Patent GB-1017381-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in and relating to rotary machines of the radially sliding vane type
IPC: F02B53/00
Filed: 1962-01-07
Abstract: 1,017,381. Rotary vane internal combustion engines. K. EICKMANN. Jan. 7, 1962, No. 24590/61. Heading F1F. A rotary vane engine, particularly an internal combustion engine, comprises a stationary pintle 78, Fig. 1 mounted on a frame having feet 8, 109 at its ends, on which is rotatably supported on bearings 13, 16 a cylindrical housing 17 fitted with end-plates 18, 19 and on bearings 14, 15 a rotor assembly comprising a compressor unit, Fig. 2, (not shown), and a power unit, Fig. 3, (not shown). The compressor unit, comprises an inner concentric rotor 30 having a plurality of radial slots 158 slidably mounting outwardly sliding vanes 131 fitted with pivoted runners 125 and an outer eccentric rotary ring 29 against which the runners 125 slide. Similarly the power unit comprises an inner concentric rotor 82 having a plurality of radial slots 158 slidably mounting outwardly sliding vanes 131 fitted with pivoted runners 125 and an outer eccentric rotary ring 87 against which the runners 125 slide. The rotor 30 with its vanes together with the rotary ring 29 are flanked by individually divided side plates 26, 27, 32, 33 supported in an axial direction by discs 238, 339 whilst the rotor 82 and its vanes together with the rotary ring 87 are flanked on one side by a side plate 83 and on the other side by a backing-plate 84. The whole rotor assembly is supported on a rotor bushing 24 co-operable with bushings 73, 242 secured to the shaft and clamped by bolts 11 between end-plates 22, 85 and an intermediate member 86. The rotary rings 29, 87 are formed on their outer peripheries with spherical surfaces co-operable with complementary surfaces formed on support rings 28, 88 axially slidable in the housing member 17 to compensate for any slight misalignment of the rotary parts and elastic stretching of the bolts 11 due to the internal pressures in the compressor and power units. A Cardan joint at the end 109 of the frame comprises a ring 113 connected by a pair of pins 110 to the frame and a pair of pins (not shown) at right angles to the pins 110 to the pintle 78 allows for any mis-alignment of the pintle with respect to the frame. Air admitted to a pintle intake passage 2 passes via a control port 72 and rotor channels filled with filler pieces 100 provided with pivotable runners 101 into working chambers 20 between the vanes. The filler pieces are urged outwardly by centrifugal force and as the rotor rotates the chambers 20 decrease in volume until the rotor channels are opposite a pintle control port 67 communicating with a combustion chamber 70 fed with fuel vapour through a fuel line 1 and its nozzle 69. A spark-plug or glow-plug filament 71 ignites the mixture which passes from the combustion chamber 70 through a pintle control port 105 into the working chambers 21 of the power unit where it expands and drives the vanes thereof to rotate the power unit rotor and hence the compressor unit rotor. Alternatively, a fuel-air mixture from a carburetter may be fed through the intake passage 2 to the compressor unit where it is compressed, and fed to the combustion chamber and ignited. If, desired, the combustion may also occur by self-ignition of the mixture at the last part of the compressor. Combustion may occur entirely in the combustion chamber 20 or within the chambers 21 of the power unit and may occur either according to constant pressure or constant volume. Spent gases are finally exhausted through a pintle control port 104 and an exhaust line 90 having an outlet 93 fitted with inserts 92. Recesses in the bushings 73, 242 opposite to the various control ports communicate with these ports to fluid balance the rotor bushing 24 and the rotor assembly with respect to the bushings 73, 242 and the pintle 78. The combustion chamber 70 is cooled by water admitted through a line 190 which vapourizes at 191 behind the place of combustion. Cooling water for cooling the rotary parts is admitted through a connection 5 in the frame and passes through various passages and channels, including channels 31 in both the compressor and power units into a coolant line 55 and out through a connection 58 to a cooler. Cooling water for cooling the pintle 78 is admitted through a pintle connection 57, passes down the length of the pintle through a line 56 and thence, e.g., through a channel 66 to cooling areas 50, 51, 48 and 49 and then joins up with the cooling water in the coolant line 55. Air in excess of any mixed with that required for combustion may also be supplied to the combustion chamber 70 to effect cooling of the combustion chamber and the compressor and power units. A pressure balancing chamber 116 closed by a cover 115 and subjected to pressure at the high pressure areas of the engine communicated through a line 61, opposes internal pressures in the compressor and power units tending to stretch the bolts 11. The compressor rotor vanes 131 are formed with extensions 123, 124 slidable in slots 148 in the inner side plates 27, 32 which communicate with the radial vane slots 158 and with outer slot chambers 159 so that the vanes are fluid-pressure balanced. Recesses 121, 130, Fig. 12, (not shown), in the vane extensions communicate respectively through channels 128, 129 with the working chambers on either side of a vane so that the vane is also pressure balanced from the pressure of the working medium i.e., air, air-fuel mixture or exhaust gases depending on whether the vane is a compressor or power-unit vane and where it is located. To vary these balancing forces during radial movement of the vanes, slides 118, Fig. 15 (not shown), secured by bolts 119 are adjusted to partially cover the recesses 121, 130. Ducts may be formed in the vane extensions 123, 124 through which cooling medium is forced. Sealing strips may be provided between the vanes and rotor or alternatively sealing may be effected by highly viscous gases or sealing liquids subjected to pressure to provide forced lubrication of any sealing gaps. The rotation of the rotors reciprocates the vanes 131 of the compressor and power units in their respective slots so that they function as pumps to suck in sealing and lubricating medium through a line 60. In the case of overpressure the medium collects in lines 35, 41 fitted with check valves and passes through a recess 46 and a discharge line 47 in the pintle 78. A hand-lever 108 on a control shaft 107 adjusts through gearing 39, 235 the bushing 73 which is made tight with the rotor bushes 24 to adjust the opening of control ports 40, 64 to adjust the amount of sealing and lubricating medium supplied to the engine. A supercharger, e.g. an impeller, may be mounted on the housing member 17 or its end plates 18, 19 to discharge into the air intake passage 2. Instead of the housing rotating, it may be stationary, it is then possible to adjust the eccentricity of the rotary rings 29, 87 with respect to the inner rotor to adjust the volumes of the working chambers 20, 21 to permit adjustment of engine torque at a given speed. Engine output may also be adjusted without varying its speed. The engine may be started by forcing air through the respective lines and additional injection of fuel or by forcing hydraulic medium into the intake passage 2 to rotate the rotor parts. In another embodiment, the end-plate 85 is made integral with or connected to an engine output shaft. The compressor or power units may be employed to operate as steam engines for marine propulsion. To reduce the weight of rotary parts and also to improve cooling further chambers may be provided in the intermediate member 86.