US 8,523,547 B2Granted

Rotary engine expansion chamber apparatus and method of operation therefor

OwnerMerton W. Pekrulinventor

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

Loading patent…

Abstract

An engine is described for operation on a fuel expanding about adiabatically in a power stroke of the engine. To aid the power stroke efficiency, the rotary engine contains one or more of a rotor configured to rotate in a stator, the rotor offset along both an x-axis and a y-axis relative to a center of the stator, a vane configured to span a distance between the rotor and the stator, where the inner wall of the stator further comprises at least one of: a first cut-out in the housing at the initiation of the power stroke, use of a build-up in the housing at the end of the power stroke, and/or use of a second cut-out in the housing at the completion of rotation of the rotor in the engine. The engine yields a cross-sectional area expanding during a portion of the power stroke at about the Fibonacci ratio.

Claims20

Dependent claims

An apparatus, comprising:

a rotary engine, comprising:
a rotor configured to rotate in a stator, said stator comprising about a first primarily elliptical inner wall,
said rotor offset along both an x-axis and a y-axis relative to a center of said inner wall of said stator, wherein said x-axis and said y-axis form an x/y plane perpendicular to a rotatable shaft extending through said rotor;
a vane configured to span a distance between said rotor and said stator, said vane comprising a vane tip configured to proximately maintain contact with said inner wall as a function of rotation of said rotor, said vane configured to extend and retract as a function of rotation of said rotor, wherein a twelve o'clock position comprises a point of rotation of said rotor of first extension of said vane,
wherein said inner wall of said stator further comprises:
a first cutout, said vane configured to extend into said first cutout;
a second cutout, said vane configure to extend into said second cutout;
and
a build-up.

6 more elements

A method, comprising the steps of:

rotating a rotor in a stator of a rotary engine, said stator comprising about a first primarily elliptical inner wall, said rotor offset along both an x-axis and a y-axis relative to a center of said inner wall of said stator, wherein said x-axis and said y-axis form an x/y plane perpendicular to a rotatable shaft extending through said rotor;
spanning a distance between said rotor and said stator with a vane, said vane comprising a vane tip configured to proximately maintain contact with said inner wall as a function of rotation of said rotor;
and
extending and retracting said vane as a function of rotation of said rotor, wherein a twelve o'clock position comprises a point of rotation of said rotor of first extension of said vane,
wherein said step of extending and retracting comprises at least one of:
extending said vane into a first cutout;
and
extending said vane into a second cutout.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 13/014,167Filed 26 Jan 2011 · continuation in part
Priority: 9 Mar 2005
Published: US 2011/0116958 A119 May 2011
Granted: 3 Sep 2013
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification11 codes

F01C 1/3445
The inner and outer member being in contact along one line or continuous surface substantially parallel to the axis of rotation: the vanes having…
F01K 25/08
Plants or engines characterised by use of special working fluids, not otherwise provided for; Plants operating in closed cycles and not…
F02B 57/10
Engines with star-shaped cylinder arrangements: with combustion space in centre of star
F23C 99/001
Subject-matter not provided for in other groups of this subclass: applying electric means or magnetism to combustion

Family

Application11/077,289Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 9 Mar 2005
Application11/388,361Parent of this continuation · filed 24 Mar 2006
Application61/304,462Us provisional application · filed 14 Feb 2010
Application12/705,731Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 15 Feb 2010
Application61/311,319Us provisional application · filed 6 Mar 2010
Application61/316,164Us provisional application · filed 22 Mar 2010
Application61/316,241Us provisional application · filed 22 Mar 2010
Application61/316,718Us provisional application · filed 23 Mar 2010
Application61/323,138Us provisional application · filed 12 Apr 2010
Application61/330,355Us provisional application · filed 2 May 2010
US 2011/0116958 A1Pre-grant publication · published 19 May 2011
US 8,375,720 B2Parent of this continuation-in-part
US 7,694,520 B2Parent of this continuation
Application12/705,731Parent of this continuation
US 7,055,327 B1Parent of this continuation-in-part
Application11/388,361Parent of this continuation-in-part
US 2006/0201156 A1Published application
US 2010/0139613 A1Published application
US 8,523,547 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.