Stratified charge rotary engine with dual fuel injection

• US 3,894,518 A
• Filed: 12/12/1973
• Issued: 07/15/1975
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/1973
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Rotary Power International, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Michael T. Gavrun, Robert E. Mount
• Inventors: Gavrun, Michael T., Mount, Robert E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Husar, C. J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sessions, O. T.
• Application Number:
  US05/424,056
• Time in Patent Office: 580 Days
• Field of Search: 123/8.13,8.09,8.45,32ST,32JT,32G,32F,8.11
• US Class Current: 123/206
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 2053/005 Wankel engines
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 2075/125 Direct injection in the combustion chamber for spark ignition engines, i.e. not in pre-combustion chamber
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 53/00 Internal-combustion aspects of rotary-piston or oscillating-piston engines internal-combustion aspects of rotary pistons or outer members for co-operation therewith F02B55/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/12 Improving ICE efficiencies

Abstract

A rotary combustion engine designed for operation as a stratified charge engine and having two fuel nozzles for discharging fuel into each engine working chamber, the fuel discharging from one of the nozzles being ignited as it discharges into an engine working chamber and the combustion flame produced by this ignition functioning as a pilot flame to ignite the fuel discharging from the other nozzle.

Claims

1. The method of operating a rotary combustion engine of the type having an outer body and with an internal cavity having a multi-lobe peripheral surface and an inner body mounted within said outer body cavity for relative rotation therein and having a plurality of apex portions having sealing cooperation with said multi-lobe surface to form a plurality of working chambers between said inner and outer bodies, the volume of said chambers increasing and decreasing in response to relative rotation Of said inner and outer bodies, said method of operation comprising the steps:

a. supplying air successively into said working chamber so that the air is introduced into each chamber as said chamber is expanding;

b. compressing said air in response to a subsequent decrease in volume of said chamber;

c. discharging fuel from a first fuel nozzle into each working chamber after the air therein has at least been partially compressed;

d. igniting the fuel discharge from said first nozzle adjacent to its point of discharge into said chamber;

e. discharging additional fuel from a second fuel nozzle into each working chamber also after the air therein has at least been partially compressed, at least a portion of the fuel from said second nozzle discharging into generally the same region in each working chamber as the fuel discharged from the first nozzle so that the burning of the fuel discharge from the first nozzle is promptly effective to cause ignition of the fuel discharging from the second nozzle;

f. expanding the resulting combustion gases in said chamber as the volume of said chamber subsequently increases; and

g. thereafter exhausting said combustion gases from said chamber.

2. The method recited in claim 1 in which the air supply through said intake passage is characterized by being unthrottled and in which the power output of the engine is controlled by varying the quantity of fuel discharging into each working chamber from the second fuel nozzle.

3. A rotary combustion engine comprising:

a. an outer body having an internal cavity, the peripheral surface of which has a multi-lobe profile, said outer body also having an air-intake passage and a combustion gas exhaust passage;

b. an inner body of generally polygonal profile mounted for relative rotation within said inner body, the apex portions of said inner body having sealing cooperation with said peripheral surface to define a plurality of working chambers which vary in volume in response to said relative rotation;

c. a first fuel nozzle mounted on said outer body for discharging fuel into each working chamber after the air charge therein has been substantially compressed;

d. an igniter mounted on said outer body adjacent to said first fuel injection nozzle for igniting fuel discharging from first nozzle; and

e. a second fuel injection nozzle also mounted on said outer body for discharging additional fuel into each working chamber also after the air charge therein has been substantially compressed, said second nozzle being arranged to discharge at least a portion of its fuel into each working chamber in generally the same region as the fuel discharge from the first nozzle so that the burning of the fuel discharged from the first nozzle is effective promptly to cause ignition of the fuel discharging from the second nozzle.

4. A rotary combustion engine as claimed in claim 3 and including means for varying the quantity of fuel discharged by said second nozzle into each working chamber so as to vary the engine power output.

5. A rotary combustion engine as claimed in claim 4 and in which said intake passage is characterized by the absence of any air throttle valve.

6. A rotary combustion engine as claimed in claim 4 in which said first fuel nozzle discharges through a recess in the inner surface of the outer body and said igniter has its electrodes disposed in said recess adjacent to the discharge end of the first nozzle and in which the second fuel nozzle is disposed downstream of the first fuel nozzle relative to the direction of rotor rotation.

7. A rotary combustion engine as claimed in claim 4 and in which the quantity of fuel discharged by said first fuel nozzle into each working chamber remains substantially constant independent of the power output of the engine.

8. A rotary combustion engine as claimed in claim 4 and in which said second fuel nozzle has a plurality of discharge orifices to provide a showerhead-type of spray patteRn for discharging fuel in various directions into each working chamber and said first fuel nozzle has a single discharge orifice.