Abstract: A thermal design and method of operation of a rotary internal combustion engine having at least one housing, a rotor rotating within the housing, and a mechanism for combusting mixture of fuel air and steam supplied into the housing to drive the rotor, in which the temperature of the inner walls of the combustion region which are in contact with combusting gases attains 700° C., and in which the temperature of the combusting gases does not exceeds 1800° C. The thermal design includes: lining of the surface of the combustion zone with heat resistive materials such as a refractory metal; the use of material with low heat conductivity such as iron for the construction of the body of the engine in order to minimize heat loses by heat transfer to ambient; and the effective cooling of the body of the engine with boiling heat transfer by water which is circulated in cooling channels passing throughout the engines structure.

Abstract: A rotary machine includes a rotor and a disk-shaped valve that contra-rotate within a cylindrical housing while in non-slipping contact with each other. The rotor includes one or more pistons. In one embodiment of the rotary machine, the valve includes a recess that is shaped epitrochoidally to accommodate the pistons as the pistons pass the valve. Each piston includes a seal that is in sliding contact with the surface of a lining of the recess as the piston passes the valve and that is otherwise in sliding contact with the surface of an inner lining of the housing. The linings and the seal are coated with a polishing composition, so that the seal and the lining are continuously polished as the machine operates. In another embodiment of the rotary machine, the rotor and the valve are shaped to be in constant mutual rolling contact.

Abstract: A rotary engine with one or more toroidal chambers defined by rotors that rotate within cylindrical housings. Pistons project into the chambers from the rotors. The pistons cooperate with valves to define compression regions and expansion regions in the chambers. The rotors, the pistons, the valves, or a combination thereof define or include combustion regions of constant volume wherein a fuel-air mixture compressed in the compression regions burns and then is ejected to the expansion regions. Fuel is injected into both the compression regions and the expansion regions, so that the engine operates according to the Trinkler cycle. In a first embodiment of the engine, the valves are rotary and include recesses that accommodate the pistons as the pistons pass the valves. As a piston transits from a compression region to an expansion region via a valve, the space in the valve recess not occupied by the piston is the combustion region.

Abstract: A rotary engine with one or more toroidal chambers defined by rotors that rotate within cylindrical housings. Pistons project into the chambers from the rotors. The pistons cooperate with valves to define compression regions and expansion regions in the chambers. The rotors, the pistons, the valves, or a combination thereof define or include combustion regions of constant volume wherein a fuel-air mixture compressed in the compression regions burns and then is ejected to the expansion regions. Fuel is injected into both the compression regions and the expansion regions. In a first embodiment of the engine, the valves are rotary and include recesses that accommodate the pistons as the pistons pass the valves. As a piston transits from a compression region to an expansion region via a valve, the space in the valve recess not occupied by the piston is the combustion region.

Abstract: A high-power, fluid-cooled magnetron. Hollow anode members surrounding a central cathode are provided with a trapezoidal cross section. The anterior and lateral surfaces of each anode member are covered with a thermally insulating layer, which in turn is covered with a refractory metal shield. When plasma electrodes strike and heat the anode members, heat is conducted uniformly into the interior of the anode members and dissipated by natural convection of a cooling fluid that circulates through the anode members.

Abstract: A boiler in which water is heated by passing through a furnace has a plurality of pipes for carrying water through the furnace. Each pipe is formed from high-carbon steel and is provided with a non-magnetic, electrically conductive inner lining. The lining, which is preferably electrically grounded, may be formed for example from copper metal, copper-filled organosilicon or copper-filled fluoroplastic material. In an alternative, or supplementary, implementation of the invention, the water circulation system of the boiler is provided with a plurality of magnetized granules. The granules, which preferably have a density of between about 0.5.times.10.sup.3 and about 1.0.times.10.sup.3 kg m.sup.-3, are carried through the boiler pipes by the water flow and help to reduce corrosion and scale deposition within the pipes.

Abstract: A gas discharge tube for regulating the flow of high power direct current, and a method for its use. The tube is provided with pairs of secondary electrodes flanking the current path from the anode to the cathode, and with solenoids for generating a magnetic field perpendicular to the current path from the anode to the cathode and also perpendicular to a transverse direction defined by the secondary electrode pairs. This magnetic field diverts part or all of the primary current, flowing from the cathode to the anode, to the secondary electrodes.

Abstract: An internal combustion engine comprises a toroidal combustion chamber housing within which slides at least one piston. The combustion chamber housing has a circumferential longitudinal slot sealed by a ring seal to which the pistons are rigidly attached. A mechanism is provided for reversibly creating one or more transverse seals within the combustion chamber housing. The space between the transverse seals constitutes one or more combustion chambers. The simplest embodiment of the engine has one combustion chamber and one piston. The combustion chamber is operationally divided by the piston into two regions. The space between the transverse seal and a trailing surface of the piston defines a combustion region. The space between the transverse seal and a leading surface of the piston defines an exhaust region. In each power cycle of the engine, compressed air, fuel and steam are injected into the combustion region and ignited.