Counter-Rotating Piston Engine for Friction Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing rotary piston internal combustion engines face issues with one-sided axial and radial loads on the rotor shafts, leading to reduced service life and high wear, as well as high heat losses and friction due to the use of seals and lubrication, which limits their performance and efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A lubrication-free rotary piston engine design featuring centrally mounted, counter-rotating rotor units with mirror-symmetrically arranged piston sections that mesh without contact, reducing friction losses and distributing radial loads evenly, thus eliminating the need for lubrication and seals.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If traditional rotary piston engines use seals and lubrication to reduce friction, then friction losses are reduced, but heat losses increase and device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts and removes the combustion chamber from the working area, placing it in a separate location. This allows the working pistons to operate in a cool environment without direct exposure to high temperatures, eliminating the need for heat-resistant materials and cooling systems while reducing heat losses.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention introduces a closing piston as an intermediary element that separates the high-temperature combustion chamber from the working area. The closing piston moves to seal the combustion chamber during combustion and opens to allow the working medium to act on the working pistons, mediating between the heat source and the working medium.
2Loss of energy
If traditional rotary piston engines use seals and lubrication to reduce friction, then friction losses are reduced, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts and removes the combustion chamber from the working area, placing it in a separate location. This allows the working pistons to operate in a cool environment without direct exposure to high temperatures, eliminating the need for heat-resistant materials and cooling systems while reducing heat losses.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention introduces a closing piston as an intermediary element that separates the high-temperature combustion chamber from the working area. The closing piston moves to seal the combustion chamber during combustion and opens to allow the working medium to act on the working pistons, mediating between the heat source and the working medium.
3Power
If one-sided axial and radial loads act on rotor shafts during rotation, then expansion work is performed, but service life is reduced and wear increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention employs counter-rotating rotor units that generate opposing centrifugal forces and loads. The counter-rotation balances the axial and radial loads on the rotor shafts, preventing one-sided loading and reducing wear on bearings and shafts, thereby extending service life while maintaining power output.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This design significantly reduces loads on the output shaft, increases compression ratio by up to 30 times, and achieves higher speeds and torques, with potential fuel savings of up to 35% compared to conventional engines, while minimizing friction and heat losses.
Implementation Method 1
the piston sections of two adjacent disks compress a charge of fuel-air mixture in an annular cylinder chamber
Implementation Method 2
ignition of which is carried out by a spark plug
Implementation Method 3
The combustion chamber is designed to adjoin the annular cylinder chamber in such a way that the expanding hot gases act directly on the working piston
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~5
Figure 3~4
AI summary
The engine has control rotor unit (20) and working rotor unit (40) mounted in housing in parallel. The rotor units have rotatable shafts (21,41), circular torque-proof discs (24,42) and pistons (24a,42a). The identical piston portions (24b,42b) of pistons are provided in ring sections or annular segments form and arranged on disc front end in mirror-symmetric manner. The spacing between rotational axes of rotor units is equal to sum of outer and inner radii of adjacent pistons. An intersection region is formed for reciprocally meshing contact of pistons during piston rotation.