ROTARY APPARATUS

Abstract: A rotary-piston, positive displacement machine operable as a compressor or combustion engine. The machine comprises a cylindrical enclosing jacket (12); a rotor (11) with apexes (15, 16) which sealingly engage the cylindrical inner wall of the jacket defining a space (13) which is divided by vanes (17, 18) which are movably mounted on the jacket to seal against the jacket and slidingly seal against the rotor. The vanes may be pivotably, slidably or rotatably mounted on the wall of the jacket.

Description: "ROTARY APPARATUS" FIELD OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to rotary apparatus for operation as either a compressor or a motor. BACKGROUND ART Many forms of rotary apparatus are known which perform as either motors or compressors. One common form of this type of apparatus employs a rotating body within an enclosing jacket to define a working space between the parts which is segmented by generally, radially disposed vanes mounted slidably within the rotating body and extending therefrom to contact the inner wall of the enclosing jacket. Generally, the rotary body is provided on an axis which is eccentrically located within the enclosing jacket and/or the enclosing jacket is non- circularly chambered so as to create segmented working spaces between the rotary body and the enclosing jacket with continuously varying volumes as the rotary body is spun. The continuously varying volumes, when appropriately ported, may be employed to compress a fluid or to obtain work from a compressed fluid supplied thereto. OUTLINE OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a rotaty apparatus which provides an advantageous alternative to the now known forms of rotary apparatus performing duty as compressors and motors. More specific objects and advantages of the present invention will hereinafter become apparent. The present invention achieves its objects by provision of a rotaty apparatus which comprises a rotor within an enclosing jacket defining a space therebetween, which space is subdivided by two or more divider means spanning the space between rotor and jacket, characterised in that said divider means are mounted to said jacket and slidably and sealably engage with said rotor to provide a plurality of working spaces therebetween, the rotor and said jacket being shaped so as to produce a continuously varied change in volume of said working spaces. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING In order that the invention may be more readily understood and put into practical effect, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings which illustrate a preferred embodiment thereof and wherein:- Figure 1 is a sectional view transverse to the axis of a rotary apparatus according to the present invention; Figure 2 illustrates an alternate form of a rotary apparatus according to the invention; Figure 3 illustrates a further form of a rotary apparatus according to the invention; Figure 4 illustrates a particular form of chamber defining flap to be used in a rotary apparatus according to the present invention; Figure 5 illustrates an alternate form of a chamber defining flap; and Figure 6 is a transverse sectional view along the axis of a motor according to the invention. METHOD OF PERFORMANCE In Figure 1, a rotor 11 is rotatably mounted on an axis which is concentric with the axis of a cylindrical enclosing jacket 12. " The space between rotor 11 and jacket 12 defines a working space which is divided by radially oriented, slidably mounted vanes 17 to 19. The rotor 11 is non-circular with two apexes 15 and 17 sealably engaged with the inner wall of " jacket 11 and rotatable thereabout. As will become clear below, more than two apexes may be provided to the rotor and the number of vanes which may be usefully employed can be varied from two and more. Both rotor 11 and jacket 12 possess a constant cross-section, and vanes 17 to 19 may comprise rectangular plates having appropriately designed sealing ends in contact with the rotor. The vanes slide in radial grooves in jacket 12 such as groove 27 holding vane 18. The vanes may be biassed against rotor 11 to slide in contact therewith over its surface. Biassing of the vanes might be by action of resilient means such as springs. When operating as a motor, temperatures may become a problem to affect the spring constant adversely. Response times of springs might also place upper constraints on rotational speeds attained. Biassing might be achieved by pressurising the space in groove 27 behind vane 18 with pressurised fluid as is further described below. The space in groove 27 is then provided with an appropriate inlet such as 28. The rotor 11 is shown with two apexes 15 and 16 having smooth ramp surfaces 23 and 24 leading thereto opposed to stepped edges 25 and 26. The vanes ride over these surfaces and the spaces between the vanes and apexes provide the working volumes. When operating as a motor, the rotary apparatus of Figure 1 is adapted with exhaust ports such as 29 provided closely adjacent the vanes. The rotor 11 is hollow and shaft 14 is hollow and provided with an axial inlet for input of pressurised fuel and oxidant. The hollow rotor and shaft serve as a combustion chamber and the two ports may be interconnected via appropriate ports therebetween. Rotor 11 is adapted with ports that may be elongated, slot-like openings positioned along stepped faces 25 and 26 of the rotors. Pressurised combustion gases are enabled to escape therethrough to pressurise the space between step 25 and 26 and their adjacent vane. This provides a torque on the rotor causing it to spin. As apexes move beneath vanes after passing exhaust ports, the space behind the vane is vented out the exhaust port whilst a new space is developed. Torque provided will be dependent upon combustion, rotor diameters and rotor length. Operation is expected to be continuously variable as regards speed with good low speed torque. - ! g REΛ OMPI Gearing should not be necessary in many uses of the motor. In the sense of the drawing, the rotor 11 rotates anti¬ clockwise. Engine jacket 12 will be sealed with end plates having bearings provided to support the rotor 11. One end may be sealed with the other end providing for the fuel inlet. Combustion is continuous and a compressor is employed to feed the combustion chamber. When operating as a compressor, rotor 11 can be adapted with ports provided at apexes, at 21 and 22, with fluid inlets (not shown) instead of exhaust ports. The fluid inlets are placed adjacent the vanes on the opposite side to the exhaust ports of Figure 1. Rotation of rotor 11 to pass an apex past an inlet creates an expanding volume into which fluid is drawn to be ultimately compressed between the forward edge of the following apex and the next vane. In rotor 11 in Figure 1, valved outlets 22 may be provided to feed pressurised fluid into the rotor cavity. Alternately, an exhaust port with a valve outlet might be provided adjacent each vane, opposite the inlet ports, for feeding out compressed fluid. Rotor 11 may then be solid and its mounting simplified. In the rotary apparatus of Figure 2, rotor 12 is modified with apexes 15 and 16 having sloped following faces 31 and 32 instead of the more steep steps of Figure 1. In Figure 1, the vanes are required to react quickly if a seal is to be maintained with the rotor as the vane edge passes over the apex. As rotor speed picks up, vanes will be left behind as a time lag develops between passage over the apex and engagement with the rotor surface behind the step. Sealing between adjacent working spaces will be momentarily broken and increasingly so as speed picks up to eventually provide a limitation against greater speeds. Figure 3 takes the above development to its limit with an elliptical rotor 11 having apexes 15 and 16. In either of operation as a motor or a compressor, porting and valving is as described above. Additionally, Figure 3 illustrates a means of biassing vanes with vane 34 having a broader section 36 sliding in groove 35 to provide a piston against which pressurised fluids may operate to maintain sealing engagement with a hydraulic advantage. A similar result can be effected with a compressor operating according to the present invention. It is possible to replace the sliding vanes of the above described embodiments with rotating flaps and Figure 4 shows one such flap. Flap 40 is provided with a working surface extending from the enclosing jacket into engagement at edge 43 with the rotating body. To enable the rotation, rod form pivot 42 might be provided with ends to engage in pivot blocks within end plates at opposed ends of the enclosing jacket. As the apexes approach, flaps 40 fold up into a recess in the enclosing jacket wall against the pressure of fluid in the working space to fold back down over the step. Figure 5 shows an alternate form of rotating flap to that of Figure 4. Flap 50 comprises flap surfaces 51 to 54 on pivots 55 and 56. The flap rotates within a circular recess in the enclosing jacket wall, sealably contacted thereagainst as against the rotating body. The flap in engagement with the rotor is rotated upwardly, as previously described, against the pressure of the working fluid. During that action the following flap is folded down and with careful design, it will fold down over the apex to enable high speed rotors with the. stepped apexes of Figure 1. The time lag in response of sliding vanes is no longer a problem. In Figure 6 rotor 11, within enclosing jacket 12, is a hollow body on a tubular shaft 65 having openings 66 into the main rotor cavity. Hollow shaft 65 is provided with a suitable end housing providing both bearing surfaces for the rotor as well as fuel inlets. Enclosing jacket 12 is provided with end plate 60 carrying bearing housing 61 with end cap 63. Rotor 11 is sealed to end plate 60 by a seal 68. Bearing housing 61 is provided with a bearing 62 in which shaft 65 rotates. A seal 69 may be provided therebetween. Inlet 64 to cap 63 may be provided with suitable fuel inlet nozzles. Combustion might be initiated by a suitable means (not shown) and combustion gases generated within the rotor body pass, as described above, into the working chambers between rotor, jacket and vanes or flaps. In Figure 6 a bronze type bearing lubricated by a light oil and compressed fluids might be sealed at 69 with a cast iron type seal. Seals to rotor edges, flap or vane edges, can be formed using standard materials with allowances for expansion and wear in known manners. The rotary apparatus might be constructed using a variety of techniques and materials, cast metals, ceramics, etc. In compressors, bearing surfaces might be PTFE type material. In a practical engine, a motor and compressor might be joined end to end with the compressor operative to input fuel and oxidizer to the motor and the motor providing the power to drive the compressor. In achieving this, the two ports can be mounted together on a common shaft. A range of fuel types might be employed, petrol, hydrogen, oils, coal dust, etc. While the above has been given by way of illustrative example, many modifications and variations as would be apparent to persons skilled in the art may be made thereto without departing from the broad scope and ambit of the invention as herein set forth and claimed in the following claims.

Claims: CLAIMS 1. A rotary apparatus comprising a rotor (11) within an enclosing jacket (12) defining a space therebetween (13) , which space is subdivided by two or more divider means (17, 18, 19) spanning the space between rotor (11) and jacket (12) , characterised in that such divider means (17, 18, 19) are mounted to said jacket (12) and slidably and sealably engage with said rotor (11) to provide a plurality of working spaces therebetween, the rotor (11) and said jacket (12) being shaped so as to produce a continuously varied change in volume of said working spaces. 2. A rotary apparatus as claimed in Claim 1 wherein said rotor (11) is so shaped as to provide apexes (15, 16) which sealably engage with an inner cylindrical surface of said jacket (12) to slide thereabout as said rotor rotates to define varying working volumes between the apexes (15, 16) and said divider means (17, 18, 19). 3. A rotary apparatus as claimed in Claim 2 wherein said rotor (11) is hollow to provide a combustion chamber and is provided with outlets therefrom to feed combustion gases into the varying working volumes. 4. A rotary apparatus as claimed in Claim 3 wherein each apex (15, 16) of said rotor (11) is provided with axially elongated outlets parallel to and closely adjacent the apex on its trailing surface. 5. A rotary apparatus as claimed in Claim 4 wherein each said apex (15, 16) is stepped (25, 26) generally radially steeply inwardly of said rotor (11) to an inward low point from which the rotor surface curves arcuately outwardly to the next following apex. 6. A rotary apparatus as claimed in Claim 5 wherein said stepped surface (31, 32) slopes from said apex to said inward low point at an angle to the radius of said rotor (11) . 7. A rotary apparatus as claimed in Claim 4 wherein said rotor comprises two apexes (15, 16) and is symmetric %. in the form of an ellipse. 8. A rotary apparatus as claimed in Claim 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 or 7 wherein said rotor (11) is mounted to a tubular shaft (65) extending from the ends thereof to provide bearing surfaces for rotatably supporting the rotor between end plates (60) closing off opposed ends of said enclosing jacket. 9. A rotary apparatus as claimed in Claim 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 or 7 wherein said divider means (17, 18, 19) are plate shaped rectangular vanes slidably movable radially across the working volume to sealably engage at an inner edge with said rotor (11) . 10. A rotary apparatus as claimed in Claim 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 or 7 wherein said divider means (17, 18, 19) are plate shaped rectangular flaps (40) pivotably mounted at one edge to said jacket (12) and sealably engaged at an opposite edge with the surface of said rotor (11) . 11. A rotary apparatus as claimed in claim 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 or 7 wherein each said divider means (17, 18, 19) is a rotatable means comprising a plurality of plate shaped rectangular flaps (51, 52, 53, 54) mounted at an edge to a common support (55, 56) at equally spaced angular dispositions to be rotated by engagement with the rotor (11) to bring successive flaps into sealing engagement with said rotor. 12. A rotary apparatus as claimed in Claim 2 wherein a valved outlet port is provided in the enclosing jacket adjacent each divider means (17, 18, 19) on the upstream side thereof in the sense of rotation of the rotor and an inlet port is provided adjacent the divider means on the downstream side thereof. 13. A rotary apparatus as claimed in Claim 2 wherein said rotor (11) is hollow and is provided with valved inlets (21, 22) thereto in the rotor wall adjacent each apex (15, 16) on that side of each apex which is ahead thereof in the sense of its rotation and an inlet is provided in the jacket adjacent each divider means on the downstream side thereof in the sense of the rotation of said rotor. 14. A rotary apparatus as claimed in Claim 12 or 13 wherein said divider means (17, 18, 19) are plate shaped rectangular vanes slidably movable radially across the working volume to sealably engage at an inner edge with said rotor (11) . 15. A rotary apparatus as claimed in Claim 12 or 13 wherein said divider means (17,18, 19) are plate shaped rectangular flaps (40) pivotably mounted at one edge to said jacket (12) and sealably engaged at an opposite edge with the surface of said rotor (11) . 16. A rotary apparatus as claimed in Claim 12 or 13 wherein each said divider means (17, 18, 19) is a rotatable means comprising a plurality of plate shaped rectangular flaps (51, 52, 53, 54) mounted at an edge to a common support (55, 56) at equally spaced angular dispositions to be rotated by engagement with the rotor (11) to bring successive flaps into sealing engagement with said rotor. 17. A rotary apparatus as claimed in Claim 3, 4, 5, 6 or 7 wherein said combustion chamber is fed fuel and oxidiser by a compressor driven by the rotor. 18. A rotary apparatus as claimed in Claim 3, 4, 5, 6 or 7 wherein said combustion chamber is fed fuel and oxidiser by a compressor in accordance with Claim 12, 13, 14, 15 or 16, the rotor of each port being on a common shaft.

Inventors: SABLATURA BOB, SABLATURA, BOB
Applicants: SABLATURA BOB, SABLATURA, BOB
Application year: 1984
Main classification: F01C1
IPC codes: F01C1, F02B53, F04C18