Rotary engine combustion arrangement

• US 3,987,763 A
• Filed: 04/21/1975
• Issued: 10/26/1976
• Est. Priority Date: 04/21/1975
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: General Motors Corporation (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: General Motors Corporation (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: Klomp, Edward D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Croyle, Carlton R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Koczo, Jr., Michael
• Application Number:
  US05/570,172
• Time in Patent Office: 554 Days
• Field of Search: 123/8.01, 123/8.45, 418/614
• US Class Current: 123/203
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 2053/005 Wankel engines
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 53/04 Charge admission or combustion-gas discharge
• CPC Class Codes: F02G 3/00 Combustion-product positive-displacement engine plants
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/12 Improving ICE efficiencies

Abstract

A rotary engine is provided with a plenum that is charged with relatively high-pressure hot gaseous products from the working chambers during the gas expansion process but after rapid combustion is completed and then discharges these products into a trailing portion of the working chambers during the remainder of their expansion phase to cause mixing of the gases in the trailing portion with the other gases in the chamber.

Claims

1. A rotary combustion engine comprising housing means having an inner peripheral wall and oppositely facing side walls, a rotor rotatably mounted in said housing means between said side walls with apexes that remain adjacent said peripheral wall as said rotor rotates, said rotor and said walls cooperatively providing a plurality of chambers spaced around said rotor that expand and contract while moving with said rotor, said housing means having an intake port openable by said rotor for delivering a combustible gaseous mixture to said chambers as they expand in an intake phase prior to contracting in a compression phase, ignition means for igniting the mixture in said chambers following their compression phase to cause their expansion in an expansion phase, said housing means having an exhaust port openable by said rotor for receiving exhaust gases from said chambers as they contract in an exhaust phase, said housing means further having a plenum, and a nozzle in one of said walls openable by said rotor for providing communication between said plenum and said chambers only as they expand during their expansion phase, said nozzle being located relative to said rotor so that said communication is initiated during the gas expansion process but after rapid combustion is complete when the pressure in said plenum is relatively low whereby on establishing said communication said plenum is charged with relatively high-pressure hot gaseous products of combustion from the connected chamber until plenum and chamber pressure are equal and thereafter on continued rotor rotation and lowering chamber pressure below plenum pressure there is caused a relatively hot gaseous jet to be discharged from said nozzle into a trailing portion of the connected chamber during the remainder of the expansion phase to enhance burning of the gases in the trailing portion during the remainder of the expansion phase and into the exhaust phase.

2. A rotary combustion engine comprising housing means having an inner peripheral wall and oppositely facing side walls, a rotor rotatably mounted in said housing means between said side walls with apexes that remain adjacent said peripheral wall as said rotor rotates, said rotor and said walls cooperatively providing a plurality of chambers spaced around said rotor that expand and contract while moving with said rotor, said housing means having an intake port openable by said rotor for delivering a combustible gaseous mixture to said chambers as they expand in an intake phase prior to contracting in a compression phase, ignition means for igniting the mixture in said chambers following their compression phase to cause their expansion in an expansion phase, said housing means having an exhaust port openable by said rotor for receiving exhaust gases from said chambers as they contract in an exhaust phase, said housing means further having a plenum, and a nozzle in one of said walls openable by said rotor for providing communication between said plenum and said chambers only as they expand during their expansion phase, said nozzle being located relative to said rotor so that said communication is initiated during the gas expansion process but after rapid combustion is complete when the pressure in said plenum is relatively low whereby on establishing said communication said plenum is charged with relatively high-pressure hot gaseous products of combustion from the connected chamber until plenum and chamber pressure are equal and thereafter on continued rotor rotation and lowering chamber pressure below plenum pressure there is caused a relatively hot gaseous jet to be discharged from said nozzle into a trailing portion of the connected chamber to enhance mixing of the relatively hot gaseous products with any relatively rich unburned gases in the trailing portion during the remainder of the expansion phase and thereby enhance afterburning of the gases in the exhaust phase.

3. A rotary combustion engine comprising housing means having an inner peripheral wall and oppositely facing side walls, rotor rotatably mounted in said housing means between said side walls with apexes that remain adjacent said peripheral wall as said rotor rotates, said rotor and said walls cooperatively providing a plurality of chambers spaced around said rotor that expand and contract while moving with said rotor, said housing means having an intake port openable by said rotor for delivering a combustible gaseous mixture to said chambers as they expand in an intake phase prior to contracting in a compression phase, ignition means for igniting the mixture in said chambers following their compression phase to cause their expansion in an expansion phase, said housing means having an exhaust port openable by said rotor for receiving exhaust gases from said chambers as they contract in an exhaust phase, said housing means having a plenum behind one of said side walls, a nozzle in said one side wall openable by the opposing side of said rotor for providing communication between said plenum and said chambers only as they expand during their expansion phase, said nozzle being radially and angularly located in said one side wall and relative to said rotor so that said communication is initiated during the gas expansion process but after rapid combustion is complete when the pressure in said plenum is relatively low whereby on extablishing said communication said plenum is charged with relatively high-pressure hot gaseous products of combustion from the connected chamber until plenum and chamber pressure are equal and thereafter on continued rotor rotation and lowering chamber pressure below plenum pressure their is caused a relatively hot gaseous jet to be discharged from said nozzle into a trailing portion of the connected chamber during the remainder of the expansion phase, and said nozzle set at an angle relative to the chamber walls and direction of rotor rotation so as to direct said jet toward said peripheral wall and in the direction of rotor rotation and chamber motion.