Rotary Engine Rotor Recess Geometry for Multi-Fuel Combustion

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Solution Overview

Problem

Rotary engines face challenges in accommodating different fuel types, particularly sustainable aviation fuels (SAFs) due to their non-standardized compositions, which affect combustion performance and efficiency.

Innovation Solution

A rotary engine rotor design with customizable recess configurations, either integrally formed or selectively attachable recess members, optimized for specific fuel types, allowing for universal compatibility and performance optimization.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the rotor uses a fixed recess geometry optimized for conventional aviation fuels, then combustion performance is optimized for standardized fuels, but combustion performance deteriorates when using non-standardized sustainable aviation fuels

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecombustion performanceVSAvoidfuel type compatibility
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The rotor is segmented into a base rotor body and interchangeable recess members. The recess members are separate components that can be attached to or removed from the rotor body, allowing different recess geometries to be swapped depending on the fuel type being used. This segmentation enables the system to maintain optimized combustion performance across different fuel types without requiring a completely different rotor design for each fuel.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The rotor system transitions from a static, fixed-geometry design to a dynamic, adjustable configuration. The ability to change recess members allows the rotor geometry to adapt dynamically to different fuel properties, optimizing combustion performance for each specific fuel type while maintaining versatility across multiple fuel options.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

2Adaptability or versatility

If the rotor includes interchangeable recess members for different fuel types, then fuel type compatibility is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefuel type compatibilityVSAvoid rotor structure
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The base rotor body is designed as a universal component that can accommodate multiple types of recess members. The attachment mechanism and overall rotor architecture are created to work with various recess geometries, allowing a single rotor platform to serve multiple fuel types. This universality reduces the need for entirely separate rotor designs for different fuels, thereby limiting the increase in overall device complexity.

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

Data Source

PatentEP4361396B1Rotary engine rotor and method
Publication Date: 2026.04.15 PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA CORP
  • EP4361396B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4361396B1 patent drawingFigure 2~3
  • EP4361396B1 patent drawingFigure 4A~4C

AI summary

A rotary engine rotor (32) and a method for supplying rotary engine rotors (32) are provided. The rotary engine rotor (32) has a center axis (44), a rotor body (40), a plurality of peripheral surfaces (42), and a plurality of recess members (66). The rotor body (40) has a central bore (46) that extends along the center axis (44). The plurality of peripheral surfaces (42) are disposed around an exterior perimeter of the rotor body (40). Each of the plurality of recess members (66) are disposed in a respective one of the plurality of peripheral surfaces (42). Each recess member (66) includes an interior cavity (70) open to an exterior of the rotor (32).