Multi-Stack Rotary Engine Assembly with Common Gearbox
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Solution Overview
Problem
The assembly of multiple rotary engines is structurally challenging, particularly due to issues with engine carcass bending and bearing alignment, which negatively impacts the service life when more than four rotary internal combustion engines are assembled in line.
Innovation Solution
The engine assembly is configured with multiple stacks of rotary engines joined by a common gearbox or transmission, allowing for various configurations such as shared or dedicated turbocompounding systems, compressors, and accessory gearboxes to accommodate different power requirements, with each stack having its own intake and exhaust ports and seals, and a common turbine section for efficient energy production.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Power
If multiple rotary engines are assembled in line, then power output is increased, but structural stability deteriorates due to engine carcass bending and bearing alignment issues
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the assembly of multiple rotary engines into separate modular stacks, where each stack contains a subset of rotary engines (e.g., two stacks of three engines each). This segmentation reduces the bending moment and structural stress on individual engine assemblies, thereby improving reliability while maintaining increased power output through the combined stacks.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a common gearbox or transmission system as an intermediary component that couples multiple rotary engine stacks. This intermediary allows the stacks to be connected while maintaining proper alignment and reducing direct structural stress between engines, thus improving bearing alignment and overall structural stability.
2Power
If more than four rotary engines are assembled in line, then power requirements are met, but service life decreases due to bearing alignment issues
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the engine assembly into multiple stacks with fewer engines per stack (e.g., three engines per stack rather than more than four in a single line), the patent reduces bearing alignment issues and structural stress, thereby extending the service life of each rotary engine while still meeting overall power requirements through the combined output of multiple stacks.
Solution Approach 2:
The common gearbox acts as an intermediary that facilitates the connection of multiple stacks while maintaining proper bearing alignment. This intermediary component ensures that the rotational forces are properly transmitted without excessive misalignment, thus extending the service life of the rotary engines even when more than four engines are used in total.
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple rotary engine stacks are connected, then versatility in power distribution is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a universal common gearbox or transmission system that can accommodate multiple different configurations of rotary engine stacks. This universal intermediary component allows the same basic architecture to be adapted for various power distribution scenarios, thereby improving versatility without proportionally increasing complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
By organizing engines into standardized modular stacks that can be independently configured and then connected through the common gearbox, the patent achieves versatility in power distribution while keeping individual stack configurations relatively simple. The segmentation allows for flexible assembly arrangements without requiring complex integration of each individual engine.
Data Source
Figure 1a
Figure 1b~1c
Figure 2
AI summary
An engine assembly (10) has an engine core comprising at least two stacks (12, 14) of rotary internal combustion engines drivingly connected to a common load (16). The engine assembly (10) further comprises a compressor section (28,30) having an outlet in fluid communication with an inlet of the engine core, and a turbine section (32) having an inlet in fluid communication with an outlet of the engine core.