High Efficiency rotary piston combustion engine
First Claim
1. A rotary piston combustion engine including at least one engine module comprising:
- a drive shaft;
a fan including;
a fan housing, said drive shaft being at least partially contained within said fan housing an opening in a front portion of said fan housing permitting air to be drawn therein;
a plurality of spaced apart fan blades rotationally mounted within said fan housing; and
means for rotating said plurality of spaced apart fan blades;
a combustion chamber connected at one end to said fan housing, said drive shaft being mounted for rotationally passing through said combustion chamber;
valve means located between said fan housing and said combustion chamber, for permitting air to flow from said fan housing into said piston chamber, whenever the air pressure in said fan housing is greater than that in said combustion chamber, and for sealing off said combustion chamber from said fan housing, whenever the combustion gas pressure in said combustion chamber is greater than the air pressure in said fan housing;
a piston chamber connected at one end to another end of said combustion chamber, said piston chamber including;
a radially directed convoluted interior wall surface providing a cam track for the length of said chamber;
a plurality of equally spaced apart intake ports successively arrange around the circumference of said piston chamber; and
a plurality of equally spaced apart exhaust ports successively arranged around the circumference of said piston chamber inbetween each successive two of said plurality of intake ports, respectively;
a cylindrical piston rigidly mounted on said drive shaft within said piston chamber, said cylindrical piston including a plurality of spaced apart slots radially oriented and penetrating equally into the circumferential surface of said piston;
a plurality of spring biased vanes partially retained in respective ones of said plurality of slots of said piston, whereby as said piston rotates said vanes follow the contours of the cam track of said piston chamber, causing each of said vanes to reciprocate between extreme extended and retracted positions in rotating between successive exhaust and input ports, a vane being fully extended between successive input and output ports, and fully retracted between successive output and input ports;
a plurality of intake manifolds connected between said plurality of intake ports of said piston chamber, respectively, and said combustion chamber, for conveying combustion gases, from said combustion chamber into said piston chamber;
at least one spark plug installed in a wall of said combustion chamber;
at least one fuel injector installed in a wall of said combustion chamber;
a shaft speed sensor mounted proximate said drive shaft, for providing electrical signals indicative of the rotational speed of said drive shaft, and the distance traveled by said piston during given measurement periods; and
computerized control means for operating said engine, said computerized control means being programmed for responding to signals from said shaft speed sensor, and to a speed or torque command signal requesting a desired drive shaft RPM or torque, for operating said at least one fuel injector and spark plug to run said engine as required.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A computer controlled rotary piston engine includes a blower housing containing a rotatable impeller assembly, for pushing ambient air into the housing, and forcing the air to pass through a normally open valve mechanism into a combustion chamber. A plurality of fuel injectors are selectively operable for injecting fuel into the combustion chamber, followed by selective operation of at least one spark plug for igniting the fuel/air mixture, thereby causing the valve mechanism to close, and the combustion gases to pass through a plurality of spaced apart intake manifolds into always open intake ports of a piston chamber for rotating a vaned or bladed rotary piston therein, followed by spent combustion gases being forced out of a plurality of spaced always open exhaust ports into an exhaust manifold. The distance the piston travels during a power cycle is adjustable, and inversely proportional to the frequency of combustion or number of combustion cycles within a given period of time.
53 Citations
23 Claims
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1. A rotary piston combustion engine including at least one engine module comprising:
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a drive shaft;
a fan including;
a fan housing, said drive shaft being at least partially contained within said fan housing an opening in a front portion of said fan housing permitting air to be drawn therein;
a plurality of spaced apart fan blades rotationally mounted within said fan housing; and
means for rotating said plurality of spaced apart fan blades;
a combustion chamber connected at one end to said fan housing, said drive shaft being mounted for rotationally passing through said combustion chamber;
valve means located between said fan housing and said combustion chamber, for permitting air to flow from said fan housing into said piston chamber, whenever the air pressure in said fan housing is greater than that in said combustion chamber, and for sealing off said combustion chamber from said fan housing, whenever the combustion gas pressure in said combustion chamber is greater than the air pressure in said fan housing;
a piston chamber connected at one end to another end of said combustion chamber, said piston chamber including;
a radially directed convoluted interior wall surface providing a cam track for the length of said chamber;
a plurality of equally spaced apart intake ports successively arrange around the circumference of said piston chamber; and
a plurality of equally spaced apart exhaust ports successively arranged around the circumference of said piston chamber inbetween each successive two of said plurality of intake ports, respectively;
a cylindrical piston rigidly mounted on said drive shaft within said piston chamber, said cylindrical piston including a plurality of spaced apart slots radially oriented and penetrating equally into the circumferential surface of said piston;
a plurality of spring biased vanes partially retained in respective ones of said plurality of slots of said piston, whereby as said piston rotates said vanes follow the contours of the cam track of said piston chamber, causing each of said vanes to reciprocate between extreme extended and retracted positions in rotating between successive exhaust and input ports, a vane being fully extended between successive input and output ports, and fully retracted between successive output and input ports;
a plurality of intake manifolds connected between said plurality of intake ports of said piston chamber, respectively, and said combustion chamber, for conveying combustion gases, from said combustion chamber into said piston chamber;
at least one spark plug installed in a wall of said combustion chamber;
at least one fuel injector installed in a wall of said combustion chamber;
a shaft speed sensor mounted proximate said drive shaft, for providing electrical signals indicative of the rotational speed of said drive shaft, and the distance traveled by said piston during given measurement periods; and
computerized control means for operating said engine, said computerized control means being programmed for responding to signals from said shaft speed sensor, and to a speed or torque command signal requesting a desired drive shaft RPM or torque, for operating said at least one fuel injector and spark plug to run said engine as required. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A rotary piston engine comprising:
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a drive shaft;
a fan enclosed within a fan housing;
a plurality of engine modules ganged together on said drive shaft;
a shaft speed sensor mounted proximate said drive shaft, for providing electrical signals indicative of the rotational speed of said drive shaft;
each one of said plurality of engine modules including;
a combustion chamber connected at one end to said fan housing, said drive shaft being mounted for rotationally passing through said combustion chamber;
valve means located between said fan housing and said combustion chamber, for permitting air to flow from said fan housing into said piston chamber, whenever the air pressure in said fan housing is greater than that in said combustion chamber, and for sealing off said combustion chamber from said fan housing, whenever the combustion gas pressure in said combustion chamber is greater than the air pressure in said fan housing;
a piston chamber connected at one end to another end of said combustion chamber, said piston chamber including;
a radially directed convoluted interior wall surface providing a cam track for the length of said chamber;
a plurality of equally spaced apart intake ports successively arrange around the circumference of said piston chamber; and
a plurality of equally spaced apart exhaust ports successively arranged around the circumference of said piston chamber inbetween each successive two of said plurality of intake ports, respectively;
a cylindrical piston rigidly mounted on said drive shaft within said piston chamber, said cylindrical piston including a plurality of spaced apart slots radially oriented and penetrating equally into the circumferential surface of said piston;
a plurality of spring biased vanes partially retained in respective ones of said plurality of slots of said piston, whereby as said piston rotates said vanes follow the contours of the cam track of said piston chamber, causing each of said vanes to reciprocate between extreme extended and retracted positions in rotating between successive exhaust and input ports, a vane being fully extended between successive input and output ports, and fully retracted between successive output and input ports;
a plurality of intake manifolds connected between said plurality of intake ports of said piston chamber, respectively, and said combustion chamber, for conveying combustion gases, from said combustion chamber into said piston chamber;
at least one spark plug installed in a wall of said combustion chamber;
at least one fuel injector installed in a wall of said combustion chamber;
a shaft speed sensor mounted proximate said drive shaft, for providing electrical signals indicative of the rotational speed of said drive shaft, and the distance traveled by said piston during given measurement periods; and
computerized control means for operating said engine, said computerized control means being programmed for responding to signals from said shaft speed sensor, and to a speed or torque command signal requesting a desired drive shaft RPM or torque, for operating said at least one fuel injector and spark plug of each one of said plurality of engine modules to run said engine as required. - View Dependent Claims (23)
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Specification