US 4,075,981 A · Rotary internal combustion engine

Abstract

A rotary internal combustion engine is disclosed herein and includes two confronting but spaced apart side casings which comprise part of the overall engine housing and a rotor located between the side casings, mounted around a rotatable shaft and extending between the casings. The engine disclosed herein has a number of improved features including improved sealing vanes which cooperate with the rotor and side casings to define various function chambers in the engine. The engine also includes more efficient combustion chambers including improved check valve mechanisms for introducing fuel into the combustion chambers. The engine also provides greater power generation due to an improved angle of combustion onto the lobes of the rotor. The engine further includes a chamber for delivering lubricant to the various vanes defining the chambers, which vanes are movable in synchronism with the rotor, and a compressed air chamber for delivering air from the engine directly to the engine's afterburner so as to further dilute combustion residue applied to the afterburner from the combustion chamber.

A rotary internal combustion engine comprising:

a. a housing including two confronting but spaced apart side casings having respective rotor support points in alignment with one another, said casings defining therebetween a plurality of chambers circumferentially spaced about said rotor support points, said chambers including
i. a fuel-air chamber,
ii. an air-oil chamber,
iii. an air chamber, and
iv. a fuel combustion chamber including therein an area for a fuel combustion sub-chamber;
b. a shaft located between said casings and extending from one of said support points to the other support point, said shaft being mounted for rotation about its longitudinal axis;
c. a rotor located between said side casings and fixed at its center to said shaft for rotation therewith, said rotor including a plurality of radially outwardly extending, circumferentially spaced lobes moveable through said chambers during rotation of said rotor;
d. a plurality of main vane mechanisms respectively positioned between said chambers and cooperating with said rotor and side casings for substantially fluid sealing said chambers from one another between said rotor and side casings, each of said mechanisms including
i. a pair of elongated side vanes located on opposite sides of said rotor and in slidable engagement therewith, said side vanes being mounted for movement towards said rotor, and
ii. a cross vane extending between and connected with said side vanes across the outer periphery of said rotor and moveable toward said outer periphery, and
iii. means for biasing said cross vane in slidable engagement with said outer periphery;
e. means for moving said vane mechanisms in a radially directed reciprocal fashion in synchronism with the rotation of said rotor so as to maintain said cross vanes in slidable engagement with the outer periphery of said rotor substantially continuously throughout the rotation of said rotor, said moving means including
i. a pair of substantially identical cam grooves located in opposite sides of said rotor in alignment with one another, said grooves being located inwardly of the outer periphery of said rotor and taking substantially the shape of said outer periphery, and
ii. a pair of side vane support grooves for each of said vane mechanisms, the side grooves of each pair being respectively located in said casings and facing said rotor, said side grooves extending radially outwardly from points adjacent said cam grooves to points adjacent the outer periphery of said rotor;
f. the side vanes of each vane mechanism being respectively located in a pair of said side grooves for radial movement therein, said side vanes including cam means located in said cam grooves so that during rotation of said rotor the interaction between said cam grooves and cam means causes said vane mechanisms to reciprocate radially in synchronism with said rotor to maintain said cross vane in engagement with the outer periphery of said rotor;
g. two pairs of sealing rings respectively located on opposite sides of said rotor between said rotor and said side casings and in sealing engagement with said rotor and casings, each pair of rings being comprised of an inner sealing ring located concentrically around said shaft radially inwardly of said cam grooves and an outer sealing ring located concentrically around said inner ring radially outwardly of said cam grooves, each pair of rings defining a circumferential oil receiving area therebetween;
h. means for delivering a predetermined mixture of fuel and air to said fuel-air chamber, said rotor, during rotation thereof, compressing said fuel and air mixture as one of the rotor lobes passes through the fuel-air chamber;
i. means for delivering said compressed mixture of fuel and air from said fuel-air chamber to said area in said combustion chamber, said last-mentioned means including
i. a passage extending from said fuel-air chamber to a point adjacent said combustion chamber, and
ii. a valve mechanism cooperating with said passage for metering a predetermined amount of said compressed mixture of fuel and air to said combustion chamber at predetermined points in time during rotation of said rotor, said valve mechanism including
a. a valve moveable between an opened position for allowing said compressed mixture to pass into said combustion chamber and a closed position for preventing said compressed mixture from passing to said combustion chamber, and
b. coupling means connected with said valve and cooperating with said rotating shaft so as to open and close said valve at predetermined times during the rotation of said shaft and said rotor;
j. means including said rotor for further compressing said compressed mixture of fuel and air in said area in said combustion chamber;
k. means for igniting said further compressed mixture within said combustion chamber to combust said mixture at a predetermined time during the rotation of said rotor so as to cause further rotation of said rotor, said combustion chamber cooperating with said compressed fuel-air chamber such that as said rotor rotates, the residue from the combustion of said fuel and air mixture passes into the overall combustion chamber;
l. passage means connected between said combustion chamber and a point outside the engine for directing said residue to said outside point;
m. means for delivering a predetermined mixture of air and oil to said air-oil chamber, said rotor, during rotation thereof, compressing said air and oil mixture as one of the rotor lobes passes through said air-oil chamber;
n. passage means connected between said air-oil chamber and said oil receiving areas defined by said sealing rings for directing said compressed mixture of air and oil from said air-oil chamber to said oil receiving areas, said mixture of air and oil entering said areas and passing up said side groove and into said cam grooves to provide lubrication between said cam means and said rotor and between said side vanes and said casings, said air and oil mixture in said side grooves also biasing said side vanes against said rotor;
o. said air chamber including air therein, said rotor, during rotation thereof, compressing said air as one of the rotor lobes passes through said air chamber;
and
p. passage means connected between said air chamber and said outside point for delivering said compressed air from said air chamber to said outside point to mix with said residue.

27 more elements

Rotary internal combustion engine

Life of this patent

Rotary internal combustion engine

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims14