Patent ID: 6412454
Filing Date: 2002-07-02
Classification: F01B,F04B

Abstract:
A rotary power unit (10), comprising:a housing (22) having an circular opening (24) and a plurality of bores (28), each extending along a radial axis from a center of said opening (24), a nodular rotor (52) mounted within the opening (24) of the housing (22) and coaxially rotatable within the opening (24); said nodular rotor (52) comprising a plurality of nodes (58) equally distributed along the bounding circle thereof, a plurality of replaceable cylinder modules (70), each fixedly receivable within a respective bore (28) within the housing (22); each cylinder module (70) comprising a piston (72) slidable within a cylinder (74), a piston actuating member (78) associated with each piston (72) having a bottom surface geometrically shaped to produce a predetermined up-stroke and down-stroke operation, and a work unit associated with a cylinder head (88) at a distal end of the cylinder (74); each piston (72) being displaceable during an up-stroke and down-stroke operation along the radial axis between a Top Dead Center (TDC) and a Bottom Dead Center (BDC), the pistons being biased into said BDC; and wherein the nodular rotor (52) is fitted at each node with a radial thrust reducing roller (60) for engagement with the bottom surface of the respective piston actuating members (78) to effect a desired operation.