Rotary engine comprising a ceramic material

An internal combustion rotary engine comprising:

• a housing containing no fluid cooling channels, said housing having an epitrochoidally shaped inner surface, the housing further comprising:
• a central element;
• a front side plate;
• and
• a rear side plate, wherein both the front and rear side plates contain no fluid cooling channels and the front side plate and rear side plate flank the central element;
• wherein, a trochoidally shaped rotor containing no fluid cooling channels comprises the central element and is configured to fit engagingly within said housing,
• wherein when formed as the internal combustion rotary engine, the internal combustion rotary engine includes at least one inner chamber,
• wherein each of the housing, central element, front side plate, and rear side plate are made from a monolithic zirconia ceramic material incorporating only one stabilizing oxide in a monoclinic crystalline lattice in solid solution,
• wherein the only one stabilizing oxide is selected from one of a cerium oxide in an amount greater than 12 wt. % and up to about 14 wt %, a cerium oxide in an amount at or about 13.5±0.5 wt. %, a magnesium oxide in an amount greater than about 2.5 wt. % and up to about 3.5 wt %, and a magnesium oxide in an amount at or about 3.175±0.175 wt. %,
• wherein the monolithic zirconia ceramic material when formed as any of the housing, central element, front side plate, and rear side plate possesses a thermal conductivity of less than or about 100 BTU·in/ft2·hr·° F. at room temperature (less than or about 14.4 W/m·° K at room temperature),
• wherein said internal combustion rotary engine is sustainably operable at a temperature of about 900 degrees Celsius and greater when assembled without one or more of a substantial fluid cooling element and an external fluid cooling system,
• wherein said internal combustion rotary engine is sustainably operable, when assembled, without having a water cooling system,
• wherein said internal combustion rotary engine is sustainably operable, when assembled, without having to pump water through a water jacket, and
• wherein said internal combustion rotary engine when assembled is configured to operate with metal parts comprising a shaft, one or more bearings, one or more fasteners and one or more seals made possible by the thermal conductivity of the monolithic zirconia ceramic material, such that there is heat shielding of the metal parts.

An internal combustion rotary engine comprising:

• one or more housings, each containing no fluid cooling channels, each housing having an epitrochoidally shaped inner surface and further comprising:
• a central element;
• a front side plate;
• and
• a rear side plate, wherein both the front and rear side plates contain no fluid cooling channels, and the front side plate and rear side plate flank the central element;
• wherein a trochoidally shaped rotor containing no fluid cooling channels is configured as the central element to fit engagingly within each of the one or more housings,
• wherein when formed said internal combustion rotary engine includes more than one inner chamber,
• wherein for each housing, the housing, the central element, the front side plate and the rear side plate are each made of a ceramic material incorporating one stabilizing oxide in a monoclinic crystalline lattice in solid solution,
• wherein the one stabilizing oxide is selected from only one of a cerium oxide stabilized zirconia containing an amount greater than 12 wt % and up to about 14 wt % cerium oxide, a cerium oxide stabilized zirconia containing at or about 13.5±0.5 wt. % cerium oxide, a magnesium oxide stabilized zirconia containing an amount greater than about 2.5 wt % and up to about 3.5 wt % magnesium oxide, and a magnesium oxide stabilized zirconia containing at or about 3.175±0.175 wt. % magnesium oxide,
• wherein the ceramic material possesses a thermal conductivity of about or less than about 100 BTU·in/ft2·hr·° F. at room temperature (about or less than about 14.4 W/m·° K at room temperature),
• wherein said internal combustion rotary engine is sustainably operable at a temperature of about 900 degrees Celsius and greater, when assembled, without a substantial fluid cooling element,
• wherein said internal combustion rotary engine is sustainably operable at a temperature of about 900 degrees Celsius and greater, when assembled, without an external water cooling system,
• wherein said internal combustion rotary, when assembled, is sustainably operable at a temperature of about 900 degrees Celsius and greater without a water cooling system,
• wherein said internal combustion rotary, when assembled, is sustainably operable at a temperature of about 900 degrees Celsius and greater without having to pump water through either of a water jacket and internal cooling channels, and
• wherein the internal combustion rotary engine is assembled with use of metal parts made possible by the thermal conductivity of the ceramic material, such that there is heat shielding of the metal parts.