Cooper, J. Scott Webber
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A rotor housing assembly is adapted such that a barrel valve is arranged to regulate the flow of fuel/air mixture both from outside the housing assembly into an internal lubrication flow path and from the internal lubrication flow path into an internal chamber. The barrel valve includes a substantially cylindrical valve member diagonally traversed by a separation plate, dividing the interior of the valve member into an inlet chamber and an outlet chamber. Fuel/air mixture entering the housing assembly from outside passes through the inlet chamber and fuel/air mixture entering the internal chamber passes through the outlet chamber.
Claims20
A rotary engine rotor housing assembly comprising:
- a rotor housing at least partially defining an internal chamber therein;
- a front side housing arranged on a front side of the rotor housing;
- a rear side housing arranged on a rear side of the rotor housing;
- and
- a barrel valve arranged in a barrel valve housing defined in the housing assembly;
- wherein an internal lubrication flow path is defined within the housing assembly, and the barrel valve is operable to regulate entrance of fuel/air flow both into the housing assembly and from the internal lubrication flow path into the internal chamber.
A barrel valve for a rotary engine rotor housing assembly, the valve comprising:
- a valve element defining an interior volume, a fuel/air inlet opening and a fuel/air outlet opening being defined in the valve member in communication with the interior volume;
- and
- a separation plate dividing the interior volume into an inlet chamber, directly communicating with the fuel/air inlet opening, and an outlet chamber, directly communicating with the fuel/air outlet opening.
A method of regulating fuel/air mixture flow in a rotary engine rotor housing assembly, the method comprising:
- arranging a single valve in the path of a fuel/air mixture both:
- from outside the housing assembly into an internal lubrication flow path;
- and
- from the internal lubrication flow path into an internal chamber;
- and
- operating the single valve to simultaneously regulate the fuel/air flow into the housing assembly and into the internal chamber.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.