Rotary Device Reciprocating Vane Seals
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Rotary engines face significant sealing challenges due to high pressures and temperatures, leading to friction and premature seal failure, which has hindered their widespread adoption despite potential advantages in efficiency and compactness over traditional reciprocating piston engines.
Innovation Solution
A rotary device design featuring a stator with a cam surface, a rotor with a sleeve and hub, and vanes with multiple sealing edges and resilient seals that engage with the sleeve, hub, and cam surface to create a dynamic seal, minimizing friction and leakage while accommodating thermal expansion.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If tighter sealing is used in rotary engines, then sealing effectiveness is improved, but friction increases and seal failure occurs prematurely
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs dynamic sealing elements including spring-loaded retainers and resilient seals that automatically adjust to thermal expansion and pressure changes. The seals are designed to maintain optimal contact pressure throughout operation, increasing reliability without causing excessive friction through rigid tight fitting
Solution Approach 2:
The sealing system utilizes materials and designs that adapt to changing temperature and pressure parameters. The resilient seals and spring mechanisms allow the sealing characteristics to change dynamically with operating conditions, maintaining effectiveness across varying parameters while controlling friction
2Reliability
If close tolerances and accurate machining are used to seal leakage, then sealing is improved for lower pressure applications, but thermal expansion and unequal heating cause sealing failure in high temperature applications
Solution Approach 1:
The patent explicitly addresses thermal expansion through the use of resilient seals and spring-loaded retainers that compensate for dimensional changes in the rotor and housing. The design allows for unequal heating and non-uniform expansion without compromising the sealing of combustion chambers across varying thermal conditions
3Device complexity
If rotary engines are designed with simpler structure, then mechanical efficiency and compactness are improved, but sealing complexity increases due to complex-shaped combustion chambers
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the sealing function into multiple specialized components: radial seals for the rotor-housing interface, axial seals for the combustion chamber interfaces, and spring-loaded retainers for pressure compensation. This segmentation allows each sealing element to be optimized for its specific function, achieving reliable combustion chamber sealing without excessive overall structural complexity
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 design achieves effective sealing of combustion chambers in rotary devices, reducing friction and improving reliability, enabling the rotary device to operate efficiently across varying temperatures and pressures.
Implementation Method 1
resilient seals that engage with the sleeve, hub, and cam surface to create a dynamic seal, minimizing friction and leakage while accommodating thermal expansion
Implementation Method 2
A 'piston' that is a snug fit when the rotary engine has just been started will become tighter and tighter as it heats. A further complication is that unequal heating of the various parts will lead to non-uniform expansion of the parts
Data Source
AI summary
A rotary device comprises a stator and a rotor. The stator has a cam surface. The rotor has a sleeve and a hub. There is a plurality of vanes reciprocatingly mounted on the rotor. There is a plurality of first longitudinal edge seals disposed on the sleeve. The first longitudinal edge seals each seal at least a portion of a first longitudinal edge of one of the vanes against the sleeve. There is a plurality of second longitudinal edge seals disposed on the hub. The second longitudinal edge seals each seal at least a portion of a second longitudinal edge of one of the vanes against the hub. There is a plurality of end edge seals. The end edge seals each seal a respective end edge of one of the vanes against the cam surface. The end edge seals each are in sealing engagement with respective ones of the first and second longitudinal edge seals.