Patent Publication Number: US-9890639-B2

Title: Rotary machine

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Many different kinds of rotary engines and compressors are known. It has long been the goal to replace reciprocating compressors and engines with rotary machines, however certainly in the case of engines, very few have become successful and widely used today. 
     In the field of rotary engines, the design which has had most development and use is the well-known Wankel engine. However this suffers from a number of problems, one of which is wear issues with the internal rotor seals, and another is that it is not a true rotary machine, in that there are still eccentrically moving parts which generally requires there to be two counterbalanced rotors, or use made of rotating counterweights. Furthermore, the location of the tip seals on the inner rotor means that these cannot be replaced without stripping the entire engine down. 
     It is possible to use a Wankel design and to spin both the inner rotor and the outer casing axially, thus having no eccentric components, as in the very first version, the DKM engine. However with this design the sealing points are on the inner rotor, which means that the sliding surface containing the inlet and exhaust ports must be in the shell or casing. This means that the ports and ducts which the sealing points sweep past to control the fluid transfer must be located in the shell. It is difficult to make the sealing arrangements necessary to get the gases from the ducts on the rotating shell to the outside of the engine. 
     Various designs of rotary engines and compressors have been disclosed, which have two rotors spinning on offset parallel axes. Examples of these are GB764719, DE2916858, FR1124310 and DE3209807. Taking first GB764719, this design discloses ducts to transfer fluid to and from the working chambers, with the ducts located within a shaft of the machine. However the ducts extend from the working chambers through the rotor, and then into the substantially stationary shaft, which requires a sealing arrangement between these two components. In this arrangement the control of the fluid to and from the working chambers is by means of the rotor rotating about this shaft, meaning that this machine requires seals both to create the working chambers (the spaces between the inner and outer rotors) and seals to control the flow of fluid to/from the working chambers. In addition, the ports and ducts in the inner rotor are bidirectional which can slow the fluid progress, and they are also permanently connected to the working chambers thus increasing the effective chamber volume and reducing the possible compression ration of the machine. The other documents mentioned here, DE2916858, FR1124310 and DE3209807, are all similar with regards to the transfer of fluid to the working chambers. 
     Cooley proposed an engine (U.S. Pat. No. 724,994) very similar to the invention here, using two axially spinning rotors. In his design the inlet and outlet routes were via sliding seals between the shell and the casing which would make this design problematic and prone to leakage. 
     Many other rotary engine designs disclose methods of getting the gases into and out of the working chambers, however most have relatively complex ducts containing several moving parts, which causes problems with sealing and heat transfer from hot exhaust gases. 
     It is the aim of this invention to overcome some of the problems that previously known rotary machines suffer from, that is the difficulty of getting the gases or working fluids into and out of the working chambers from the outside of the machine, the balancing and mechanical problems of eccentric and reciprocating components, seal replacement, insulation of hot gases from component parts and these other designs&#39; general overall complexity. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention concerns a rotary machine designed to be used as an engine or a compressor. More specifically, it concerns a machine where the sliding sealing points are located in the outer casing or shell, and the surface which the sealing points slide against forms part of the central rotor, causing the fluid to be transferred via one or more ports on the inner rotor. Thus the control of the fluid to and from the working chambers located between the rotor and the shell is by means of these sealing points moving across the ports, and at least one of these ports is connected to a duct in the rotor and rotor shaft which duct is made continuous and unitary with the port and is extended to the outside of the machine. In this way the duct is unidirectional, meaning that the duct is always either transferring fluid into the working chambers, or out of the working chambers, depending on the direction of rotation of the machine. 
     A principal advantage of this arrangement is that the fluid can be transferred between the port and the outside of the machine via a simple duct in the rotor and shaft without the complication of additional control measures, seals or additional moving parts. This enables both the rotor and shell to spin axially so making a true rotary machine. In instances when this machine is used with hot gases, for instance as an internal combustion engine, the simple rotary nature of the rotor shaft, and the duct it encompasses, around a stationary axis, means that sealing to a further duct or pipe is easy to achieve with a concentric rotary seal, and in addition it is easy to insulate the duct against heat transfer into engine components. 
     Another advantage is that the sealing points can be accessed from outside the machine enabling easy replacement and opening up the possibility of using cheaper or faster wearing materials. 
     It may be seen that there are several advantages in providing the fluid control means directly adjacent to the port and duct, including that the duct is unidirectional and therefore the fluid flow can be continuous in one direction rather than oscillating back and forth, and that the volume of the duct does not become part of the working chamber, which would reduce the maximum compression of the machine. 
     Thus according to the invention there is a rotary machine comprising:
         an inner rotor and an outer shell,   the rotor rotating on a first axis and the shell rotating on a second axis parallel to and offset from the first axis,   an external support structure which holds the first and second axes in alignment to each other, and wherein the said axes are substantially stationary relative to the support structure,   the shell having two or more sealing points on its inner surface which interact with the outer surface of the rotor to define two or more working chambers between the rotor and the shell,   said outer surface including a fluid transfer port,   a shaft attached to the rotor and concentric with the first axis of rotation,   the shaft containing a duct substantially parallel to the first axis of rotation, which duct is connected to a further duct in the rotor and said further duct connected to the port,   the duct and further duct together forming a continuous passageway for fluid from the port to a point where the shaft interacts with the support structure,   wherein the passageway is continuously open and substantially unobstructed and rotates about an axis which is substantially stationary relative to the support structure,   such that in use the relative rotation of the rotor to the shell causes the working chambers to change in size, and whereby the relative movement of the sealing points across the port controls the transfer of fluid between the port and the working chambers, and wherein for a given direction of rotation of the rotor the fluid is transferred unidirectionally through the passageway between the working chambers and the point where the shaft interacts with the support structure       

     The rotor preferably has an outer surface substantially parallel to the axis of rotation of the rotor, and the shell preferably has an inner surface substantially parallel to the axis of rotation of the shell 
     The outer surface of the inner rotor is preferably substantially in the form of an epitrochoid with one or more lobes, however other suitable shapes may be used for the outer surface of the rotor, providing of course that in use the sealing points of the shell maintain contact or very close proximity to the surface of the rotor. Preferably the inside surface of the shell is also substantially epitrochoidal in shape. 
     The rotor shaft may be attached to one side of the rotor, or it may extend right through the rotor from one side to the other. In another arrangement two shafts may be used, one on either side of the rotor. 
     The rotor and shell are preferably mounted in a frame, structure or casing to locate the axes of the shell and rotor accurately in relation to each other. 
     The rotor surface may typically have two lobes and the shell have three sealing points, but other arrangements are possible for instance a rotor with three lobes and a shell with four sealing points. Many other combinations are possible generally using a rotor with one less lobe than there are sealing points on the shell. 
     The rotor may comprise a second port, second duct, and second further duct wherein the second duct is preferably located in the opposite end of the shaft to the first duct so that in use fluid will enter the machine at one end of the rotor shaft and exit at the other. 
     Alternatively the rotor may have a second fluid transfer port which connects to a void within the rotor, which further connects to the outside of the machine via a duct within the shell, such that in use the fluid will enter the machine through the shell shaft and exit through the rotor shaft, or fluid will enter through the rotor shaft and exit through the shell shaft. 
     The duct in the rotor shaft may connect to a stationary duct, pipe or manifold attached to the exterior of the machine via a rotary seal. 
     The duct and further duct forming the passageway may be made to be unitary, that is to be of one piece and not composed of separately moving parts. 
     The shell preferably includes an internal gear wheel, which meshes with an outer gear wheel attached to the rotor so as to keep these two parts moving in correct relationship with each other and therefore minimising internal wear of the sealing points and surfaces. 
     The sealing points may be comprised movable strips, which may conveniently be accessed from the outside of the shell, enabling their easy replacement. 
     With a design using a two lobed rotor, there are preferably provided one inlet port and one outlet port at suitable locations on the rotor to enable the machine to operate as a four stroke internal combustion engine, or alternatively a similar two lobed design may be used as a pump or compressor by providing two inlet ports and two outlet ports at suitable locations on the rotor. 
     When the machine is being used as an engine, spark plugs may be provided around the periphery of the shell. There may be provided means to add fuel to and regulate the air flow into the engine, e.g. an injection system or carburettor which may conveniently be attached to the frame holding the rotor and shell, and the outlet fluid transfer port and ducts may be connected to an exhaust system. 
     When in use as an engine the exhaust gases preferably exit the machine via the passageway in the rotor shaft. The inside surface the passageway may be provided with thermal insulation to prevent the hot exhaust gases from heating the rotor and/or shaft excessively. The unitary nature of the passageway facilitates the provision of this insulation. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  shows a cross section of components of an engine perpendicular to the axes of rotation 
         FIG. 2  shows the engine components as in  FIG. 1 , after an anticlockwise rotation of the rotor of 90 degrees 
         FIG. 3  shows a cross section of the engine in  FIG. 2  in line with the axes of rotation 
         FIG. 4  shows a modification of the sealing points 
         FIG. 5  shows a compressor with four ports 
         FIG. 6  shows an engine comprising a rotor with four lobes and a shell with five sealing points 
         FIG. 7  shows a modification of a rotor shaft 
         FIG. 8  shows a modification of the cross-section in  FIG. 3 . 
         FIG. 9  shows an alternative modification of the cross-section in  FIG. 3 . 
         FIG. 10  shows a view of the shell in  FIG. 9  along the axis of rotation. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings. 
     Referring first to  FIG. 1 , this shows the main moving components  19  of a four stroke internal combustion engine according to the invention, for ease of viewing shown without the structure which holds these components in place. In this engine an inner rotor  1  rotates around an axis  2  within an outer shell  3  which rotates around an axis  4  offset from axis  2 , the direction of rotation being by the arrows  2   r  and  3   r . The rotor in this embodiment has two lobes  40  and the shell has three sealing points  5 . The sealing points are comprised moveable sealing strips  6  with spring arrangements  7  and retaining plates  8 . Both the shell  3  and the rotor  1  rotate in the same direction at different speeds in the ratio 2:3 respectively. Due to the epitrochoidal geometry of the rotor surface and the relative speeds of the rotor and shell, the sealing points maintain a sliding gas tight seal with the rotor surface. The rotor shaft  9  is cylindrical and encompasses a duct  10  in the centre. The duct in the rotor shaft nearest the observer extends to a further duct  11  through the rotor terminating at a port  12  (inlet port) in the external surface of the rotor, this duct, further duct and port forming a passageway  17 . A duct in the shaft which is furthest from the observer (not shown) extends to a duct  13  through the rotor and terminates at the port  14  (outlet port). This second duct, second further duct and second port forms a second passageway  18 . Three working chambers A, B, C are formed by the interaction of the sealing points in the shell and the rotor surface. One skilled in the art will see that in use the rotation of the rotor and the shell causes the working chambers to vary in size, which in conjunction with the position of the inlet and outlet ports causes gas to be drawn in, compressed, combusted and expanded and then expelled as in a standard four stroke engine. In this diagram the chamber A between the rotor and the shell is in the process of expelling gas through the outlet port  14 , the direction of flow shown by the arrow, and chamber B is drawing in gas through the inlet port  12 , again the gas flow is shown by the arrow. Chamber C is at the fully compressed position for firing. The outer shell may include one or more combustion cavities  15  to hold the bulk of the compressed gas. Spark plugs  16  ignite the compressed gases at the point of maximum compression. 
       FIG. 2  shows the rotor and shell as in  FIG. 1  after the rotor has passed through 90 degrees of anticlockwise rotation, with a corresponding 60 degrees of rotation of the shell. Chamber A has decreased in volume, B has reached maximum volume and C is just starting to expand. Thus it can be seen that the rotation causes gas flow compatible with a four stroke engine cycle. 
     Note the location of the two meshing gear wheels on the shell  50  and the rotor  51 . These gears ensure that the rotor moves in the correct relationship to the shell, preventing contact between the rotor surface and the shell surface (except at the sealing points) and reducing the stress and wear to the shell, sealing points and rotor surface. 
       FIG. 3  shows a cross section in line with the axes of rotation of an engine  37  with the same relative position of rotor and shell as in  FIG. 2 , and including additional components not shown in  FIG. 2 . A support structure  20  locates the rotor  21  and the shell  22  in position by means of bearings  23 . The rotor is equipped with side seals around its periphery  24  which seal against the inside of the shell  22  (the sealing points of the shell are not shown in this diagram). A port in the rotor  28  is connected to the duct  27  in the rotor, which extends to the duct  26  in the shaft  25  and which is parallel to and concentric with the axis of rotation  43  of the shaft and the rotor. The duct  26  extends to a point  41  where the shaft interacts with the support structure via a bearing  23 , this arrangement of ducts comprising a passageway e-f for the transfer of fluid between the working chamber A and the point  41 . It may be seen that the passageway is unitary, in that it is bounded by parts joined together, and not made of parts moving relative to each other. The shaft  25  and a continuation of the duct  26  within it extend beyond the point  41  to where the shaft terminates at  42 . A rotary seal  35  seals the shaft to the support structure allowing the duct to further extend to a stationary duct  44  attached to the support structure. It may be seen that at points beyond  41  towards  42  the shaft with its integral duct is rotating on a stationary axis  43  in relation to, and is adjacent to, the support structure, which means that from point  41  onwards away from the rotor the transfer of gases to or from the engine may be easily arranged. 
     A second port  29  is connected to duct  30  in the rotor and duct  31  in the shaft  36 , this arrangement comprising a second passageway for the transfer of fluid between chamber B and the point  45  where the shaft  36  interacts with the support structure, in this case through being in close proximity to it. The shaft extends beyond point  45  and the duct is sealed against the support structure with the seal  34 . 
     Thermal insulation  38  is fitted to the shaft  36  to protect it from the hot exhaust gases. Additional insulation  39  is fitted to the duct  30  in the rotor. It may be seen that as the ducts forming the passageway g-h are unitary and move together it makes the installation of this insulation around the passageway much easier to achieve. 
     A high voltage electrical current is supplied to an electrode  32  which is in close proximity to the spark plug  33  at the point when the engine is at the position of maximum compression, thus initiating combustion. 
       FIG. 4  shows a variation of the sealing points of the embodiment in  FIG. 1 , in which the sealing points  60  are contiguous with the shell  61  and achieve the gas tight sealing by being maintained in very close proximity to the rotor  62 . 
       FIG. 5  shows a compressor which has two inlet ports  70  and two outlet ports  71 . This uses the same principal of variable size chambers as the engine in FIG.  1 , but omits the combustion/expansion cycle and instead performs two compression cycles for every 360 degree rotation of the rotor. 
       FIG. 6  shows an engine  100  comprising a shell  101  with five sealing points  102 , and a rotor  103  with four lobes  104 . In this arrangement it is necessary to have two pairs of ports  110 ,  111 . It may be seen that this arrangement creates a well-balanced rotor both mechanically and in terms of thermal expansion due to the symmetrical arrangement of the rotor. 
       FIG. 7  shows a modification to the engine shown in  FIG. 3 . The rotor shaft  80  is extended to the outside of the engine. The exhaust gases are expelled through this shaft which includes insulation  82  to protect the engine components from the heat of the gases. A silencer  81  is fitted to the shaft, and it can be seen that this rotates with the shaft. 
       FIG. 8  shows a modification to the engine shown in  FIG. 3 . The rotor  90  includes a port  91  that opens into a void  92 . A passageway for fluid extends from the port, through the void, and through a series of holes  93  into the shaft of the shell  94  which is concentric with the axis of rotation of the shell, to the point where the shell shaft interacts with the support structure  127 . The passageway further extends through a duct  95  in the support structure  96 , and is sealed by means of seals  97  and  126 . A shaft  98  supporting the rotor may be made solid in this embodiment of the invention, or may contain a duct as in previous embodiments. On the other side of the rotor  90  a second port  120  connects to a duct  121  in the rotor with thermal insulation  124 , which further extends to a duct in a second rotor shaft  99  also with thermal insulation  125 . This forms a continuous passageway m-n from the port  120  to the point  122  where the shaft interacts with the support structure, and further extends to the outlet duct  123 . The benefits of this arrangement of the passageway m-n, especially when used for the hot exhaust side of an engine, have been set out above. The inlet passageway is not continuous and unitary and therefore requires more seals to function efficiently, and is in addition more difficult to insulate, however it has the benefit of being of larger cross section than m-n and therefore transfers gases more efficiently. This passageway p-q is used here to admit cold inlet gases into the engine. 
       FIG. 9  shows a modification to the engine shown in  FIG. 3 . The engine  130  has a shell  131  which has a number of fins  132  formed in its external surface. These act as a fan when the shell rotates, drawing air through the vents  133  in the support structure, and blowing the air out through the vents  134 . The passage of air across the shell cools the shell, helped by the increased surface area which the fins provide. It can be seen that this is a benefit of rotating the shell of the engine as it removes the need for an external cooling system. Also shown is a modification to the design whereby the air exiting through vents  134  is passed through the duct  135 - 136  and into the air intake passageway of the engine  137 . One skilled in the art will appreciate that this will increase the pressure of the intake air and therefore give the engine a higher power output. 
       FIG. 10  shows a view of the shell  131  of  FIG. 9  viewed along the axis of rotation, and shows the arrangement of curved radial fins  141 . There may be provided additional fins formed in the support structure (not shown here) which may interact with the shell fins  141  to provide additional compression of the air.