1. Field of the Invetion
The present invention concerns the design of a modular revolving engine with tangential combustion power, functioning without a piston, or connecting rod, or crankshaft, or camshaft, or valve.
2. Description of the Related Art
Spark-ignition engines in use at the present time are still generally spark-ignition engines with reciprocating pistons, of which the mechanical principle saw the light of day more than a century ago.
However, it is known that this system presents the major drawback of delivering in four-stroke engines only an efficient drive phase of 12.5% and, in two-stroke engines, of 23.6%.
Hence a highly mediocre efficiency of this reciprocating system which is ageing and which should be replaced by a rotary system which is mechanically more logical, therefore finally and certainly more economical.
Moreover, these engines of obsolete technique are heavy and cumbersome and composed of many moving parts subjected to considerable thermal stresses by the unnecessary and parasitic intense frictions that they undergo.
In order to cause said engines to run more smoothly, the makers have been obliged to multiply the number of cylinders in order to overcome these parasitic and antagonistic idle times of each cycle.
Now, despite all sorts of improvements including, inter alia, ancillary devices for better filling of the cylinders, these even very sophisticated engines are very far from functioning flexibly and harmoniously.
It has therefore been sought whether a rotary system exploiting the power of the explosions tangentially might not be capable of replacing this obsolete reciprocating piston system in certain mechanical applications.
It is precisely the principal purpose of this invention to attempt to overcome all the drawbacks of the reciprocating piston engine which furnishes per cylinder in a four-stroke cycle only one drive stroke per two revolutions, while one sole module of this engine is capable of furnishing a plurality of drive strokes per revolution, hence a possible, very slow idling.
In order to exploit directly, i.e. in tangential manner, the power of the explosions, the technique in the design of this engine is to mount, offset from and parallel to a line passing through the center of each flywheel and at a strictly identical distance, units of elements or groups of components of the engine that are indispensable for the optimum recovery of this explosive power, these units being distributed at perfectly equal intervals about the periphery of the flywheels, each unit being positioned so that its own axis is parallel to the line at the centers of the flywheels and at a distance there from that is identical for all the units.
These units of elements being, with reference to the accompanying drawings, pushrod supports (5) communicating with their chamber (4) and holes for spark plugs (8), sliding hollow pushrods (7 and 7B) in their pushrod support (5) and their compression spring (6).
According to a first characteristic, this engine is composed of two intake flywheels (Va) perfectly in line in the same plane perpendicular to their respective axis, interdependent in rotation by a slide-free drive system (1) which rotates them in synchronization and at absolutely equal speed in opposite directions from each other.
These flywheels comprise on their periphery and at perfectly equal intervals, the same number of units offset in accordance with the technique explained hereinabove, comprising: pushrod supports (5) with chamber (4) and holes for spark plugs (8), sliding hollow pushrods (7) or (7B), compression springs (6).
These flywheels are fixed by their respective shaft on a rigid and non-deformable common support in order that the distance separating their centers, once adjusted, is invariable.
They each comprise as many slots (3) as chambers (4) and holes for spark plugs (8), and rotate freely via hubs or bearings on their hollow shaft which comprises the intake slot (2).
The drive system (1) which renders the two flywheels interdependent in rotation by rotating them in opposite directions with respect to each other, is wedged so that, upon each revolution of flywheel, each pushrod (7) of one flywheel always interlocks with the same pushrod (7B) which corresponds thereto of the other flywheel.
Furthermore, it is during this interlocking that the detonating flux penetrating at the same time via each intake shaft (9), simultaneously fills through the slots (2) and (3) each chamber (4) and its corresponding hollow pushrod (7) or (7B). The drive force is collected by a pinion meshed on the drive system (1) or by a coaxial shaft integral with one of the intermediate gears. Each pushrod (7 and 7B) comprises at the end of its duct a funnel-shaped narrowing acting as nozzle, allowing a higher outlet speed of the gases at the instant of the explosion, as well as a greater force of reaction applied on each pushrod. Moreover, the internal pressure being greater by the narrowing, the two interlocked pushrods undergo a greater thrust one towards 30 the other, promoting seal.
When the intake slot (2) and the slot of the chamber (3) are no longer corresponding, but before the two interlocked pushrods (7 and 7B) disconnect, a spark projects at each spark plug, causing the detonating flux with which the chambers (4) and the hollow pushrods (7 and 7B) are filled, to explode.
The violent increase in pressure of the gases generated by this explosion deflagrating forcefully through the ducts of the opposite pushrods, causes them to be spaced apart.
The pushrods being fast with the flywheels whose axes are immovable, these flywheels are therefore mechanically the destinations of this tangential force which causes them to rotate simultaneously in opposite directions.
The same process being repeated and being successively applied to the following interlocked pushrods, generates the rotary drive force.
The accompanying drawings illustrate the invention.
In the form of embodiment according to
Each intake flywheel (VA) rotates freely via hubs or bearings on its hollow shaft (9) which comprises the intake slot (2). This flywheel comprises six chambers (4) and their slot (3) six holes for spark plug (8) six pushrod supports (5) and catch (20) six hollow pushrods (7B or 7B) and compression spring (6) six stirrup elements (15) with heel (21) rocker (16) with counterweight (12) shaft (14) spring (22).
In the form of embodiment according to
The motive flywheel (Vm) is fast with its shaft which rotates on bearings.
According to particular, non-limiting forms of embodiment:
By way of non-limiting example: the flywheels having a diameter of 200 mm and the center of one being spaced at 290 mm from the other, the common axis of the pushrod supports-pushrods-compression spring units of elements is offset on each flywheel by 30 mm on a line parallel to the line through the center or in drawings 1 and 2, by the line parallel to the imaginary line joining the centers of the flywheels.
The end part of the hole of the ball-headed (7) and half-shell (7B) pushrods has a dimension of 6 mm for an internal hole of 12 mm.
This engine should be enclosed in a housing in order to avoid sound nuisances due to the explosions, with an exhaust outlet placed a little higher than the bottom, in order to allow recovery of the lubricant which must not be expelled by the exhaust.
Cooling of the housing may be effected by air with the aid of fins with which it may be provided during casting in the foundry or added or by circulation of water or of oil in its thickness or its double wall or any other adequate means.
In this engine, the greatest frictions being those generated by the interlocking of the pushrods (7) and (7B) and their short linear stroke, lubrication thereof may be effected, by way of example, by a mist of lubricant under pressure directed towards the pushrods and the pushrod supports.
This lubricant would easily be recovered in the bottom of the housing and reinjected into the system after having previously and possibly if necessary passed through a cooling radiator.
The ignition beams should be protected so that they are not exposed to the effect of the explosions.
That part of the pushrods (7 and 7B) ensuring interlocking contact, should be manufactured from very resistant materials (treated steel, titanium, etc . . . ) or partly coated with ceramics and anti-friction materials and comprising either grooves or one or more sealing rings.
The rockers and their counterweights may be manufactured from steel or steel-plated cast iron, the shafts from treated steel.
The flywheels may be manufactured from light materials (treated or steel-plated aluminum or composites) in order to obtain more nervosity, of from heavier material (steel or cast iron) to obtain more power.
Depending on its design, each engine forming a module functions with any, but an equal, number per flywheel, of pushrod supports with chamber, pushrods, rockers, etc . . . , generally from 3 to 6 per flywheel.
There may be formed engines of a plurality of combined engine modules of one of the two versions, either each of these engine modules offset angularly with respect to the preceding one in order to obtain rotary engines like turbines, or non-offset angularly in order to obtain a multiplied resultant of force of explosions or to make a mixture of offset and non-offset modules.
All combinations being possible as desired, in order to satisfy all requirements.
This engine is compatible for functioning with liquid and gaseous fuels.
The drive cycle is composed of three strokes:
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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02 06531 | May 2002 | FR | national |
03 06455 | May 2003 | FR | national |
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
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PCT/FR03/01607 | 5/28/2003 | WO | 00 | 6/16/2005 |
Publishing Document | Publishing Date | Country | Kind |
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WO03/100230 | 12/4/2003 | WO | A |
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
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61592 | Williams | Jan 1867 | A |
3538893 | Tinsley | Nov 1970 | A |
Number | Date | Country |
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231015 | Mar 1909 | DE |
231747 | Mar 1924 | DE |
2012834 | Sep 1971 | DE |
2288863 | May 1976 | FR |
2577987 | Aug 1986 | FR |
7800803 | Jul 1979 | NL |
Number | Date | Country | |
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20050247270 A1 | Nov 2005 | US |