Patent GB-960103-A (GB)
Title: Improvements relating to rotary internal combustion engines
IPC: F02B53/00
Filed: 1960-07-22
Abstract: 960,103. Gas turbine plant; rotary I.C. engines. N. M. NEALE. Oct. 23, 1961 [July 22, 1960], No. 25642/60. Headings F1F and F1G. A rotary I.C. engine comprises a rotor including a part-annular portion which runs in a fixed annular channel co-axial with the rotor, a compression chamber provided with an outlet into the channel for expanding gas from fuel combustion at the chamber to exert a thrust against the trailing end of the partannular portion to rotate the rotor and provide mechanical power, a fixed exhaust port spaced from the compression chamber in the direction of rotor rotation, and a further rotor portion formed to compress fuel into the compression chamber through an inlet thereof, the chamber outlet being arranged to be covered by the part-annular portion during such compression. Gaseous fuel, for example petrol-air mixture, is fed through an arcuate inlet 47, Fig. 1, in a fixed back end cover plate 46, to a channel 41 in an inner fixed wall 35. An outer fixed wall 36 is provided. A cavity 40 in an inner portion 39 of a rotor 32 collects fuel on passing the channel 41. A blade 42 urged by a spring 43 into continuous contact with the periphery of the rotor portion 39 causes the gases in the cavity 40 to be compressed into a chamber 37. The angle of the blade 42 is such that the pressure of the gas helps the sealing action. An outer portion of the rotor 32 comprises a part-annular portion 33 and a group of vanes 34. The compressed gases within the chamber 37 are ignited by a spark plug 51, when a projection 50 in a groove in the rotor touches a spring contact 48 (see Fig. 2) projecting through the end plate 46. The resulting expanding gases operate on the trailing end of the portion 33 and the vanes 34 in turn. The gases are kept confined between the vanes by the back end cover plate 46 and a corresponding front end plate (not shown) until they are exhausted through a port 36<SP>1</SP>. An alternative embodiment provides two compression chambers, spaced 180 degrees apart and each having its own inlet, exhaust, sealing blade and vanes, and both working simultaneously. In another embodiment, Fig. 5, a sealing vane 56,mounted to slide between the front and back end walls, is caused to reciprocate in the compression chamber 57 by the periphery of the portion 39 and the inner periphery of the portion 33 of the rotor. In the position shown, the gas is being compressed into the compression chamber 57, a by-pass 60 and a depression 61 being provided to prevent premature combustion due to excessive compression. When the trailing edge 54 of the portion 33 has passed the vane 56, the latter has moved to its radially outer position and abuts the inner surface of the outer fixed wall 36. The compressed gases thereby pass into the space between the fixed walls 35, 36, the trailing edge 54 and the vane 56, and are ignited when spark plug 62 is cleared by the trailing edge 54 and provide a thrust on the latter. Combustion gases remaining in the space between edges 54, 55 after exhaust can be released through small bleed holes (not shown). The sliding vane 54 may be replaced by a pivoted vane. A further modification is provided with two separate sealing blades of the type shown in Figs. 1 and 2, one such blade positioned before the compression chamber and operating between the walls 35, 36 and the other operating as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The gaseous fuel may be introduced into the compression chamber from a side of the rotor. An outward extension of the inner part of a stationary plate such as 46, may house a set of vanes to act as a centrifugal supercharger, the casing of which extends to cover the channel 41. The supercharger may be driven through variable gearing which may be used to assist starting.