FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to improvements in alternating piston rotary engines.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In our prior U.S. Pat. No. 5,400,754 we described a rotary internal combustion engine with a paddle and ratchet assembly in which each of first and second gear trains has (A) a first ratchet for rotationally connecting a respective one of the hubs to the propeller shaft in a first rotational direction and disconnecting the one of the hubs from the propeller shaft in a second, opposite relative rotational direction and (B) a second ratchet with a gear reduction for reducing rotational speed relative to the rotational connection of the first ratchet and rotationally connecting the propeller shaft to the one of the hubs in the first rotational direction with the reduced rotational speed and disconnecting the propeller shaft from the one of the hubs in the second rotational direction.
In our prior U.S. Pat. No. 5,727,518, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. Pat. No. 5,400,754, we have described a modification of this engine in which paddles, which operate as pistons are mounted on side disks.
The contents of our two prior US patents are incorporated herein by reference.
SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION
The present invention provides more efficient ways of utilizing the energy generated in a rotary internal combustion engine of the general type described in our prior U.S. Pat. No. 5,727,518. This efficiency derives from the ability to locate the paddles at a relatively large distance from the axis about which they rotate thereby permitting high torque even with a relatively low fuel consumption. This improved efficiency permits production of much greater torque than is possible with conventional engines of the same capacity even when operating at lower rotational speeds.
Major differences include:
- 1st. The use of Planetary Gear Trains, instead of Parallel Shaft Trains, to make it completely concentric. In the present invention a planetary gear train is provided for each piston carrier side disk at each axial end of the shaft.
- 2nd. The Basic Fundamental Formulae, as in Addenda 1 and 2, to define the geometry and placing of the elements that form a Combustion-Chamber Set, to ensure proper operation of the engine. The precise calculation of the Angular Thickness of the Pistons as given by the following Basic Formula:
- where (po) is the required angular distance between piston faces, or the mean angular distance in case concave piston faces are used; 180° is the Basic Generating Angle; CR is the desired Compression Ratio and GR is the Geared Reduction Ratio of the Planetary Gear Train.
- 3rd. The Division of the Combustion Chamber Set into more than one complete set according to formulae in Addends 1 and 2, to obtain a ‘short-stroke effect’, to improve thermal efficiency, increase Torque, and reduce fuel consumption. In this case the formula will include (n) as the desired number of Combustion Chamber Sets which has to divide the Basic Generating Angle (180°), as follows: (see FIG. 4 where four complete sets are shown)
- 4th. The Engine Design itself, which as different to others, allows the Optimization of a much longer Length of the Torque lever-arm (FIG. 4) directly in relation to pistons' face dimensions straight away, without the limitations of a crankshaft, to further reduce the Compressed Surface Area, and thus further improve Thermal Efficiency, substantially increase Torque and reduce fuel consumption.
- 5th. The Engine's Basic Operating System with its Unique Force Transmission System, using Unidirectional Rotation Transmission Devices, as defined here and in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3.
- 6th. An Axial External Projection, see FIGS. 2, 3 and 5, from the Planets-carrier, of first and/or second Planetary Gear Trains, to output their multiplied torque concentric to the main shaft (which can be used as the main drive shaft for its great torque.
- 7th. The Engine's Cooling System consisting of a Cooling Chamber at both axial ends of the surrounding internal-combustion-cycle chamber and side-disks, with Coolant Inlet and Outlet means, and Coolant Propellers on side-disks to pump coolant through side-disks and/or pistons. Optionally, it may also include an inter-connected internal combustion cooling chamber or cooling fins on the external periphery of the surrounding cycle chamber.
- 8th. Means on each of the hubs and/or their connecting projection, to indicate, outside the combustion chamber, the internal position of the pistons, to activate precise direct injection and/or ignition means for engine Starting Procedure and/or for Otto or Diesel Cycle Operation.
Accordingly the present invention provides a rotary internal combustion engine, comprising: engine block means for defining at least one combustion chamber whose center line is located on the circumference of a circle;
a rotatable drive shaft extending axially through said circle;
at least one first and second piston, hub and side-disk assembly set
- each set substantially sealingly in the internal-combustion-cycle chamber and freely rotatable on the drive shaft,
- each of the piston, hub and side-disk assembly sets having first and second pistons that are fixed on a side disk diametrically opposite each other with a hub therebetween, the hubs cooperating with each other so that the first and second pistons, hub and side disk of the first piston, hub and side-disk assembly can also rotate relative to the first and second pistons, hub and side disk of the second piston, hub and side-disc assembly,
- the side disks of the first and second piston, hub and side-disk assembly respectively extending radially from the hubs
said disks being connected to the periphery of a set of two one way clutches or ratchets one being adapted to connect and disconnect with the shaft and therefore provide for fast moving/direct torque and the other being adapted to connect/disconnect with a planetary gear train's planets carrier and therefore provide for multiplication of said torque through a planetary gear train;
inlet means for admitting air and/or an air/fuel mixture into the chamber depending on the type of operating cycle;
spark plug, glow plug or fuel injector for admitting fuel into the chamber, whereby to define at least one ignition point for an air/fuel explosion in the combustión chamber, and outlet means for exhausting spent gas from the chamber.
Preferably the combustión chamber is annular or where multiple sets of piston, hub and side disk assemblies are present forms a part of an annulus, the limits of said parts being determined by location of the pistons, although other shapes, such as a torus or partial torus are possible. Where multiple sets of piston, hub and disk assemblies are present, there will be one such set comprising one first and second piston, hub and side-disk assemblies for each combustion chamber so that, for example if there are four sets of one first and second piston, hub and side-disk assemblies, there will be four combustion chambers, each one forming a part of an annulus or torus.
The disks on which the pistons are mounted may themselves have center portions which are elevated with respect to the outer portion of the disk, said elevations extending outwardly from the hubs which extend outwardly to the vicinity of the pistons.
The number of combustion chambers present will depend on the intended use of the engine, from one to twenty, for example, four to eight being typical.
The pistons are typically mounted directly on the disks being mounted perpendicular to the disk surface and oriented radially with respect to the drive shaft about which the disks rotate. It is, however also possible to mount the pistons on protrusions extending from or brackets mounted on the surface of the disk as long as the pistons are correctly aligned.
Typically each of said pistons is connected to a planetary gear train in which power is transferred to the drive shaft from one of the two sets of ratchets. Typically, pistons are fixed to piston-carrying side disks, each of which is directly associated with two one-way clutches or ratchets placed back to back so that one of them will necessarily skid or disconnect every time the other connects and therefore drives the assembly. This arrangement is a substantial difference and improvement over our prior U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,400,754 and 5,727,518. A further difference is that each side disk is also directly related to a planetary gear train to concentrically multiply the torque of the trailing piston of a piston set so as to ensure that it will advance to the ignition point to initiate the next explosión in spite of the backward force (resulting from the on-going explosion) acting against its required rotation.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 depicts in schematic form the basic motion of a rotary engine according to our previous invention.
FIG. 2 depicts in two dimensions the internal transmission forces of an engine according to the present invention.
FIG. 3 depicts in three dimensions the internal transmission forces of an engine according to the present invention.
FIG. 4 depicts an engine according to the present invention having four combustion chambers.
FIG. 5 depicts a completed engine according to the present invention.
FIGS. 6 and 7 (Addenda 1 and 2) depict the engine's basic relational formulae according to the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
A rotary internal combustion engine, as in FIGS. 2 and 3, basically, has first and second diametrically opposite Pistons on corresponding first and second Side-Disks and Hubs, facing one another but in an alternate position, all of which are substantially sealingly within a surrounding Internal-Combustion-Cycle Chamber and in between them, and are freely rotatable on a Drive Shaft; first and second Planetary Gear Trains are for rotation by the respective axial end portions of the drive shaft. Each of the hubs has: (A) a first Unidirectional Rotation Transmission Device for rotationally connecting the one of the hubs to the drive shaft in a first rotational direction and speed, and disconnecting the one of the hubs from the drive shaft in a second, apparently opposite relative rotational direction due to speed difference; (B) a second Unidirectional Rotation Transmission Device for rotationally connecting the one of the hubs to the Planets-carrier of the first Planetary Gear Train, in the second rotational direction, and rotationally disconnecting the one of the hubs from the Planets-carrier of the first Planetary Gear Train in the first rotational direction; whereby, in an alternating operation, the drive shaft and first and second pistons, of first side-disk and hub, all rotate in the first rotational direction and speed; and the Planets-carrier of the second Planetary Gear Train, and first and second pistons of second side-disk and hub, all rotate in the second rotational direction and speed. Axially opposite ends of the internal-combustion-cycle chamber are respectively formed, but not excluding, by the side-disks; and, axial ends of the pistons are, but not excluding, on the side-disks at peripheries of the side-disks for the pistons to project axially.
Ignition and/or Injection means, and Inlet and Outlet means, are in the surrounding internal-combustion-cycle chamber, each of which are precisely defined, located and interrelated with each other.
The Engine's Cooling System, see FIG. 2, consists of a Cooling Chamber on the external periphery and at both axial ends of the surrounding internal-combustion-cycle chamber and side-disks, with Coolant Inlet and Outlet means, and Coolant Propellers on Side-disks to pump coolant through Side-disks and/or pistons. Each of the hubs has a means to indicate, outside the combustion chamber, the internal position of the pistons, to activate precise direct injection and/or ignition means for engine Starting Procedure and/or for Otto or Diesel Cycle Operation. An Axial External Projection from the Planets-carrier, of first and/or second Planetary Gear Trains, to output their multiplied torque concentric to the main shaft (which can be used as a starting gear-shift to reduce gearbox costs, among other applications, such as being a prime mover of electricity generators in Hybrid Vehicles, and others). The basic fundamental formulae, as in Addends 1 and 2, define the geometry and placing of the elements that form a Combustion-Chamber Set, to ensure proper operation of the engine. The precise calculation of the Angular Thickness of the Pistons, is given by the following Basic Formula:
where (po) is the required angular distance between piston faces, or the mean angular distance in case concave piston faces are used; 180° is the Basic Generating Angle; CR is the desired Compression Ratio and GR is the Geared Reduction Ratio of the Planetary Gear Train. The division of the Combustion Chamber Set into more than one complete Set, as in Addends 1 and 2, for a ‘short-stroke effect’, to obtain the smallest Compressed Surface Area, so as to Optimize Thermal Efficiency. In this case the formula will include (n) as the desired number of Combustion Chamber Sets which has to divide the Basic Generating Angle (180°), as follows:
The Engine Design itself, which as different to Reciprocating Piston Engines and the Wankel Engine, allows the Optimization of a much longer Length of the Torque lever-arm (FIG. 4) directly in relation to pistons' face dimensions straight away, without the limitations of a crankshaft, to further reduce the Compressed Surface Area, and thus further improve Thermal Efficiency, substantially increase Torque and reduce fuel consumption. The Engine's Basic Operating System with its Unique Force Transmission System, using Unidirectional Rotation Transmission Devices, as defined here and in FIGS. 2 and 3, which performs as follows:
- 1st. Pistons (assembled onto 2 interacting Side-Disks) ARE NOT CONNECTED directly to the Drive Shaft, and therefore, the 2 Piston-Carrying Side-Disks ROTATE FREELY on the Drive Shaft.
- 2nd. Each Side-Disk Hub is directly connected to the peripheral parts of 2 Unidirectional Rotation Transmission Devices (URTD) placed back-to-back.
- 3rd. Each URTD has a central part and a peripheral part which engage/disengage to each other by means of especially designed contact elements, depending on the relative rotational speeds in between them.
- 4th. The central part of the 1st URTD (for advancement of the Shaft) connects/disconnects the Side-Disk of the Leading Piston to the Shaft.
- 5th. The central part of the 2nd URTD (for backstopping the Trailing Piston) connects/disconnects the Side-Disk of the Trailing Piston to the Planets Carrier of a Planetary Gear Train (with much greater torque) not only to prevent its backward rotation but, mainly, to force it to advance past the Ignition Point.
- 6th. Each Planetary Gear Train (1 by each Side-Disk) has 4 elements: 1 Sun Gear (at the central part of the ensemble), 1 Peripheral Inner Gear (called Ring Gear, surrounding the ensemble), 2 or more Planet Gears which rotate around the Sun Gear, in between the Sun Gear and the Ring Gear, and 1 Carrier, or Planet Gears' Carrier, which keeps the Planet Gears in place, and which rotates with them at a reduced speed, relative to the Sun Gear, but with a multiplied Torque.
- 7th. Sun Gears ARE FIXED to the Drive Shaft, one at each axial end, and thus, they rotate with it. Therefore, they are ALWAYS in fast relative rotation.
- 8th. The Peripheral Gears or Ring Gears are inner gears and ARE FIXED to the Housing of the engine, therefore, THEY DON'T ROTATE.
- 9th. Each Carrier directly connects, on one side, to the central part of the 2nd URTD of each Side-Disk Hub, to perform as in 5th, and the other side of the Carrier directly connects to a Coaxial Output Shaft to make available its second, much more powerful output, to take advantage of its simultaneous higher Torque.
Particular features to note with respect to the force transmission diagram of FIG. 2 include the following:
1. the pistons are mounted on side disk piston carriers and are not connected directly to the shaft;
2. the piston carriers rotate freely on the shaft;
3. Each piston carrier is directly connected to the periphery of a set of two one way clutches (OWCs) placed back-to back, one being located inwardly (the inner OWC) of the other (the outer OWC);
4. the inner OWC's connect and disconnect with the shaft and therefore provide for fast moving/direct torque;
5. the outer OWC's connect/disconnect with related planetary gear train's planets carrier and therefore provide for slower moving/multiplied torque;
6. both “sun” gears are fixed to the shaft so they are always fast moving/direct torque
7. ring gears are fixed to the housing.
Typically, if the engine is intended for automobile or truck use, the pistons are mounted on the side disk piston carriers about 18-24 cm, for example about 20 cm from the drive shaft. When intended for other uses, such as power generation, the distance may be greater. The size and shape of the piston will also depend upon the intended use of the engine. If the combustion chamber is annular or forms part of an annulus, the pistons will have a rectangular face. If the combustion chamber is a torus or forms part of a torus, the piston face will be circular.
Another preferred feature of the present invention includes provision of space for cooling fluid between each pair of disks and provision of holes in the disks to permit circulation of cooling fluid such as coolant or water. The disks may also be fitted with radially shaped fins as propellers to draw coolant into the cooling space and also out of that space so that it can be recycled to an external cooling system.
In the rotary internal combustion engine of the present invention in the planetary gear train, the “sun” gears are fixed to the shaft and output derived from said planetary gear train transferred by a connector that is coaxial with said drive shaft.
The rotary internal combustion engine of the present invention is one wherein multiple “operating sets” may be included, for example: four ignition points air and fuel feeds and inlet and exhaust outlets provided within each combustion chamber.
In operation, when an explosion occurs:
1. on the leading piston side the explosion pressure pushes the leading piston away from the trailing piston and drives the shaft through its inner OWC. The outer OWC skids due to the speed difference.
2. on the trailing piston side, the explosion pressure pushes the trailing piston backwards but the outer OWC connected to the high torque planets carrier forces it forward on to the firing position so that every explosion sets all four clutches by causing them to become engaged or disengaged;
With this configuration, it is possible to have a conventional Otto Cycle 4 strokes (admission, compression, expansion, exhaustion) take place all at once on each explosion though in their corresponding quadrant.
The Basic Engine's Internal Combustion 4-stroke Cycle takes place inside the internal-combustion-cycle chamber whereby the 4 interacting pistons, of first and second diametrically opposite pistons on corresponding first and second side-disks, determine 4 varying size sectors or quadrants. Admission takes place in the 1st quadrant; Compression in the 2nd, Explosion and Expansion in the 3rd; and Exhaustion in the 4th, so that, on every explosion, all 4 strokes automatically take place simultaneously although each of them in their respective quadrant in a continued way. The Engine's Unique Force Transmission System is completely activated only by each explosion. Explosion takes place at the beginning of the 3rd quadrant, when Pistons pass over, and thus uncover the Ignition Point exposing it to the exactly compressed air/fuel mixture. As explosion pressure acts the same on to both Pistons, pressing the Leading Piston forward and the Trailing Piston backwards, then:
- On the Leading Piston Side-Disk:
- Pressure exerted by the Explosion of the air/fuel mixture acts over the Rear Face of the Leading Piston, forcing it to rotationally separate from the Front Face of the Trailing Piston causing the engagement of the 1st URTD to connect the Leading Piston to the Drive Shaft and thus transmit its Rotational Force to it. The corresponding 2nd URTD skids due to rotational speed difference.
- On the Trailing Piston Side-Disk:
- Pressure exerted by the Explosion of the air/fuel mixture also acts backwards against the Front Face of the Trailing Piston forcing its backstopping 2nd URTD to engage (and thus connect to its corresponding Carrier with its much higher Torque) not only to prevent its backward rotation but to force it to advance past the Ignition Point to start the next explosion and thus begin the following cycle. The corresponding 1st URTD skids due to rotational speed difference.
- In Brief:
- Each time the Rear Face of any Piston goes past the Ignition Point a new cycle is induced. Each Explosion presses the Leading Piston forward and the Trailing Piston backwards, thus, automatically inverting the current actions of the 4 URTDs, which, due to the way in which they are arranged they become the Mechanical Brains of the Engine's Operating System, activating its Force Transmission arrangement, connecting/disconnecting accordingly in a synchronized way, not only for transmitting its Rotational Force to the Shaft but also to start a new cycle automatically.
Patent Application
20160053677
