Internal combustion engine and method of operating an internal combustion engine

Abstract

Internal combustion engine and method for operating an internal combustion engine The invention relates to an internal combustion engine for generating mechanical drive power by combustion of a fuel. In order to enable a particularly simple and lightweight structure and, in addition, high running smoothness and high torque, the internal combustion engine comprises two or three rotary pistons (8a; 8b) which are rotationally fixedly connected to an output shaft and which are each arranged in a rotatable manner in an annular cylinder, at least one passage (10) between the annular cylinders (9a; 9b), and a respective movable shut-off valve (6a; 6b) for temporarily closing the cylinders (9a; 9b) adjacent to the passage (10). Figure to be published with the abstract: Figure 4a

Description

Title of the invention: Internal combustion engine and method of operating an internal combustion engine

[0001] The invention relates to an internal combustion engine, intended to generate mechanical drive power by combustion of a fuel, and to a method of operating an internal combustion engine.

[0002] Internal combustion engines for generating mechanical drive power by burning a fuel are known from practice. With the addition of combustion air, the energy chemically bound to the fuel is converted into heat, whereby the substances present in a combustion chamber expand and the pressure (prevailing therein) increases. Due to the oscillating masses, in particular the pistons and valves, such combustion engines, however, have a tendency to vibrations, which exert an additional load on the components. Due to the additionally required particularly solid mounting of the moving parts, the weight increases further. In the case of rotary piston engines, such as the Wankel engine, the tendency to vibrate is reduced, but due to the unfavorable design of the piston base surfaces and the resulting short lever arm, only a comparatively low torque is achieved.

[0003] The objective of the invention is to create an internal combustion engine allowing a particularly simple and lightweight structure and also having great smoothness of operation and high rotational torque.

[0004] This object is achieved by the fact that the internal combustion engine comprises two rotary pistons connected in a rotationally fixed manner to an output shaft and each mounted in a rotatable manner in an annular cylinder, at least one passage between the annular cylinders, and a respective shut-off valve for temporarily closing the cylinders adjacent to the passage. Arrangement between the annular cylinders also includes embodiments in which the passage is arranged, for example, radially offset outwards and opens into the cylinders at the radial end faces, i.e. the passage lies in any plane between the annular cylinders and / or is positioned above the cylinders. By virtue of the rotary pistons, which can rotate in the annular cylinders along a circular path, a particularly large operating flow is achieved.With the help of the shut-off valves, both cylinders can be temporarily closed, so that the rotating pistons can compress the air in the cylinders or allow the gases to . combustion under pressure in a cylinder to perform work at the corresponding rotating piston.

[0005] The rotary pistons would not need to be attached to an output shaft or a piston disc. Alternatively, separate cylinders with separate piston discs can be provided, each connected to output shafts (half-shafts), possibly oriented differently. In this case, the rotary pistons can, for example, be connected near a combustion chamber via a mechanism, for example bevel gears, whereby the rotational axes of the pistons can have a deflection of 1°, for example. Alternatively or additionally, one half-cylinder / piston can be rotated 180° and thus in the opposite direction to the other half, possibly with a newly oriented valve disc.

[0006] Alternatively, the internal combustion engine may also comprise three or more rotary pistons, connected in a rotationally fixed manner to an output shaft, which are each mounted in a rotatably movable manner in a respective annular cylinder. Just as in the case of the variant with two rotary pistons, the cylinders may be arranged so close to each other that they allow a common cylinder shell to be provided. "Rotally fixed" means that the movement of the rotary pistons relative to each other is defined, whether it is either an identical movement, for example by means of a material cooperation connection, or a relative movement defined by an intermediate mechanism.

[0007] Preferably, the passage between the cylinders can be used as a combustion chamber, in particular with an ignition device for the fuel, such as a spark plug or a glow plug and / or a direct fuel injection device. Alternatively, the fuel ignition device and / or the direct fuel injection device can be arranged in the working cylinder. Depending on the application, ignition and combustion can therefore take place in the combustion chamber and / or in the working cylinder. In summary, the fuel supply can therefore take place according to the spark ignition engine principle with premixing with the supplied air, or by means of direct injection and spark plug controlled ignition, or according to the diesel principle by injecting the fuel by direct injection and with self-ignition.In addition to air-fuel mixtures, it is also possible to use gas mixtures such as a hydrogen-oxygen mixture or mixtures comprising organic gases.

[0008] In a preferred embodiment, a first rotary piston can be made as a compression piston in a compression cylinder, and a second rotary piston can be made as a working piston in a working cylinder, the rotary pistons being arranged offset from one another in the direction of rotation. This allows fresh gases to be compressed by the compression piston in the compression cylinder and to be pushed directly through the passage into the working cylinder or into the combustion chamber. The hot gases can then escape into the working cylinder and transfer energy to the working piston.

[0009] Preferably, the working piston is arranged offset upstream of the compression piston in the direction of rotation. This allows the working piston to close an outlet of the combustion chamber towards the working cylinder, while the compression piston pushes the fresh gases into the combustion chamber and compresses them there. Furthermore, the offset of the pistons allows the compression piston to close the inlet of the combustion chamber, while the expanding gases perform work at the working piston. Advantageously, at least one of the rotary pistons can extend more than 180° in the direction of rotation.

[0010] In order to achieve particularly efficient compression of the fresh gases in the compression cylinder, a shut-off valve can be arranged in the compression cylinder downstream of the passage or combustion chamber in the direction of rotation of the compression piston, so that the air to be compressed cannot escape and is forced into the passage or combustion chamber. Furthermore, a shut-off valve in the working cylinder can be arranged upstream of the passage or combustion chamber in the direction of rotation of the working piston, so that the expanding combustion gases cannot escape and transfer energy to the working piston.

[0011] Particularly preferably, the shut-off valves can be arranged on rotatably mounted valve discs. By rotating the valve disc, one or more shut-off valves can be briefly inserted into the respective cylinder in order to close it. Advantageously, at least one shut-off valve of the compression cylinder and at least one shut-off valve of the working cylinder can be arranged on a respective valve disc, so that for example a valve disc with a shut-off valve for the compression cylinder and a valve disc with a shut-off valve for the working cylinder can be provided.In an advantageous embodiment, several stop registers can be provided for the compression cylinder and / or for the working cylinder, which are arranged, if necessary, on a common valve disk for the compression cylinder or the working cylinder and which are synchronized with the compression pistons / working pistons, for example via a mechanism and at different rotational speeds. The embodiment comprising several stop registers per valve disk is more balanced, while the embodiment comprising one stop register for two pistons per cylinder has to rotate faster, so that the front and rear sides of the pistons are less pointed / sharp, which gives better force vectors.

[0012] Preferably, the rotation axes of the valve discs are offset and / or arranged at an angle relative to the annular cylinders, so that the shut-off valves temporarily cross the cylinders when the valve discs rotate, thereby closing them on one side or completely. A corresponding slot is preferably provided for this purpose in the cylinder housing. Due to the rotating valve disc, the number of oscillating components is reduced, which increases the smoothness of operation.

[0013] Advantageously, the rotary pistons may have an angular, in particular rectangular or triangular, cross-section, preferably with rounded corners, or also a circular cross-section. Even more advantageously, the rotary pistons may be arranged together on a piston disc, on the respective opposite end faces adjacent to an outer edge. Furthermore, the rotary pistons, in particular angular, may be designed to be inclined relative to each other in the radial direction, i.e. have an angle relative to the perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the pistons.

[0014] In another preferred embodiment, the compression piston may have a cross-section that reduces in the opposite direction to the direction of rotation, and / or the working piston may have a cross-section that reduces in the direction of rotation, in particular with a continuous or graduated cross-section reduction. In this way, the intake, compression, expansion and ejection cycles can be efficiently coordinated with each other, resulting in a particularly compact and lightweight design and thus a high power density. Particularly in the case of the working piston, the reduction in the cross-section has the advantage of providing more space for the expansion of the ignited gases and thus, theoretically, the reaction / combustion has more space and time to complete.This is particularly advantageous in particularly compact embodiments where the available space is relatively small. The specific design of the cross-section reduction also offers degrees of freedom in the optimization and enables optimal adaptation to the respective requirements. Even more advantageously, on the end faces at the front and rear, the pistons can have a cross-section that reduces towards the ends, in particular with a continuous reduction of the cross-section, which allows the smallest possible gap dimension to be achieved with respect to the stop registers.

[0015] To enable the supply of fresh gas and the evacuation of exhaust gases, an inlet opening for the fresh gases may be provided on the compression cylinder downstream of the stop register, in the direction of rotation of the rotary pistons, and an inlet opening for the fresh gases may be provided on the compression cylinder downstream of the stop register, in the direction of rotation of the rotary pistons, and a outlet for combustion gases can be provided in the working cylinder upstream of the shut-off register in the direction of rotation of the rotary pistons.

[0016] Further, a method for operating an internal combustion engine, in particular an internal combustion engine as described above, is claimed.

[0017] According to the invention, a compression cylinder is closed by means of a shut-off valve downstream of a passage to a working cylinder, in the direction of rotation of a compression piston, and, in addition, the passage to the working cylinder is also closed by a working piston. The expression "downstream of a passage" is to be understood in such a way that the shut-off valve closes the compression cylinder downstream of the mouth opening of the passage to the compression cylinder. Fresh gases are then compressed in the compression cylinder between the compression piston and the shut-off valve and / or in the passage by the movement of the compression piston, until the passage from the compression cylinder is closed by the compression piston. Fuel is added or has already been added to the compressed fresh gases, and the mixture is then ignited at the latest at this time, so that the temperature and pressure in the passage increase.Then, or shortly before, the working piston releases the passage to the working cylinder and the pressurized combustion gases can expand under the effect of the working piston. Alternatively, it is also possible that the ignition of the mixture takes place only after the working piston has opened the passage.

[0018] In an embodiment with short rotary pistons, in particular with a rotary piston which covers an angular range of less than 180°, it is possible to provide a separate valve, in particular a hydraulic slide valve, which can briefly take over the task of closing the passage when the pressure conditions in the cylinders are low.

[0019] Advantageously, before the expansion of the heated gases or before the introduction of the compressed gases into the working cylinder, the working cylinder may be closed by means of a stop damper upstream of the passage or a mouth in the passage, in the direction of rotation of the working piston. This ensures that all of the theoretically available pressure is applied to the working cylinder.

[0020] Particularly advantageously, the passage can be temporarily closed by the compression piston and by the working piston simultaneously.

[0021] In an advantageous embodiment, before ignition and before the compression piston closes the passage, the compressed fresh gases can be introduced into the working cylinder.

[0022] Other features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description of the preferred embodiments with reference to the drawings. These show:

[0023] [Fig. 1], a perspective view of an internal combustion engine;

[0024] [Fig.2], a cross-section through the internal combustion engine of [Fig.l]

[0025] [Fig.3], a detailed view of the internal combustion engine of [Fig.l], without the crankcase;

[0026] Figures 4a - 4e, various stages of operation of the internal combustion engine of [Fig.l], in side view;

[0027] Figures 5a - 5e, various stages of operation of the internal combustion engine of [Fig.l], in top view over a detailed area;

[0028] [Fig.6], a detailed view of an alternative embodiment of a motor with internal combustion;

[0029] Figures 7a - 7g, various working stages of the internal combustion engine of [Fig.6] in top view on a detailed area;

[0030] [Fig.8], a detailed perspective view of another alternative embodiment of an internal combustion engine;

[0031] [Fig.9], a cross-section through another alternative embodiment of a internal combustion engine;

[0032] [Fig. 10], a schematic side view of another alternative embodiment of a internal combustion engine;

[0033] Figures 11, 12, cross sections through other alternative embodiments of an internal combustion engine;

[0034] [Fig. 13], a schematic side view of one embodiment of a motor internal combustion having two combustion chambers, and

[0035] figures 14a - d, various possibilities of positioning a valve disc relative to a piston disc.

[0036] [Fig.l] shows a perspective illustration of an internal combustion engine 1a. The internal combustion engine 1a comprises a casing 2 which is supported by a base 3 relative to a ground which is not shown. An output shaft 4 projects laterally from the casing 2, from which the power of the internal combustion engine 1a can be taken, for example to operate an electric generator or a vehicle.

[0037] Two valve discs 5a, 5b are mounted in a rotatable manner on protruding bars of the housing 2. The valve discs 5a, 5b are oriented relative to the housing 2 in such a way that stop registers 6a, 6b arranged on the valve discs 5a, 5b temporarily protrude into slots of the housing 2 during rotation about the respective axis of rotation of the valve disc 5a, 5b. The stop registers 6a, 6b protrude perpendicularly from the otherwise flat valve discs 5a, 5b and are designed, on the outer edge, as an annular bar with a constant radius extending over part of the circumference. The slots are correspondingly formed so that the stop registers 6a, 6b can protrude or plunge into the casing 2 with the smallest possible gap.

[0038] The rotational movement of the valve discs 5a, 5b is linked to the rotational movement of the output shaft 4 by transmission means not shown, such as a gear or at least a belt, so that the rotational movements are synchronized.

[0039] [Fig. 2] shows a cross-section through the internal combustion engine 1a of [Fig. 1]. The cross-section is oriented vertically, and the axis of rotation of the output shaft 4 lies in the plane of the drawing. As can be seen in the illustration, the output shaft 4 is connected in a rotationally fixed manner to rotary pistons 8a, 8b via a piston disc 7. The rotary pistons 8a, 8b are arranged in annular cylinders 9a, 9b. By means of the rotary bearing of the output shaft 4, the rotary pistons 8a, 8b are precisely positioned relative to the annular cylinders 9a, 9b, so that particularly small gap dimensions with a good sealing effect can be achieved between the rotary pistons 8a, 8b and the annular cylinders 9a, 9b. Additionally, other sealing elements can be provided, such as piston rings on the rotary pistons 8a, 8b or sliding seals in the annular cylinders 9a, 9b.The annular cylinders 9a, 9b, which are similar to a torus but of rectangular cross-section, allow the rotary pistons 8a, 8b to rotate freely about the axis of rotation of the output shaft 4.

[0040] A passage 10 is provided between the annular cylinders 9a, 9b in an upper area shown in the illustration, which is open towards each of the annular cylinders 9a, 9b. The passage 10 allows gases to pass between the annular cylinders 9a, 9b. Viewed in the direction of rotation of the rotary pistons 8a, 8b, the passage 10 is limited to a certain angular range, so as to otherwise prevent gases from passing between the annular cylinders 9a, 9b. Alternatively, at least two passages could also be provided, which are formed separately and, for example, offset by 1 mm relative to each other in the direction of rotation of the rotary pistons.

[0041] [Fig. 3] shows a detailed view of the internal combustion engine of [Fig. 1] without the casing 2 with the base 3. As can be seen, the rotary pistons 8a, 8b extend in the direction of rotation of the output shaft 4 over an angular range of more than 120°, in particular more than 180°. In an upper area, it can be seen that the rotary pistons 8a, 8b overlap in an angular range.

[0042] In the illustrated embodiment, the directions of rotation of the output shaft 4, the valve disc 5a and the valve disc 5b are clockwise. The synchronization of the valve discs 5a, 5b with the output shaft 4 ensures that there is no collision between the stop registers 6a, 6b and the rotary pistons 8a, 8b. As shown in the arrangement shown, the rotation of the valve disc 5b causes the extraction of the stop register 6b, arranged on it, from the annular cylinder 9b, not shown, when the rotary piston 8b approaches.

[0043] The mutual synchronization can be coordinated in such a way that the end of the stop register 6b slides along the illustrated flattened end face of the rotary piston 8b and thus establishes a sealing contact. As can be seen in the illustration, the stop register 6a on the valve disc 5a is brought back into the annular cylinder 9a precisely when the rotary piston 8a moves away. For this purpose, the rear face of the rotary piston 8a is flattened so that the stop register 6a can slide with a front end along the flattened end of the rotary piston 8a and rest there in a sealing manner.The described timing and design of the rotary pistons 8a, 8b and the stop dampers 6a, 6b ensure that the annular cylinders 9a, 9b are closed by the stop dampers 6a, 6b, but that the annular cylinders 9a, 9b are briefly opened with each rotation of the rotary pistons 8a, 8b to avoid collision with the rotary pistons 8a, 8b.

[0044] Figures 4a - 4e show a side view of various working stages of the internal combustion engine 1a of [Fig.l]. The illustration on the left corresponds to the side view of the rotary piston 8a and the one on the right corresponds to the side view of the opposite rotary piston 8b. However, for simplicity, both views are shown in the same viewing direction and the other elements are obscured accordingly, in order to better illustrate the mutual positioning of the rotary pistons having identical directions of rotation. Furthermore, only the annular cylinders 9a, 9b with the rotary pistons 8a, 8b arranged therein and the shut-off valves 6a, 6b are shown. The shut-off valves 6a, 6b intersect the annular cylinders 9a, 9b at a point in an upper area adjacent to the passage 10 and are otherwise spaced apart from them. Passage 10 may be designed as a combustion chamber, particularly with an ignition device for the fuel.

[0045] In the embodiment of Figures 4a - 4e, the rotary piston 8b is designed as a compression piston, and the rotary piston 8a is designed as a working piston. Accordingly, the annular cylinder 9b is a compression cylinder, and the annular cylinder 9a is a working cylinder. As can also be seen in the illustration, the compression piston 8b and the working piston 8a are arranged offset from each other in the direction of rotation, the compression piston 8b protruding in the direction of rotation relative to the working piston 8a. In the top view of Figures 4a - 4e, the direction of rotation of the working piston 8a and the compression piston 8b is clockwise. The direction of rotation of the stop registers 6a, 6b is also clockwise.

[0046] In the working step illustrated in [Fig.4a], the passage 10 is closed by the working piston 8a, so that no air can pass from the compression cylinder 9b into the working cylinder 9a. The shut-off valve 6a does not protrude into the working piston 8a. As can be seen in the top view of the compression piston 8b, the shut-off valve 6b just protrudes with one end into the compression cylinder 9b and closes it, so that no gas can pass past the shut-off valve 6b from one half of the compression cylinder 9b to the other. This working step constitutes the beginning of the compression stroke, during which the gases present in the annular cylinder 9b, upstream of the passage 10 in the direction of rotation of the compression piston 8b, are pushed by the compression piston 8b towards the passage 10. The shut-off valve 6b, which is arranged downstream of the passage 10 in the direction of rotation of the compression piston 8b, ensures the pushing of the compressed air towards the passage 10. However, since the passage 10 is closed on the opposite side by the working piston 8a, the air is compressed.In addition to the compression of the air, the suction of fresh gas also begins during this work step. For this purpose, an inlet opening 11 is provided on one side of the shut-off damper 6b opposite the passage 10, through which the compression piston 8b sucks in fresh gas.

[0047] [Fig.4b] shows a working step that follows the working step shown in [Fig.4a]. The rotary pistons 8a, 8b as well as the stop registers 6a, 6b have been moved according to their direction of rotation. As can be seen in the top view of the working piston 8a, it continues to close the passage 10 so that the air further compressed in the compression cylinder 9b cannot yet enter the working cylinder 9a through the passage 10. In the top view of the compression piston 8b, it can be seen that the space between the end face of the compression piston 8b and the shut-off valve 6b has been considerably reduced, which results in an increase in the pressure at the passage 10. On the side opposite the shut-off valve 6b, the available space in the compression cylinder 9b is considerably increased, so that additional fresh gas can be drawn in through the inlet opening 11.This working stage occurs just before the passage is opened by the working piston 8a, and the highest pressures are reached.

[0048] [Fig. 4c] illustrates a working step that follows the working step illustrated in [Fig. 4b]. Here, the passage 10 is no longer closed by the working piston 8a, so that the compressed air in the compression cylinder 9b and in the passage 10 can flow into the working cylinder 9a. Due to the rotation, the shut-off valve 6a now projects into the working cylinder 9a and closes it, so that the compressed air from the passage 10 can only flow towards the working piston 8a and push it in the direction of rotation. As can be seen in the top view of the working piston 8a, the shut-off valve 6a is positioned in the working cylinder 9a upstream of the passage 10 in the direction of rotation of the working piston 8a. An outlet opening 12 is arranged on one side of the stop register 6a opposite the passage 10, through which the gases in the working cylinder 9a resulting from a previous cycle can be expelled. As can be seen in the top view of the compression piston 8b, in this position, the compression piston 8b already partially closes the passage 10 and the shut-off valve 6b just releases the compression cylinder 9b, the shut-off valve 6b sliding along the end face of the compression piston 8b in a sealed manner. Thus, the remaining gases are pushed out of the compression cylinder 9b into the passage 10 and into the working cylinder 9a.

[0049] Figure 4d illustrates a further working step that follows the working step illustrated in [Fig.4c]. The shut-off valve 6b has now completely released the compression cylinder 9b, and the compression piston 8b closes the passage 10. In this position, a fuel added to the compressed gases can be ignited, which heats the mixture and increases the pressure.Due to the closed position of the shut-off valve 6a in the working cylinder 9a and due to the closing of the passage 10 by the compression piston 8b, the resulting pressure can only escape in the direction of the working piston 8a and thus transfer its energy in a targeted manner. In practice, direct injection or ignition could even take place shortly before the passage is completely closed by the compression piston, since the ignition itself takes time and the piston, due to its inertia, easily withstands negligible initial forces.

[0050] [Fig. 4e] illustrates another working step which follows the step illustrated in Fig. 4d. The expansion of the compressed and heated gases is now almost complete, and the working piston 8a, after the remaining gases from the previous cycle have been expelled through the outlet opening 12 and the stop damper 6a has released the working cylinder 9a, can close the passage 10 again so that pressure can again be established in the compression cylinder 9b, as in the working step of [Fig. 4a].

[0051] Figures 5a - 5e schematically show the various working stages of the internal combustion engine 1a of [Fig.l] in top view over the detailed area of ​​passage 10. The illustrations can be understood as a development of the rotary pistons 8a, 8b, the illustrations not corresponding to [Fig.l], but being inverted around a horizontal axis in the plane of the drawing.

[0052] The working step illustrated in [Fig. 5a] corresponds substantially to the working step illustrated in [Fig. 4b], in which the passage is closed by the working piston 8a. Since the shut-off valve 6b projects into the compression cylinder 9b and closes it just downstream of the passage 10 in the direction of rotation of the compression piston 8b, the compression piston 8b can push the gas mixture, located in the compression cylinder 9b, towards the passage 10 and compress it.

[0053] As can be seen in [Fig.5b], the stop register 6a closes the working cylinder 9a immediately downstream of the working piston 8a, so that the mixture gas can only escape in the working cylinder 9a towards the working piston 8a.

[0054] [Fig.5c] shows how the compression piston 8b pushes the gas mixture from the compression cylinder 9b into the working cylinder 9a. This working step corresponds substantially to the working step illustrated in [Fig.4c].

[0055] In [Fig.5d], the compression piston 8b has pushed the gas mixture 13 completely into the passage 10 and into the working cylinder 9a. Furthermore, the compression piston 8b closes the passage 10 and is in sealing contact with the stop damper 6b. When the compression piston 8b continues its movement, the stop damper 6b is pulled out of the compression cylinder 9b, thus releasing it to allow the compression piston 8b to pass unhindered.

[0056] The working step illustrated in [Fig. 5e] corresponds substantially to the working steps illustrated in Figures 4d and 4e. The gas mixture 13, heated by ignition or self-ignition, transmits its energy to the working piston 8a. The closing of the passage by the compression piston 8b and the sealing of the working cylinder 9a by the shut-off damper 6a prevent the gas mixture from escaping. Admittedly, in other embodiments, the ignition or self-ignition of the gas mixture 13 can already take place when the working piston 8a has not yet released the passage 10, but due to the pressure peaks that can be expected, it is advantageous for the ignition / self-ignition to take place only when the passage 10 is released by the working piston 8a.

[0057] [Fig. 6] shows a detailed view of an alternative embodiment of an internal combustion engine 1b. Parts identical to those of the embodiment of Figures 1 to 5 are provided with the same reference numerals, with an apostrophe added to distinguish them. As can be seen from the comparison with the first embodiment shown in [Fig. 3], the embodiment shown in [Fig. 6] is distinguished in particular by the fact that the compression piston 8b' has a reduced cross-section in the direction opposite to the direction of rotation and the working piston 8a' has a reduced cross-section in the direction of rotation.This is achieved by providing respective steps 14a, 14b on the compression piston 8b' and on the working piston 8a', in which the cross-section of the working piston 8a' and of the compression piston 8b' is reduced to a constant dimension relative to an end zone which - if an overlap zone of the working piston 8a' and of the compression piston 8b' is provided - is preferably located in the overlap zone. As a result, an additional stop 6a" or 6b" is arranged on each of the valve disks 5a' and 5b', which abuts on one side against the stop 6a' or 6b'. The additional stops 6a" and 6b" are designed to seal tightly against the respective steps 14a, 14b and allow a particularly efficient operation of the combustion engine. internal 1b, as shown in the following figures. Unlike what is shown in [Fig.6], the transition from the stage 14a, 14b to the end zone can be curved in correspondence with the end faces of the rotary pistons in order to obtain an optimal seal with respect to the stop registers.

[0058] Figures 7a - 7g show various working stages of the internal combustion engine 1b of [Fig. 6] schematically in plan view over a detailed area of ​​the passage 10', the representation not corresponding to [Fig. 6], but being mirror-inverted about a horizontal axis in the plane of the drawing for an illustration comparable to Figures 5a - 5e. In contrast to the illustration of Figures 5a - 5e, the outer wall of the casing 2 with the inlet opening 11' and the outlet opening 12' is shown here in addition to the intermediate wall of the casing 2 between the annular cylinders 9a', 9b'. As shown by comparison with the first embodiment shown in [Fig.5a], this first working step differs, among other things, in that the stop register 6a", which projects less into the working cylinder 9a' than the stop register 6a, is in sealing contact with the step 14a.The working piston 8a' is located to the left of the outlet opening 12', so that when the working piston 8a' moves, the gas mixture of a previous cycle can be ejected through the outlet opening 12'. Furthermore, the operation of this working step is identical to that illustrated in [Fig.5a]. The compression cylinder 9b' is closed downstream of the passage 10' in the direction of rotation of the compression piston 8b' by the stop damper 6b', and the working piston 8a' further closes the passage 10', so that the enclosed gas or gas mixture can be compressed by the compression piston 8b'.

[0059] [Fig. 7b] illustrates a further working step that follows the working step illustrated in [Fig. 7a]. As can be seen from the comparison with the illustration in [Fig. 5b], in this embodiment, the compression piston 8b' and the working piston 8a' each overlap in a section in the circumferential direction in which the pistons have at least partially no reduction in cross-section. The overlap extends so far in the circumferential direction that the passage 10' is closed equally by the compression piston 8b' and by the working piston 8a'. Alternatively, however, a smaller overlap or no overlap could be provided between the compression piston 8b' and the working piston 8a' in the respective section of the pistons in the circumferential direction, in which the pistons have at least partially no reduction in cross-section.As can be seen in the illustration, the compression piston 8b' is about to come into contact with the stop register 6b', which is currently still closing the compression cylinder 9b'.

[0060] [Fig.7c] illustrates another working step which follows the working step illustrated in [Fig.7b]. Here, the stop register 6b' is removed from the compression cylinder 9b' in order that the compression piston 8b' can move freely. The shut-off damper 6a' now projects into the working cylinder 9a', and, in contrast to the shut-off damper 6a", reaches the intermediate wall of the housing 2 and thus closes the working cylinder 9a'. As also described in connection with [Fig. 5e], although the gas mixture can be ignited in this position, a high peak pressure would occur due to the almost complete closure of the passage 10' by the working piston 8a', so that ignition / self-ignition preferably only occurs in the position shown in [Fig. 7d]. Alternatively, the end regions without a reduction in cross-section can also be made longer, so that, already in the position shown in [Fig. 7c], especially when the passage is closed by both pistons, ignition can take place.The length of the passage in the direction of rotation can be reduced and / or the cross-section of the passage can be reduced so that the surface area of ​​the pistons 8a', 8b' on which the pressure acts is greatly reduced. Alternatively, a combination of the embodiments of Figure 5 and Figures 6 and 7 is suitable for this purpose. Alternatively or additionally, it can be provided that the passage has an increasing cross-section in the direction of the working cylinder 9a', so that the pressure in the passage acts on a smaller surface area at the compression piston 8b'.

[0061] [Fig.7d] illustrates a further working step which follows the working step illustrated in [Fig.7c]. As can be seen, the working piston 8a' has opened the passage 10' so that the compressed and possibly heated gas mixture can now escape into the working cylinder 9a' and urge the working piston 8a' in the direction of rotation. By closing the passage 10' by the compression piston 8b' and the working cylinder 9a' by the shut-off valve 6a', an unintentional escape of the gas mixture is prevented.

[0062] [Fig. 7e] illustrates a further working step which follows the working step illustrated in [Fig. 7d]. Due to the expansion of the gas mixture, the working piston 8a' has been moved further to the right. In the compression cylinder 9b', the compression piston 8b' continues to close the passage 10', but on the opposite side, the shut-off damper 6b" projects into the compression cylinder 9b' and presses sealingly against the step 14b of the compression piston 8b'. This means that fresh gases can already be drawn into the compression cylinder 9b' during this working step, as can be seen in particular in the following working step of [Fig. 7f].

[0063] [Fig.7g] illustrates another working step which follows the working step illustrated in [Fig.7f]. As can be seen, the stages 14a, 14b overlap over a length greater than or equal to the extension of the passage 10' in the direction of rotation of the stages 14a, 14b. This prevents fresh gases from passing through the passage 10' in the initial phase of compression. The cycle is then repeated with the working step illustrated in [Fig.7a].

[0064] [Fig. 8] shows a detailed perspective view of another embodiment of an internal combustion engine 1e, in which the housing and the valve discs are not shown. In contrast to the previously presented embodiments, in this embodiment, the piston disc 7" with the rotary pistons 8a", 8b" is of a particularly compact design, the ratio of the piston surface to the total compression volume being particularly large. The piston disc 7" can be described as a double cone consisting of two right circular cones whose tips are directed away from each other. A rotary piston 8a" or 8b" is arranged on the outer surface of each of the circular cones.

[0065] In more compact embodiments, such as the one shown, inclined and / or angled valve discs (with check valves) may be provided. Furthermore, this may contribute to narrowing the housing and thus the shape of the piston inwardly in the horizontal direction, so that they protrude less laterally. This ensures that the housing does not cross the check valves a second time. The greater the gap or distance between the valve discs / check valves and the housing at all locations except at the intended interface with the annular cylinders, the smaller the inner radius of the rotary pistons can be.

[0066] Advantageously, the rotary piston extends radially relative to the maximum radius of the rotary piston measured from the axis of the output shaft over a range of at least 50%, advantageously at least 70% and particularly advantageously at least 80%.

[0067] The embodiment illustrated in [Fig.8] has the advantage, compared to previous versions, of allowing the application of greater pressure on the front face of the working piston relative to the total volume, which makes it possible to obtain a particularly high rotational torque relative to the available compression volume, which allows degrees of freedom in the optimization. In addition, the 4" output shaft requires much less sealing and fewer surfaces rub against each other on the shaft. For other characteristics, reference is made to the description of the previous embodiments, the operating mode of which is otherwise identical.In particular, reference is made to the possibility of making the front and rear sides of the pistons pointed / stiff so that they can rest tightly on the stop registers, as well as the possibility of varying the cross-section of the front and / or rear sides of the rotary pistons in a stepped or continuous manner, which is also applicable to the compact embodiment shown in [Fig.8].

[0068] Such an embodiment of an internal combustion engine is evident from the cross-section shown in [Fig. 9]. In contrast to the embodiment of [Fig. 8], the internal combustion engine Id has rotary pistons 8a'", 8b'" with steps 14c, 14d which, apart from other proportions, can be designed according to the embodiment of [Fig. 6]. As indicated by the different inclination angles 15, the rotary pistons 8a'", 8b'" can be inclined towards each other at their radial end faces, in particular by forming an intermediate angle 16 greater than 160° and particularly advantageously greater than 180°. If the intermediate angle is reduced, the cylinder volume is larger.If, on the other hand, the intermediate angle is increased, a dynamic flow effect is obtained in which the air is displaced from a location further out in the cylinder, towards the inside in the direction of the passage, during compression, when the stop register is supported.

[0069] [Fig. 10] shows a schematic side view of another alternative embodiment of an internal combustion engine 1e. In contrast to the embodiment shown in Figs. 4a - 4e, the angle between the directions of movement of the rotary piston 8a"", indicated by the arrows, and the stop register 6a'", at the intersection of the two circular paths in the annular cylinder 9a" is substantially smaller and is preferably between 40° and 80°. Compared to the embodiment of [Fig. 6], for example, the ends of the pistons may be flatter, so that only a correspondingly reduced radial force component is introduced into the bearings of the rotary pistons by the compression pressure or by the expansion pressure, and has to be supported there.

[0070] As a variant of the embodiments shown, an internal combustion engine If, ​​1g may also comprise three rotary pistons and thus three cylinders, as illustrated in FIGS. 11 and 12, and, for example, two rotary pistons are laterally adjacent to the piston disc and a third rotary piston is radially adjacent to the piston disc and arranged between the other rotary pistons. The central rotary piston may, as illustrated, be connected in a rotationally fixed manner, in particular in one piece, to one or both outer rotary pistons. The outer rotary pistons may be arranged on the same piston disc or on different piston discs and may be designed as compression pistons and as working pistons, just as in the embodiments described above.Preferably, the outer pistons always have the same function, i.e. they are both compression pistons with a centrally arranged working piston or working pistons with a centrally arranged compression piston. The cylinders of the three rotary pistons can all have different cross-sections. The outer cylinders are connected to the central cylinder by at least one passage. For the . cylinder of the central rotary piston, a stop register may be provided which has a movement component parallel to the axis of the output shaft(s), i.e. a horizontal movement from right to left or vice versa in a representation comparable to that of the embodiment of [Fig. 12]. In this case, several combustion chambers or passages spaced apart in the circumferential direction may be provided, in particular with a number corresponding to a multiple of 2, and the positions of the lateral rotary pistons and thus the positions of the stop registers may be arranged asymmetrically to compensate for the movement of the upper stop register.

[0071] As described above, the three rotary pistons do not necessarily have to be attached to a single piston disc. As long as synchronization is ensured by a connection by wheels, belts, etc., the axes of rotation of the pistons can also form an angle between them which deviates considerably from 0°.

[0072] [Fig. 13] shows a schematic side view of an embodiment of an internal combustion engine Ih comprising two passages 10a, 10b and two combustion chambers arranged in the passages 10a, 10b. In contrast to the embodiments presented previously, in the internal combustion engine Ih, two rotary pistons, preferably offset by 180° in the circumferential direction, are arranged in each of the two annular cylinders not shown here.

[0073] As an example, the rotary pistons 8f, 8g are designed as compression pistons and the rotary pistons 8h, 8i as working pistons. In addition, two shut-off valves 6f, 6i or 6g, 6h are assigned to each of the two annular cylinders, each on a different valve disc. The embodiment therefore corresponds to the embodiment of [Fig. 3], in which additional shut-off valves and a passage are provided at the bottom, in a mirror image of the above embodiment, and the two rotary pistons on either side of the piston disc each extend a shorter length in the circumferential direction. In the illustrated embodiment, the shut-off valves rotate at twice the speed of the rotary pistons. If a larger number of shut-off valves is provided on each valve disc, this ratio changes.With two stop registers per valve disc, the rotational speeds of the stop registers and rotary pistons are identical, with four stop registers per valve disc, the rotational speed of the stop registers is reduced to half that of the rotary pistons. The advantage of the embodiment illustrated in [Fig. 13] is that the piston end faces do not need to be as inclined, and the symmetrical design means that the forces are more balanced. The corresponding formula for the rotational speed ratio between the stop registers and rotary pistons is: number of pistons in the cylinder for which the observed valve disc is responsible / number of stop registers of the observed valve disc. The illustration in [Fig. 13] is only schematic and serves for illustrative purposes. for illustration purposes only; however, the mutual positioning of the moving elements is not precisely synchronized. Another advantage of an embodiment with two or more passages is that it allows for better design / adjustment of the stroke / piston cross-section ratio.

[0074] The individual features described with regard to the different embodiments can be combined without any problems. Thus, for example, at least one compact rotary piston as shown in [Fig. 8] as well as at least one rotary piston as shown in [Fig. 1] or 6 can be arranged on a piston disc. A staging according to the embodiment example of [Fig. 6] can also be provided for only some of the rotary pistons, i.e. for one rotary piston out of a total of two rotary pistons or for one or two rotary pistons out of a total of three rotary pistons. More generally, rotary pistons of different diameters can also be provided on a piston disc.

[0075] Figures 14a to 14d show different possibilities for positioning a valve disc relative to a piston disc. Since these are fundamental design variations which are not limited to the valve disc of a compression cylinder or a working cylinder, for example, general reference numbers are used for the piston disc 7 with the rotary piston 8, the output shaft 4, the valve disc 5 and the stop registers 6.

[0076] As can be seen from the schematic sectional illustrations, the rotation axis 17 of the valve disc 5, in this type of inclination (which is the first type of inclination described later), may have different angles, preferably different from 90°, with respect to the axis of the output shaft 4. For example, in the case of a planar valve disc 5, the angle between the plane of the valve disc 5 and the axis of the output shaft 4 may be greater than or equal to 10°. Preferably, the angle is greater than or equal to 40°, more preferably greater than or equal to 60°. In the case of a non-planar valve disc, for example a bowl-shaped valve disc, this corresponds to an angle between the axis of the output shaft and the axis of the valve disc less than or equal to 80°, preferably less than or equal to 50° and most preferably less than or equal to 30°.But preferably, in this case, as shown in Figures 14a to 14c, it is envisaged that the stop register 6 is oriented parallel to the axis of the output shaft 4 at the point where it intersects the piston cylinder 8. To achieve this, the stop register 6 may project from the plane of the valve disc 5 at an intermediate angle of between 90° and 0°. Independently of the positioning of the valve disc 5 relative to the piston disc 7, the stop register 6 may, for example, project from the valve disc 5 at an angle of at least 45°, preferably at least 60° and more particularly at least 80° or equal to 90°. In the case of a non-planar valve disc, this corresponds to an angle between the stop register and the axis of the lower valve disc. or equal to 45°, preferably less than or equal to 30° and more particularly less than or equal to 10°. Alternatively, as shown in [Fig.l4d], the stop register 6 may be arranged in the plane of the valve disc 5.

[0077] The positioning possibilities described with respect to Figures 14a to 14d are applicable to all embodiments described previously. Furthermore, in one embodiment, one valve disc may have a different positioning / different intermediate angles relative to the piston disc than another valve disc, which in particular allows adaptation of the design to the different pressures in the compression cylinder and in the working cylinder.

[0078] Alternatively, shut-off dampers can also be provided which, in a sectional illustration according to FIGS. 14a to 14d, have a path that is curved and / or bent one or more times. In these embodiments, there is no unambiguous angle relative to the valve disc. However, as in the embodiments of FIGS. 14a to 14c, the shut-off dampers protrude relative to the valve disc in the direction of the valve disc axis.

[0079] One, several or all of the valve discs may further be inclined according to a second type of inclination. According to the first type of inclination, the valve disc or the mutually parallel planes in which the valve disc and its stop registers rotate, may be inclined at a tangent of the valve disc in the area of ​​the overlap of the stop registers with the piston / cylinder path or in the vicinity of said area. Preferably, the tangent may be located only in the approximate area of ​​the stop registers or the edge of the valve disc and is not limited to the outermost edge. The tangent is further advantageously parallel to the plane or planes of the valve disc and perpendicular to a radius of the axis of the valve disc.The first type of inclination is therefore that in which the valve disc, including the stop register(s), is inclined on its tangent in the area of ​​the interface with the corresponding cylinder / corresponding piston path.

[0080] The first type of inclination can be measured by the angle between the straight line which passes through the area of ​​the interface with the cylinder or the corresponding piston path and perpendicularly through the axis of the valve disc (which can also be imaginary at this location) and the plane (or planes between which the pistons rotate and whose axis perpendicularly intersects the planes) of the corresponding pistons / piston paths.

[0081] The following angles are defined for the case where the starting point (e.g. for the inclination to the tangent) is the moment when the straight line described above is parallel to the described plane of the piston disc or to the planes between which the pistons rotate. The above angle may preferably be less than or equal to 80°, advantageously less than or equal to 50° and particularly preferably less than or equal to 30°.

[0082] According to the second type of inclination, the valve disc is inclined about an (imaginary) axis which passes through the area of ​​the interface of the valve disc / stop register with the corresponding piston path and through the axis of the valve disc and intersects it perpendicularly (similar to a radius). The second type of inclination is therefore that in which the valve disc, including the stop register(s), is inclined about the straight line which passes through the area of ​​the interface with the corresponding cylinder / corresponding piston path - and perpendicularly through the (possibly imaginary) axis of the valve disc (in the case of flat and not bowl-shaped valve discs, similar to the representation of the radius of the valve disc at the interface).

[0083] The second type of inclination can be measured by the angle between the tangent of the valve disk in the area of the corresponding valve disk / cylinder interface and the plane (the planes between which the pistons rotate and whose axis cuts the planes perpendicularly) of the corresponding pistons / piston trajectories.

[0084] If the angle is 0°, the plane and the tangent are parallel. The aforesaid angle is preferably greater than or equal to 5°, advantageously greater than or equal to 20° and particularly preferably equal to 45°.

[0085] The presence of one or more types of inclination can be recognized by the fact that the tangent and / or the straight line (radius) is or is not planar / parallel to the plane of the piston trajectory, so that a type of inclination can be excluded, if necessary.

[0086] If, instead of the radius mentioned above, straight lines are taken, these (if the valve disks are inclined) will cut the plane(s) in all cases and the angle can then be measured at this location.

[0087] The main objective of these two types of inclination is to allow the stop registers to cross the cylinders only once and to otherwise give the cylinder as much space as possible. This provides significant degrees of freedom for the design / sizing of the (transverse sections of the) cylinders, which is significant for the operation of the engine.

[0088] Due to the special orientation of the valve discs relative to the piston path, the gas pressure forces are advantageously directed towards the bearings. In addition, the gas pressure forces are also partially distributed over the circumference of the shut-off valve and the valve disc, which provides advantages for stability and therefore for weight.

[0089] The fact that the stop registers can protrude from the valve discs applies here just as for the first type of inclination. The two types of inclination can be combined with each other and are applicable to all embodiments. List of reference signs

[0090] la, 1b, le, Id, le, If, 1g, Ih internal combustion engine

[0091] 2 crankcase

[0092] 3 base

[0093] 4, 4', 4", 4"', 4a, 4a' output shaft

[0094] 5, 5a, 5b, 5a', 5b' valve disc

[0095] 6, 6a, 6b, 6a', 6b', 6a", 6b", 6a'", 6c, 6d, 6e, 6c', 6d', 6e', 6f, 6g, 6h, 6i stop register

[0096] 7, 7', 7", 7'", 7"", 7.....piston disc

[0097] 8, 8a, 8b, 8a', 8b', 8a", 8b", 8a'", 8b'", 8a"", 8c, 8d, 8e, 8c', 8d', 8e', 8f, 8g, 8h, 8i piston rotary

[0098] 9a, 9b, 9a', 9b', 9a" annular cylinder

[0099] 10, 10', 10", 10a, 10b passage

[0100] 11, 11' entrance opening

[0101] 12, 12' exit opening

[0102] 13 gas mixture

[0103] 14a, 14b, 14c, 14d staging

[0104] 15 tilt angle

[0105] 16 intermediate angle

[0106] 17 axis of rotation

Claims

Claims

1. An internal combustion engine (la; 1b; le; Id; le; If; 1g; Ih) for generating mechanical drive power by combustion of a fuel, comprising two or three rotary pistons (8; 8a; 8b; 8a'; 8b'; 8a"; 8b"; 8a'"; 8b'"; 8a""; 8c; 8d; 8e; 8c'; 8d'; 8e'; 8f; 8g; 8h; 8i) connected in a rotationally fixed manner to an output shaft (4; 4'; 4"; 4'"; 4a; 4a'), which are each arranged in a rotationally movable manner in a respective annular cylinder (9a; 9b; 9a'; 9b'; 9a"), at least one passage (10; 10'; 10"; 10a; 10b) between the annular cylinders (9a; 9b; 9a'; 9b'; 9a"), and a respective movable stop damper (6; 6a; 6b; 6a'; 6b'; 6a"; 6b"; 6a'"; 6c; 6d; 6e; 6c'; 6d'; 6e'; 6f; 6g; 6h; 6i) for temporarily closing the cylinders (9a; 9b; 9a'; 9b'; 9a") adjacent to the passage (10; 10'; 10"; 10a; 10b), wherein the stop dampers (6; 6a; 6b; 6a'; 6b'; 6a"; 6b"; 6c; 6d; 6e; 6c'; 6d' ;6th' ; 6f ; 6g ; 6h ; 6i) are arranged on a rotatably mounted valve disc (5; 5a; 5b; 5a'; 5b'), characterized in that the axes of rotation of the valve discs (5; 5a; 5b; 5a'; 5b') are arranged offset and / or at an angle relative to the rotary pistons (8; 8a; 8b; 8a'; 8b'; 8a"; 8b"; 8a'"; 8a""; 8c; 8c'; 8d; 8d'; 8e; 8e'; 8f; 8g; 8h; 8i) such that the stop registers (6; 6a; 6b; 6a'; 6b'; 6a"; 6b"; 6a'"; 6c; 6d; 6e; 6c'; 6d'; 6e'; 6f; 6g; 6h; 6i) temporarily cross the cylinders (9a; 9b; 9a'; 9b'; 9a") during one rotation of the valve discs (5; 5a; 5b; 5a'; 5b') and thus close them on one side or completely.;

2. Internal combustion engine (la; 1b; le; Id; le; If; 1g; Ih) according to claim 1, characterized in that the passage (10; 10'; 10"; 10a; 10b) between the cylinders (9a; 9b; 9a'; 9b'; 9a") is designed as a combustion chamber, in particular with an ignition device for the fuel.

3. Internal combustion engine (la; 1b; le; Id; le; If; 1g; Ih) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that a first rotary piston is designed as a compression piston (8b; 8b'; 8b"; 8b'"; 8f; 8g) in a compression cylinder (9b; 9b'), and a second rotary piston is designed as a working piston (8a; 8a'; 8a"; 8a'"; 8a""; 8h; 8i) in a working cylinder (9a; 9a'; 9a"), the pistons rotary (8a; 8b; 8a'; 8b'; 8a"; 8b"; 8a'"; 8b'"; 8a""; 8f; 8g; 8h; 8i) being arranged offset from each other in the direction of rotation.

4. Internal combustion engine (la; 1b; le; Id; le; If; 1g; Ih) according to claim 3, characterized in that the working piston (8a; 8a'; 8a"; 8a'"; 8a""; 8h; 8i) is arranged offset upstream of the compression piston (8b; 8b'; 8b"; 8b'"; 8f; 8g) in the direction of rotation.

5. Internal combustion engine (la; 1b; le; Id; le; If; 1g) according to claim 3 or 4, characterized in that a stop register (6b; 6b'; 6b") in the compression cylinder (9b; 9b') is arranged downstream of the passage (10; 10') in the direction of rotation of the compression piston (8b; 8b'; 8b"; 8f; 8g), and a stop register (6a; 6a'; 6a") in the working cylinder (9a; 9a') is arranged upstream of the passage (10; 10') in the direction of rotation of the working piston (8a; 8a'; 8a"; 8a'"; 8a""; 8h; 8i).

6. Internal combustion engine (la; 1b; le; Id; le; If; 1g; Ih) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that several compression cylinder shut-off valves and several working cylinder shut-off valves are each arranged on a common valve disc.

7. Internal combustion engine (la; 1b; le; Id; le; If; 1g; Ih) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the rotary pistons (8a; 8b; 8a'; 8b'; 8a"; 8b"; 8a'"; 8b'"; 8a""; 8c; 8d; 8e; 8c'; 8d'; 8e'; 8f; 8g; 8h; 8i) have an angular, in particular rectangular or triangular, or rounded cross-section.

8. Internal combustion engine (la; 1b; 1c; 1d; 1g) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the rotary pistons (8a; 8b; 8a'; 8b'; 8c'; 8e') are designed inclined relative to each other in the radial direction.

9. Internal combustion engine (1b; 1d) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a first rotary piston (8b1; 8b'") has a cross-section which reduces in the opposite direction to the direction of rotation, and / or a second rotary piston (8a1; 8a'") has a cross-section which reduces in the direction of rotation, each in particular with a continuous or graduated cross-section reduction.

10. Internal combustion engine (la; 1b) according to one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that an inlet opening (11; 11') for fresh gases is provided in the compression cylinder (9b; 9b') downstream of the shut-off register (6b; 6b'; 6b") in the direction of rotation of the rotary pistons (8a; 8b; 8a'; 8b'), and an outlet opening (12; 12') for exhaust gases is provided in the working cylinder (9a; 9a') upstream of the shut-off register (6a; 6a'; 6a").

11. Internal combustion engine according to one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that a valve or a slide valve is provided to close the passage.

12. A method of operating an internal combustion engine, in particular an internal combustion engine according to one of claims 1 to 11, characterized by the following steps: - closing a compression cylinder by means of a shut-off valve crossing the compression cylinder in the direction of rotation of the compression piston downstream of a passage to a working cylinder, and closing the passage in the working cylinder by the working piston, - compressing fresh gases in the passage and / or between the compression piston and the shut-off valve, - igniting a fuel in the compressed fresh gases, - expanding the heated gases in the working cylinder while transferring mechanical power to the working piston.

13. A method according to claim 12, characterized in that before or shortly after ignition of the fuel, the passage is closed by the compression piston.

14. Method according to claim 12 or 13, characterized in that before the expansion of the heated gases or before the introduction of the compressed gases into the working cylinder, the working cylinder is closed by means of a stop register upstream of the passage in the direction of rotation of the working piston.

15. Method according to one of claims 12 to 14, characterized in that the passage is temporarily closed by the compression piston and by the working piston simultaneously.

16. Method according to one of claims 12 to 15, characterized in that before ignition and before the compression piston closes the passage, the compressed fresh gases are introduced into the working cylinder.

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