Rotary piston engine
AssigneeThe United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
InventorWilliam Gregory Buchanan
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A rotary piston engine is provided that combines most of the advantages of an internal combustion engine with those of a turbine engine. The rotary piston engine improves on the existing internal combustion and turbine technology by achieving the same or better high end performance, while improving the efficiency during off-peak operations. The rotary piston engine includes an engine housing, at least one continuous cylinder doughnut, piston pedals, movable wall valves, at least one rotor and at least one point of rotation.
Claims14
A rotary piston engine, comprising:
- at least one torus-shaped cylinder defined by an outer wall formed about an exterior circumferential surface of the torus and a rotor formed about an interior circumferential surface of the torus, said rotor rotating within said cylinder;
- at least one piston that connects to said rotor;
- a compression tunnel disposed in said at least one piston for storing compressed gas from within said cylinder;
- at least one wall valve disposed in the outer wall;
- intake and exhaust ports disposed through the outer wall and positioned circumferentially fore and aft of said at least one wall valve, wherein said intake port receives ambient air, and said exhaust port releases exhaust gases;
- an inflow port and an outflow port within said at least one piston, said inflow and outflow ports adapted to fluidly communicate with said compression tunnel;
- a driveshaft that turns axially in response to said rotor;
- and
- at least one spoke that radially connects said rotor to said driveshaft.
A method for operating a rotary piston engine having a driveshaft, the method comprising:
- connecting the driveshaft radially to a rotor that rotates within a cylinder shaped as a torus;
- connecting at least one piston to said rotor, said at least one piston having a compression tunnel;
- receiving, storing and compressing gas by said compression tunnel from said cylinder;
- opening an outflow port to direct compressed gas, stored in said compression tunnel, into said cylinder;
- combusting gases in said cylinder having at least one piston disposed therein and connected to said rotor, wherein combustion gases push said at least one piston about said cylinder;
- closing the outflow port and opening an inflow port to direct gases on an advancing side of said at least one piston into said compression tunnel;
- closing the inflow port to complete first strokes for said at least one piston;
- and
- opening an exhaust port and an intake port, wherein the combustion gases are pushed out of the exhaust port and air-fuel mixture is taken in through the intake port during second strokes for said at least one piston.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.