Induction-exhaust system for a rotary engine

In a rotary internal combustion engine having variable volume combustion chambers defined by a rotary piston dynamically sealed against a surrounding housing at spaced apices of the rotor, said rotor being turned with planetary movement by an eccentric shaft, said engine having means for igniting a combustible mixture introduced at one location to each of said chambers passing said location, an induction and exhaust system for said engine comprising:

• a. housing means having a trochoidally shaped peripheral wall,
• b. means defining at least one inlet port and at least one outlet port in said peripheral wall, each having a centerline generally directed normal to said wall at the intersection therewith, at least said inlet port having a narrow throat area no greater than 1 square inch for each 42 cubic inches of engine displacement to permit a high flow velocity through said inlet and outlet ports, said inlet port being located with the centerline thereof at a station of said peripheral wall at which the differential pressure between adjacent chambers will be consistently at about 0 and said inlet port being circumferentially spaced from said outlet port so that port overlap permitted by spaced apex sealing on said rotor endures for no greater than 85.degree. of rotary movement of said eccentric shaft, and
• c. one-way flow control means disposed in said inlet port effective to substantially eliminate dilution backflow through said inlet port and prevent substantial communication between chambers through said inlet port, said system providing a reduced back pressure acting against inducted flow of about 5 inches of Hg when the engine is operating at 4000 rpm.

For use in a peripherally ported rotary engine, a reed valve assembly for controlling the flow of a combustible mixture to a combustion chamber through one of said ports, said port having converging walls, comprising:

• a. a unitary frame structure through which said flow passes, said structure having a plurality of wedge shaped portions with planar sides forming a converging cluster and having the terminal edges of said wedge shapes in parallel and having the extent from the base of each portion to the terminal edge thereof generally aligned with flow therealong each portion having side walls extending at an angle with respect to the main line of flow through said one port, each portion having at least one opening therethrough defining a valve throat, and the margin about said opening defining a valve seat,
• b. a plurality of flexible thin strips, one strip each fixedly secured at one side of said opening to normally close said opening in response to relief of pressure on the upstream side, and
• c. a plurality of stops with one stop aligned and adjacent each of said strips for supporting the strip in the fully opened condition, said stops having a curvature identical to the natural curvature of the strip in the opened condition, each stop being less than the associated full strip configuration whereby backflow pressure may have access to act on said strip, said stops being spaced from each strip in the fully closed condition to provide for an amplitude equal to or less than 0.1 inch.

In a rotary internal combustion engine having variable volume combustion chambers defined by a rotary piston dynamically sealed against a surrounding housing at spaced locations of the rotor, said engine having means for igniting a combustible mixture introduced at one location to each of said chambers and for peripherally exhausting the combustion gas from said chambers, an induction system for said engine, comprising:

• a. a housing having a trochoidally shaped wall with an inlet port in said wall at said one location for admitting a combustible mixture into said chambers, said port having a centerline located at a station of said wall wherein the differential pressure between adjacent chambers will be consistently at about 0, said port having an inlet and an outlet, the outlet area being equal to or less than 1.0 square inch for each 42 cubic inches of engine displacement whereby induction flow velocity is induced at a high level, and
• b. means effective to permit flow of said combustible mixture through said port while limiting dilution backflow to less than 2 cubic inches per cycle of said engine, said means being actuated to open or close by a change in direction of greatest fluid pressure forces in said inlet port, said means having a frequency responsive of at least 120 cycles/second, said means comprising a plurality of reed valves and associated valve seats, one reed valve being employed for each 6.8 cubic inches of displacement of the engine, said reed valves being arranged in parallel, and the associated valve seats converging with respect to the centerline of said port whereby the transverse cross-section of the inlet to said port is considerably greater in area than the transverse cross-section of the outlet therefrom.