Synchronous drive apparatus and methods

A synchronous drive apparatus in combination with an internal combustion engine, comprising:

• a continuous-loop elongate drive structure having a plurality of engaging sections;
• a plurality of rotors comprising at least a first and a second rotor, the first rotor having a plurality of teeth for engaging the engaging sections of the elongate drive structure, and the second rotor having a plurality of teeth for engaging the engaging section of the elongate drive structure;
• a rotary load assembly coupled to the second rotor;
• the elongate drive structure being engaged about the first and second rotors, the first rotor being arranged to drive the elongate drive structure and the second rotor being arranged to be driven by the elongate drive structure, and one of the rotors having a non-circular profile having at least two protruding portions alternating with receding portions, the rotary load assembly being such as to present a periodic fluctuating load torque when driven in rotation;
• wherein the angular positions of the protruding and receding portions of the non-circular profile relative to the angular position of the second rotor, and the magnitude of the eccentricity of the non-circular profile, are such that the non-circular profile applies to the second rotor an opposing fluctuating corrective torque which reduces or substantially cancels the fluctuating load torque of the rotary load assembly,
• wherein when installed in an internal combustion engine, the said first rotor comprising a crankshaft sprocket, and
• in which the internal combustion engine is a diesel engine, and the said rotary load assembly comprises a rotary fuel pump.

A synchronous drive apparatus, comprising:

• a continuous-loop elongate drive structure having a plurality of engaging sections;
• a plurality of rotors comprising at least a first and a second rotor, the first rotor having a plurality of teeth for engaging the engaging sections of the elongate drive structure, and the second rotor having a plurality of teeth for engaging the engaging section of the elongate drive structure;
• a rotary load assembly coupled to the second rotor;
• the elongate drive structure being engaged about the first and second rotors, the first rotor being arranged to drive the elongate drive structure and the second rotor being arranged to be driven by the elongate drive structure, and one of the rotors having a non-circular profile having at least two protruding portions alternating with receding portions, the rotary load assembly being such as to present a periodic fluctuating load torque when driven in rotation;
• wherein the angular positions of the protruding and receding portions of the non-circular profile relative to the angular position of the second rotor, and the magnitude of the eccentricity of the non-circular profile, are such that the non-circular profile applies to the second rotor an opposing fluctuating corrective torque which reduces or substantially cancels the fluctuating load torque of the rotary load assembly,
• wherein the non-circular profile has at least two reference radii, each reference radius passing from the centre of the rotor on which the non-circular profile is formed and through the centre of a protruding portion of the non-circular profile,
• the angular position of the non-circular profile being related to a reference direction of the rotor on which the non-circular profile is formed, the reference direction being the direction of a vector that bisects the angle about which the elongate drive structure is wrapped about the rotor having the non-circular profile,
• the angular position of the non-circular profile being such that, when the fluctuating load torque of the rotary load assembly is at a maximum, the angular position of a reference radius is within a range of 90° to 180° from the reference direction taken in the direction of rotation of the rotor on which the non-circular profile is formed.

A method of constructing a synchronous drive apparatus, comprising:

• assembling components comprising a continuous-loop elongate drive structure having a plurality of engaging sections;
• a plurality of rotors comprising at least a first and a second rotor, the first rotor having a plurality of teeth for engaging the engaging sections of the elongate drive structure, and the second rotor having a plurality of teeth for engaging the engaging section of the elongate drive structure;
• and a rotary load assembly coupled to the second rotor;
• and
• engaging the elongate drive structure about the first and second rotors, the first rotor being arranged to drive the elongate drive structure and the second rotor being arranged to be driven by the elongate drive structure, and one of the rotors having a non-circular profile having at least two protruding portions alternating with receding portions, the rotary load assembly being such as to present a periodic fluctuating load torque when driven in rotation;
• wherein the steps of determining the angular positions of the protruding and receding portions of the non-circular profile relative to the angular position of the second rotor, and the magnitude of the eccentricity of the non-circular profile, to be such that the non-circular profile applies to the second rotor an opposing fluctuating corrective torque which reduces or substantially cancels the fluctuating load torque of the rotary load assembly,
• in which the magnitude of the eccentricity of the non-circular profile is determined by the following steps:
• (i) measuring the amplitude of the fluctuating load torque of the rotary load assembly at a predetermined selected set of operating conditions of the synchronous drive apparatus;
• (ii) calculating the required amplitude of periodic elongation and contraction of the said drive span by the following formula:
• L
• =
• T
• rk
• L=the amplitude of the periodic elongation and contraction of the said drive span;
• T=the amplitude of the fluctuating load torque of the rotary load assembly at a predetermined selected set of operating conditions of the synchronous drive apparatus;
• r=the radius of the second rotor:
• k=the stiffness coefficient of the elongate drive structure defined
• as
• k
• =
• ⁢
• dF
• ⁢
• d
• ⁢
• ⁢
• L
• where dF is the force required to produce an increase of length dL in the length of the structure;
• (iii) producing and recording data to relate empirically a series of values of (a) the divergence from circular of the said protruding and receding portions of the non-circular profile and (b) the resulting amplitude of the periodic elongation and contraction of the said drive span;
• and
• (iv) selecting from the data the corresponding eccentricity to give the required amplitude of the periodic elongation and contraction of the drive span.

A non-circular profile rotor for use in a synchronous drive apparatus, said drive apparatus comprising a second rotor;

• a continuous-loop elongate drive structure having a plurality of engaging sections for engaging the non-circular profile rotor and the second rotor;
• a rotary load assembly coupled to one of the rotors, said rotary load assembly presenting a periodic fluctuating load torque when driven in rotation defining a drive span of said continuous-loop elongate drive structure extending between said non-circular profile rotor and said second rotor, said non-circular profile rotor comprising:
• at least two protruding portions alternating with receding portions, wherein the magnitude of the eccentricity of the non-circular profile is such as to produce a periodic elongation and contraction of the drive span given by the formula:
• L
• =
• T
• rk
• L=the amplitude of the periodic elongation and contraction of the said drive span;
• T=the amplitude of the fluctuating load torque of the rotary load assembly at a predetermined selected set of operating conditions of the synchronous drive apparatus;
• r=the radius of the second rotor:
• k=the stiffness coefficient of the elongate drive structure defined
• as
• k
• =
• ⁢
• dF
• ⁢
• d
• ⁢
• ⁢
• L
• where dF is the force required to produce an increase of length dL in the length of the structure.

A non-circular profile rotor for use in a synchronous drive apparatus in combination with a diesel engine, comprising a continuous-loop elongate drive structure having a plurality of engaging sections;

• a plurality of rotors comprising at least a first and a second rotor, the first rotor having a plurality of teeth for engaging the engaging sections of the elongate drive structure and coupled to a crankshaft of the engine, and the second rotor having a plurality of teeth for engaging the engaging section of the elongate drive structure;
• a rotary fuel pump coupled to the second rotor;
• the elongate drive structure being engaged about the first and second rotors, the first rotor being arranged to drive the elongate drive structure and the second rotor being arranged to be driven by the elongate drive structure, and one of the rotors having a non-circular profile having at least two protruding portions alternating with receding portions, the fuel pump presenting a periodic fluctuating load torque when driven in rotation;
• wherein the angular positions of the protruding and receding portions of the non-circular profile relative to the angular position of the second rotor, and the magnitude of the eccentricity of the non-circular profile, are such that the non-circular profile applies to the second rotor an opposing fluctuating corrective torque which reduces or substantially cancels the fluctuating load torque of the fuel pump.