Rotary diesel engine

#This invention relates to rotary internal combustion engines and more specifically to a diesel rotary engine having specific rotor and sealing members designed to operate at maximum efficiency.

#Rotary engines have been known in the art for a considerable period of time. Representative versions of such devices are fully disclosed schematically and operationally in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,117,562; 3,237,613; and 3,777,723. The principles of the present type of rotary engine to the extent they are set forth in those references are incorporated herein by reference.

#Although numerous designs of rotary engines have been known for some time, they have not experienced widespread use presumably because of combustion chamber size limitations, inadequate sealing elements, and imperfect fuel injection assemblies. It has also been extremely difficult to maintain temperatures and compression ratios needed at various locations throughout such rotary devices to achieve maximum operating efficiencies, particularly in diesel environments.

#FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the rotor showing the radially extending alternating lobes and interspaces incorporated therewith.

#FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the rotary sealing member illustrating the radially extending intercepting grooves and dividers, each of the grooves carrying a centered recess therein.

#FIG. 3 is a perspective view of cooperative relationship between the rotor and the rotary sealing member illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2.

#Referring now to the drawings and particularly to FIG. 8, a casing 20 has two internally formed intersecting cylindrical chambers 22 and 24 comprising working spaces for, in chamber 22, a rotor 26 having a drive shaft 27 and a plurality of radially extending lobes 28 and interspaces 30, and in chamber 24, a rotary sealing member 32, having a plurality of radially extending grooves 34 and dividers 36, the lobes and interspaces 28 and 30 of rotor 26 intermeshing with the grooves and dividers 34 and 36 of the rotary sealing member 32. Each groove 34 has a substantially centered recess 38 extending longitudinally thereof, which will be more particularly and functionally described subsequently.

#A fuel injection assembly shown generally as 40 (FIG. 7) is cooperatively associated with the rotary sealing member 32 and has a manifold 42, a fuel entry port 44 connecting with the manifold, a supply line 46, and a rotating connector 45 for furnishing fuel at low pressure through the port 44 and into the manifold 42. A plurality of fuel injection chambers 48 communicate with manifold 42 and with centered recess 38. A plunger 50 is associated with each fuel injection chamber and functions to meter fuel and build pressure within the chamber sufficient to force the fuel into the centered recess 38 for ultimate combustion. Plunger 50 is biased by appropriate springs 52 so that it is normally held in a retracted or non-combustion position by the biasing effect of the spring until that biasing effect is overcome by some other appropriate means such as that subsequently to be described.

#Plunger 50 is actuated by the action of a fuel control assembly shown generally as 54 in FIG. 5 so that only one fuel injection chamber will experience fuel pressures necessary for injection into its respective combustion chamber at any predetermined time, to facilitate a proper combustion cycle. As plunger 50 rides against freewheeling roller 55, it is urged inwardly overcoming the bias of springs 52 and thus forcing fuel under great pressure into centered recess 38 through inlets 47. Inlets 47 are of a design that will permit fuel flow only in one direction and completely seal the port upon combustion in the centered recess 38. Retraction of plunger 50, by bias springs 52, after being activated creates a vacuum in chamber 48 thereby refilling the chamber through check valve 49.