Rotary engine vane cap apparatus and method of operation therefor

Abstract

The invention comprises a rotary engine method and apparatus configured with a cap seal. A cap seal restricts fuel flow from a fuel compartment to a non-fuel compartment and/or fuel flow between fuel chambers, such as between a reference expansion chamber and any of an engine: rotor, vane, housing, and/or a leading or trailing expansion chamber. Means for providing cap sealing force to seal the cap against a rotary engine housing element comprise one or more of: a spring force, a magnetic force, a deformable seal force, and a fuel force. The dynamic caps ability to track a noncircular path are particularly beneficial for use in a rotary engine having an offset rotor and with a non-circular inner rotary engine compartment having engine wall cut-outs and/or build-ups. The dynamic sealing forces further provide cap sealing forces over a range of temperatures, pressures, fuel flow rates, and operating engine rotation rates.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.