SHAFT POWER GENERATOR

Abstract: Rotary-type heat engine having the combustion chamber (3) separated from the expansion chamber (4), using the structure of pumping chamber in circumferential piston pump, so that constant-volume combustion process and constant-pressure exhaust process may be continuously performed without valves. Heat is added by combustion of fuel injected into the compressed air of fixed volume confined by rotating small piston like rotor (SPR, 1), heating the fluid to super pressure (SP) and temperature, after which the SP gases flow into expansion chamber (4) and make large piston like rotor (LPR, 2) rotate, expanding to atmosphere. Herein the SP gases are always supplied into expansion chamber (4) just after the gases already entered, fully expanded, are isolated by rotating LPR (2) in order not to mix with the SP gases, so the pressure of exhaust gases transferred to outlet (9) by rotating LPR (2) can come to atmosphere to perform the constant-pressure rejection of heat.

Description: SHAFT POWER GENERATOR TECHNICAL FIELD This invention relates to a rotary-type heat engine for the generation of shaft power. In detail, this invention relates to compression process, combustion process and expansion process that belong to basic principle in the heat engine. In this invention, these processes are performed in each independent working chamber, differently from Reciproc- ating Piston Engine. The expansion system of this invention can also separate from the compression system, so this invention can be applied to not only Diesel Engine System or Gasoline Engine System but also Gas Turbine System or Steam Turbine System. BACKGROUND ART A Diesel Engine has the advantage of high thermal efficiency due to operating at high temperature, but it has also some disadvantages of heavy weight, reciprocating unbalance, too much energy loss exhausted to atmosphere, etc. In Reciprocating Piston Engine and Wankel Rotary Engine, there are available pressure gases, not fully expanded in their working chamber(cylinder) at the end of expansion stroke, and then these pressure gases are exhausted to atmosphere at next exhaust stroke. A Gas Turbine has the advantages of low weight, no reciprocating unbalance, continuous power generation, etc., but because of operating at comparatively low temperature, it has also the disadvantage of low thermal efficiency. The following is a brief description of Circumfer- ential Piston Pump, a kind of rotary pump, related to this invention. The pistonlike rotor elements, supported from cylindr¬ ical hubs inset into the pump end plate, travel in circular paths in mating body bores. The rotors do not mesh or touch, and fluid seals exist only between rotor and stator surfaces, and not between rotors. It is characteristic of circumferential piston pump that the rotors do not mesh with, or contact, each other. This is distinguished from lobe, gear, and screw pumps. The radial surfaces and axial-end surfaces of the rotor-piston elements run in clearance contact with body wall. And load-bearing contact may exist in these zones. Each rotor in Circumferential Piston Pump feels the full pumping torque alternatively. This Pump operates at high compression efficiency under low compression ratio, and yet it has low compression efficiency under the higher compression ratio than "1:2", because high pressure gases compressed by one rotor backflow instantaneously into the pumping chamber of the other rotor which just starts" compressing low pressure gases, so the kinetic energy related to backflowing of gases increases the entropy of gases. DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION The object of this invention is to provide Rotary- Type Heat Engine having the advantages; high thermal efficiency, no crank, no valve, no reciprocating unbalance, simple and fewer components. This object is achieved by the device according to the invention having the characterizing features set forth in accompanying claims. The basic structure for the device in accordance with this invention, consisting of 2-stage working chambers, is the same structure as two Circumferential Piston Pumps (one is small and the other is large) are combined closely in series, that is, one pump consists of 2-stage pumping chambers with two pairs of Circumferential Pistonlike Rotors. Herein the device related to this invention is characterized in that one of two working chambers combined closely in series is small size and the other is large size. And the details are as follows. Each working chamber having a pair of circumferen¬ tial pistonlike rotors is connected to each other by a comparatively small gas-passageway. The pistonlike rotors, supported from cylindrical hubs, travel in circular paths in mating body bores. And there is certain phase-angle of a small pistonlike rotor to a large one, and all the piston¬ like rotors in the working chambers rotate at the same rotation speed by timing gears. This invention like a 2-stage Circumferential Piston Pump has the function of compression and expansion generally required in Heat Engine as follows. In case of Compressor, the port of Large Working Cham¬ ber is inlet, and the port of Small Working Chamber is outlet of working fluid(air). Now suppose that the pressure of air flowed into inlet is atmospheric pressure. Then air is transferred into Large Working Chamber by rotating Large Pistonlike Rotor(LPR) and is compressed by rotating LPR to the pressure which is determined by the size .of large and small working chambers. After completing the compression by one LPR, Small Pistonlike Rotor(SPR) isolates the compressed air from Large Working Chamber and prevents the compressed air from backflowing toward Large Working Chamber in which the other LPR starts compressing the atmospheric pressure air newly entered. And then SPR transfers the compressed air to the outlet. This processing repeats periodically so that compressed air can be obtained continuously. On the other hand, if the phase-angle of SPR to LPR is wrongly set, SPR cannot isolate the compressed air from Large Working Chamber. Therefore, the compressed air back- flows into Large Working Chamber in which LPR starts comp¬ ressing atmospheric pressure air. Thus the kinetic energy of air related to backflowing is finally changed to heat energy, so that the air entropy increases, and then this entropy-increase causes a rapid decline in the compression efficiency. In case of Shaft Power Generator, inlet is the port of Small Working Chamber, and outlet is the port of Large Working Chamber. And Small Working Chamber is equipped with Fuel Injection Nozzles as that of Diesel Engine(or Spark Plug as that of Gasoline Engine) , which are symmetrically located at the outside wall. Now suppose that the air of high pressure/temperature (approx. 3 MPa, 570°C) flows into the inlet of Small Working Chamber. (When atm. air is adiabatically compressed under the compression ratio "1:10" and efficiency 85%, the pressure and the temperature of air at outlet of compressor are approx. 3 MPa and 570°C.) Then the air is continuously transferred toward Large Working Chamber by rotating SPRs. By the way, the fuel is alternatively injected into Small Working Chamber as if in Diesel Engine the fuel is injected into the cylinder at the end of the compression stroke in an atomized form. And then the injected fuel is immediately ignited/burned in Small Working Chamber. Thus, the super pressure/temperature gases are generated in Small Working Chamber by the combustion of fuel injected. Next, the superpressure gases flow alternatively into Large Working Chamber via Gas-Passageway. And then, the superpressure gases make LPR rotate, expanding adiabatic¬ ally to atmospheric pressure in Large Working Chamber. In detail, after the gases in Large Working Chamber expand fully and are automatically isolated from Gas-Pass- ageway by rotating LPR completed the generation of shaft power, the new superpressure gases are timely supplied into Large Working Chamber and expand there again. And the gases which are already supplied and expand fully are transferred to outlet by rotating LPR, that is, the exhaust process of gases is performed without valves. Therefore, the shaft power corresponding to the diffe¬ rence of enthalpies between the superpressure gases and the exhaust gases is continuously generated from the alternative expansion of gases by one LPR and the other LPR. On the other hand, if the phase-angle of SPR to LPR is wrongly set, the superpressure gases flow untimely into Large Working Chamber in which the previously entered gases are expanding. And then, the superpressure gases are mixed with the gases already entered. Next, these gases having available pressure, not yet expanded in Large Working Chamber, are exhausted, so that explosion noises instead of shaft power are generated by the available pressure exhausted. Briefly, when two circumferential piston pumps - one is a small pump and the other is a large one - are combined closely in series and the pistonlike rotors are rotated at the same rotation speed, and when there is certain phase-angle of a small rotor to a large one so that high pressure gases, for example in case of shaft power generator, can be timely supplied from the small working chamber to the large working chamber just after the gases in large working chamber finish expansion process and begin exhaust process, without any valves and cranks the device of this invention using the structure of the circumferential piston pump which is only a rotary pump can successfully accomplish the compression process, the combustion process, the expansion process and the exhaust process required in an internal combustion engine. This invention can also achieve these processes simultaneously not by making up 2-stage with a small working chamber and a large one but by consisting of 3-stage with compression working chamber(medium size), combustion working chamber(small size) and expansion working chamber(large size) . It is needless to say that three pairs of pistonlike rotors should rotate at same rotation speed. In this case, the air flowed into Compression Working Chamber is adiabatically compressed by rotating Medium Pistonlike Rotor and is automatically moved into Combustion Working Chamber as previous description on the compression process. Next, the superpressure gases are generated in Combustion Working Chamber by combustion of the injected fuel and are automatically and timely supplied into Expansion Working Chamber. And then this superpressure gases expand in Expansion Working Chamber as previous description on the combustion process and the expansion process. Thus shaft power is generated, and then the gases fully expanded in Expansion Working Chamber are exhausted to atmosphere. These processes abovementioned are performed continuously by three pairs (total 6) of Pistonlike Rotors rotating at the same rotation speed. In this invention, since Compression Chamber, Combustion Chamber and Expansion Chamber are respectively separated differently from Reciprocating Piston Engine, Combustion Process can be performed under the constant-vol¬ ume, while Exhaust Process can be done under the constant- pressure, in other words, heat is added by combustion of fuel in the compressed air of Constant-Volume in Combustion Working Chamber isolated from Expansion Working Chamber by SPRs, and Exhaust Pressure can come to atmospheric pressure by designing optimum size of each working chamber so that the rejection heat can be minimized, namely, the Exhaust Process of Constant-Pressure Rejection of Heat can be achieved. Therefore, the theoretical thermal efficiency for this invention may be higher than that for Carnot Cycle because of Combustion Process in Constant-Volume Addition of Heat and Exhaust Process in Constant-Pressure Rejection of Heat. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS Figure 1 is a schematic section of the embodiment of a device according to this invention. Figure 2 is the typical details of Pistonlike Rotor according to Figure 1. Figure 3 is a typical detail of Cylindrical Hub according to Figure 1. Figure 4 is a diagram of Brayton Cycle on temperature and entropy plane. Figure 5 is a diagram of Diesel Cycle on temperature and entropy plane. Figure 6 is a diagram of the Invention Cycle on temperature and entropy plane. Figure 7 is a diagram of Invention Cycle, Brayton Cycle, Otto Cycle and Diesel Cycle which are plotted on the same temperature-entropy plane in order to compare their thermal efficiency. Figure 8 is a flow diagram for power generation plant devised imaginatively in order to easily explain the generation process of shaft power by this invention. Symbols and Legend used in this drawings; 1 Small Pistonlike Rotor 2 Large Pistonlike Rotor 3 Small Working Chamber 4 Large Working Chamber 5 Cylindrical Hub of Small Rotor 6 Cylindrical Hub of Large Rotor 7 Inlet in case of Shaf Power Generator or Outlet in case of Compressor 8 Gas-Passageway 9 Outlet in case of Shaft Power Generator or Inlet in case of Compressor 10-17 ... Cooling Passageways 18 Fuel Injection Nozzle or Spark Plug 19 Pressure Monitoring Nozzle A Centrifugal Compressor B Invention Compressor C Ignition Burner D Invention Shaft Power Generator operating at high pressure E Heater F Invention Shaft Power Generator operating at low pressure G Electrical Power Generator H Condenser I Condensate Pump J Deaerator K Heater Feed Pump L Fuel Injection Pump M Ignition Rotary Pump N Fuel Storage Tank BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Fig 8 is a flow diagram for power generation plant devised imaginatively in order to easily explain the generation process of shaft power by this invention named Compressor(B) , Shaft Power Generator (SPG(D) ) with Fuel Injection Nozzle(18) and another Shaft Power Generator (SPG(F)) without Fuel Injection Nozzle. The drawing of 3-stage invention is not illustrated because the function of this is partially shown in Fig 1 and 8. (Suppose that Compressor(B) is directly connected with SPG(D).) Fig 1 illustrates the typical structure of 2-stage to show the basic structure of this invention. Pistonlike Rotors(l,2), supported from the Cylindrical Hubs (5,6), travel in circular paths in mating body bores. The Pistonlike Rotors neither mesh with, nor contact with each other, and run in close-clearance contact with body walls. These Rotors have Cooling Water Passageways (10-17) illustrated in Fig 2 in order to run at high temperature. All the rotors rotate at the same rotation speed by timing gears (not shown). The following explains the process of shaft power generation for this invention. After atmospheric air is firstly compressed by Centrifugal Compressor (A) , the compressed air is secondarily reco pressed to approx. 3 MPa by Invention Compressor(B) illustrated in Fig 8. Now suppose that the total compression efficiency of Centrifugal Comp(A) and Invention Comp(B) is 85% and that the total compression ratio is "1:10". And so the temperature of compressed air at the outlet of Comp(B) comes to approx. 570 °C. The compression process of Comb(B) is as follows; The air flowed into Large Compression Chamber(4) is adiabatically compressed by rotating Large Pistonlike Rotors (LPR(2) ) , and then the air is timely moved to Outlet(7) by rotating Small Pistonlike Rotors (SPR(1) ) which prevent the compressed air from backflowing into Large Compression Chamber. Next, this high pressure air flows from Outlet(7)- of Comp(B) into Small Combustion Chamber(3) of Shaft Power Gen- erator(SPG(D) ) via Ignition Burner(C) and then is transfer¬ red to Large Expansion Chamber(4) by rotating SPRs of SPG(D). By the way, fuel which is pumped by Fuel Injection Pump(L) at superpressure injects alternatively and timely into Small Combustion Chamber(3) in an atomized form by means of Fuel Injection Nozzle(18), so that the fuel can be immediately ignited/burned in Small Combustion Chamber like the combustion process of Diesel Engine. And so the combustion gases having superpressure is obtained from Small Working Chamber. When SPG(D) starts operation. Ignition Rotary Pump(M) is operated to supply the fuel to Ignition Burner(C) which has the function to make the temperature of air transferred from Comp(B) to SPG(D) rise to the higher temperature so that the fuel injected into Small Combustion Chamber(3) may be easily ignited. (Maybe these Rotary Pump(M) and Burner(C) will not be required in this system.) The superpressure gases generated in Small Combustion Chamber are timely supplied to Large Expansion Chamber (4) of SPG(D) by rotating SPR(l) just after completing the expansion of gases already supplied. And then the gases expand adiabatically to atmospheric pressure in Large Expansion Chamber. Next, the expanded gases are exhausted to Outlet(9) of SPG(D), and the superpressure gases in Small Combustion Chamber are supplied into Large Expansion Chamber via Gas-Passageway(8) again. As result of this, the shaft power equivalent to the difference of enthalpies between the superpressure gases and the exhaust gases is generated from the shafts of pistonlike rotors. The description of these processes related to the cycle of thermodynamics is given as follows. Fig. 4, 5 and 6 illustrated are the diagrams of ideal cycles related to Simple Gas-Turbine, Diesel Engine and this invention in order to show that the thermal efficiency of this invention is higher than that of any other engine. In ideal cycle of this invention, air at point l(atm.) is compressed isentropically to point 2 (the outlet of Comp(B) in Fig 8). And heat is then added by combustion of injected fuel in compressed air in Small Working Chamber, heating fluid to point 3 at Constant Volume, after which it expands isentropically from 3 to point 4 in Large Expansion Chamber(4) of SPG(D). Exhaust from the outlet of SPG(D) to atmosphere is represented by the line of point 4 to 1, the constant-pressure rejection of heat. In this cycle, part of the shaft power produced by SPG(D) from 3 to 4 is used to supply the power of compress- ors(A,B), the remainder constituting the Net Power Output. Fig 7 is to prove that the thermal efficiency of this invention cycle is thermodynamically superior to that of any other cycle of Heat Engine. Now suppose that Compression Ratio and Supplied Heat related to this Invention Cycle, Brayton Cycle, Otto Cycle and Diesel Cycle are constant. Then, their cycles illustr¬ ated in Fig 7 on the same plane of temperature-entropy are as follows; -Invention Cycle Line 1-2-3-4-1 -Brayton Cycle Line 1-2-3'-4*-l -Otto Cycle Line l-2-3-4"-l -Diesel Cycle Line 1-2-3'-4*-1 In the Fig 7, Supplied Heat related to every cycle is represented by the area 62356 or 623 '5 '6 being equal to each other, but the Exhausted Heat is represented by different area as follows; -Invention Cycle Area 61456 (Min.) -Brayton Cycle Area 614*5' 6 -Otto Cycle Area 614"56 -Diesel Cycle Area 614*5 '6 (Max.) Thus, in every cycle Net Power Output is the difference between the heat supplied and the heat removed during the cycle, also represented by the area as follows;' -Invention Cycle Area 12341 (Max.) -Brayton Cycle Area 123'4*1 -Otto .Cycle Area 1234"1 -Diesel Cycle Area 123'4' 1 (Min.) The Thermal Efficiency of a cycle is defined as the heat equivalent of the work done divided by the total heat supplied. Therefore, the thermal efficiency of this Invention Cycle is the highest among the said four(4) cycles, and that of Diesel Cycle is lowest among them. In general, the Heat Engine has a good thermal effic¬ iency when it operates at high temperature. Thus, in actual heat engine, the thermal efficiency of Diesel Engine is rather higher than that of Gasoline Engine or Gas Turbine because the Diesel Engine is operated at high compression ratio, that is, it operated at high pressure and temperature. In this invention, there are some cooling passageways (10-17) in Pistonlike Rotors as shown in Fig 2. Thus, Compressor (B) and SPG(D), for example, can be readily cooled by cooling water which is circulated through the Cooling Passageways (10-17) by means of Heater Feed Pump(K) as symbolically shown in Fig 8, so that the devices of this invention can be operated at high temperature like Gasoline Engine or Diesel Engine. On the other hand, this invention SPG(D) is operated with good efficiency when pressure of exhaust gases comes to atmospheric pressure. The following description shows that the pressure of gases exhausted from SPG(D) can always maintain atmospheric pressure without regard to the change of load in SPG(D). The pressure of exhaust gases in SPG(D) is detected by Pressure Monitoring Nozzle(19) shown in Fig 1. This monit¬ ored exhaust pressure is transformed into electrical signal according to the difference from atmospheric pressure. And this electrical signal controls the rotation speed of Centrifugal Compressor(A) ; if exhaust pressure is higher than atmospheric pressure, the rotation speed of Compressor(A) becomes slow. Reversely, if exhaust pressure is lower than atmospheric pressure, the rotation speed of Compressor(A) is fast. And then, as the change of the rotation speed of compressor(A) . brings about the change of compression ratio, the air pressure flowed into SPG(D) is changed and also Exhaust Gases Pressure is changed in proportion to the compression ratio. In Fig 8 the dashed line linked from Pressure Monitoring Nozzle(19) of SPG(D) to Compressor(A) is Electrical Signal Line to control the rotation speed of Compressor(A) . Therefore, Exhaust Pressure in this invention, SPG(D) always keeps atmospheric pressure, so that not only SPG(D) may have a good thermal efficiency but also Exhaust Sound, which makes at the outlet of SPG(D) as Diesel Engine, may be disappear. Also this invention can be used for shaft power gener- ator of regeneration system as shown in Fig 8. In this case this invention SPG(F) does not require the Fuel Injection Nozzle(18) equipped in Small Working Chamber. This structure is the same structure as that of SPG(D) is illustrated in Fig 1. The function of this SPG(F) is similar to that of Steam Turbine. But the process of SPG(F) to produce shaft power from a high pressure steam is different from that of Steam Turbine as follows. Briefly, in case of Steam Turbine, the energy of the high pressure steam is transformed into kinetic energy by means of expansion through nozzles, and the kinetic energy of the resulting jet is in turn converted into shaft power. But in this invention SPG(F), the energy of the high pressure steam is directly converted into shaft power by means of adiabatic expansion in Large Working Chamber without transformation into kinetic energy influenced in entropy increase of steam. The following description shows that the heat exhausted from SPG(D) is transformed into shaft power by means of this invention SPG(F). The heat exhausted from SPG(D) produces pressure steam by heat exchange of Heater(E), Heat-Pipe-Type Heat exchanger. Small quantity of this steam is transferred to Deaerator(J) in order to balance the temperature in Deaerator(J) , but most of it is supplied to SPG(F). High pressure steam flowed into Small Working Chamber (3) of SPG(F) is moved alternatively into Large Working Chamber(4) by two Small Pistonlike Rotors(l), and then this pressure steam expands adiabatically in the Large Working Chamber and is exhausted to 0utlet(9) of SPG(F). Next, pressure steam is supplied again from Small Working Chamber into Large Working Chamber just after completing Expansion Process of the gases already entered and starting Exhaust Process in Large Working Chamber. These processes are continuously performed, and the shaft power for the difference of enthalpies of steam between inlet and outlet of SPG(F) is generated continuously. The pressure of steam exhausted from SPG(F) becomes lower than atmospheric pressure. Probably it is lower than the pressure of last stage of turbine in Steam Turbine System. The next processes from condenser(H) to Deaerator(J) are the same processes as that in Steam Turbine System. Next, little of the condensate pumped by Heater Feed Pump(K) is transferred to Compressor(B) for cooling of Compressor(B) and SPG(D), and the rest, most of it is fed to Heater(E) again. And these processes are continuously performed. This regeneration system is not indispensable to the present invention. It is only a regeneration system to show that this invention has the same function as Steam Turbine.

Claims: CLAIMS 1. A device, producing compressed gases from shaft power or generating shaft power from high pressure gases, consisting of 2-stage working chambers having two pairs of rotors, which is the same structure as two Circumferential Piston Pumps are combined closely in series, characterized in that one of two working chambers is small size and the other is large size, and in that four rotors having cooling passageways (10-17) are all rotated at the same rotation speed, then the compression process or expansion process is continuously performed without valves. 2. A device according to the claim 1 characterized by consisting of 3-stage working chambers combined closely in series; one of them is medium size(compression chamber), another is small size(combustion chamber) and the other is large size(expansion chamber), and the combustion chamber has two Fuel Injection Nozzle(18) or Spark Plug located at the outside body wall symmetrically, and all the rotors are rotated at the same rotation speed, so that Constant-Volume Combustion Process and Constant-Pressure Exhaust Process can be continuously performed without valves. 3. A device according to claim 1 or 2 characterized by consisting of multistage working chambers so that compression ratio or expansion ratio can be increased.

Inventors: YANG KI WAH, YANG, KI, WAH
Applicants: YANG KI WAH, YANG, KI, WAH
Application year: 1986
Main classification: F01C11
IPC codes: F01C1, F01C11, F02B1, F02B53