Simple rotation engine with variable compression and high gas flow

Abstract

This invention relates to rotary compressors, pumps, motors and thermodynamic engines, and in essence consists of a central rotor and two rockers contained in a housing creating eight variable volumes. By the use of the construction described herein each volume remains sealed from the others during rotation of the rotor, with the contact zones moving along the surface of the rockers. Described is a way to construct the rockers and the rotor, including asymmetric and non-elliptic rotors. A HCCI engine is shown in the drawings with 4×250 cc chambers measuring approximately 50×40×30 cm and a total weight of under 50 kg. As example of a compressor a similar design is shown with 4 main chambers and 4 auxiliary out-of-phase chambers, which could also be applied as steam or Stirling engine. By concatenating sections an all-metal non-Moineau progressive cavity pump can be created with low vibrations and great sturdiness.

1 ) A rotation engine for pumping, compressing or expanding a gas or liquid with eight variable volumes created between a housing, a rotor on a central axis, axially symmetric regarding the central axis, and two rockers, the latter each pivoting on a parallel axis, no more than  90  degrees in either direction, sandwiched between flat top and bottom structures, where the two contact planes of either rocker with the rotor are flat and perpendicular to each other, and where the two contact zones between a rocker and the rotor move over the flat contact surfaces of the rocker and have a mutual variable distance, and where each cross section in a plane perpendicular to the central axis, within the closed curve formed by the contact surface of the rotor a rectangle can be placed such that the corner points (a,b), (−a,b), (a,−b) en (−a,−b) are on this curve and a+b=R, with R the distance between the intersection point of the central axis (0,0) and the intersection point of the axis of either rocker, and where the closed curve can be approximated with any desired precision by (infinitesimal) parts of ellipses with equal origin, with semi-axes t′=t(angle(n)), s′=s(angle(n)), where n is the local normal vector (−pi<angle(n)<=pi), and t′*t′+s′*s′=R*R, and where, following the curve, the normal vector rotates in the same direction, but at a different pace, and no two points have the same normal vector, where the rotor if required can be asymmetric and non-elliptic. 
     
     
         2 ) An engine according to  claim 1 , wherein a tolerance of the distance R of less than 5% is allowed and a tolerance of the flatness of the contact surfaces of the rockers of less than 5% is allowed, where the flatness is given by the maximum distance of a contact point to the nearest in  claim 1  mentioned flat contact surface, divided by the distance of this contact point to the rotation axis of the rocker, and where a tolerance of the shape of the rotor of 5% is allowed, where this tolerance is given by the maximum distance between a point on the curve formed by the contact surface of the rotor in a plane perpendicular to the rotor axis and the curve described in  claim 1 , divided by the distance between this point and the central rotating axis of the rotor. 
     
     
         3 ) A rotation engine for pumping, compressing or expanding a gas or liquid with eight variable volumes created between a housing, a rotor on a central axis, axially symmetric regarding the central axis, and two rockers, the latter each pivoting on a NON-parallel axis, no more than  90  degrees in either direction, sandwiched between a spherical hollow top and a spherical bulging bottom structure, where the two contact planes of either rocker with the rotor are flat, and where the two contact zones between a rocker and the rotor move over the flat contact surfaces of the rocker and have a mutual variable distance, and where each cross section in a plane perpendicular to the central axis, within the closed curve formed by the contact surface of the rotor a rectangle can be placed such that the corner points (a,b), (−a,b), (a,−b) en (−a,−b) are on this curve and a+b=R, with R the distance between the intersection point of the central axis (0,0) and the intersection point of the axis of either rocker, and where the closed curve can be approximated with any desired precision by (infinitesimal) parts of ellipses with equal origin, with semi-axes t′=t(angle(n)), s′=s(angle(n)), where n is the local normal vector (−pi<angle(n)<=pi), and t′*t′+s′*s′=R*R, and where, following the curve, the normal vector rotates in the same direction, but at a different pace, and no two points have the same normal vector, where the rotor if required can be asymmetric and non-elliptic. 
     
     
         4 ) An engine according to  claim 3 , wherein a tolerance of the distance R of less than 5% is allowed and a tolerance of the flatness of the contact surfaces of the rockers of less than 5% is allowed, where the flatness is given by the maximum distance of a contact point to the nearest in  claim 3  mentioned flat contact surface, divided by the distance of this contact point to the rotation axis of the rocker, and where a tolerance of the shape of the rotor of 5% is allowed, where this tolerance is given by the maximum distance between a point on the curve formed by the contact surface of the rotor in a plane perpendicular to the rotor axis and the curve described in  claim 3 , divided by the distance between this point and the central rotating axis of the rotor. 
     
     
         5 ) An engine according to any one of  claims 1  to  4 , wherein the rotor has a uniform shape in the axial direction, and sections of housing and rockers are concatenated in axial direction, being rotated several degrees, so as to make eight variable volumes in the axial direction, which move in axial direction as the rotor is turned. 
     
     
         6 ) An engine according to any one of  claims 1  to  4 , wherein the rotor has a uniform shape in the axial direction, and the rockers are flexible and wind around the rotor like spirals, where eight volumes are created, which move in the axial direction as the rotor is turned. 
     
     
         7 ) An engine according to any one of  claims 1  to  4 , wherein the housing has a uniform shape in the axial direction with rockers placed on top of each other with all rocker axes along two straight lines with the rotor now twisted such that each cross-section perpendicular to the rotating axis, will be as described as in the respective  claims 1  to  4 .