Patent ID: 6503072
Filing Date: 2003-01-07
Classification: F01C

Abstract:
A rotary steam engine which comprises:a stationary sleeve having an inner surface and an outer surface, opposed ends and at least one exhaust port formed in the sleeve; face plates each joined to an end of the sleeve; a power shaft rotatably received in the sleeve and extending through one of the face plates the power shaft carrying an assembly in which nests are formed, the assembly adapted to rotate in a forward direction; cylinder heads having V-shaped walls secured to the inner surfaces of the sleeve, each cylinder head located downstream of an exhaust port with reference to the direction of rotation of the assembly, the cylinder head includes a vertex and the vertex comprises means for maintaining rolling contact with an associated virtual piston for imbalanced contact forces experienced during a ramped acceleration/deceleration sequence; virtual pistons received in the nests and adapted for movement in balanced and imbalanced modes, the pistons when in the imbalanced mode in free floating engagement in the nests, the pistons having lobes the surfaces of which cooperate with the cylinder walls to define dynamic exhaust volumes and power stroke volumes; means for imparting a rearward force to the pistons when the pistons are in the imbalanced mode; means for introducing steam through the cylinder heads and into the power stroke volume in timed sequence to effect a balanced power stroke whereby the force acting on the piston is transformed to the power shaft via the assembly while the piston remains balanced.