WO1998001657A1

WO1998001657A1 - Rotary engine

Info

Publication number: WO1998001657A1
Application number: PCT/AU1997/000427
Authority: WO
Inventors: Bede Alfred Boyle
Original assignee: Bede Alfred Boyle
Priority date: 1996-07-08
Filing date: 1997-07-03
Publication date: 1998-01-15
Also published as: AUPO086196A0

Abstract

A Rotary Internal Combustion Engine that operates in a continuous unidirectional rotation about a fixed axis, comprising at least two diametrically opposed ball assemblies (5, 7, 6) carried by a rotor disc (3); rotating valves (4) interconnected to the rotor disc by a gear train; one of the rotating valves (4) arranged to allow for transfer of the air-fuel mixture in front of the ball (5) through a passageway (8), prior to combustion which occurs in two phases per one revolution of the rotor disc (3); a housing (1) with an entry port (11) allowing entry of air or air/fuel mixture (14) and an exit port (12) allowing exit of exhaust gases (13).

Description

Rotary Engine

The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing known to me:-

This invention relates to a rotary internal combustion engine that operates using simple and continuous unidirectional rotation about a fixed axis.

In one example of the invention described herein, two diametrically

5 opposed ball assemblies are carried by a rotating rotor disc, rotating about its axis inside a housing that contains two rotating valves which are interconnected to the rotor disc by a gear train.

In order to permit continuous rotation of the rotor disc, there must be configuration which allows for transfer of the air-fuel mixture compressed in front of the ball assembly to a combustion chamber immediately behind the same said ball assembly momentarily prior to combustion occurring. One of the rotating valves is arranged to provide this novel feature of the invention. In order to reduce friction, the valve assemblies rotate and roll in contact with the rotor disc, both surfaces are at the same speed at point of contact. The ball assemblies rotate so as to roll along the inner surface of the housing with reduced friction.

In presently known rotary internal combustion engines, the motions all follow an elliptical path obtained by use of eccentrics or internal offset gear trains. It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a rotary internal combustion engine which operates purely using continuous unidirectional rotation and has two power strokes for each revolution and hence a more even torque compared to other known prior art engines. In order that the reader may gain a better understanding of the present

SHEET Me 26 invention, hereinafter will be described a preferred embodiment thereof by way of example only, and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:-

FIG 1 is a sectional elevation of the rotary internal combustion engine through a plane common to the ball assemblies and both rotating valves in accordance with the present invention. FIG 2 is a general sectional elevation as depicted by Section in FIG 1. FIG 3 diagram of ball assembly movement to full compression air-fuel mixture transfer, combustion and expansion. FIG part view of FIG 2.

Referring to FIG 1 and FIG 2, it can be seen that one configuration of the invention comprises an outer housing 1 , 2 is a space between the outer housing and the rotor disc 3 which supports the ball assemblies 5.

The rotor disc 3 is supported on bearings 20 with a shaft extension carrying gear wheel 18 and a shaft extension for the power take-off. The two rotating valves are numbered 4, and are supported on bearings 17 and are driven by pinion gears 19 mounted on the shaft extensions and meshing with gear wheel 18. A spring assembly 6 acts on a support 7 to hold the rotating balls 5 in rolling contact with the contoured track of the outer housing 1. A passageway 8 conveys the compressed air-fuel mixture in 2 to the combustion chamber 9. 10 is a spark to initiate combustion and expansion of the gases.

The air plus fuel charge is induced into the space 2 FIG 2 as the rolling ball assembly 5 moves past entry port 11 to full compression at position 1 FIG 3, thus ensuring a continuous charge for the cycle. Due to movement of ball assembly 5, the pressure in the space 2 is reduced to below atmospheric pressure, ensuring flow through the induction system 14.

During the expansion stroke ball assembly 5 drives the expended gases ahead, expelling them through port 12 in direction 13. Both ports 11 and 12 are open, with no valving required. The desired compression ratio can be obtained by designing the volume of passageways 8 and 9 and volume ahead of ball assembly 5 prior to the opening of transfer port in rotating valve 4 position 1 FIG 3.

The labyrinth seals 22 FIG 1 and FIG 4 act as an interface, preventing the compressed combustion charge and products of combustion flowing in the opposite direction to the centrifugal force generated by the rotor disc's revolutions. The faces between the rotating rotor disc 3 and outer housing 1 and cover 15 are provided with oil lubrication by arranging leakage through bearings 20, 21 is a double lip seal to prevent ingress of contaminates and leakage of oil. The same principle is applied to valve 4 by oil leakage from bearings 17. All bearings are high speed oil lubricated.

Bearings 17 are of the hydrostatic type to support the load necessary to keep valves 4 and rotor disc 3 in rolling surface contact.

The periphery of the unit can be arranged with a suitable jacketed area for use of a suitable cooling fluid to carry away surplus heat.

The preferred form of the invention has many arrangements, for example, it can be arranged with three rotor disc assemblies spaced one hundred and twenty degrees, resulting in a continuous smooth power and torque output. Further, the first rotating disc assembly with the rotating valves modified to transfer the compressed fuel-air mixture to a second rotating disc assembly, resulting in an arrangement with continuous power output and smooth balanced running. The inventive novel engine can also be used as a pump, suitable for handling any compressible medium.

By suitable modification, the engine can be used as a hydraulic pump or motor, and/or for pumping any fluid.

Claims

The claims defining the invention are as follows :- I Claim:

1. A rotary internal combustion engine that operates purely using simple and continuous unidirectional rotation about a fixed axis.

2. A rotary engine as in Claim 1 comprising at least two diametrically opposed ball assemblies carried by a rotating rotor disc; said rotor disc rotating about its axis inside a housing that contains two rotating valves interconnected to the rotor disc by a gear train; one of the said rotating valves arranged to allow for transfer of the air-fuel mixture compressed in front of the ball assembly momentarily prior to combustion occurring; said configuration allowing for two combustion phases for each revolution of the rotor disc; said housing containing an entry port and an exit port to allow entry of air or air/fuel mixture and exit of exhaust gases.

3. A rotary engine as in Claims 1 and 2 comprising three or more rotary valves displaced around the central axis.

4. A rotary engine as in Claims 1 to 3 comprising a plurality of rotor disc assemblies arranged longitudinally along a common axis; said plurality of rotor discs being configured either as in

Claims 1 to 3 or indexed about the common axis.

5. A rotary engine as in Claims 1 to 4 where the rotating valves are configured to transfer the compressed air or air/fuel mixture to an adjacent or separate rotating disc assembly.