Internal combustion turbine
OwnerHenry B. Shermaninventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An engine includes a rotatable cylinder block having a plurality of cylinders reciprocally receiving pistons. A combustible mixture ignited successively in each cylinder is discharged for expansion through an exhaust port in a stationary member associated with the rotatable block. The expanding gases are directed against a rotatable turbine wheel and rotatably drive same.
Claims6
Apparatus comprising a cylinder block mounted for rotation about a block axis, means for rotating said cylinder block about said block axis, said cylinder block including at least one cylinder reciprocally receiving a piston and having a cylinder axis extending substantially perpendicular to said block axis so that said cylinder travels in a circular predetermined path in a predetermined direction during rotation of said block about said block axis, stationary means associated with said block and including a stationary piston-reciprotating cam means for reciprocating said piston in successive compression and expansion strokes during rotation of said block relative to said cam means, said stationary means including supply means for supplying combustible fuel to said cylinder, igniting means for igniting said fuel in said cylinder adjacent the end of one of said compression strokes at a predetermined ignition point in said path and when said piston has been moved to a predetermined position in said cylinder by said stationary cam means, said stationary cam means having a surface portion in engagement with said piston for maintaining said piston in said predetermined position during igniting of said fuel, and said stationary means including exhaust port means located closely adjacent said predetermined ignition point and spaced slightly therefrom in said predetermined direction so that a substantial volume of expanding gases in said cylinder expand outwardly therefrom through said exhaust port means rather than moving the piston toward the axis of block rotation, and a rotatable turbine wheel positioned for being rotatably driven by gases flowing through said exhaust port means.
Apparatus comprising a cylinder block having a plurality of cylinders circumferentially spaced equidistantly in a circular path, said cylinders having cylinder axes lying in a common plane and intersecting one another at an intersection point coinciding with the center of the circle on which said cylinders lie, said cylinder block being rotatable for moving said cylinders in a circular path in a predetermined direction about a block axis extending perpendicular to said plane and passing through said intersection point, means for rotating said cylinder block about said block axis, pistons reciprocally received in said cylinders, stationary means associated with said block and including a stationary cam means positioned between said block axis and said cylinders, said pistons having followers positioned for following said cam means, said cam means having elliptical-shaped surface means for moving each said piston through two expansion and two compression strokes during each revolution of said cylinder block, said stationary means including sequentially-spaced purge air supply port means, purge air exhaust port means, combustion air and fuel supply port means, and exhaust port means, igniting means for igniting a combustible mixture in each said cylinder adjacent the end of a compression stroke of each said piston at a predetermined ignition point in said circular path and when said piston has been moved to a predetermined position in said cylinder by said stationary cam means, said stationary cam means having a surface portion in engagement with said piston for maintaining said piston in said predetermined position during igniting of said fuel, and said exhaust port means being located closely adjacent said ignition point and spaced slightly therefrom so that a substantial volume of ignited gases expand outwardly from said cylinders through said exhaust port means instead of driving the piston toward the axis of block rotation, and a rotatable turbine wheel positioned for being rotatably driven by gases passing through said exhaust port means.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.