Rotary internal combustion engine with pilot subchamber and ignition element
First Claim
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1. A rotary engine comprising:
- an outer body having a plurality of interconnected walls defining an internal cavity;
a rotor body rotatable within the internal cavity in sealing engagement with the plurality of interconnected walls of the outer body and defining at least one chamber of variable volume in the internal cavity around the rotor body;
an insert in one of the plurality of interconnected walls of the outer body, the insert having a pilot subchamber defined therein communicating with the internal cavity;
a main fuel injector having a tip in communication with the internal cavity at a location spaced apart from the insert;
a pilot fuel injector having a tip in communication with the pilot subchamber; and
an ignition element extending into an element cavity defined through the insert adjacent the pilot subchamber, a central longitudinal axis of the ignition element extending through the insert without passing through the subchamber, the element cavity being in communication with the pilot subchamber through a communication opening defined in the insert between the element cavity and the pilot subchamber, the communication opening being smaller than a portion of the ignition element received in the insert in the element cavity adjacent the communication opening to prevent the portion of the ignition element from completely passing through the communication opening.
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Abstract
A rotary engine including an insert in one of the walls of the outer body having a pilot subchamber defined therein communicating with the internal cavity of the engine. An ignition element extends in an element cavity defined through the insert adjacent the subchamber. A portion of the element is in communication with the subchamber through a communication opening defined in the insert between the element cavity and the subchamber. The communication opening has a cross-section smaller than a corresponding cross-section of the portion of the element. An outer body for a rotary engine and a method of combusting fuel in a rotary engine are also provided.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A rotary engine comprising:
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an outer body having a plurality of interconnected walls defining an internal cavity; a rotor body rotatable within the internal cavity in sealing engagement with the plurality of interconnected walls of the outer body and defining at least one chamber of variable volume in the internal cavity around the rotor body; an insert in one of the plurality of interconnected walls of the outer body, the insert having a pilot subchamber defined therein communicating with the internal cavity; a main fuel injector having a tip in communication with the internal cavity at a location spaced apart from the insert; a pilot fuel injector having a tip in communication with the pilot subchamber; and an ignition element extending into an element cavity defined through the insert adjacent the pilot subchamber, a central longitudinal axis of the ignition element extending through the insert without passing through the subchamber, the element cavity being in communication with the pilot subchamber through a communication opening defined in the insert between the element cavity and the pilot subchamber, the communication opening being smaller than a portion of the ignition element received in the insert in the element cavity adjacent the communication opening to prevent the portion of the ignition element from completely passing through the communication opening. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. An outer body for a rotary engine comprising:
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two axially spaced apart end walls; a peripheral wall extending between the end walls and defining an internal cavity therewith for receiving a rotor therein; an insert in the peripheral wall of the outer body, the insert having a subchamber defined therein in communication with the internal cavity; the outer body further having; a pilot injector hole defined therethrough in communication with the subchamber and sized to receive a pilot fuel injector, and a main fuel injector hole defined therethrough in communication with the internal cavity, spaced apart from the insert and sized to receive a main fuel injector; and an ignition element received in the insert, a central longitudinal axis of the ignition element extending through the insert without passing through the subchamber, the ignition element in communication with the subchamber through an opening sized to prevent a portion of the ignition element extending in the insert adjacent the opening from completely passing through the opening. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A method of combusting fuel in a rotary engine having a rotor rotating in a cavity, the method comprising:
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injecting a minor portion of the fuel into a subchamber defined in an insert located in a peripheral wall of the engine; activating a portion of an ignition element received in the insert, a central longitudinal axis of the ignition element extending through the insert without passing through the subchamber, the portion of the ignition element being located adjacent a communication opening defined through the insert and communicating with the subchamber, the communication opening being sized to prevent the portion of the ignition element from completely passing therethrough; exposing the portion of the ignition element to the minor portion of the fuel in the subchamber through the communication opening; igniting the minor portion of the fuel in the subchamber with the portion of the ignition element; circulating the ignited minor portion of the fuel from the subchamber to the cavity; and injecting a remaining portion of the fuel into the cavity independently of and spaced apart from the subchamber. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification