Rotary engine having enhanced charge cooling and lubrication

A charge cooled rotary engine comprising:

• a housing having an interior wall of a peritrochoidal configuration that is open at both ends, a first end plate secured to one end of the housing, and a second end plate secured to the opposite end of the housing, the housing and end plates defining a closed chamber;
• an elongated shaft rotatable about an engine axis extending through said chamber and having an eccentric disposed within said chamber;
• a rotor rotatable mounted to said shaft and in engagement with said eccentric, said rotor including three flanks intersecting at three apexes and forming a generally trochoidal shape, a cylindrical hub, and a web extending transversely from said hub and joining medial portions of said flanks to said hub;
• said web, flanks, and hub forming rotor cavities on opposite ends of said rotor;
• said rotor flanks serving to combine with said interior wall to variously define intake, compression, and combustion chambers;
• side seal means disposed in side slots formed in the side surfaces of said flanks for slidingly and sealingly engaging said end plates;
• apex seal means disposed in apex slots formed in said apexes for slidingly and sealingly engaging said interior wall;
• lubricating means associated with sand shaft for introducing fluid lubricant to the inside surfaces of said hub such that said lubricant flows from said hub to said hub to said end plates where it is engaged by said side seals and caused to flow therealong to said apex seals;
• a lubricating passageway formed in said shaft and having at least a first entry opening and a first exit opening in communication with said lubricating passageway;
• a first annular bearing collar formed in said first end plate, and a second annular bearing collar formed in said second end plate;
• a first main bearing journalling said shaft and said first bearing collar, said first collar and said first main bearing shaft having at least one passageway formed therethrough and in communication and in communicating relationship with said first entry opening;
• a second main bearing journalling said shaft and said second collar;
• a first inlet passageway formed in said first end plate for receiving fuel/air charge and terminating in a first entry port facing said closed chamber;
• a second inlet passageway formed in said second end plate for receiving fuel/air charge and terminating in a second entry port facing said closed chamber;
• a first distribution chamber formed in said first end plate contiguous with said first entry port and open to said closed chamber;
• a second distribution chamber formed in said second end plate contiguous with said second entry port and open to said closed chamber;
• said first and second entry ports being positioned to directly communicate with said rotor cavities and to be substantially isolated from direct communication with any of said intake, compression, and combustion chambers by said rotor flanks,
• said first distribution chamber having a first inlet portion and a first side port portion, said first inlet portion being positioned to variously communicate directly with said first entry port via said rotor cavities subject to partial obstruction by said hub, said first side port portion being positioned to variously communicate directly with said intake chamber subject to partial obstruction by said rotor flanks, and
• said second distribution chamber having a second inlet portion and a second side port portion, said second inlet portion being positioned to variously communicate directly with said second entry port via said rotor cavities subject to partial obstruction by said hub, said second side port portion being positioned to variously communicate directly with said intake chamber subject to partial obstruction by said rotor flanks;
• and
• heat sink means disposed within said rotor cavity;
• whereby said fuel/air charge flows into said rotor cavities via said first and second entry ports and passes through said heat sink means to remove heat from both ends of said rotor before flowing to said intake chamber via said first and second distribution chambers.

In a charge cooled rotary engine including a housing having an interior wall of a peritrochoidal configuration, a first end plate secured to a first end of the housing, and a second end plate secured to a second end of the housing, the housing and end plates defining a closed chamber, an elongated shaft extending through the closed chamber and having an eccentric disposed therewithin, and a rotor rotatably mounted to the shaft and in engagement with said eccentric, said rotor being operative in combination with said interior wall and said first and second end plates to variously define intake, compression and combustion chambers, an improved rotor comprising:

• three flanks forming a generally trochoidal shape, a cylindrical hub, and a web extending transversely from said hub and joining medial portions of said flanks to said hub, said web, flanks and hub forming rotor cavities on opposite ends of said rotor for receiving input fuel/air charges prior to their input to said intake chamber, said rotor cavities having heat exchange means disposed therein for transferring heat from said flanks to said fuel/air charges prior to their input to said intake chamber;
• wherein said eccentric is engaged to said rotor via a rotor bearing and said first exit opening is in communication with said rotor bearing, said rotor bearing being adapted to communicate said fluid lubricant to the inside surface of said cylindrical hub;
• wherein said end plates include
• a first inlet forming a passageway in said first end plate for receiving fuel/air charge and terminating in a first entry port facing said closed chamber,
• a first distribution chamber formed in said first end plate and open to said closed chamber,
• a second inlet forming a passageway in said second end plate for receiving fuel/air charge and terminating in a second entry port facing said closed chamber, and
• a second distribution chamber formed in said second end plate and open to said closed chamber;
• said first and second entry ports being positioned to directly communicate with said rotor cavities and to be substantially isolated from direct communication with any of said intake, compression, and combustion chambers by said rotor flanks.
• said first distribution chamber having a first inlet portion and a first side port portion, said first inlet portion being positioned to variously communicate directly with said first entry port via said rotor cavities subject to partial obstruction by said hub, said intake chamber subject to partial obstruction by said rotor flanks, and
• said second distribution chamber having a second inlet portion and a second side port portion, said second inlet portion being positioned to variously communicate directly with said second entry port via said rotor cavities subject to partial obstruction by said hub, said second side port portion being positioned to variously communicate directly with said intake chamber subject to partial obstruction by said rotor flanks;
• whereby said fuel/air charge flows into said rotor cavities via said first and second entry ports and through said heat exchange means to provide equal cooling to both ends of said rotor before flowing into said intake chamber via said distribution chambers, said first and second entry ports being formed by elongated slits in said first and second end plates;
• and
• wherein said first entry port and said first distribution chamber are contiguous, and said second entry port and said second distribution chamber are contiguous.

In a charge cooled rotary engine including a housing having an interior wall of a peritrochoidal configuration, a first end plate secured to a first end of the housing, and a second end plate secured to a second end of the housing, the housing and end plates defining a closed chamber, an elongated shaft extending through the closed chamber and having an eccentric disposed therewithin, and a rotor rotatable mounted to the shaft and in engagement with said eccentric, said rotor being operative in combination with said interior wall and said first and second end plates to variously define intake, compression and combustion chambers, said end plates including a first inlet forming a passageway in said first end plate for receiving fuel/air charge and terminating in a first entry port facing said closed chamber, a first distribution chamber formed in said first end plate and open to said closed chamber, a second inlet forming a passageway in said second end plate for receiving fuel/air charge and terminating in a second entry port facing said closed chamber, said first entry port and said first distribution chamber being contiguous, and said second entry port and said second distribution chamber being contiguous,

• a second distribution chamber formed in said second end plate and open to said closed chamber, said first and second entry ports being positioned to directly communicate with said rotor cavities and to be substantially isolated from direct communication with any of said intake, compression. and combustion chambers by said rotor flanks, said first distribution chamber having a first inlet portion and a first side port portion, said first inlet portion being positioned to variously communicate directly with said first entry port via said rotor cavities subject to partial obstruction by said hub, said intake chamber subject to partial obstruction by said rotor flanks,
• said second distribution chamber having a second inlet portion and a second side port portion, said second inlet portion being positioned to variously communicate directly with said second entry port via said rotor cavities subject to partial obstruction by said hub, said second side port portion being positioned to variously communicate directly with said intake chamber subject to partial obstruction by said rotor flanks, whereby said fuel/air charge flows into said rotor cavities via said first and second entry ports and through said heat exchange means to provide equal cooling to both ends of said rotor before flowing into said intake chamber via said distribution chambers, an improved rotor comprising:
• three flanks forming a generally trochoidal shape, a cylindrical hub, and a web extending transversely from said hub and joining medial portions of said flanks to said hub, said web, flanks and hub forming rotor cavities on opposite ends of said rotor for receiving input fuel/air charges prior to input thereof to said intake chamber, said rotor cavities having heat exchange means disposed therein for transferring heat from said flanks to said fuel/air charges prior to their input to said intake chamber.

A charge cooled rotary engine comprising:

• a housing having an interior wall open at both ends, a first end plate secured to one end of the housing, and a second end plate secured to the opposite end of the housing, the housing and end plates defining a closed chamber;
• an elongated shaft rotatable about its longitudinal axis and extending through said closed chamber, said shaft having an eccentric disposed within said closed chamber;
• a rotor rotatably engaged to said eccentric, said rotor including a plurality of flanks intersecting at apexes, a cylindrical hub, and a web extending transversely from said hub and joining medial portions of said flanks to said hub, said web including at least one hole extending therethrough for equalizing pressure in said rotor cavities, said apexes each having a slot formed therein for receiving an apex seal for sealingly engaging said interior wall, an interior surface of said hub having a plurality of scallops each forming a cavity on an interior surface of said hub, each of said scallops being disposed at a point on said interior surface proximate the midsection of a corresponding one of said flanks so as to limit the heat transferred between said hub and said web, said web, flanks, and hub forming rotor cavities on opposite ends of said rotor, said rotor flanks serving to variously combine with said interior wall to define intake, compression, and combustion chambers;
• a first inlet passageway formed in said first end plate for receiving fuel/air charge and terminating in a first entry port facing said closed chamber;
• a second inlet passageway formed in said second end plate for receiving fuel/air charge and terminating in a second entry port facing said closed chamber;
• a first distribution port formed in said first end plate proximate said first entry port;
• a second distribution port formed in said second end plate proximate said second entry port;
• means for lubricating said side seals and said apex seals;
• and
• heat transfer means disposed within said rotor cavities and including a plurality of planar heat transfer plates disposed in parallel spaced apart relationship with respect to each other, said heat transfer means including a plurality of said transferring structures each of which is disposed proximate a corresponding apex within one of said rotor cavities;
• whereby said first and second entry ports provide a substantially balanced flow of said fuel/air charge into said rotor cavities from each of said first and second end plates, and whereby said charge flowing into said rotor cavities passes between said plates before exiting said rotor cavity via said first and second distribution ports, said heat transfer means being in a heat conductive relationship with said rotor so that heat transferred thereto from said rotor is in turn transferred to said charge passing through said cavities.