Patent ID: 7117839

Claim:
A multi-stage modular rotary vane-type internal combustion engine comprising: a compressor unit inspiring air intake, charging and compressing fresh air; a combustor unit receiving the compressed air from the compressor unit for scavenge and compression; and having a means for injecting fuel and igniting the highly compressed air resulting in the combustor rotor to be driven by the expansion of the combusted gases; an afterburner unit, receiving the combusted gasses and scavenged air from the combustor unit, and having glow plugs for further burning and expulsion of the lean exhaust gases; wherein each unit of the compressor, and combustor, and the afterburner further comprise: a housing with side-walls having hemispherical concentric grooves, vanes extending radially, said vanes are slidable and movable, and are outfitted with half-round knobs on opposite sides of the top surface and are aligned within the housing periphery; a cylindrical rotor, mounted in an eccentric position within the housing and supported by the housing's interior carrying walls, having a plurality of radial slots with half rounded or flat end walls; wherein said radially extending, slidable and movable vanes are inserted; wherein the housing's hemispherical concentric grooves capture and guide the half-round knobs of said vanes while riding on the inside curvature of the housing, to prevent the vanes from bending under the gas pressure; to maintain said vanes in a straight position within their respective slots, and to eliminate friction forces; wherein side surfaces of said radially extending, slidable and movable vanes contact interior side-walls of the housing and a top surface of said radially extending, slidable and movable vanes is in permanent contact with the surface of the interior peripheral wall of the housing; wherein a shaft of said each cylindrical rotor is provided with splines at both ends to connect to the rotor of the compressor, combustor and afterburner, and is provided with a hollow core to allow oil flow for cooling and lubrication.