External Combustion Rotary Engine with Concentric Tracks
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing external combustion rotating engines are not fully rotational, as they primarily rely on pistons for mechanical movement and do not efficiently utilize water in closed systems for recirculation, limiting their operational efficiency and applicability.
Innovation Solution
A novel external combustion rotary engine design featuring a cylindrical housing with a central rotor, aligned impulse, expansion, vacuum, and compression tracks, equipped with guide tracks, track cams, lubricating crests, stators, steam and condensate ducts, and cooling systems, allowing for continuous rotation and efficient fluid recirculation, enabling the engine to operate with minimal water usage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If traditional piston-based external combustion engines are used, then mechanical movement can be achieved, but continuous rotation and operational efficiency are limited
Solution Approach 1:
The engine is divided into four distinct tracks (impulse, expansion, vacuum, compression) arranged concentrically around the rotor. Each track performs a specific function in the thermodynamic cycle, allowing continuous operation by sequencing these segments around the rotation cycle. This segmentation enables the engine to maintain continuous rotation while improving operational efficiency through optimized thermodynamic processes.
Solution Approach 2:
The engine employs dynamic track cams that rotate with the rotor, transforming linear piston motion into rotational motion dynamically. The track cams continuously adjust the position and timing of piston movement within each track, enabling smooth transitions between expansion, compression, vacuum, and impulse phases. This dynamic mechanism maintains constant rotation speed and enhances operational efficiency by optimizing the timing of thermodynamic processes.
2Force
If pistons are used for mechanical movement, then force generation is achieved, but water recirculation and adaptability are limited
Solution Approach 1:
The rotor serves multiple functions simultaneously: it acts as the rotating shaft, the housing for the four tracks, the collector for steam and condensate, and the driver for the track cams. The steam and condensate ducts are integrated into the rotor structure, allowing the same component to handle both force generation and fluid recirculation. This multi-functionality enhances adaptability while maintaining effective force generation through the piston-track-cam system.
Solution Approach 2:
The track cams act as intermediaries between the piston motion and the rotor rotation. They transform the linear reciprocating motion of the pistons into continuous rotational motion of the rotor, while also facilitating the transfer of steam and condensate between different tracks. This intermediary mechanism enables efficient fluid recirculation and enhances the engine's adaptability to different operating conditions while maintaining effective force transmission.
3Speed
If steam is injected repeatedly, then rotor speed is maintained, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The engine maintains continuous rotation by continuously injecting steam into the impulse track and sequentially through the other tracks in a repeating cycle. The vacuum track continuously removes exhaust gases, and the compression track continuously compresses the working fluid. This continuous cyclic operation maintains constant rotor speed without requiring complex control systems, as the thermodynamic cycle naturally progresses through its phases in sequence around the rotation.
Solution Approach 2:
The engine operates through periodic cyclic action, with steam injection, expansion, vacuum, and compression occurring in repeated sequences around the rotor rotation. Each cycle follows a fixed temporal and spatial pattern determined by the rotor's rotation and the positioning of the four tracks. This periodic action maintains stable rotor speed while keeping the system relatively simple, as the repeating cycle eliminates the need for complex variable control mechanisms.
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention describes an external combustion rotary engine, which, due to the separate combustion chamber of the engine, is possible the operation at a lower temperature than those internal combustions, therefore, the engine efficiency is greater. Another characteristic presented by the external combustion rotary engine is that it has concentric expansion chambers and through cams that have a rotor, it is possible to take advantage of the expansion force of the working fluid. The external combustion rotary engine is of closed-cycle operation, so the consumption of additional water is reduced as work fluid since the amount of water within the system is sufficient. Finally, it is worth mentioning that the external combustion rotary engine, thanks to its operation principle, can be applied in the electric power generation field.