Rotary engine system

A rotary machine, functional as a power unit or a fluid compression unit, comprising:

• a stator body having a cylindrical cavity therewithin;
• internal sidewall structure and end wall structure defining a closed chamber within said cavity;
• a rotor assembly rotatably mounted within said stator body, comprised of an elongate rotor body having a central, longitudinal axis of rotation along which extends, through said rotor body, a bore of circular cross section, and three vane members extending longitudinally along said rotor body at equiangularly spaced locations thereabout, and mounted to extend beyond the outer surface of said rotor body, between said chamber-defining end wall structures, and for slidable movement radially with respect to said longitudinal axis of said rotor body, said vane members effectively dividing said rotor body longitudinally into three substantially identical sectors, and having outer end portions that engage said internal sidewall structure to divide said chamber into three compartments, each compartment having a volume that varies cyclically as said rotor assembly rotates within said stator body;
• and an elongate distributor core member of generally circular cross section received within said bore of said rotor body and supported to enable rotation of said rotor assembly thereabout, said core member comprising an outer tubular section, and a smaller inner tubular section generally coaxially disposed within said outer section, said axis of rotation being parallel to and offset from the longitudinal axis of said stator body cavity so as to dispose said rotor body and said core member eccentrically with respect to said cavity, said rotor body having at least one duct extending through each of said sectors thereof and providing fluid flow communication between said rotor body bore and said chamber, each of said ducts having an inner end opening on a surface defining said bore and an outer end opening on said rotor body outer surface, said core member defining two discrete passages and including an outer, generally cylindrical surface portion in contact with said inner surface of said rotor body and effectively closing said inner ends of said ducts when in registry therewith, said outer wall surface portion being discontinuous, so as to provide an orifice of circumferential extent disposed for registry with said inner ends of said ducts, and said core member having internal structure defining said passages and isolating them from one another, and establishing communication between said orifice and both of said passages, independently, spacing between said outer and inner tubular sections forming, as one of said passages, an inter-tubular passage, the other of said passages extending through said inner tubular section, said outer tubular section providing said outer wall surface portion, the orifice of which circumscribes about two-thirds of the peripheral length of said outer tubular section, said inner tubular section having an opening in fluid flow communication with said orifice of said outer tubular section throughout about only half of the length of said orifice, and said inter-tubular passage being in fluid flow communication with said orifice throughout the remainder of said orifice length.

An engine system comprising a power unit and a fluid compression unit, each of said units comprising a rotary machine including:

• a stator body having a cylindrical cavity therewithin;
• internal sidewall structure and end wall structure defining a closed chamber within said cavity;
• a rotor assembly rotatably mounted within said stator body, comprised of an elongate rotor body having a central, longitudinal axis of rotation along which extends, through said rotor body, a bore of circular cross section, and three vane members extending longitudinally along said rotor body at equiangularly spaced locations thereabout, and mounted to extend beyond the outer surface of said rotor body, between said chamber-defining end wall structures, and for slidable movement radially with respect to said longitudinal axis of said rotor body, said vane members effectively dividing said rotor body longitudinally into three substantially identical sectors, and having outer end portions that engage said internal sidewall structure to divide said chamber into three compartments, each compartment having a volume that varies cyclically as said rotor assembly rotates within said stator body;
• and an elongate distributor core member of generally circular cross section received within said bore of said rotor body and supported to enable rotation of said rotor assembly thereabout, said axis of rotation being parallel to and offset from the longitudinal axis of said stator body cavity so as to dispose said rotor body and said core member eccentrically with respect to said cavity, said rotor body having at least one duct extending through each of said sectors thereof and providing fluid flow communication between said rotor body bore and said chamber, each of said ducts having an inner end opening on a surface defining said bore and an outer end opening on said rotor body outer surface, said core member defining two discrete passages and including an outer, generally cylindrical surface portion in contact with said inner surface of said rotor body and effectively closing said inner ends of said ducts when in registry therewith, said outer wall surface portion being discontinuous, so as to provide an orifice of circumferential extent disposed for registry with said inner ends of said ducts, and said core member having internal structure defining said passages and isolating them from one another, and establishing communication between said orifice and both of said passages, independently;
• one of said passages of said core member of said fluid compression unit being operatively connected to one of said passages of said core member of said power unit so as to enable said compression unit to provide fluid under pressure to said power unit.

An engine system comprising a plurality of power units, each comprising a rotary machine including:

• a stator body having a cylindrical cavity therewithin;
• internal sidewall structure and end wall structure defining a closed chamber within said cavity;
• a rotor assembly rotatably mounted within said stator body, comprised of an elongate rotor body having a central, longitudinal axis of rotation along which extends, through said rotor body, a bore of circular cross section, and three vane members extending longitudinally along said rotor body at equiangularly spaced locations thereabout, and mounted to extend beyond the outer surface of said rotor body, between said chamber-defining end wall structures, and for slidable movement radially with respect to said longitudinal axis of said rotor body, said vane members effectively dividing said rotor body longitudinally into three substantially identical sectors, and having outer end portions that engage said internal sidewall structure to divide said chamber into three compartments, each compartment having a volume that varies cyclically as said rotor assembly rotates within said stator body;
• and an elongate distributor core member of generally circular cross section received within said bore of said rotor body and supported to enable rotation of said rotor assembly thereabout, said axis of rotation being parallel to and offset from the longitudinal axis of said stator body cavity so as to dispose said rotor body and said core member eccentrically with respect to said cavity, said rotor body having at least one duct extending through each of said sectors thereof and providing fluid flow communication between said rotor body bore and said chamber, each of said ducts having an inner end opening on a surface defining said bore and an outer end opening on said rotor body outer surface, said core member defining two discrete passages and including an outer, generally cylindrical surface portion in contact with said inner surface of said rotor body and effectively closing said inner ends of said ducts when in registry therewith, said outer wall surface portion being discontinuous, so as to provide an orifice of circumferential extent disposed for registry with said inner ends of said ducts, and said core member having internal structure defining said passages and isolating them from one another, and establishing communication between said orifice and both of said passages, independently;
• said power units being arranged in tandem and said core members thereof constituting a single core member unit.