INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE

TECHNICAL FIELD

The claimed invention relates to engine building, particularly to internal combustion engines and may be successfully applied as a power-plant to cars, motorcycles, tractors, helicopters, household appliances and electric power industry (engineering).

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

There is known four-stroke engine with central combustion and symmetrical force variation (see the German patent DE3306352). It is a two-piston single-cylindered (with conjoined combustion chamber) orbital engine. The fuel feeding and exhaust of waste gas from combustion chamber are done through channels made in frontal sides of the rotating block of cylinders. Herewith, the surface contacting with rotating rim is sealed to provide compression in the combustion chamber and tightness during the pressure stroke and blowback. This joint occurs directly in the area of explosion and combustion and, therefore, faces the danger of early failure. The drawbacks of this construction are: difficulty in providing safe sealing of said joints and short life due to the intensive wear in the conditions of sliding fictions and high temperatures.

From the viewpoint of its essential features the most similar to the applied invention is a rotary cam internal combustion radial engine according to US patent US3964450, chosen as a prototype. Essentially it is an orbital internal combustion engine. It comprises a rim positioned on the rotating bearings and containing two races of closed centrally symmetrical configuration and a fixed block of six cylinders radially converging by their combustion chambers. In the cylinders there are placed pistons with press rollers contacting with the said orbital race of the rim. The engine comprises a gas distribution mechanism for cyclic opening and connection with combustion chambers of fuel-intake channels for fuel mixture and exhaust channels for waste gases. The gas distribution mechanism represents a set of pipes

with channels and ports, feeding combustion chambers with the fuel mixture at the corresponding sectors during the rotation and carrying away waste gases.

The drawbacks of the prototype are the complicated construction, low reliability and maintainability and short life. These drawbacks are caused by fuel feeding through the joints between rotating parts and necessity of providing simultaneous compression and herrniticity during pressure stroke and especially during the blowback in the combustion chambers. It is a great challenge, considering that the combustion chambers are positioned close to each other and to the sealed joints and undergo high pressure and temperatures. The said joints occur directly in the area of explosion and combustion and, therefore, face the danger of early failure. I.e. there takes place an increased wear (short life) of the critical parts, the replacement of which requires therewith nearly complete disassembly of the engine.

AIM OF THE INVENTION

The claimed invention is aimed to increase the reliability, life and maintainability of the engine.

DISCLOSUREE OF TFfE INVENTION (Novelty, inventive level)

For achievement of the said technical results, the internal combustion engine comprising: juxtaposed on rotating bearings a rim, comprising at least one orbital race of oval or any other closed centrally symmetrical configuration, and encircled by it a block of cylinders converging radially by their combustion chambers and comprising positioned inside of them pistons and press rollers interacting with the said orbital race; a gas distribution mechanism for cyclic opening of intake ports for fuel mixture and exhaust ports for waste gases and their communication with the combustion chambers is characterized with the following essential features: the rim is supplied with at least two additional races with cams positioned with the possibility of interaction with actuator arms of intake and exhaust spring-operated valves provided for the gas distribution mechanism and mounted on the block of cylinders; axes of the said spring-operated valves are arranged radially towards the center of the rotating bearings; the said spring-operated valves are arranged in line and radially towards the center of the rotating bearings; axes of the said spring-operated valves are arranged parallel to the cylinders; the said actuator arms of intake and exhaust spring-operated valves are provided

with rollers positioned with the possibility of interaction with the said cams of the additional races; profiles of the additional races and cams have a shape of a part of Mobius surface.

There is the following cause-effect connection between the distinctive features of the claimed inventions and the achieved technical results: The claimed orbital engine is provided with valves securing combustion chambers that is especially important at the moments of explosion and working stroke. These valves are well-known and of the traditional, tested design and are used extensively in piston engines. Its operating principle provides hermiticity of combustion chambers through their pressing by means of springs to seal band without rotating and high speeds of friction under high temperatures (as distinct from those of the prototype). At the moment of explosion the valves are being pressed to the seal band stronger, securing thus compression. In the version with the rotating block of cylinders the joints, providing fuel intake are isolated from the combustion chambers by means of said valves and do not undergo intensive wear. The novelty of the claimed invention consists just in supplying the orbital engine with such valves positioned in the way providing control of cams executed on the additional races of the rim. The novelty also consists in the different arrangements of the blocks of valves for the different design versions of the engine. The possibility of replacement of the removable block of valves is achieved, that simplifies maintenance, regulation and service. Therewith the possibility of two alternate versions of engine - with fixed block of cylinders (and rotating rim) and with rotating block of cylinders is achieved. In case of the last version the design of rotating joints is simplified, high pressures are not brought about by high temperatures and speeds, because the combustion chambers are safely closed by valves.

The said combination of essential features characterizing the claimed engine is not known in the prior art and does not explicitly follow from it. The only presence of the essential features in the claimed invention makes possible the achievement of the aimed result.

EXAMPLES OF THE EMBODIMENTS

(Industrial applicability)

The essence of the invention is explained in drawings representing the following: Fig.l represents an engine with a fixed two-cylinder (coaxial) block and rotating rim, front section;

Fig.2 represents section A-A of the Fig.l;

Fig.3 represents engine with rotating 4-cylindered block and fixed rim, front section;

The engine with fixed block of cylinders and rotating rim, according to the claims, comprises block 1, two cylinders 2 executed in the said block of cylinders and two pistons 4 positioned so as to create combustion chambers 3. The combustion chambers 3 of cylinders 2 are connected permanently, therefore the said engine is actually one-cylindered but with two pistons and symmetrical force variation. Connecting rods 5 are hinged with the pistons 4, but on their other ends press rollers 6 are positioned. Single-armed supporting arms 7 positioned in the block of cylinders 1 are also connected with the rods 5. The rim 8 is positioned on the block of cylinders 1 on the rotating bearings 9. In the said engine the rim 8 represents an output link for power take-off. The orbital race 10 of oval, centrally symmetrical (towards the center of the rotating bearing of the rim 8) configuration is executed on the rim 8. The race 10 has a T-shaped section and contacts with the press rollers 6, The block of cylinders 1 is supplied with 2 removable blocks of valves 11 with the spring-operated intake valve 12 and exhaust valve 13. The valves are positioned at right angles to the cylinders 2, coaxially, mirrors facing each other, and on the minimal distance as near as a stroke of valves. Thus, the minimal residual volume of the connected combustion chamber is provided. Therefore this embodiment matches the diesel engine with a high-ratio compression with great success. The removable blocks of valves 11 are supplied with the actuator arms 14 with rollers 15 placed on them. The rollers for cyclic opening of valves contact with additional races 16 and 17 with cams 18 executed or fixed on the rim 8. Since the arms 14 have different angular locations during the work of engine, their profiles are executed as a part of Mobius surface for better contact of rollers 15 with the races 16, 17 and cams 18. The intake ports 19 for fuel mixture and exhaust ports 20 for waste gases are executed in the block of cylinders 1. An ignition plug 21 (for the petrol engine) is placed on the block of cylinders 1. Annular (or helical) grooves 22 for intake-output of cutting lubricant are arranged around the cylinders 2. The engine works as follows:

The rim 8 is turned by means of starter in order to start the engine. The oval orbital race 10 of the rim 8 actuates press rollers 6 and initiates reciprocating movement of the pistons 4. Simultaneously, cams 18 of additional races 16 and 17 actuate press rollers 15 and actuator arms 14 and execute cyclic opening of spring-operated valves 12 and 13. Thus a four-stroke working cycle of the engine takes part: intake of fuel mixture, compression, explosion with expansion (working stroke) and exhaust of waste gases. Herewith, during the working stroke the combustion chamber is safely closed by means of spring-operated valves 12 and 13. The rotation and driving moment are taken from the rim 8.

The engine with fixed rim and rotating block of cylinders comprises block 23 with four cylinders 24 fixed on it and four pistons 26 positioned so as to create combustion chambers 26. Connecting rods 27 are hinged with the pistons 26, but on their other ends press rollers 28 are positioned. Single-armed supporting arms 29 positioned in the cylinders 24 are also connected with the rods 27. The block of cylinders 23 is positioned on the fixed rim 30 in the rotating bearings (are not shown on the figure). In the said engine the block of cylinders 23 represents an output link for power take-off. The orbital race 31 of oval or epitrochoidal, centrally symmetrical (towards the center of the rotating bearing of the block of cylinders 23) configuration is executed on the rim 30. The race 31 has a T-shaped section and contacts with the press rollers 28. The block of cylinders 23 is supplied with 8 removable blocks of valves 32, two per each cylinder 24, with the spring-operated intake valves 33 and exhaust valves 34. Valve blocks 32 are arranged along the axis of the engine one after another by two (that is why the second block is not shown on the figure) and parallel the cylinders 24. Correspondingly, grooves 35 of minimal necessary volume, being extension of combustion chambers 25, are executed on the block of cylinders 23. The valves 33 and 34 are supplied with actuator arms 36 with rollers 37 mounted on them. The last, provided for cyclic opening of valves, contact races with cams 38 executed or fixed on the rim 3O.The races with cams 38 are at least two: one for interaction with the intake valves 33 and executing the correspondent cycle, but another for interaction with the exhaust valves 34. The ports 39 for intake of fuel mixture and exhaust of waste gases are executed in the block of cylinders 24. The engine is supplied with a fixed frontal collecting disk 40 contacting with the block of cylinders 24 for fuel feeding into the rotating block of cylinders 23 and exhaust of waste gases. Ignition plugs 41 (for the petrol engine) are placed on the block of cylinders 23, but the last is supplied with the collector 42 to provide ignition plugs 41 with electric tension. The work of this engine is analogous to the work of the previous one, with the difference, that rotation and driving moment are taken from the block of cylinders 23.

Test samples possessing the essential features of the claims have been produced. They proved the effectiveness of the said design features for the achievement of the assigned aim.