Rotor Has One More Lobe Than Cylinder (i.e., Wankel Type) Patents (Class 418/61.2)
  • Patent number: 11841019
    Abstract: A rotary piston compressor (1) for a system for temperature conditioning comprises a rotor (19) mounted in a housing (21), wherein the rotary piston compressor (1) is designed in such a way that the rotor (19) rotates in a first direction in a first operating state and rotates in a second direction opposite to the first direction in a second operating state, and wherein, in the first operating state, a first compressor connection (3) is designed to supply a heat transfer medium (17), and a second compressor connection (5) is designed to discharge the compressed heat transfer medium (17), and wherein, in the second operating state, the second compressor connection (5) is designed to supply the heat transfer medium (17), and the first compressor connection (3) is designed to discharge the compressed heat transfer medium (17).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2023
    Assignee: BorgWarner Inc.
    Inventor: Frank Dahinten
  • Patent number: 11566618
    Abstract: A rotary pump is presented for use in a medicament delivery device, where the pump has a back plate having an inner surface and a rotor housing is positioned adjacent to the back plate having a peripheral wall. A front plate support is connected to the back plate and a flexible front plate is positioned between the front plate support and the rotor housing. The pump is rotated using a planetary gear transmission, where an eccentric shaft is operatively connected to the planetary gear mechanism. A rotor is rotationally fixed to the eccentric shaft and movably positioned within the rotor housing. The rotor has three lobes, where each lobe has two peripheral curved surfaces sharing a common apex, where a first portion of each peripheral surface adjacent to the apex defines a non-smooth curve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2023
    Inventors: Jochen Gabriel, Herbert Bechtold
  • Patent number: 11303169
    Abstract: The present invention provides an electric pump, the electric pump comprising: a motor unit which includes a shaft, a rotor coupled to the shaft, and a stator disposed outside the rotor; a pump unit which includes a first rotor including a first lobe coupled to the motor unit and having a plurality of gear teeth, and a second rotor disposed outside the first rotor and including a second lobe; and a second cover including a second surface on which the pump unit is disposed, wherein the second surface has a second suction port and a second discharge port disposed thereon, and the second suction port provided on the second surface includes a third protrusion protruding to the inside of the second suction port. The angle formed by a first line connecting the center of the first rotor and the center of the second rotor, and a second line connecting the center of the first rotor and a distal end of the third protrusion is inversely proportional to the number of gear teeth of the first lobe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2022
    Assignee: LG INNOTEK CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Byung Sam Lee, Sang Tae Kim, Su Won Kim, Hyun Kag Park, Jong Chan Lee
  • Patent number: 11261781
    Abstract: A rotary internal combustion engine including a rotor assembly where at least a first and a second of the combustion chambers have unequal theoretical volumetric ratios. Also, a rotary internal combustion engine including first and second rotor assemblies where at least one of the combustion chambers of the first rotor assembly and at least one of the combustion chambers of the second rotor assembly have unequal effective volumetric compression ratios and/or unequal effective volumetric expansion ratios.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2022
    Assignee: PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA CORP.
    Inventors: Serge Dussault, Andre Julien, Michael Lanktree, Edwin Schulz
  • Patent number: 11149547
    Abstract: Various embodiments describe modifications to X-engines, which would utilize a dedicated chamber to implement bottoming Rankine cycle as well as additional improvements in sealing and combustion efficiency—all contributing to high efficiency. Improvements in sealing include a face seal having multiple surfaces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2021
    Assignee: LiquidPiston, Inc.
    Inventors: Alexander Shkolnik, Nikolay Shkolnik, Mark Nickerson, Daniele Littera, Alexander Kopache, Kyle Becker
  • Patent number: 11143029
    Abstract: In an exemplary embodiment, a sealing member 11 is provided between a rotating body 5 rotating while whirling within an accommodating chamber 4 partitioned by a housing and a side wall 3 of the accommodating chamber 4 and has a sliding surface S sliding on the side wall 3, and the sliding surface S includes a first lubrication mechanism 21 arranged on one side in the longitudinal direction, and a second lubrication mechanism 22 arranged on the other side in the longitudinal direction and exhibiting lubrication performance in a sliding direction different from that of the first lubrication mechanism 21, thereby improving sealing performance of the sealing member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2021
    Assignee: EAGLE INDUSTRY CO., LTD
    Inventors: Yuichiro Tokunaga, Masatoshi Itadani, Akira Yoshino
  • Patent number: 10995660
    Abstract: A rotary engine casing having at least one end wall of an internal cavity for a rotor including a seal-engaging plate sealingly engaging the peripheral wall to partially seal the internal cavity and a member mounted adjacent the seal-engaging plate outside of the internal cavity. The member and seal-engaging plate having abutting mating surfaces which cooperate to define between them at least one fluid cavity communicating with a source of liquid coolant. When the casing includes a plurality of rotor housings, the end wall may be between rotor housings. A method of manufacturing a rotary engine casing is also discussed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 4, 2021
    Assignee: PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA CORP.
    Inventors: Bruno Villeneuve, Jean-Gabriel Gauvreau
  • Patent number: 10982592
    Abstract: Each of recesses in outer circumferential surfaces of rotors includes: a leading-side area extending forward from a longitudinal center of an associated one of the outer circumferential surfaces in a rotation direction of the rotor, and a trailing-side area continuous with the leading-side area, and extending rearward from the longitudinal center in the rotation direction. From the longitudinal center of the associated one of the outer circumferential surfaces in the rotation direction, forward extension of the leading-side area is longer than rearward extension of the trailing-side area. The leading-side area has a larger volume than the trailing-side area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2021
    Assignee: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kiyotaka Tanaka, Ryo Itonaka, Shinichiro Maeda, Shingo Karikawa, Hiromi Yoshioka
  • Patent number: 10954848
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a rotary engine having a crankshaft with an improved structure, the rotary engine including a housing, a rotor, housing covers, and a crankshaft installed to penetrate through the rotor so as to receive rotational force from the rotor, wherein the crankshaft includes a first member extending in one direction and having an insertion groove recessed in one side surface thereof, a second member extending to penetrate through a center portion of the housing and provided with a protruding portion on one end thereof to be fixedly inserted into the insertion groove, and a coupling member interposed at a position where the insertion groove and the protruding portion overlap each other such that the first member and the second member are closely coupled to each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2021
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Yunhi Lee, Byeonghun Yu, Wheesung Oh, Byeongchul Lee
  • Patent number: 10871161
    Abstract: An epitrochoidal vacuum pump includes a housing having a chamber, a rotor rotatably received within the internal space of the chamber, and a drive shaft configured to rotate the rotor eccentrically about an axis within the chamber in an epitrochoidal manner. An externally toothed guide sprocket meshes with and guides movement of a guide gear of the rotor as it is driven by the drive shaft. A chamber inlet draws air under negative pressure into the housing, and an outlet is provided to expulse air under positive pressure from the housing. Further, a fluid inlet is provided to input lubricant along the drive shaft and into the internal space of the chamber. The fluid inlet is communicated by channel(s) in an interior of the housing. The lubricant is drawn into the housing via a pressure differential.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 22, 2020
    Assignee: STACKPOLE INTERNATIONAL ENGINEERED PRODUCTS, LTD.
    Inventors: Ralph Valkenberg, Luke Bouwmeester
  • Patent number: 10844720
    Abstract: A rotary machine, for directing a quantity of fluid from an inlet to an outlet, comprises one or more elliptical or near-elliptical rotors having planetary rotation within a housing. The interior cavity of the housing comprises an inverse apex region that is in contact with the rotor during its rotation. In various embodiments the rotor and housing can be symmetric or asymmetric in cross-section. Features are described that can improve the operation of the machine for various end-use applications. Such features include cut-outs that are fluidly connected to the inlet or outlet ports of the machine, mechanisms for reducing variation in output flow rate from the rotary machine, linings for the interior cavity of the housing, pressure relief mechanisms, dynamic apex seals and other sealing mechanisms.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2020
    Assignee: Rotoliptic Technologies Incorporated
    Inventor: Greg John Montie
  • Patent number: 10408214
    Abstract: Pressure changing devices and methods of making and using the same are disclosed. One pressure changing device includes an elliptic cylinder and a piston that has an external surface with a trochoid cross-section. Another pressure changing device includes a piston and a rotating cylinder that has an internal surface with a trochoid cross-section. Another pressure changing device includes two fixed axes, one for rotation of one component and another for orbiting or oscillation of the other component. The devices and methods include stacked pressure changing devices with one or more common shafts. The pressure changing device may be easier and less expensive to manufacture and repair than prior pressure changing devices of the same or similar functionality, and can provide efficient gap sealing in a high-pressure expansion part of a compression or expansion cycle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2019
    Inventor: Sten Kreuger
  • Patent number: 10344870
    Abstract: In one aspect, described is a rotor for a Wankel engine comprising two circumferentially spaced apart apex seals at each of the apex portions with each apex seal protruding axially from both end faces, and each apex seal having a first biasing member biasing the apex seal radially outwardly away from the peripheral face of the body, and a second biasing member biasing the apex seal axially outwardly away from a respective one of the end faces, the two apex seals of a same one of the apex portions being biased by the respective second biasing member in opposite axial directions from one another.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2019
    Assignee: Pratt & Whitney Canada Corp.
    Inventors: Eugene Gekht, Jean Thomassin, Sebastien Bolduc, David Gagnon-Martin
  • Patent number: 10072566
    Abstract: A rotary engine casing having at least one end wall of an internal cavity for a rotor including a seal-engaging plate sealingly engaging the peripheral wall to partially seal the internal cavity and a member mounted adjacent the seal-engaging plate outside of the internal cavity. The member and seal-engaging plate having abutting mating surfaces which cooperate to define between them at least one fluid cavity communicating with a source of liquid coolant. When the casing includes a plurality of rotor housings, the end wall may be between rotor housings. A method of manufacturing a rotary engine casing is also discussed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2018
    Assignee: PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA CORP.
    Inventors: Bruno Villeneuve, Jean-Gabriel Gauvreau
  • Patent number: 10001123
    Abstract: Pressure changing devices and methods of making and using the same are disclosed. One pressure changing device includes an elliptic cylinder and a piston that has an external surface with a trochoid cross-section. Another pressure changing device includes a piston and a rotating cylinder that has an internal surface with a trochoid cross-section. Another pressure changing device includes two fixed axes, one for rotation of one component and another for orbiting or oscillation of the other component. The devices and methods include stacked pressure changing devices with one or more common shafts. The pressure changing device may be easier and less expensive to manufacture and repair than prior pressure changing devices of the same or similar functionality, and can provide efficient gap sealing in a high pressure expansion part of a compression or expansion cycle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2018
    Inventor: Sten Kreuger
  • Patent number: 9863419
    Abstract: The present invention is a gear pump with a drive with at least one integrated cooling circuit which includes a housing mounted with a drive gear and a driven gear, a drive connected with the drive gear by a drive shaft and a means to dissipate the loss flow of the gears to a suction space of the gear pump, in which the loss flow of the working fluid is led into the integrated cooling circuit of the drive and is subsequently discharged into the suction space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2018
    Assignee: JIHOSTROJ A.S.
    Inventors: Radovan Charwot, Vladimir Rynes
  • Patent number: 9810068
    Abstract: A rotary engine includes a housing having a working cavity, a shaft, the shaft having an eccentric portion, a rotor having a first axial face, and a second axial face opposite the first axial face, the rotor disposed on the eccentric portion and within the working cavity, the rotor comprising a first cam on the first axial face, the first came having an eccentricity corresponding to the eccentricity of the eccentric portion of the shaft, and a cover integral with, or fixedly attached to, the housing, the cover comprising a plurality or rollers, each roller engaged with the cam, wherein the cam guides the rotation of the rotor as the rotor rotates within the working cavity and orbits around the shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2017
    Assignee: LiquidPiston, Inc.
    Inventors: Alexander Shkolnik, Nikolay Shkolnik
  • Patent number: 9534594
    Abstract: A rotary piston machine is disclosed. In one aspect, the machine includes a piston chamber that is defined in a housing by a first sidewall, a second sidewall and a peripheral wall interconnecting these sidewalls and a rotary piston that is rotatably arranged in the piston chamber and has a first face and a second face. The first face of the rotary piston faces an interior of the first sidewall of the piston chamber and the second face of the rotary piston faces an interior of the second sidewall of the piston chamber. at least one ventilation bore is provided in the first and/or the second sidewall of the piston chamber and connected to at least one ventilation channel, wherein the at least one ventilation bore is arranged at a location that radially lies within at least one first lateral seal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2017
    Assignee: AVL List GmbH
    Inventors: Michael Steinbauer, Andreas Krobath, Karl Knaus, Heinrich Fuerhapter
  • Patent number: 9518658
    Abstract: A rotary engine rotor (10) comprises a body (12) comprising an outer surface (18), an inner surface (22), an insert (14) and a fixing member (16). The outer surface (18) comprises three rotor sides (20) arranged in an equilateral triangle shape. The inner surface (22) comprises a location portion (24) at the midpoint of each rotor side (20), the location portions (24) together defining a location aperture (26). One location portion (24) is provided with a first fixing socket (28) extending radially from the inner surface (22) of the body (12), towards the outer surface (18) of the body (12). Cooling channels (30) are provided axially through the body (12) in the region of each apex (31). The insert (14) is provided in the location aperture (26) and comprises a bearing part (38) with a second fixing socket (40) extending radially through the insert (14) and in alignment with the first fixing socket (28).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2016
    Assignee: UAV Engines Ltd.
    Inventors: Christopher John Biddulph, Jonathan Mark Bagnell
  • Patent number: 9353623
    Abstract: A seal assembly includes first and second seal elements configured to lie adjacent to one another with a lower portion of each one disposed in a groove and an upper portion of each one projecting above the groove. The groove has a length disposed transverse to the direction of relative motion of a housing and a moving member and is located in the housing. The seal elements are further configured so that a contact surface of the upper portion of each seal element abuts the moving member and configured to allow independent movement of each seal element relative to each other in a direction transverse to the groove length. The seal elements are shaped to define a lubrication channel therebetween that is configured to allow the passage of a lubricant therein so as to lubricate motion of the seal elements relative to each other and relative to the moving member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2016
    Assignee: LiquidPiston, Inc.
    Inventors: Nikolay Shkolnik, Alexander C. Shkolnik
  • Patent number: 9322328
    Abstract: An internal cooling passage structure for rotary engine, which includes a rotary engine body, having a front frame, a mid-frame, a rear frame and a rotor, wherein the rotor has cooling passages beneath the rotor triangular apexes, and both front and rear frames respectively have corresponding openings; a rotor, rotating in the mid-frame, having the core cooling passages in full or partial connection with the openings in both front and rear frames in the engine operation; and a guide vane along the opening edge, wherein external air is guided into the rotor core cooling passages by the guide vane which avoids generating heat vortices and helps to increase the cooling air so as to lower the temperature on the rotor and its assemblies.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2016
    Assignee: CHUNG-SHAN INSTITUTE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, ARMAMENTS BUREAU, M.N.D
    Inventors: Ming-Chun Hsieh, Dun-Zen Jeng, Chih-Chuan Lee, Ting-Hua Chieh
  • Patent number: 9027345
    Abstract: A compound engine system comprising a rotary engine having a volumetric compression ratio lower than its volumetric expansion ratio, and a recess defined in the peripheral wall of the rotor in each of the chambers having a volume of more than 5% of the displacement volume of the chamber. The expansion in the turbine section compensates for the relatively low expansion ratio of the rotary engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2015
    Assignee: Pratt & Whitney Canada Corp.
    Inventor: André Julien
  • Patent number: 8985085
    Abstract: A rotor of a rotary internal combustion engine, including an annular oil seal assembly snugly received within each oil seal groove, each oil seal assembly including a seal ring retaining first and second axially spaced apart annular sealing elements in substantial radial alignment with one another, the seal ring radially pressing each of the sealing elements in sealing engagement with a respective surface in the groove in opposite directions from one another, and a spring member biasing the seal ring axially away from the end face.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2015
    Assignee: Pratt & Whitney Canada Corp.
    Inventors: Eugene Gekht, Sebastien Bolduc, Mike Fontaine
  • Patent number: 8967988
    Abstract: In one aspect, described is a rotor for a rotary internal combustion engine where a first face seal biased axially outwardly away from the first end face has opposed curled ends abutting a first seal element of a respective one of the adjacent apex seal assemblies, and a second face seal biased axially outwardly away from the second end face has opposed curled ends abutting a second seal element of a respective one of the adjacent apex seal assemblies.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2015
    Assignee: Pratt & Whitney Canada Corp.
    Inventors: Eugene Gekht, Jean Thomassin, Sebastien Bolduc, David Gagnon-Martin
  • Publication number: 20150017044
    Abstract: A rotary piston engine comprises a stationary housing and a piston movably accommodated in the housing. The housing and the piston form at least one chamber with a chamber surface. At least one partial portion of the chamber surface has a thermal barrier coat for reducing a thermal conductivity of the partial portion of the chamber surface. At least one partial portion of the chamber surface has a metallic spray coat. A method for producing such a rotary piston engine can also be achieved.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 6, 2013
    Publication date: January 15, 2015
    Inventors: Jurgen Steinwandel, Gerd Huber, Ernst Sigmund
  • Patent number: 8920148
    Abstract: An oil pump having an inner rotor with of external teeth; an outer rotor that is eccentrically provided and has internal teeth that mesh with the inner rotor external teeth, and an oil pump body that accommodates the outer and inner rotors. By rotationally driving the inner rotor to increase and decrease a space between the internal and the external teeth, an intake stroke suctions hydraulic oil from the oil pump body and a discharge stroke discharges the suctioned hydraulic oil to a discharge port formed in the oil pump body. Between the intake and discharge strokes, a confinement stroke cuts off the suctioned hydraulic oil and confines the suctioned hydraulic oil in the space, and a compression stroke reduces the space and compresses the confined hydraulic oil. Further, an interval is set between a finish end portion of the intake port of the oil pump body and a start end portion of the discharge port such that a rotation angle of the inner rotor during the compression stroke is 21 to 27 degrees.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2014
    Assignees: Aisin AW Co., Ltd., Toyooki Kogyo Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masateru Nakagawa, Nobukazu Ike, Takuro Iwase, Tomohiro Umemura, Noriyasu Ariga, Katsunori Ishikawa, Masashi Narita
  • Patent number: 8893684
    Abstract: In one aspect, described is a rotary engine having a purge port located rearwardly of the inlet port and forwardly of the exhaust port along a direction of the revolutions of the rotor, the purge port being in communication with the exhaust port through each of the chambers along a respective portion of each revolution, and the inlet and outlet ports being relatively located such that a volumetric compression ratio of the engine is lower than a volumetric expansion ratio of the engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2014
    Assignee: Pratt & Whitney Canada Corp.
    Inventors: Mike L. P. Fontaine, Andre Julien, Jean Thomassin
  • Publication number: 20140341769
    Abstract: A tooth profile of an inner rotor 2 is formed by an envelope of a group of circular arcs of a locus circle C having a center on a trochoidal curve TC. The envelope of the group of circular arcs is formed by rolling a rolling circle having a predetermined diameter along a base circle without slipping and drawing the trochoidal curve TC based on a point distant from the center of the rolling circle by a distance equivalent to an amount of eccentricity between the two rotors. A diameter d2 of the locus circle C is constant until one point between an addendum point and a dedendum point of the inner rotor and changes from the one point such that a diameter d2B at the dedendum point becomes larger than a diameter d2T at the addendum point of the inner rotor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 28, 2013
    Publication date: November 20, 2014
    Inventors: Harumitsu Sasaki, Kentaro Yoshida
  • Patent number: 8851870
    Abstract: A rotor of a rotary internal combustion engine, with each of the end faces having at each of the apex portions a recess defined therein in communication with the at least one apex groove, an end seal received in the recess in sealing engagement with the apex seal of each of the at least one apex groove, a first seal member in sealing engagement with the end seal and with the face seal of the face groove defined between the apex portion and a first one of the adjacent apex portions, and a second seal member in sealing engagement with the end seal and with the face seal of the face groove defined between the apex portion and a second one of the adjacent apex portions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2014
    Assignee: Pratt & Whitney Canada Corp
    Inventors: Eugene Gekht, Jean Thomassin, David Gagnon-Martin
  • Patent number: 8749079
    Abstract: A compact Wankel expander-alternator combination is provided. The combination includes a stationary outer housing that has embedded stator coils and a rotating inner housing having corresponding magnets disposed around the housing with the magnet/coil interaction generating power. Within the rotating housing, a three-sided rotor turns within a two lobed Wankel cavity, powered by working fluid acting on the rotor. The rotating housing and the rotor each circumscribe a stationary shaft. The shaft has an eccentric lobe about which the rotor turns on a bearing disposed between the rotor and the lobe. The rotating housing turns on bearings supported by the stationary shaft. The rotor and rotating housing are linked so that as the rotor turns in response to the working fluid force, the housing turns at a higher speed the speed ratio being preselected to achieve the desired output energy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2014
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventors: Paul M. Dunn, Christopher J. Egan
  • Publication number: 20140147320
    Abstract: A rotor for a Wankel engine including a plurality of ribs extending from a bearing support to each one of the flanks, the plurality of ribs including, for each flank, first and second ribs connected to the flank between the recess and a respective one of the apex portions. The first and second ribs are curved along at least a portion thereof, and/or the first and second ribs are closest to the respective apex portion and connected to the flank adjacent a junction between a portion of the flank defining the recess and a respective portion of the flank connected thereto. A method of reducing pinching of apex seals in a rotor of a Wankel engine is also discussed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 23, 2012
    Publication date: May 29, 2014
    Applicant: PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA CORP.
    Inventors: Jean-Gabriel GAUVREAU, David GAGNON-MARTIN
  • Patent number: 8707929
    Abstract: A multi-rotor internal combustion engine has a plurality of rotary internal combustion units axially distributed along an engine axis. Each unit has a rotor mounted on an eccentric portion of the shaft inside a housing. The housings of adjacent rotary internal combustion units have different angular positions about the engine axis so as to angularly offset the housing from adjacent housings, which may provide for a more uniform temperature distribution around the housings and may also or instead allow optimising of the balancing of pressure induced side loads on the shaft of the rotors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2014
    Assignee: Pratt & Whitney Canada Corp.
    Inventors: Jean Thomassin, Richard Ullyott, André Julien
  • Patent number: 8667950
    Abstract: Method and apparatus for oil-less engine with a revolving rotor are shown. Oil-less engine allows manufacturers to build environmentally safer oil-free engines, with fewer engine parts and at reduced costs of manufacturing. In one embodiment, the present invention is a method of internal combustion in an oil-less engine casing. The method is, revolving a multi-angular rotor around a center point to sequentially combust with each of a plurality of fireheads, revolving in a manner that each side of the multi-angular rotor successively achieves a top dead center position with a respective firehead. A firehead is a combination of a sparking means, a fuel injector and an air injector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 11, 2014
    Inventor: Thomas Lee Fillios, Sr.
  • Patent number: 8662052
    Abstract: A power unit (14) which has a spark-ignition engine unit (1) of the Wankel type including a three flanked rotary piston (R) mounted on an eccentric shaft (63) rotating eccentrically within a cavity within a two lobed epitroochoidal inner peripheral surface (14), the cavity including an inlet port (7) through which air at ambient pressure is induced into the working chambers, and an outlet port (45) through which exhaust gasses are exhausted from the working chambers, and the power unit also including a rotary expander unit (4) which has a two flanked rotor (24) mounted on an eccentric shaft (12) rotating eccentrically within a single lobed epitrochoidal chamber (25), both shafts (62, 63) being coupled to rotate together, and the exhaust port (45) of epitrochoidal cavity of the engine unit (1) being connected to an inlet port (26) of the expander unit (4) so that the exhaust gasses from the engine unit (1) are further expanded in the expander unit (4).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2014
    Inventor: David W. Garside
  • Patent number: 8656888
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for controlling an air input in a rotary engine, including selectively controlling inlet ports communicating with an internal combustion cavity of the engine, the ports located serially downstream of the exhaust port. The inlet ports are controlled to alter air intake at various engine operational stages, such as start up, idle, etc., to allow for varying operational requirements to be met. For example: when a power demand on the engine is lower than a predetermined threshold, control may be effected by opening a primary inlet port and closing a secondary inlet port; and, when the power demand exceeds the predetermined threshold, control may be effected by opening the primary inlet port and opening the secondary inlet port, the secondary inlet port being in communication with the exhaust port throughout portions of the engine revolution to purge exhaust gases.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2014
    Assignee: Pratt & Whitney Canada Corp.
    Inventors: Jean Thomassin, André Julien, Edwin Schulz, Michael Lanktree
  • Patent number: 8597006
    Abstract: In one aspect, there is described a rotor of a Wankel engine including a plurality of apex seal members each biased by a respective spring, each spring including an axial action portion and a radial action portion, the axial action portion including at least two radially extending band sections with adjacent ones of the band sections being connected by a fold, one of the band sections contacting a radially extending surface of the apex seal member and another of the band sections contacting a radially extending element of the rotor body, and the radial action portion forming a major part of a length of the spring, contacting an axially extending surface of the apex seal member in two spaced apart locations, and contacting the rotor body between the two spaced apart locations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2013
    Assignee: Pratt & Whitney Canada Corp.
    Inventors: Eugene Gekht, Jean Thomassin, Sebastien Bolduc, David Gagnon-Martin
  • Patent number: 8539931
    Abstract: A rotary internal combustion diesel engine (46) comprising: a posterior plate (78), an intermediate plate (80), and an anterior plate (82); a rotor-housing unit (46) on each side of the intermediate plate (80), each containing a yousroid chamber (48), and a 2-apex rotor (56) containing an aperture (58). The chamber (48) wall contains an intake valve (68), an exhaust valve (70), and a fuel supply device (72); in gasoline embodiments, an ignition device (76) is added; compressed air/gas and hydraulic embodiments, require an input port (74) and an output port (70a). A shaft (52) rotatably mounted, extends through the housing, having essentially rectangular segments (54) within the chambers (48). There are seals (not shown) on the rotor apices (60, 62) and on the anterior (82) intermediate (80), and posterior plate (78).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2013
    Inventor: Yousry Kamel Hanna
  • Patent number: 8539930
    Abstract: A combustion apparatus having a housing including an inner surface that defines at least one chamber, a rotor, a rotor shaft, an intake shaft, an exhaust shaft, and a gearing mechanism. The chamber includes an intake valve port and an exhaust valve port, and the rotor shaft is coupled to a gear at one end and has at least two opposing flat surfaces received by an opening in the rotor. The intake and exhaust shafts are geared to the rotor shaft and have at least one opening each that is aligned with the intake and the exhaust valve ports. A gearing mechanism selectively controls the duration in which the openings are aligned with the ports. Two or more rotors may be utilized to produce more power and reduce vibration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2013
    Inventor: David DuSell Gray
  • Publication number: 20130236345
    Abstract: A compressor unit having a gear rotor, and a compressor system using the same are provided. The compressor system includes a compressor unit having a triple trochoidal rotor, which includes a first rotor, a second rotor, a third rotor, a casing, second and first suction ports, and second and first discharge ports; and a driving unit that rotates the three rotors such that external working fluid is sucked into the suction port and the working fluid sucked into the suction port is discharged to the discharge port in a state of being compressed. The compressor unit may be constructed as a triple trochoidal rotor such that working fluid can be compressed in a two-stage compression manner to enable the working fluid to be supplied at high pressure and provide a high-speed, high-pressure compression capability.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 7, 2012
    Publication date: September 12, 2013
    Inventors: Gobee KIM, Wookyun KIM, Yubee KIM
  • Patent number: 8528518
    Abstract: The invention relates to a rotary piston engine, in particular a rotary engine of trochoidal design, with a side disk (4) on the exhaust side and a rotary piston (6) with at least of one, and preferably three, through-flow openings (6) through which the mixture can flow axially, wherein the side disk (4) on the exhaust side has a side exhaust port (43) and the at least of one through-flow opening (60) has an asymmetric internal contour (600) at least on its exhaust side, so that when the rotary piston (6) passes over the side exhaust port (43) the said side exhaust port (43) is not in fluid communication with an internal area of the through-flow opening (60). The invention further relates to a rotary piston (6) for a rotary piston engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2013
    Assignee: Wankel Supertec GmbH
    Inventor: Dankwart Eiermann
  • Patent number: 8523546
    Abstract: A rotary engine has a cycloid rotor and a sealing grid including a face seal that rotates with the rotor, and including other seals that do not rotate with the rotor. As the rotor rotates within a housing, the rotor, housing and seal grid form at least one working chamber between them, the chamber undergoing a change from initial volume V1 to V2, which is less than V1, thus compressing a working medium, and subsequently expanding to volume V3, which may be larger than V1, such that the chamber volume is a smooth and continuous function of rotor's rotational angle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2013
    Assignee: LiquidPiston, Inc.
    Inventors: Nikolay Shkolnik, Alexander C. Shkolnik
  • Patent number: 8424504
    Abstract: A rotary piston internal combustion engine of the Wankel type has a housing (1) with a two lobed epitrochoidal inner peripheral surface (14) a shaft (8) journalled in end casings (3, 4), a rotor (9) eccentrically mounted on the shaft (8) and geared to rotate at one third speed of the shaft (8) whereby working chambers (34, 35, 36) are formed between flanks of the rotor (9) and the end casings (3, 4), which chambers vary in volume as the rotor (9) rotates, the rotor (9) being cooled by a cooling medium in a generally closed cooling circuit, the medium being circulated by a circulating pump (27), via connecting passageways (20, 18) in the end casings (3, 4) and an internal passageway (21) of the rotor (9), and through an external cooling heat exchanger (24), the cooling medium being blow-by gasses from the high pressure working chambers, which gasses have leaked past the rotor side seals (26) into the rotor cooling passages.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2013
    Inventor: David W. Garside
  • Publication number: 20130028774
    Abstract: In one aspect, described is a rotor of a rotary internal combustion engine, including a phasing gear with an annular meshing section including a plurality of radially inwardly oriented teeth and an annular attachment section connected to the meshing section and coaxial therewith, the attachment section being offset axially inwardly from the teeth and having at least a portion thereof located radially inwardly of the teeth, and a fastener apparatus connecting the phasing gear to the rotor body, the fastener apparatus engaging the rotor body radially inwardly of the teeth.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 14, 2011
    Publication date: January 31, 2013
    Inventors: Eugene GEKHT, Sebastlen Bolduc, Mike Fontaine
  • Publication number: 20130028777
    Abstract: A rotor of a rotary internal combustion engine, with each of the end faces having at each of the apex portions a recess defined therein in communication with the at least one apex groove, an end seal received in the recess in sealing engagement with the apex seal of each of the at least one apex groove, a first seal member in sealing engagement with the end seal and with the face seal of the face groove defined between the apex portion and a first one of the adjacent apex portions, and a second seal member in sealing engagement with the end seal and with the face seal of the face groove defined between the apex portion and a second one of the adjacent apex portions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 14, 2011
    Publication date: January 31, 2013
    Inventors: Eugene GEKHT, Jean THOMASSIN, David GAGNON-MARTIN
  • Publication number: 20130028772
    Abstract: A compound engine system comprising a rotary engine having a volumetric compression ratio lower than its volumetric expansion ratio, and a recess defined in the peripheral wall of the rotor in each of the chambers having a volume of more than 5% of the displacement volume of the chamber. The expansion in the turbine section compensates for the relatively low expansion ratio of the rotary engine.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 13, 2011
    Publication date: January 31, 2013
    Inventor: André JULIEN
  • Publication number: 20130028771
    Abstract: A rotor of a rotary internal combustion engine, including an annular oil seal assembly snugly received within each oil seal groove, each oil seal assembly including a seal ring retaining first and second axially spaced apart annular sealing elements in substantial radial alignment with one another, the seal ring radially pressing each of the sealing elements in sealing engagement with a respective surface in the groove in opposite directions from one another, and a spring member biasing the seal ring axially away from the end face.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 12, 2011
    Publication date: January 31, 2013
    Inventors: Eugene GEKHT, Sebastlen Bolduc, Mike Fontaine
  • Publication number: 20130028775
    Abstract: In one aspect, described is a rotor for a Wankel engine comprising two circumferentially spaced apart apex seals at each of the apex portions with each apex seal protruding axially from both end faces, and each apex seal having a first biasing member biasing the apex seal radially outwardly away from the peripheral face of the body, and a second biasing member biasing the apex seal axially outwardly away from a respective one of the end faces, the two apex seals of a same one of the apex portions being biased by the respective second biasing member in opposite axial directions from one another.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 14, 2011
    Publication date: January 31, 2013
    Inventors: Eugene GEKHT, Jean Thomassin, Sebastien Bolduc, David Gagnon-Martin
  • Publication number: 20130028776
    Abstract: In one aspect, described is a rotor for a rotary internal combustion engine where a first face seal biased axially outwardly away from the first end face has opposed curled ends abutting a first seal element of a respective one of the adjacent apex seal assemblies, and a second face seal biased axially outwardly away from the second end face has opposed curled ends abutting a second seal element of a respective one of the adjacent apex seal assemblies.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 14, 2011
    Publication date: January 31, 2013
    Inventors: Eugene Gekht, Jean Thomassin, Sebastien Bolduc, David Gagnon-Martin
  • Publication number: 20130028773
    Abstract: A rotor of a rotary internal combustion engine including apex springs each being formed of a continuous band including first and second opposed end sections each contacting the inner surface of the apex seal adjacent to a respective one of the end faces, a respective intermediate section extending radially inwardly from each end section and contacting the outer surface of the groove along a respective contact zone, and a central section extending axially between the intermediate sections and having a portion extending radially outwardly from each of the intermediate sections, the central section extending out of contact with both the outer surface of the groove and the apex seal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 13, 2011
    Publication date: January 31, 2013
    Inventors: Eugene GEKHT, Mike Fontaine
  • Patent number: 8312859
    Abstract: An improved rotary engine system has two stationary buffer seals located at the two ends of the minor axis of a rotor housing that divide the rotor housing into two separate volumes. A first volume is an intake and compression volume and a second volume downstream to the first volume is an expansion and exhaust volume. A rotating combustion chamber flow control device (CCFC) is synchronized with a rotor, for receiving compressed fluid from the first volume, for receiving fuel injected by a fuel injector located within a corresponding CCFC, for igniting and burning an air-fuel mixture, to allow combustion products to expand in the second volume, and for transferring the combustion products to the second volume. In one embodiment, the CCFC is synchronized with two longitudinal shafts fitted at centers of first and second housings, respectively, in each of which are located a pair of side by side rotors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2012
    Inventors: Haim Rom, Tal Rom