Rotary Engine Piston Vane Self-Alignment via Peddle Block

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional four-stroke piston-driven engines are inefficient, requiring high-octane fuels, producing significant vibrations, and having limited RPM ranges, weight, and complexity, with rotary engines also suffering from low efficiency and vibrations due to multiple strokes and complex moving parts.

Innovation Solution

A rotary engine with a single positive motion stroke, featuring a piston with a piston vane and a unidirectional bearing that prevents rotation during combustive force injection, and a peddle block that causes self-alignment through secondary exhaust pressure, allowing for efficient operation with various fuels and reduced complexity.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If a four-stroke piston-driven engine is used, then the engine can operate with multiple strokes (intake, compression, power, exhaust), but the efficiency is reduced to 25% or less due to three non-power strokes

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveengine efficiencyVSAvoidnumber of strokes
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSDuration of action of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The engine cycle is segmented into only two essential phases: a power stroke where fuel combustion drives the piston, and an exhaust stroke where exhaust gases are expelled. This segmentation eliminates the non-productive intake and compression strokes, achieving approximately 50% theoretical efficiency by ensuring every stroke contributes to power generation or necessary exhaust functions.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The invention inverts the conventional four-stroke sequence by starting directly with the power stroke rather than the intake stroke. This inversion allows the engine to begin each cycle immediately with fuel combustion, eliminating the need for separate intake and compression phases and thereby improving overall efficiency.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

2Power

If conventional four-stroke engines are used, then they can produce power, but they require high-octane fuels to minimize knocking and pre-ignition

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepower outputVSAvoidfuel type flexibility
Core Design Contradiction:
PowerVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The engine design changes critical parameters including compression ratio, combustion chamber geometry, and ignition timing to enable efficient combustion of lower-octane fuels. By optimizing these parameters, the engine achieves reliable operation with various fuel types without requiring high-octane gasoline, thereby improving fuel versatility while maintaining power output.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Productivity

If four-stroke engines with multiple moving parts are used, then they can complete the full engine cycle, but the weight increases to hundreds of pounds and complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveengine cycle completionVSAvoidnumber of moving parts
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The invention extracts and eliminates non-essential moving parts from the conventional four-stroke engine design. By removing components such as the intake valve train, camshafts, and other complex mechanisms associated with the intake and compression strokes, the engine achieves the necessary cycle completion with significantly reduced part count and weight.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The piston serves multiple functions: it generates power during combustion, facilitates exhaust gas expulsion, and maintains sealing between combustion chambers. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate components for each stroke function, reducing overall device complexity while maintaining complete engine cycle operation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

4Duration of action of stationary object

If rotary engines with multiple strokes are used, then they can operate continuously, but substantial vibrations occur due to pistons traveling in an elliptical oblong orbit

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecontinuous operationVSAvoidvibrations
Core Design Contradiction:
Duration of action of stationary objectVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The engine employs periodic firing sequences where multiple pistons are ignited in succession at regular intervals. This periodic action smooths out the power delivery and reduces vibrations by distributing the force impulses evenly throughout the rotation, eliminating the elliptical orbital vibration problem while maintaining continuous operation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #19Periodic action

5Ease of operation

If rotary engines with complex moving parts are used, then they can track and align pistons, but the maximum RPM range is limited and reliability decreases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepiston tracking and alignmentVSAvoidmaximum RPM capability
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSSpeed

Solution Approach 1:

The pistons are designed with self-aligning features that automatically position them correctly during rotation without requiring external tracking mechanisms. The piston geometry and bearing surfaces work together to ensure proper alignment through self-service, eliminating the need for complex planetary gear sets or camshaft-based tracking systems, thereby enabling higher RPM operation and improved reliability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

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

The solution enhances engine efficiency, reduces weight and vibrations, and increases RPM capability by eliminating unnecessary strokes and complex parts, enabling operation on diverse fuels without the need for high-octane fuels.

Implementation Method 1

a unidirectional bearing operationally coupled to the piston, wherein the piston is configured to allow the piston vane to rotate and the unidirectional bearing prevents the piston vane from rotating during a combustive force or a thrust force injection

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectCombustion: Combustion

Implementation Method 2

as the piston vane approaches the peddle block a secondary exhaust pressure increases against the piston vane surface, the secondary exhaust pressure, in part, causes the piston vane to rotate and self-align for a subsequent cycle

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectPressure differential: Pressure Gradient

Data Source

PatentUS8931455B2Rotary engine
Publication Date: 2015.01.13 HUGHSTON BOOTS ROLF TTEE
  • US8931455B2 patent drawing
  • US8931455B2 patent drawing
  • US8931455B2 patent drawing

AI summary

The present invention relates to an improved rotary engine having one positive motion stroke, the rotary engine comprising at least one of a piston having at least one piston vane. At least one of a unidirectional bearing is operationally coupled to the piston, wherein the piston is configured to allow the piston vane to rotate and the unidirectional bearing prevents the piston vane from rotating during a combustive force or a thrust force injection. A peddle block is positioned in the pathway of the piston vane, wherein as the piston vane approaches the peddle block a secondary exhaust pressure increases against the piston vane surface, the secondary exhaust pressure, in part, causes the piston vane to rotate and self-align for a subsequent cycle. Other exemplary embodiments allow for a secondary exhaust pressure to rotate a piston vane causing the piston vane to self-aligning for the next cycle.