Toroidal internal combustion engine

Abstract

A rotary engine with one or more toroidal chambers defined by rotors that rotate within cylindrical housings. Pistons project into the chambers from the rotors. The pistons cooperate with valves to define compression regions and expansion regions in the chambers. The rotors, the pistons, the valves, or a combination thereof define or include combustion regions of constant volume wherein a fuel-air mixture compressed in the compression regions burns and then is ejected to the expansion regions. Fuel is injected into both the compression regions and the expansion regions. In a first embodiment of the engine, the valves are rotary and include recesses that accommodate the pistons as the pistons pass the valves. As a piston transits from a compression region to an expansion region via a valve, the space in the valve recess not occupied by the piston is the combustion region. In a second embodiment of the engine, the motion of two pistons in two chambers is coordinated so that as one piston arrives at the end of a compression region of its chamber and the other piston enters an expansion region of its chamber, the volume between the two pistons is the combustion region. In a third embodiment of the engine, the combustion region is enclosed by two tandem rotary valves of two different chambers. In a fourth embodiment, the combustion regions are in rotary combustion chambers inside the pistons or inside the rotors.

Description

FIELD AND BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to internal combustion engines and, more particularly, to an internal combustion engine that is significantly more efficient than those known heretofore.

Internal combustion piston engines have been familiar and ubiquitous since the days of Otto and Diesel. These engines suffer from several widely recognized deficiencies. One is that their thermal efficiencies are far less than their theoretical efficiencies according to the second law of thermodynamics. Up to 30% of the heat released by fuel combustion is absorbed by the engine cooling systems. Another 30% is devoted to engine operation, including compressing air or an air-fuel mixture in the cylinders of these engines. From 5% to 20% of the available energy may be wasted because of incomplete combustion of hydrocarbon fuels. The net result is that these engines generally have overall efficiencies between 32% and 42%.

Another deficiency of these engines is that their exhausts tend to contain toxic substances: carbon particles and carcinogenic hydrocarbons because of incomplete combustion, and nitrogen oxides formed at the high (1800.degree. C. to 2000.degree. C.) combustion temperatures that characterize these engines. A third is that they provide power by transforming the reciprocating motion of their pistons to the rotary motion of their crankshafts. When the fuel-air mixture in a cylinder of an internal combustion engine explodes, the piston is at or near top dead center. At this position, the moment arm, across which the rod connecting the piston to the crankshaft transfers force to the crankshaft, is close to zero. Therefore, the piston exerts minimal torque on the crankshaft. As the piston moves down from top dead center, the moment arm through which the piston transfers force increases, but in the meantime the combustion gases expand somewhat, losing some of their propulsive force, so that the maximum torque exerted on the crankshaft is less than the maximum torque that could be exerted if the force of the piston could always be transferred to the crankshaft at maximum moment arm. Several attempts have been made to address some of these deficiencies. Ferrenberg et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 4,928,658) use a heat exchanger to preheat the input fuel and air of an internal combustion engine with some of the heat of the exhaust gases. Loth et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 5,239,959) ignite the fuel-air mixture in a separate combustion chamber before introducing the burning mixture to the cylinder, in order to attain more complete combustion and inhibit the formation of nitrogen oxides. Forster (U.S. Pat. No. 5,002,481) burns a mixture of fuel, air and steam. This mixture burns at a relatively low temperature of about 1400.degree. C., and nitrogen oxides are not formed. Gunnerman (U.S. Pat. No. 5,156,114) burns a mixture of hydrocarbon fuel and water, but requires a hydrogen-forming catalyst to achieve the same power with his mixture as with ordinary gasoline. Each of these prior art patents addresses only one of the defects of reciprocating internal combustion engines. None addresses the problem in its totality.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,797,366 and co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. Nos. 08/946,986 and 09/069,545 describe an engine that further addresses the outstanding deficiencies of existing internal combustion engines. In this engine, a mixture of fuel, air and steam is burned in one or more combustion chambers, each combustion chamber being defined by a toroidal combustion chamber housing, a piston and a valve. The mixture is burned at a temperature between about 1400.degree. C. and about 1800.degree. C., thereby minimizing the formation of nitrogen oxides and other pollutants while reducing the heat lost to conduction and radiation through the engine walls. The axis of rotation of the power shaft of the engine is perpendicular to the plane of the combustion chamber housing. The piston is connected to the power shaft of the engine, and the force of the piston always is applied to the power shaft at a constant moment arm perpendicular to that axis of rotation, so that maximum torque is imposed on the power shaft.

In the toroidal engine of U.S. Pat. No. 5,797,366 and co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. Nos. 08/946,986 and 09/069,545, the volume of the combustion chamber increases as the burning mixture pushes the piston away from the valve. This increase in volume, before the mixture is entirely burned, tends to decrease the thermodynamic efficiency of this engine.

There is thus a widely recognized need for, and it would be highly advantageous to have, an internal combustion engine that further approaches its theoretical thermal efficiency while emitting minimal pollution.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to the present invention there is provided an engine, including: (a) at least one housing; (b) for each of the at least one housing: a rotor, rotatably mounted within the each housing, the rotor and the each housing defining between them a toroidal chamber, the rotor including at least one piston projecting into the toroidal chamber; and (c) for each the at least one housing, at least one valve, movably mounted within the at least one housing, at least one element selected from the group consisting of the rotor, the at least one piston and the at least one valve defining at least one combustion region at least while the at least one piston moves past the at least one valve.

According to the present invention there is provided an engine, including: (a) a housing; (b) a rotor, mounted within the housing to rotate about an axis of rotation and having an outer surface including at least one portion of variable distance from the axis of rotation; and (c) a valve, rotatably mounted within the housing and shaped to maintain rolling contact with the outer surface as the rotor and the valve rotate within the housing.

According to the present invention there is provided an engine, including: (a) a housing having an inner surface; (b) a rotor, mounted within the housing to rotate about an axis of rotation and having an outer surface including at least one portion having a constant distance from the axis of rotation and at least one portion having a variable distance from the axis of rotation; and (c) a valve, rotatably mounted within the housing and shaped to maintain rolling contact with the outer surface as the rotor and the valve rotate within the housing, the valve including: (i) a first arcuate portion shaped to maintain the rolling contact with the portion of the outer surface having the constant distance from the axis of rotation while the first arcuate portion faces the portion of the outer surface having the constant distance from the axis of rotation, and (ii) a second arcuate portion shaped to maintain the rolling contact with the portion of the outer surface having the variable distance from the axis of rotation while the second arcuate portion faces the portion of the outer surface having the variable distance from the axis of rotation, the second arcuate portion including a movable member operative to maintain sliding contact with the inner surface of the housing while the second arcuate portion faces the inner surface of the housing.

Like the prior art engine of U.S. Pat. No. 5,797,366 and co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. Nos. 08/946,986 and 09/069,545, the engine of the present invention includes one or more housings with toroidal interiors. Within each housing rotates a rotor to which is attached one or more pistons that projects into the toroidal interior of the housing, so that the rotor of the present invention is analogous to the ring seal of U.S. Pat. No. 5,797,366 and co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. Nos. 08/946,986 and 09/069,545. The rotor and the housing define between them a toroidal chamber. One or more valves in the housing alternately seals the region between itself and an approaching or departing piston or moves to allow the piston to pass. The difference between the engine of the present invention and the engine of U.S. Pat. No. 5,797,366 and co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. Nos. 08/946,986 and 09/069,545 is that in the preferred embodiment of the engine of U.S. Pat. No. 5,797,366 and co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. Nos. 08/946,986 and 09/069,545, separate toroidal chambers are used for compression, combustion and expansion; whereas in the engine of the present invention, the valves, the pistons, the rotor, or some combination thereof, define a combustion region of approximately constant volume in which combustion takes place as the valve or valves move to accommodate the transit past the one or more valves of the one or more pistons. This allows the engine of the present invention to operate according to the Trinkler cycle: A mixture of compressed air and fuel introduced into the combustion region by the cooperative motion of the pistons and the valves burns therein at approximately constant volume. The burning mixture then is released to an expansion region, where more fuel is injected to continue the burning and keep the expanding mixture at least initially at approximately constant pressure. Thus, the engine of the present invention is more efficient than the engine of U.S. Pat. No. 5,797,366 and co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. Nos. 08/946,986 and 09/069,545, in which the combustion occurs in a steadily increasing volume.

In a first preferred embodiment of the engine of the present invention, the valve includes a circular disk with a recess shaped to accommodate the pistons as the pistons pass the valve. The constant-volume combustion region is the space between a passing piston and the interior of the recess. The disk rotates in synchrony with the rotor so that while a piston is not passing the valve, the valve seals off the interior of the housing to form a compression region as a piston approaches the valve or to form an expansion region as a piston departs from the valve.

In a second preferred embodiment of the engine, with two axially adjacent toroidal housings, with two such axially adjacent valves, one of the two axially adjacent valves in each housing, and with the two rotors joined to rotate together within the housings, a port is provided, adjacent the two valves, that connects the interiors of the two housings. The pistons of one rotor lag the pistons of the other rotor, and the rotors are provided with ports that line up with the interhousing port when the valves are between a lagging piston of one rotor and the corresponding leading piston of the other rotor. Those two pistons then define between them a constant-volume combustion region that spans the two housings as the valves move to accommodate the passage of the pistons. Prior to the arrival of the lagging piston, that piston compresses the air-fuel-steam mixture against the corresponding valve. As the leading piston departs, the hot burning combustion products push the leading piston away from the corresponding valve.

In a third preferred embodiment of the engine of the present invention, also with two axially adjacent toroidal housings, also with two such adjacent valves, one valve per housing, and also with the two rotors joined to rotate together within the housings, the adjacent circular disks of the valves include opposed chambers that define a constant-volume combustion region. The pistons of one rotor lead the pistons of the other rotor. The leading piston of a pair of matched pistons compresses the air-fuel-steam mixture against the corresponding valve, and then pushes the compressed mixture into the combustion region while passing the valve. The mixture is heated by combustion and then released to the other housing as the lagging piston passes the other valve. The hot burning mixture then pushes the lagging piston away from the other valve.

In a fourth preferred embodiment of the engine of the present invention, the combustion regions are enclosed within the pistons or within the rotor adjacent to the pistons. The valves are either the rotating valves of the first embodiment, or blade valves, or rotating valves whose outer surfaces are shaped to maintain rolling contact with the outer surface of the rotor. The latter valve-rotor combination is a further innovative aspect of the present invention. As a piston approaches a valve, the piston compresses the air-fuel-steam mixture against the valve. The compressed mixture is admitted to the combustion region inside or adjacent to the piston, where the mixture burns. The resulting hot burning mixture is released after the piston passes the valve, to push the piston away from the valve. Most preferably, separate compression and expansion valves are provided, to allow time for constant volume combustion as the piston transits from the compression valve to the expansion valve.

Berry, in U.S. Pat. No. 2,447,929, also teaches an internal combustion engine in which an air-fuel mixture is compressed in a toroidal compression chamber, ignited in a "pre-combustion and firing chamber" of substantially constant volume, and allowed to flow into a toroidal expansion chamber. The structural difference between Berry's engine and the engine of the present invention is that Berry's pre-combustion and firing chamber is separate from the housings of the toroidal chambers and the rotors, pistons and valves thereof, whereas the combustion region of the present invention is defined by the rotors and/or the pistons and/or the valves thereof.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention is herein described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a transverse cross section of a first embodiment of an engine of the present invention;

FIGS. 2A, 2B and 2C show a piston of the engine of FIG. 1 in three different positions relative to the upper valve of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a partial transverse cross section of a variant of the engine of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a partial transverse cross section of another variant of the engine of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5A is a partial axial cross-section of a second embodiment of an engine of the present invention;

FIG. 5B is a partial cut-away top view of the engine of FIG. 5A;

FIG. 6A is a transverse cross-section taken along line 6A--6A of FIG. 6B of a third embodiment of an engine of the present invention;

FIG. 6B is a cross-section taken along line 6B--6B of FIG. 6A;

FIG. 7 is a transverse cross-section of a prior art engine;

FIG. 8 is a transverse cross-section of a first variant of a fourth embodiment of an engine of the present invention;

FIGS. 9A, 9B and 9C show three positions of a combustion chamber of the engine of FIG. 8;

FIGS. 10A and 10B are transverse cross-sections of a modification of the engine of FIG. 8;

FIG. 11 is a transverse cross-section of a second variant of the fourth embodiment of an engine of the present invention;

FIGS. 12A and 12B show two mechanisms for cooling and lubricating surfaces that are in sliding contact

FIGS. 13A and 13B are partial transverse cross sections of the engine of FIGS. 10a and 10B with alternative valves.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The present invention is of a toroidal internal combustion engine in which the rotors, the pistons, and/or valves define one or more combustion regions of approximately constant volume, thereby allowing the implementation of a Trinkler cycle.

The principles and operation of a toroidal internal combustion engine according to the present invention may be better understood with reference to the drawings and the accompanying description.

Referring now to the drawings, FIG. 1 is a transverse cross-section of a first embodiment 10 of an engine of the present invention. Within a stationary housing 12 rotates an annular rotor 14. Rotor 14 is rigidly attached to a central drive shaft (not shown) that is coaxial with rotor 14 and with housing 12. Housing 12 and rotor 14 define between them a toroidal chamber 16. Two pistons 18 project from rotor 14 into chamber 16. On opposite sides of housing 12 are two housing recesses 20 and 20' that accommodate two disk-shaped valves 22 and 22' that rotate within housing recesses 20 and 20' in directions opposite to the direction of rotation of rotor 14. Each valve 22 and 22' includes a valve recess 24, 24'. The outer diameter of rotor 14 is twice the diameters of valves 22 and 22'. Valves 22 and 22' rotate twice for each rotation of rotor 14, so that the surfaces of valves 22 and 22' and of rotor 14 that arc in mutual contact do not slide relative to each other. The rotations of rotor 14 and valves 22 and 22' are synchronized by conventional mechanical linkages (not shown). Valve recesses 24 and 24' accommodate pistons 18 as pistons 18 move past valves 22 and 22'. For this purposes, the matching surfaces of pistons 18 and valve recesses 24 and 24' are sections of the surfaces of right circular cylinders, as described by M. L. Novikov in Tooth Gearings with New Engagement, N. A. Zhukovsky High Military Engineering Academy, Moscow, 1958 (in Russian).

FIGS. 2A, 2B and 2C show a piston 18 in three different positions as rotor 14 rotates clockwise in housing 12 past counterclockwise-rotating valve 22. In FIG. 2A, as piston 18 approaches valve 22, piston 18 and valve 22 define a compression region 26 in chamber 16. In FIG. 2B, piston 18 is entirely within valve recess 24. The space within valve recess 24 that is not occupied by piston 18 is a combustion region 30 whose volume is approximately constant as piston 18 moves past valve 22. In FIG. 2C, as piston 18 departs from valve 22, piston 18 and valve 22 define an expansion region 28 in chamber 16.

The operation of engine 10, with rotor 14 rotating clockwise, is as follows. As a piston 18 sweeps through the left side of chamber 16, piston 18 compresses air ahead of itself, in compression region 26, while drawing in more air behind itself into chamber 16 via air inlet port 36. As piston 18 approaches valve 22, fuel is injected via a fuel injection port 32. Depending on the compression ratio in compression region 26, either the compressed fuel-air mixture ignites spontaneously when piston 18 is almost at valve 22, or an ignition source 34, such as a spark plug, ignites the compressed fuel-air mixture when piston 18 is almost at valve 22. As piston 18 passes valve 22, piston 18 and valve 22 define between them combustion region 30, where most of the combustion takes place at approximately constant volume. As piston 18 departs from valve 22, the hot, high-pressure gas created by the combustion process leaves combustion region 30 into expansion region 28 and pushes piston 18, thereby creating torque. More fuel is injected via a fuel injection port 32' to continue the combustion and maintain the expanding gas at least initially at approximately constant pressure. As piston 18 sweeps through the right side of chamber 16, piston 18 pushes residual gases from the previous cycle out through exhaust port 38.

On startup, only fuel is injected via fuel injection port 32. During steady state operation, up to 15% steam is injected along with the fuel, as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,797,366 and co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. Nos. 08/946,986 and 09/069,545, to allow operation at lower temperatures than would otherwise be possible.

Engine 10 is reversible, in the sense that engine 10 can be operated with rotor 14 rotating counter-clockwise and valves 22 and 22' rotating clockwise. For this purpose, the roles of fuel injection ports 32 and 32' are interchanged, and an alternate ignition source 34' is provided to the right of valve 22. During clockwise operation, air inlet port 36 functions as an exhaust port and exhaust port 38 functions as an air inlet port.

The above description in terms of housing 12 remaining stationary while rotor 14 rotates therewithin is illustrative rather than limitative. Rotor 14 can remain stationary while housing 12 rotates thereabout, in which case housing 12, rather than rotor 14, is rigidly attached to the drive shaft. Indeed, both housing 12 and rotor 14 can move, as long as rotor 14 rotates with respect to housing 12.

FIG. 3 is a partial transverse cross-section of a variant of engine 10 in which housing recess 20 includes a channel 40 that connects to compression region 26. The purpose of channel 40 is to equalize pressure between compression region 26 and valve recess 24, so that the pressure of the compressed air-fuel mixture in compression region 26 does not drop suddenly when valve 22 reaches the point in the rotation of valve 22 at which valve recess 24 opens upon compression region 26.

FIG. 4 is a partial transverse cross-section of a variant of engine 10 in which valve recess 24 leads to a cylindrical chamber 44 in the center of valve 22. With piston 18 occupying valve recess 24 as shown, both cylindrical chamber 44 and the portion of valve recess 24 not occupied by piston 18 combine to form a combustion region 30' that is enlarged with respect to combustion region 30 of FIG. 2B and that also has a more nearly constant volume, as piston 18 passes valve 22, than combustion region 30 of FIG. 2B. FIG. 4 also shows the periphery of valve 22 partly occupied by graphite blocks 42. Graphite blocks 42 lubricate the movement of the periphery of valve 22 past the inner surface of housing 12, where valve 22 and housing 12 are in sliding contact. This and other lubrication systems are discussed in more detail below.

FIG. 5A is a partial axial cross-section of a second embodiment 110 of an engine of the present invention. FIG. 5B is a partial cut-away top view of embodiment 110. In embodiment 110, a first stationary housing 112a and a second stationary housing 112b sandwich between them an annular partition 100. A first rotor 114a, supported within housing 112a by bearings 115a, rotates within housing 112a and defines, along with housing 112a, a toroidal compression chamber 106. A second rotor 114b, supported within housing 112b by bearings 115b, rotates within housing 112b and defines, along with housing 112b, a toroidal expansion chamber 116. Rotors 114a and 114b are rigidly joined to each other and rotate together with respect to housings 112a and 112b. A piston 118a projects from rotor 114a into compression chamber 106. A piston 118b projects from rotor 114b into expansion chamber 116. The motion of rotors 114a and 114b relative to housings 112a and 112b is from left to right in FIG. 5B, so that piston 118a lags piston 118b. Because pistons 118a and 118b are never opposite each other across partition 100, only piston 118a is shown in FIG. 5A. As in embodiment 10, a disk-shaped valve 122a rotates, within a housing recess in housing 112a, in a direction opposite to the rotation of rotor 114a. Valve 122a includes a valve recess that accommodates piston 118a as piston 118a passes valve 122a. Similarly, a disk-shaped valve 122b rotates, within a housing recess in housing 112b, in a direction opposite to the rotation of rotor 114b. Valve 122b includes a valve recess that accommodates piston 118b as piston 118b passes valve 122b.

Valves 122a and 122b are on opposite sides of partition 100. Partition 100 includes a port 102 between valves 122a and 122b. Rotor 114a includes a port 104a that leads piston 118a. Rotor 114b includes a port 104b that lags piston 114b. When both pistons 118a and 118b are approaching valves 122a and 122b, piston 118a and valve 122a define between them a compression region analogous to compression region 26 of FIG. 2A. When both pistons 118a and 118b are departing from valves 122a and 122b, piston 118b and valve 122b define between them an expansion region analogous to expansion region 28 of FIG. 2C. FIG. 5B shows the intermediate situation: piston 118a approaching valve 122a while piston 118b departs from valve 122b. Now, both port 104a and port 104b are adjacent to port 102, forming an open passage between chambers 106 and 116, so that pistons 118a and 118b and valves 122a and 122b define among them a combustion region 130. When pistons 118a and 118b are both either approaching valves 122a and 122b or departing from valves 122a and 122b, ports 104a and 104b are adjacent to partition 100, so that chambers 106 and 116 are sealed off from each other unless pistons 118a and 118b are on opposite sides of valves 122a and 122b, as shown in FIG. 5B.

The operation of embodiment 110 is similar to the operation of embodiment 10. While both pistons 118a and 118b approach valves 122a and 122b, piston 118a compresses air against valve 122a and fuel is injected into the compressed air via a fuel injection port 132 to form a compressed air-fuel mixture. After piston 118b passes valve 122b, the air-fuel mixture is ignited by an ignition source 136 and burns in combustion region 130. After piston 118a passes valve 122a and chamber 116 is cut off from chamber 106, the hot burning gas mixture thus created pushes piston 118b away from valve 122b. More fuel is injected via a fuel injection port 132' to maintain continued combustion and keep the expanding gas mixture at least initially at approximately constant pressure.

FIG. 6A is a transverse cross-section of a third embodiment 210 of an engine of the present invention. FIG. 6B is an axial cross-section of embodiment 210, taken along cut 6B--6B of FIG. 6A. The transverse cross-section of FIG. 6A is taken along cut 6A--6A of FIG. 6B. As in embodiment 110, a first stationary housing 212a is mated to a second stationary housing 212b. A first rotor 214a rotates within housing 212a and defines, along with housing 212a, a toroidal compression chamber 206. A second rotor 214b rotates within housing 212b and defines, along with housing 212b, a toroidal expansion chamber 216. As in embodiment 110, rotors 214a and 214b are rigidly joined to each other and rotate together with respect to housings 212a and 212b. Two pistons 218a project from rotor 214a into compression chamber 206. Two pistons 218b, shown in phantom in FIG. 6A, project from rotor 214b into expansion chamber 216. The motion of rotors 214a and 214b relative to housings 212a and 212b is clockwise in FIG. 6A, so that pistons 218a lead corresponding pistons 218b by 90.degree.. As in embodiments 10 and 110, disk-shaped valves 222a and 222b rotate within housing recesses 220a in housing 212a and housing recesses 220b in housing 220b, respectively, in a direction opposite to the rotation of rotors 214a and 214b, i.e., counterclockwise in FIG. 6A. Valves 222a include valve recesses 224a that accommodate pistons 218a as pistons 218a pass valves 222a. Similarly, valves 222b include valve recesses 224b, shown in phantom in FIG. 6A, that accommodate pistons 218b as pistons 218b pass valves 222b. Because valves 222a and 222b rotate twice for each rotation of rotors 214a and 214b, valve recesses 224b are displaced by 180.degree. from the corresponding valve recesses 224a. Each valve 222a and 222b includes a central cylindrical chamber 244a and 244b, respectively, that are in communication with respective valve recesses 224a and 224b. Cylindrical chambers 244a and 244b of opposed valves 222a and 222b also are open to each other, as shown in FIG. 6B, thereby forming a combustion region 230.

The operation of engine 210 is similar to the operation of engines 10 and 110. As pistons 218a sweep through compression chamber 206 towards valves 222a, pistons 218a compress air ahead of themselves, in compression regions defined by pistons 218a and valves 222a towards which pistons 218a approach, while also drawing in more air behind themselves into compression chamber 206 via air inlet ports 236. As pistons 218a approach valves 222a, fuel is injected into the compressed air via fuel injection ports (not shown) to produce compressed fuel-air mixtures. As pistons 218a enter valve recesses 224a, these compressed fuel-air mixtures are pushed into combustion regions 230 and, if necessary, are ignited by appropriate ignition sources (not shown). After pistons 218a leave valves 222a, and while pistons 218b are approaching valves 222b, the fuel-air mixture bums in combustion regions 230 under constant-volume conditions. As pistons 218b depart from valves 222b, the hot high-pressure gases created by the combustion process leave combustion regions 230 into expansion chamber 216, specifically, into expansion regions defined by pistons 218b and valves 222b, and push pistons 218b away from valves 222b. Further injection of fuel into the expansion regions, and the ensuing continued combustion, keep the expanding gases at least initially at approximately constant pressure. As pistons 218b sweep through expansion chamber 216, pistons 218b push residual gases from previous cycles out through exhaust ports 238, of housing 212b, that are shown in phantom in FIG. 6A.

To understand the fourth embodiment of the engine of the present invention, it is useful first to consider the prior art engine described by Edwards in International Publication WO 93/21423, which is incorporated by reference for all purposes as if fully set forth herein. This prior art engine is partly illustrated in transverse cross section in FIG. 7, which shows a transverse cross section through a cylindrical housing 312 wherein rotates a rotor 314 that is rigidly attached to a coaxial drive shaft 356. Rotor 314 rotates in a clockwise direction. Lobe seals 302 of rotor 314 contact inner surface 306 of housing 312. Side face seals 304 of rotor 314 contact the inner surfaces of two side plates (not shown). Two groups 308 of ports and valve assemblies 321 are on opposite sides of housing 312. Each valve assembly 321 includes a blade valve 322 that slides radially in a blade valve housing 320 and is urged against outer surface 340 of rotor 314 by an appropriate mechanism such as a spring 342. Air enters an induction region 348 via an inlet port 336 and is compressed between rotor 314 and the upper blade valve 322 in a compression region 350. This compressed air is conducted to a separate combustion chamber (not shown) via a compression port 344, where fuel is injected into the compressed air and burned. The hot gas mixture thus formed is introduced to an expansion region 352 via a power port 346, to push on rotor 314. Spent gases from the previous cycle are ejected from an exhaust region 354 by rotor 314 via an exhaust port 338. The activity in housing 314 is synchronized with the activity in the combustion chamber by means of a mechanism including a timing gear 358.

FIG. 8 is a transverse cross-section of a first variant 310 of a fourth embodiment of an engine of the present invention. Engine 310 is modified from the prior art engine of FIG. 7, so like reference numerals in the two Figures refer to like parts. As understood herein, the portion of rotor 314 that is radially beyond side face valves 304 is considered to be a pair of pistons 318. Housing 312, and the portion of rotor 314 that is radially at side face seals 304, define between them a toroidal chamber 316. Apices 319 of pistons 318 are in sliding contact with the inner wall of housing 312. Near each apex 319, a piston recess 317 in each piston 318 includes enclosed therein a disk-shaped combustion chamber 330 that rotates within piston 318 as described below. Each combustion chamber 330 defines a combustion region 362 and an inlet/outlet port 364. Piston inlet ports 366 and piston outlet ports 368 allow communication between toroidal chamber 316 and combustion chambers 362 via inlet/outlet ports 364, as described below.

The essential difference between engine 310 and the prior art engine of FIG. 7 is that in engine 310, the combustion takes place inside pistons 318 and expansion region 352 rather than in an external combustion chamber. Consequently, engine 310 lacks compression port 344 and power port 346. Instead, engine 310 has two valve assemblies, a compression valve assembly 321a and an expansion valve assembly 321b, on the side of housing 312 opposite ports 336 and 338. Compression region 350 is to the left of these two valve assemblies, and expansion region 352 is to their right.

FIG. 9A shows the position of combustion chamber 330 relative to its respective piston 318 while piston inlet 366 faces compression region 350. Combustion chamber 330 is turned so that inlet/outlet 364 faces piston inlet 366 to admit the air compressed in compression region 350 to combustion region 362. As apex 319 approaches blade valve 322a of compression valve assembly 321a, fuel is injected into the compressed air via a fuel injection port 332. As apex 319 passes blade valve 322a, combustion chamber 330 turns to the position shown in FIG. 9B. An ignition source 334 in piston 318 adjacent to combustion region 362 ignites the compressed fuel-air mixture in combustion region 362 and inlet/outlet port 364. The fuel-air mixture continues to burn while apex 319 transits from the blade valve 322a to blade valve 322b of expansion valve assembly 321b. In fact, the reason why two valve assemblies are provided opposite ports 336 and 338 is to allow time for the initial combustion to proceed at substantially constant volume. After apex 319 passes blade valve 322b, compression chamber 330 turns to the position shown in FIG. 9C, with inlet/outlet 364 facing piston outlet 368. The hot, high-pressure combustion gases inside compression chamber 330 enter expansion region 352 and push piston 318 and rotor 314 in a clockwise direction. More fuel is injected via a fuel injection port 332' in expansion region 352, to continue the combustion and maintain the hot expanding gases at least initially at approximately constant pressure.

FIGS. 10A and 10B are transverse cross sections of a modified version 310' of variant 310. The difference between engines 310 and 310' is that instead of valves 322, 322a and 322b and valve housings 320, 320a and 320b, engine 310' has valves 372 that rotate within housing recesses 370, just as valves 22 and 22' rotate within housing recesses 20 and 20' of embodiment 10. Unlike valves 22 and 22', however, valves 372 are not circular disks. Instead, valves 372 are shaped to maintain rolling contact with outer surface 340 of rotor 314. Specifically, the axial profiles of each valve 372 includes a first arcuate portion 374 and a second arcuate portion 376. Arcuate portion 374 is shaped to maintain rolling contact with outer surface 340 along portions 378 thereof whose radial distances from the rotational axis of rotor 314 are constant, and arcuate portion 376 is shaped to maintain rolling contact with outer surface 340 along portions 380 thereof whose radial distance increases monotonically (preferably linearly) between portions 378 and apices 319, and also along apices 319. FIG. 10A shows arcuate portions 374 in contact with portions 378. FIG. 10B shows arcuate portions 376 in contact with apices 319.

Valves 372 have the advantage of simplicity, but have the disadvantage that after an apex 319 has passed the upper housing recess 370, and the corresponding compression chamber 330 turns to the position shown in FIG. 9C to release hot, high-pressure combustion gases into expansion region 352, some of these gases enter gap 382 (shown in FIG. 10B) between arcuate portion 376 and inner surface 384 of housing recess 370. This reduces the efficiency of the expansion phase. FIGS. 13A and 13B illustrate an alternative embodiment 372' of valve 372, for the upper housing recess 370 of variant 310', that counteracts this reduction in efficiency. FIG. 13A shows valve 372' and rotor 314 in the same relative position as valve 372 and rotor 314 in FIG. 10A. FIG. 13B shows valve 372' and rotor 314 in the same relative position as valve 372 and rotor 314 in FIG. 10B.

Arcuate portion 374 of valve 372' includes a curved movable member 386 that is connected to the rest of valve 372' at a pivot 388. As shown in FIG. 13B, while arcuate portion 374 faces rotor 314 and apex 319 approaches and reaches contact with valve 372', portion 378 of outer surface 340 presses movable member 386 against valve 372' so that a first leg 396 of movable member 386 maintains rolling contact with portion 378 and a second leg 398 of movable member 386 is accommodated in a slot 394 in valve 372'. As shown in FIG. 13A, while arcuate portion 376 faces rotor 314, movable member 386 moves outward, so that apex 390, where legs 396 and 398 meet, is in sliding contact with inner surface 384. As apex 319 moves clockwise past the position illustrated in FIG. 13B, withdrawing from valve 372', movable member 386 emerges from slot 394 and apex 390 remains in contact with outer surface 340. After apex 319 has passed housing recess 370, apex 390 contacts inner surface 384 and leg 398 reduces the size of gap 382.

Usually, the speed of rotation of valve 372' is sufficient to urge movable member 386 outward by centrifugal force, to keep apex 390 in proper contact with outer surface 340 or inner surface 384 as necessary. If necessary, a mechanism such as a leaf spring 392 is used to provide supplemental force to urge movable member 386 outward.

To reduce the friction of the sliding contact between valve 372 or 372' and inner surface 384 generally, and the friction of the sliding contact between apex 390 and inner surface 384 in particular, inner surface 384 is lined with a layer of a heat-resistant material with a low coefficient of friction, for example, graphite or ceramic.

FIG. 11 is a transverse cross-section of a second variant 410 of the fourth embodiment of the engine of the present invention. Within a housing 412 rotates a rotor 414 that is rigidly attached to a central drive shaft 413 that is coaxial with housing 412 and with rotor 414. Housing 412 and rotor 414 define between them a toroidal chamber 416. Two pistons 418 project from rotor 414 into chamber 416. On one side of housing 412 is a housing recess 420a that accommodates a disk-shaped valve 422a that rotates within housing recess 420a. On one side of housing recess 420a is an air inlet port 436. On the other side of housing recess 420a is an exhaust port 438. On the other side of housing 412 are two housing recesses 420b and 420c, each of which accommodates a disk-shaped valve 422b, 422c that rotates within its respective housing recess 420b, 420c. Like valves 22 and 22', valves 422a, 422b and 422c rotate within their respective housing recesses in directions opposite to the direction of rotation of rotor 414. Each valve 422a, 422b and 422c includes a valve recess 424a, 424b and 424c, respectively. The outer diameter of rotor 414 is twice the diameters of valves 422a, 422b and 422c. Valves 422a, 422b and 422c rotate twice for each rotation of rotor 414, so that the surfaces of valves 422a, 422b and 422c and of rotor 414 that are in mutual contact do not slide relative to each other. Valve recesses 424a, 424b and 424e accommodate pistons 418 as pistons 418 move past valves 422a, 422b and 422c. Valves 422a, 422b and 422c serve the same purposes as valves 322, 322a and 322b of engine 310, respectively. In particular, valve 422b and piston 418 define a compression region 426 in chamber 416 as piston 418 approaches valve 422b, and valve 422c and piston 418 define an expansion region 428 in chamber 416 as piston 418 departs from valve 422c.

Rotor 414 includes and encloses, adjacent to each piston 418, a disk-shaped combustion chamber 430 that rotates within a rotor recess 419. Each combustion chamber 430 includes a combustion region 462 and an inlet/outlet port 464. Each rotor recess includes a rotor inlet port 466 and a rotor outlet port 468 that open into chamber 416.

Engine 410 operates in the same manner as engine 310. As piston 418 approaches valve 422b, air that entered chamber 416 via air inlet port 436 is compressed in compression region 426. Compression chamber 430 turns so that inlet/outlet port 464 faces rotor inlet port 466 to admit compressed air from compression region 426 into combustion chamber 462. When piston 418 has almost reached valve 422b, fuel is injected into compression region 462 via a fuel injection port 432. As piston 418 passes valve 422b, combustion chamber 430 rotates so that inlet/outlet port 462 faces away from piston 418, as shown in FIG. 10, and an ignition source (not shown) ignites the compressed fuel-air mixture. After piston 418 has passed valve 422c, combustion chamber 430 rotates so that inlet/outlet port 464 faces rotor outlet port 468, allowing the hot, high-pressure gases in combustion region 462 to emerge into expansion region 428 and push piston 418 and rotor 414 clockwise, as piston 418 expels spent gases from the previous cycle out of chamber 416 via exhaust port 438. More fuel is injected via a fuel injection port 432 in expansion region 428 to continue combustion and maintain the expanding gases at least initially at approximately constant pressure. The rotations of rotor 414, valves 420a 420b and 420c, and combustion chambers 430 are synchronized by conventional mechanical linkages (not shown).

FIGS. 12A and 12B are generalized illustrations of the mechanisms used in the present invention for thermal stabilization and for lubricating surfaces that are in sliding contact with each other. The mechanism illustrated in FIG. 12A is substantially the same as the one taught in U.S. Pat. No. 5,797,366 and co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. Nos. 08/946,986 and 09/069,545. FIG. 12A is a cross-section of a body 500, such as valve 22 of FIG. 4 or piston 318 of FIG. 8, the surface of one side 502 whereof is in sliding contact with a surface of another body. Body 500 is made of a heat-resistant material of high thermal conductivity, such as heat-resistant steel or titanium, and encloses a channel 504 for cooling water. Side 502 is covered with an outer lining 506 of a heat-resistant, low-thermal-conductivity material such a ceramic or a zirconium alloy. Side 502 is in the form of a labyrinth seal, as taught in U.S. Pat. No. 5,797,366 and co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. Nos. 08/946,986 and 09/069,545.

FIG. 12B is a cross section of a body 510, the surface of one side 512 whereof is in sliding contact with the surface of another body. Body 510 is made of a heat-resistant material of high thermal conductivity, such as heat-resistant steel or titanium, and encloses a channel 514 for a cooling fluid. Side 512 is covered with an outer lining 516 similar to lining 506. Side 512 is fitted with blocks 518 of a heat-resistant material with a low coefficient of friction, for example, graphite or ceramic. Valve 22 of FIG. 4, which bears graphite blocks 42, is a specific instance of body 510.

While the invention has been described with respect to a limited number of embodiments, it will be appreciated that many variations, modifications and other applications of the invention may be made.

Claims

1. An engine, comprising:

(a) a housing having an inner surface;

(b) a rotor, mounted within said housing to rotate about an axis of rotation and having an outer surface including at least one portion having a constant distance from said axis of rotation and at least one portion having a variable distance from said axis of rotation; and

(c) a valve, rotatably mounted within said housing and shaped to maintain rolling contact with said outer surface as said rotor and said valve rotate within said housing, said valve including:

(i) a first arcuate portion shaped to maintain said rolling contact with said portion of said outer surface having said constant distance from said axis of rotation while said first arcuate portion faces said portion of said outer surface having said constant distance from said axis of rotation, and

(ii) a second arcuate portion shaped to maintain said rolling contact with said portion of said outer surface having said variable distance from said axis of rotation while said second arcuate portion faces said portion of said outer surface having said variable distance from said axis of rotation, said second arcuate portion including a movable member operative to maintain sliding contact with said inner surface of said housing while said second arcuate portion faces said inner surface of said housing.

2. The engine of claim 1, wherein said movable member includes an apex, said sliding contact with said inner surface of said housing being maintained at said apex.

3. The engine of claim 1, wherein said portion of said outer surface having said variable distance from said axis of rotation has a point of maximum said distance from said axis of rotation, and wherein, in each rotation of said valve, said movable member is operative to maintain contact with said portion of said outer surface having said variable distance from said axis of rotation as said point of maximum said distance from said axis of rotation departs from said second arcuate portion.

4. The engine of claim 2, wherein said contact with said portion of said outer surface having said variable distance from said axis of rotation as said point of maximum said distance from said axis of rotation departs from said second arcuate portion being maintained at said apex.

5. The engine of claim 1, wherein said inner surface of said housing includes a low-friction lining.

6. The engine of claim 1, wherein said valve includes a mechanism for urging said movable member to maintain said sliding contact with said inner surface of said housing.