Description

STEAM ENGINE WITH ROTATING PISTON AND THE MANNER OF COOLING AND LUBRICATING THEREOF

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to steam engine with rotating piston designated for conversion of steam energy to mechanical energy.

Background Art

[0002] Conversion of energy of water steam or other steams and gases to mechanical energy is used in particular in piston engines with linear movement of piston, or in vane turbines. Disadvantages of engines with linear (reciprocating) movement of the piston are that the speed and direction of piston movement change continuously. Therefore part of the energy conveyed by the steam is continuously consumed for runup of the piston, for overcoming inertia of the piston and for movement of other, periodically moving parts of the machine. Effectiveness of such engines is relatively low. Steam turbines, performing rotation movement, have much higher effectiveness than piston engines with linear movement of the piston. Their disadvantage is that they work effectively only at high revolutions of the turbine and with steam, or gases, having high temperatures - above 300 degrees of Celsius and more. Also problematic regulation is their disadvantage. Also engines using the shape of piston and the principle of piston movement from Wankel engine, which piston performs rotation movement, are known for conversion of energy of water steam or other steams and gases to mechanical energy. Wankel engine is the engine with internal combustion that has proved also in practice. Some patents dealing with reworking Wankel engine with internal combustion to steam engine with external combustion are given hereinafter. The patent US4047856 describes individual parts of steam engine with rotating piston, while it does not solve cooling and lubrication of the engine, that would not deteriorate steam in the engine. The disadvantage of this design is that it places intake openings for steam into the lid of engine housing, whereby it decreases effectiveness of steam utilization. The patent DE4119242 deals with general description of block diagram of engine and accessories thereof as valves and steam distribution, condensation tank, pumps, steam source. The disadvantage is that it does not solve cooling and lubrication of the engine, as well it does not solve the issue of increasing engine effectiveness. The utility model DE20012430U solves only general intake valves of the engine and working cycles of the engine. The patent DE20110553U and US6508060B2 patent are equal as for their content and deals in particular with compactness of engine unit, high

efficiency of steam production at very high temperature, transportation thereof into the motor and back from the motor to steam generator. The disadvantage of this design is that the engine works with the same working cycles as the Wankel engine, works with very high temperatures, what influences life-time and price of used materials.

Disclosure of Invention

[0003] Mentioned disadvantages are eliminated to the substantial degree by the steam engine with rotating piston, according to the present invention, the substance whereof resides in that it is placed in thermally insulated envelope and composes of housing wherein at least one piston on shaft is provided. On the outside part of the housing, there are provided at least two intake valves and at least two exhaust valves, while intake manifold is connected through intake valves to the intake of propelling medium. Moreover, the engine composes of controlling unit connected to intake valves and exhaust valves, which is placed outside the housing.

[0004] The housing composes of at least one centre piece with internal profile of shortened epitrochoid shape, front casing and back casing, which are mutually connected by demountable coupling. There are provided openings for placing the shaft in the middle of the front casing and the back casing and at least one pair of intake openings and at least one pair of opposite exhaust openings.

[0005] The shaft of the engine is placed in the front casing by means of front bearing and by means of back bearing in the back casing. There is at least one eccentric cam for free placing of the rotating piston provided on the shaft and there is balancing element mounted on at least of one of the shaft's end.

[0006] On the inside wall of the housing, there is firmly mounted at least one pinion serving for guiding the piston, axis whereof is concentrically placed with the shaft's axis.

[0007] On at least one piston, the body thereof is bordered from the outside part by three arc sides without interconnecting cavity that are connecting to each other in apexes and two plane parallel heads.

[0008] There is provided internal toothing for rolling around pinion in the internal central part of the piston from one side and from the other side, there is concentrically provided piston bearing, by means whereof the piston is placed on eccentric cam.

[0009] Cooling and lubricating circuit is conducted out from intake manifold, connected to back bearing, piston bearing, front bearing and conducted back into intake manifold or into intake valves, while it encompass flow rectifier.

[0010] Cooling and lubricating circuit can compose of intake cooling and lubricating manifold with throttle valve which is conducted out from intake manifold and conducted back into intake cover provided on the outside part of the back casing con-

centrically with the shaft, of the system of cooling and lubricating ducts in the shaft, which are conducted out from internal space of intake cover and leads into the place of shaft touching the back bearing, front bearing and in the place of the shaft's eccentric cam touching the piston bearing and in the internal space of exhaust cover provided on the outside part of the front casing concentrically with the shaft, of the flow rectifier provided on the shaft in the internal space of exhaust cover and of the exhaust cooling and lubricating manifold, which is conducted out from internal space of exhaust cover and conducted into intake manifold or into intake valves.

[0011] There are radial springs provided in the grooves of apexes of the piston body together with radial seals and there are axial springs provided in the groves of the piston body head together with axial seals.

[0012] At least one surface of arc side of the piston body can be provided with cavity and/ or set of cavities with the profile of cavities.

[0013] The set of cavities can compose of etched grooves in the form of straight line and/or angular wavy lines and/or double angular wavy lines.

[0014] The set of cavities can compose of etched grooves in the form of square and/or circle placed symmetrically in parallel or alternately symmetrically.

[0015] The profile of cavities can have the shape of V letter and/or arc and/or square and/or trapezoid.

[0016] The engine casing is advantageously equipped by at least one draining valve and internal space thereof is equipped with seals in the places of openings for placing the shaft.

[0017] Front bearing, back bearing and piston bearing placed in the housing are filled with plastic lubricant.

[0018] Side walls of eccentric cam on the shaft are advantageously provided with bearing surfaces for fixing axial movement thereof.

[0019] The engine's shaft is advantageously interconnected with intake valves and exhaust valves at least by one belt or at least by one chain or at least by one cogwheel.

[0020] The propelling medium of the engine is used as cooling and lubricating medium thereof.

[0021] The advantage of this invention is that kinetic as well as pressure energy of the steam is utilised at conversion of energy to mechanical energy. The advantage of high number of exhaust openings in the engine housing is low counter-pressure of the steam on exhaust and at the same time, possibility to remove water drops from working chambers in each position of the engine. The advantage of providing the piston side surface with various sets of cavities with various profiles of cavities is the increase of piston side surface, increase of transferring kinetic and pressure energy of the steam into the piston and therefore also increase of steam engine effectiveness. The

advantage of the engine encompassing cooling and lubricating circuit is the increase of the engine's life-time. The advantage of cooling and lubricating circuit using propelling medium as cooling and lubricating medium is continuous availability of said medium, while thermal energy produced by friction is returned back into the engine.

Brief Description of Drawings

[0022] The solution is further elucidated on enclosed drawings, where:

[0023] Fig. 1 represent steam engine in assembled state;

[0024] Fig. 2 represents all parts of steam engine in disassembled state;

[0025] Fig. 3 represents cooling and lubricating circuit conducted out from intake manifold; [0026] Fig. 4 represents cooling and lubricating circuit conducted out from internal space of housing;

[0027] Fig. 5 represents various executions of sets of cavities and profiles of cavities; [0028] Fig. 6 represents individual working cycles of steam engine.

Mode(s) for Carrying Out the Invention

Mode l

[0029] Housing 2 of the engine 1 (Fig. 2) composes of centre piece 21 with internal profile of epitrochoid shape, wherein the pair of opposite intake openings 211 and the pair of opposite central exhaust openings 212 is provided, and the front casing 22 _^ wherein the pair of front exhaust openings 221 is provided, and back casing 23 _^ wherein the pair of back exhaust openings 231 is provided, which are mutually connected by demountable coupling. On the outside part of the casing 2, there are mounted two intake valves 5, while each of them is connected to one intake opening 211 and two exhaust valves 6, while each of them is connected to one central exhaust opening 212. to one front exhaust opening 221 and one back exhaust opening 231. The intake manifold 7 with regulation element 71 conveying propelling medium H is connected to intake valves 5 . Intake valves 5 and exhaust valves 6 are interconnected with controlling unit 9 placed outside the casing 2. There are provided openings, wherein the shaft 4 is placed by means of front bearing 222 and back bearing 232. in the front casing 22 and the back casing 23. In the middle part of the shaft 4, there is provided eccentric cam 41 and on one end thereof, there is mounted balancing element 42. On the inside part of the front casing 22, there is firmly mounted pinion 223 serving for guiding the piston 3, the axis whereof is concentrically placed with the shaft's axis 4. The rotating piston 3 is placed in the housing 2 by means of the shaft 4. The body 3_1 of the piston 3 is bordered from the outside part by three arc sides 311 without interconnecting cavity connecting to

each other in the apexes 313 and two plane parallel heads 312. There are radial springs 37 provided in the grooves of the apexes 313 together with radial seals 36 and there are axial springs 39 provided in the groves of the head 312 together with axial seals 38. There is provided ring 3 _^ 3 with internal toothing for rolling around the pinion 233 in the internal central part of the body 3_1 from one side and from the other side, there is provided concentrically placed piston bearing 32. The piston 3 is placed on the eccentric cam 41 of the shaft 4 by means of piston bearing 32. Cooling and lubricating circuit & is conveyed into the interior of the housing 2 from the intake manifold 7, conveying cooling and lubricating medium 89 identical to the propelling medium H. Cooling and lubricating circuit & composes of intake cooling and lubricating manifold 81 with throttle valve 82 which is conducted out from the intake manifold 7 and conducted into the intake cover 83 provided on the outside part of the back casing 23 concentrically with the shaft 4, of the system of cooling and lubricating ducts 84 provided in the shaft 4, which are conducted out from internal space of intake cover 83 and leads into the place of the shaft 4 touching the back bearing 232. front bearing 222 and in the place of eccentric cam 41 of the shaft 4 touching the piston bearing 32 and in the internal space of exhaust cover 85. provided on the outside part of front casing 22 concentrically with the shaft 4, of ventilator representing the flow rectifier 86 provided on the shaft 4 in the internal space of exhaust cover 85. and of exhaust cooling and lubricating manifold 87, which is conducted out from internal space of exhaust cover 85. and conducted into the intake manifold 7. In this example, steam is used as the propelling medium H as well as cooling and lubricating medium 89. The piston 3 in its various positions of rotation divides internal space of the housing 2 to the left chamber of the housing and the right part of the housing, internal space whereof is not mutually interconnected. As well, the piston 3 in some positions of rotation divides each of these chambers to upper and lower part. Processes of intake and expansion of steam take place cyclically in the lower part of left chamber and upper part of right chamber at dividing the chambers and the process of steam exhaust takes place in upper part of left chamber and lower part of right chamber and in each chamber in the moment it is not divided. During the process of steam intake, the intake valve 5 appertaining to respective part of the chamber, where this process is taking place, is open and intake flow of steam is coming through it to this part of the chamber, that simultaneously hits the side 311 of the body 31 of the piston 3 and gives it its kinetic energy. During the process of steam expansion, the intake valve 5 appertaining to respective part of the chamber, where this process takes place, is closed. The steam expands in this closed part of the chamber and transfers its pressure energy to the side 311 of the body .31 of the piston 3. During the process of steam intake and steam expansion, energy transferred to the side 311 of the body 31 of

the piston 3 forces the piston 3 to perform rotation movement in the housing 2 transferred to the shaft 4, by means whereof this movement is transferred out from the housing. During the process of steam exhaust, rotation movement of the piston causes reduction of internal space of appertaining part of the chamber and thus forces the steam to get out from this part of the chamber through appertaining exhaust valve 6. The position of piston at which left as well as right chambers are divided to lower and upper part is depicted on the Fig. 6a. In this phase, steam intake through open left intake valve 5 is taking place in lower left part, steam exhaust takes place in the left upper part and at the same time, expansion of steam takes place in the right upper part with closed right intake valve 5 and steam exhaust takes place in the right lower part. After another slewing of the piston 3 (Fig. 6b) in the clockwise direction, the piston gets into the position when the left chamber continue to be divided and the same processes as in the previous phase take place therein, but the right chamber is now undivided and only steam exhaust takes place therein with still closed right intake valve 5. After another slewing of the piston 3 (Fig. 6c) in the clockwise direction, the piston gets into the position when the left chamber continue to be divided, while steam expansion takes place in the left lower part with now closed left intake valve 5 and steam exhaust continue to take place in the left upper part and the right chamber is again divided, while steam intake takes place in the right upper part with again open right intake valve 5 and steam exhaust takes place in the right lower part. After another slewing of the piston 3 (Fig. 6d) in the clockwise direction, the piston gets into the position when the right chamber continue to be divided and the same processes as in the previous phase take place therein, but the left chamber is now undivided and only steam exhaust takes place therein with still closed left intake valve 5. After another slewing of the piston 3 in the clockwise direction, the piston gets into the position depicted on the Fig. 6a into the phase described on the beginning and the whole process repeats. The steam flows through cooling and lubricating circuit & by means of flow rectifier 86, which is realized by the ventilator, from the intake manifold 7 through intake cooling and lubricating manifold £1 and throttle valve 82 into internal space of intake cover 83, from there through cooling and lubricating ducts 84 to the back bearing 232. the piston bearing 32 and the front bearing 222. then into internal space of the exhaust cover 85 and finally through exhaust cooling and lubricating manifold 87 back into the intake manifold 7.

Mode 2 Mode 2 encompasses all elements as in the example 1 save elements of cooling and lubricating circuit S specified in the example 1. Cooling and lubricating circuit S in this example (Fig. 4) composes of three cooling and lubricating openings £8 in the body 3_1

of the piston 3 that are conducted from each block 311 and conducted into the piston bearing 32. [0032] In this example, the steam flows through cooling and lubricating circuit & through cooling and lubricating openings 8& compared to the example 1. The steam is flowing through cooling and lubricating openings 8& from internal space of chamber part to the piston bearing 32 and then through apertures also to the back bearing 232 and the front bearing 222 which neighbour in the given moment with the part of chamber, where intake or expansion of steam takes place. At the same time, the steam is flowing through cooling and lubricating openings 8& from the piston bearing 32 into internal part of the chamber which neighbours in the given moment with the part of chamber, where steam exhaust takes place.

Mode 3

[0033] The mode 3 encompasses all elements as the example 1 with the difference, that the surface of each arc side 311 is provided (Fig. 5) by the set of cavities 34, which composes of etched grooves parallel with the shorter edge of the side 311 in the form of angular wavy lines with the profile of cavities 35 of the shape of embedded V letter.

[0034] During the process of steam intake, incoming steam flow hits the set of cavities 34 of the side 311 with the profile of cavities 35, by means whereof it better transfers its kinetic energy to the piston 3.

Mode 4

[0035] The mode 4 encompasses all elements as the example 1 with the difference that cogwheels are provided on shafts of intake valves 5 and on shafts of exhaust valves 6 as well as on the engine's shaft 4. These cogwheels are connected by chain ensuring transfer of rotary movement from the engine's shaft 4 to shafts of intake as well as exhaust valves 5 and 6, which rotate and the speed of rotation thereof is dependant on the speed of rotation of the engine's shaft 4.

Mode 5

[0036] The mode 5 encompasses all elements as the example 1 with the difference that pulleys (circular disks) are provided on shafts of intake valves 5 and on shafts of exhaust valves 6 as well as on the engine's shaft 4. These pulleys are connected by belt ensuring transfer of rotary movement from the engine's shaft 4 to shafts of intake as well as exhaust valves 5 and 6, which rotate and the speed of rotation thereof is dependant on the speed of rotation of the engine's shaft 4.