Patent Publication Number: US-2002007815-A1

Title: O-ring type rotary engine

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD  
       [0001] The present invention relates to an O-ring type rotary engine and, more particularly, to a rotary engine having a rotor which operates with a circularly symmetrical rotational operation.  
       BACKGROUND ART  
       [0002] In general, internal combustion engines can be classified into either reciprocating engines or rotary engines. Reciprocating engines are known to have suction, compression, expansion and exhaust strokes by a reciprocating movement of a piston within a cylinder and can be used as a power source by changing a linear movement of the piston to a rotational movement. In currently known rotary engines, the suction, compression, expansion and exhaust strokes are effected by an eccentrically rotary operation of a rotor which is formed in a substantially triangular shape and operates within an elliptical combustion chamber. In the rotary engine, the explosion force of the fuel mixture is outputted directly as a rotational movement.  
       [0003] The reciprocating engine type has a problem that a rotational speed is limited to a speed less than a constant speed, since an inertia loss occurs when the connecting rod changes direction at a top dead center and a bottom dead center, e.g., where a piston reaches a peak and a lowest point. Further, in the expansion stroke, the maximum explosion force occurs at an initial time, but there is a problem that the explosion force is not maximized to a rotation force at the peak point of the top dead center having an inertia influence of a piston.  
       [0004] Conventional rotary engines have a known problem in that the rotor rotates eccentrically resulting in reduced rotational stability and reduced efficiency.  
       OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0005] It is, therefore, an object of the invention to provide a rotary engine capable of preventing an output loss owing to an inertia loss in a reciprocating engine and an output loss owing to an eccentrically rotary operation of a rotary engine.  
       [0006] The present rotary engine is generally composed of a rotor housing having a substantially cylindrical rotor chamber and a specific combustion chamber formed in its outside. A rotor is provided which operates within the rotor housing and rotates in a circularly symmetrical fashion.  
       [0007] In accordance with the present invention, the engine is constructed with a rotor housing having a rotor chamber formed in a cylindrical shape in the inside thereof and sealed at the opposing ends, such as by a cover at each end. At least one combustion chamber is provided which is coupled through the rotor chamber in one side thereof to provide a combustion space for a fuel mixture. A suction expansion valve is provided for opening and closing a passage directed into the combustion chamber and an intake pipe in the rotor chamber of the rotor housing. A compression exhaust valve is provided for opening and closing a passage directed into the combustion chamber and an exhaust pipe, in the rotor chamber of the rotor housing. A rotor is installed in an axial relationship within the rotor chamber of the rotor housing. The rotor includes at least one movable lug projecting therefrom. The movable lug is preferably formed on an outer circumference face of the rotor and performs suction. compression, expansion and exhaust strokes according to a cycle. At least one partitioning valve is elastically projected into the rotor chamber at a position where the combustion chamber is formed in the rotor housing. The partitioning valve is linearly in contact with an outer circumference face of the rotor and maintains a substantially airtight state. The number of partitioning valves preferably corresponds to the number of combustion chambers provided. 
     
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
     [0008] The above and other objects and features of the instant invention will become apparent from the following description of preferred embodiments taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:  
     [0009]FIG. 1 is a sectional-side view illustrating a low-speed engine embodiment in accordance with the present invention;  
     [0010]FIG. 2 is a sectional-front view illustrating a low-speed engine embodiment of the present invention;  
     [0011] FIGS.  3 A- 3 C are operational state views of a low-speed engine embodiment of the invention;  
     [0012]FIG. 4 is a sectional-side view showing a high-speed engine embodiment in accordance with the present invention;  
     [0013]FIG. 5 is a sectional-front view illustrating a high-speed engine embodiment of the invention;  
     [0014] FIGS.  6 A- 6 F are operational state diagrams of a high-speed engine embodiment of the invention;  
     [0015]FIG. 7 shows a decomposition perspective view of a suction expansion valve in one embodiment of the invention;  
     [0016]FIG. 8 presents a decomposition perspective view of a compression exhaust valve in one embodiment of the invention;  
     [0017]FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a partitioning valve in one embodiment of the invention;  
     [0018]FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram of a side view of a partitioning valve in one embodiment of the invention; and  
     [0019]FIG. 11 is a cross sectional view of a combustion chamber in one embodiment of the invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
     [0020] The present invention is described in detail in connection with exemplary embodiments thereof and by referring to the accompanying drawings.  
     [0021] Referring to FIGS. 1, 2 and  5 , a rotor housing  10  having an accommodation for a rotor  20  can be embodied in a number of columns with a common rotor shaft  22  coupled there through. One side of the rotor shaft  22  can be coupled to a fly wheel  90  which insures a rotation inertia force. The rotor  20  includes a movable lug  21  which can be provided with a sealing ring  23  for maintaining a substantially airtight engagement with an inner face of the rotor housing  10 , so as to improve the efficiency of the operational stroke of a suction, a compression, an expansion and an exhaust stroke.  
     [0022] A suction expansion valve  50  and a compression exhaust valve  60  are provided and control the fluid communication between the interior of the rotor housing  10  and the combustion chamber  40  and an exhaust pipe  80 , respectively. Preferably, the suction expansion valve  50  and the compression exhaust valve  60  are 3-way valves. In one embodiment. the suction expansion valve  50  and the compression exhaust valve  60  are constructed with a guide  51 ,  61  (See FIGS. 7, 8) formed as a pipe body having numerous air passages symmetrically formed, and a valve body  52 ,  62  which is combined with the guide  51 , 61  and can be rotatably moved through a movable connection to the rotor shaft  22 . In this construction, the valve body  52 ,  62  includes an expansion hole  52   b  or a compression hole  62   a  which couples the combustion chamber  40  and the rotor chamber  11  so as to be in fluid communication with each other. At a position where the combustion chamber  40  is not formed, the valve body  52 , 62  also has a suction hole  52   a  or an exhaust hole  62   b  which forms an angle with respect to the expansion hole  52   b  or the compression hole  62   a  and pierces through an outer circumference face in one side of the shaft line so as to be connected through each of an intake pipe  70  and an exhaust pipe  80 . Alternatively, a plate valve can be formed in a plate body, which is rotated movably centering around one shaft so that the rotor chamber  11  is connected through the combustion chamber  40  or other outer member through the intake pipe  70  and the exhaust pipe  80 .  
     [0023] The engine includes at least one partitioning valve  31  which is associated with a corresponding combustion chamber  40 . An exemplary embodiment of the partitioning valve  31  is illustrated in FIGS. 10 and 11. An upper part of the partitioning valve  31  is installed in the rotor housing  10  and is elastically supported by a rocker arm  32  which is elastically biased by a spring  33 . The lower part of the partitioning valve  31  contacts an outer circumference face of the rotor  20 . The partitioning valve  31  preferably has a flute  31  a formed in a length direction, which is provided to maintain a substantially airtight interface with the rotor  20  and also to reduce any friction force at the contact of the rotor  20 .  
     [0024] The combustion chamber  40  is illustrated in further detail in FIG. 11. In the case where gasoline is used as a fuel, which has high volatility, an ignition plug  41  for firing the fuel mixture and a fuel atomization unit, such as a fuel injection nozzle  42 , are provided in the combustion chamber  40 . A preheating heater  43  can also be provided for initial starting. A fuel atomization unit can also be placed in the intake pipe  70 , such as by using a fuel injection nozzle or a carburetor as the fuel atomization unit equipped with the intake pipe  70 .  
     [0025] In an embodiment wherein light oil, such as diesel, is used as the combustion fuel, it is also desirable that a fuel atomization unit, such as the fuel injection nozzle  42 , and the preheating heater  43  are provided within the combustion chamber  40 .  
     [0026] Referring to FIG. 5, in the case where only one combustion chamber  40  and one movable lug  21  of the rotor  20  are formed therein, it is desirable that the rotors  20  are formed in an even number of columns for the sake of an efficient operation of the engine. As illustrated in FIG. 5, a compression pipe path of one side rotor housing  10  is connected through the combustion chamber  40  of another side rotor housing  10  and a compression pipe path of another side rotor housing  10  is connected to one side rotor housing  10  in mutual intersection.  
     [0027] The operation of the invention is described in connection with FIGS.  3 A- 3 C. In the invention constructed with the rotor housing  10  having the combustion chamber  40  and with the rotor  20  accommodated into the rotor chamber  11  of the rotor housing  10  and rotated circularly therein, in a case of a low-speed engine having two or more combustion chambers  40  and over two movable lug  21  of the rotor  20 , the suction, compression, expansion and exhaust strokes are performed such that one side combustion chamber  40   a  is compressed and another side combustion chamber  40   b  is expanded. Further, one side movable lug  21   a  of the rotor  20  is movably rotated and air from the outside is sucked through one side suction expansion valve  50 , thereby its rotation operation is gained through this suction stroke. As the rotor  20  movably rotates another side movable lug  21   b  passes by the partitioning valve  31  and air drawn in through the suction-stroke by another side movable lug  21  is compressed through the compression exhaust valve  60  and supplied to the combustion chamber  40 , whereby the compression stroke is obtained. (FIG. 3B) when the movable lug  21  performing the compression stroke movably rotates by 180 degrees and passes by the partitioning valve  31 , fuel is injected into air compressed and supplied to the combustion chamber  40  and a firing explosion is done and the air is expanded through the suction expansion valve  50  and flows in the rotor chamber  11  thereby pushing the rear face of the movable lug  21  passed by the partitioning valve  31  and rotate it movably (FIG. 3C).  
     [0028] From a time point when the movable lug  21  rotated by the expansion gas passes by the partitioning valve  31  with the rotation in 180 degrees, the expansion gas is exhausted to the outside through the compression exhaust valve  70  by the movable lug  21  of an opposite side, and thereby the engine operates by performing the above procedures repeatedly.  
     [0029] FIGS.  6 A- 6 D illustrate the operation in the case where the combustion chamber  40  and the movable lug  21  of the rotor  20  are provided in one and the compression pipe paths are connected in intersection, when air flows in one side rotor chamber  11  in a state that the suction expansion valve  50  of one side rotor housing  10  sucks air, the air compressed by another side rotor  20  flows in through the compression pipe path, and at this time, the combustion chamber  40  of another side rotor chamber  11  has a state that the expansion stroke based on an explosion of a fuel mixture performed.  
     [0030] As mentioned above, when the movable lug  21  passes by the partitioning valve  31  in such a state that the suction stroke of air to one side rotor chamber  11  is completed and the compression stroke in the combustion chamber  40  is completed, the explosion stroke having an explosion of the mixture gas is performed in the combustion chamber  40  and the air rapidly flows into the rotor chamber  11  to rotate the movable lug  21 . The air flowing into an opposite side of this movable lug  21  is supplied to another side combustion chamber  40 . In this way, two rotors  20  can operate mutually orthogonally to rotate the rotor shaft  22  at a high speed.  
     [0031] In accordance with the present invention. an initially high gas pressure provided in an expansion stroke is translated directly to a rotating force. In this case, about twice the rotation force can be provided in comparison with a reciprocating engine. Also a progression speed of a work executed initially in an expansion stroke, namely, a movement speed of a rotor, is over about 2.5 times faster than that of the reciprocating engine. Accordingly, a thermal loss is minimized.  
     [0032] Furthermore, in the present engine, rotational stability is improved since the rotor performs a circular movement. Further, engine knocking is reduced since a firing and combustion timing can be selected freely, accordingly a thermal efficiency is increased by improving a compression ratio.  
     [0033] In addition, in a case of a low-speed type, there are two expansion strokes per one rotation of the rotor and a crank mechanism is omitted. Therefore, the invention has advantages in a small size and a high horsepower, and weight and volume per horsepower can be reduced to about ⅙ of the reciprocating engine. In a case of a high speed type, two cylinders connected in parallel alternatively have an expansion stroke, the size of each cylinder is small, and the crank mechanism is omitted. Accordingly, weight and volume per horsepower can be reduced to about ½ of a comparable reciprocating engine.  
     [0034] Additionally, an initial combustion starts in a high temperature state since a specific combustion chamber is provided therein. One benefit on this is that the exhaust of harmful gas such as HC, CO etc. is reduced, and an occurrence of NOx is minimized since the present structure promotes an eddy flow of compression air which flows into the inside of a cylinder after its partial combustion in a combustion chamber.  
     [0035] Although the invention has been shown and described with respect to the preferred embodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the following claims.