Spheroidal rotary valve for combustion engines

In an internal combustion engine of the type having at least a single cylinder with a piston reciprocating therein, a crankshaft coupled with said piston to receive power output and synchronize the operation of a rotary valve for selectively passing fluid gases to and from said cylinder, a valve stator enclosing a working end of said cylinder, said valve stator defining:

• a cavity,
• a chamber port providing gas flow communication between said cavity and said cylinder, and at least one other port providing external gas flow communication with said cavity,
• a rotor mounted for rotation about a transverse axis within said cavity in timed relationship with said crankshaft,
• said rotor having a central band with a spheroidal outer surface having a running clearance fit with said cavity, and
• a peripheral port, said peripheral port having walls defined by said band to provide for passage of said fluid gases between said stator ports when said peripheral port and said stator ports are in alignment,
• a cooling mechanism to prevent overheating of said rotor comprising the combination of:
• means providing for the transfer of heat from said walls of said peripheral port across said rotor to an area on said band substantially diametrically opposite to said peripheral port, said heat transfer means being at least equivalent to said rotor being fabricated from a material having a thermal conductivity at least equal to 12% of that of copper;
• means providing for high thermal conduction in at least a region of said cavity circumscribing the juncture of said chamber port with said cavity, the thermal conductivity in said region being at least 25% of that of copper;
• means providing for intensive cooling of said region of said stator cavity;
• means for providing a lubricating oil film on said rotor;
• a groove defined by said stator and located within said region, said groove encircling said chamber port and having an outer circumferential wall;
• and
• a resilient, thermally conductive ring seal having a thermal conductivity at least as high as 12% of that of copper fitted into said groove in such a way that when acted upon internally by gas pressure from combustion within said cylinder in excess of ambient gas pressure external to said ring, said ring seal will be gas actuated to contact said band of said valve rotor and at the same time contact said outer wall of said groove,
• whereby a superior pathway for the thermal transfer of heat is provided from said valve rotor through said ring seal to said cooling means in the stator while said resilient ring seal also serves at the same time to provide an efficient gas seal between said rotor and said chamber port.

In an internal combustion engine of the type having at least a single cylinder with a piston reciprocating therein, said piston being coupled to a crankshaft for power output and for synchronizing the operation of a rotary valve for selectively passing intake and exhaust gases to and from said cylinder, a valve stator attached to and enclosing a working end of said cylinder, said valve stator defining a chamber port in gas flow connection with said cylinder, a cavity in gas flow connection with said chamber port, and an intake port and an exhaust port providing external gas flow connections with said cavity,

• a rotor of said rotary valve mounted for rotation about a transverse axis with running clearance within said cavity of said stator in timed relationship with said crankshaft,
• said rotor having a central band with a spheroidal outer surface which provides a close running fit with said cavity and said chamber port, and a circumferential peripheral port with walls defined by said band,
• said band and peripheral port providing for passage of inlet gases into said cylinder when said intake port, peripheral port, and chamber port are aligned, for sealing off said chamber port when said peripheral port is out of alignment with said chamber port, and providing for release of exhaust gas from said cylinder when said peripheral port, exhaust port, and chamber port are aligned,
• a temperature control mechanism in said rotor to prevent overheating comprising the combination of:
• a metal liner fitted into said peripheral port to minimize heat transfer from said gas flows through said peripheral port into said rotor;
• said central band of said rotor being fabricated of a material having thermal conductivity at least as high 12% of that of copper, said material being selected from the group consisting of cast iron, alloys of aluminum, and cast steel;
• a heat transfer means to provide for substantial transfer of heat from the area adjacent said peripheral port to a general area of said band diametrically opposed to said peripheral port, said general area of said band being subjected to high gas pressure from said cylinder during operation of said engine;
• said stator;
• at least in a region circumscribing said chamber port where it adjoins said cavity, being fabricated of a material having a thermal conductivity greater than 25% of that of copper selected from the group consisting of aluminum alloys, magnesium alloys, and copper alloys;
• an encircling groove defined by said region of the stator cavity and encircling said chamber port;
• a split ring seal fitted into said encircling groove, said seal being fabricated from a material having a thermal conductivity greater than 12% of that of copper;
• a coolant duct defined by said stator and encircling the juncture between said chamber port and said cavity placed closely adjacent to the outer wall of said circular groove;
• a flow of coolant through said coolant duct to withdraw heat specifically from said outer wall of said circular groove and more generally from said region of said cavity;
• and
• an oil feed mechanism to maintain a thin film of lubricating oil on the surface of said band,
• whereby when said split ring seal is acted upon internally by gas pressure from combustion within said cylinder in excess of ambient gas pressure external to said seal, said seal is forcibly gas actuated to eject slightly from said groove and contact said general area of said band of said rotor and at the same time, expand slightly in a radial direction such that the seal forcibly contacts the outer wall of said groove of said cavity whereby a superior pathway for thermal transfer of heat is provided from said band of said valve rotor to said split ring seal, and thence to said region of said stator and then into said coolant duct and coolant during operation of said internal combustion engine.