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US 8,539,930 B2Granted
Rotary combustion apparatus
OwnerDavid DuSell Grayinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A combustion apparatus having a housing including an inner surface that defines at least one chamber, a rotor, a rotor shaft, an intake shaft, an exhaust shaft, and a gearing mechanism. The chamber includes an intake valve port and an exhaust valve port, and the rotor shaft is coupled to a gear at one end and has at least two opposing flat surfaces received by an opening in the rotor. The intake and exhaust shafts are geared to the rotor shaft and have at least one opening each that is aligned with the intake and the exhaust valve ports. A gearing mechanism selectively controls the duration in which the openings are aligned with the ports. Two or more rotors may be utilized to produce more power and reduce vibration.
Claims13
A device for combusting a mixture, comprising:
- a case having at least one internal combustion chamber that includes at least one non-circular, constant-diameter circumscribing wall, at least one intake valve port, and at least one exhaust valve port;
- a shaft extending into the combustion chamber and structured to be rotatable about a longitudinal axis of the shaft;
- and
- a rotor slidably mounted on the shaft and structured for translational movement to slide along an axis that is substantially perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the shaft as the rotor rotates within the combustion chamber to compress a mixture in the chamber;
- and
- the case having at least one further chamber that includes at least one further non-circular, constant-diameter circumscribing wall, at least one intake valve port, and at least one exhaust valve port, the shaft extending into the further chamber, and including a further rotor slidably mounted on the shaft for translational movement to slide along an axis that is substantially perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the shaft as the further rotor rotates within the further chamber, the further rotor in fluid communication with the exhaust valve port of the combustion chamber and structured to be driven by exhaust from the combustion chamber to mix the mixture in the further chamber prior to introduction of the mixture into the combustion chamber, wherein the rotor and the further rotor each have an elongate body having opposing first and second ends that are in contact with the circumscribing wall of the corresponding chamber and further chamber, respectively, when mounted on the shaft, each rotor body further comprising an elongate opening sized to be received over the shaft, and wherein the shaft comprises a mounting portion structured to engage the rotor body through the elongate opening and structured to prevent relative rotation of the shaft and the rotor body while permitting translational movement of the rotor body relative to the shaft.
3 more elements
A rotary combustion system for use with a combustible mixture, comprising:
- a housing having at least two end walls, an outer surface, and an inner surface, the inner surface defining a combustion chamber and a mixing chamber;
- an intake valve and an exhaust valve for the combustion chamber;
- a first shaft having at least two opposing flat surfaces, a first end, and a second end;
- means for igniting the combustible mixture in the combustion chamber;
- at least one first rotor having a first end, a second end, and an elongate opening adapted to slidably receive the flat surfaces of the first shaft, wherein the rotor is operable to rotate in response to combustion of the combustible mixture in the combustion chamber, and the first end and the second end of the at least one first rotor are rotatably and sealingly in contact with the inner surface of the housing in the combustion chamber to compress the combustible mixture in the combustion chamber prior to combustion;
- a second shaft having at least one opening extending laterally therethrough, a first end, and a second end, wherein the first end is rotatably mounted on an end wall of the housing, and the opening is positionable adjacent the intake valve of the chamber;
- a third shaft having at least one opening extending laterally therethrough, a first end, and a second end, wherein the first end is rotatably mounted on an end wall of the housing and the opening is positionable adjacent the exhaust valve of the chamber;
- and
- means for rotating the second shaft and the third shaft to periodically align the openings in the second shaft and the third shaft with the intake valve and the exhaust valve, respectively in an alternating pattern
- a mixing chamber formed in the housing and having an intake valve and an exhaust valve, the mixing chamber having at least one second rotor having a first end, a second end, wherein the at least one second rotor is operable to rotate in response to combustion of the combustible mixture in the combustion chamber, and the first end and the second end of the at least one second rotor are rotatably and sealingly in contact with the inner surface of the housing in the mixing chamber to receive and mix the mixture prior to introduction into the combustion chamber through the exhaust valve of the mixing chamber and the intake valve of the combustion chamber.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.