US3811275A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Rotary turbine engine
Assignee: Individual
•
Filing: 1973-04-23
•
Granted: 1974-05-21
•
Expires: 1993-04-23
Abstract
Abstract A rotary turbine engine comprising a drive shaft, a rotor integral with the drive shaft, and a substantially cylindrical stationary casing surrounding the rotor, the rotor comprising a plurality of combustion chambers spaced radially with respect to the drive shaft. Each combustion chamber comprises spaced end walls substantially normal to the axis of the drive shaft and has a nozzle extending outwardly from the chamber with its axis directed towards peripheral wall of the casing. Each combustion chamber also comprises a substantially arcuate wall extending between said end walls formed by a substantially arcuate plane which is generated about a line which is substantially at the intersection of a plane which coincides with the longitudinal axis of the nozzle and a plane which substantially coincides with a radius of the rotor which is substantially normal to the second plane. The engine also comprises means for supercharging the combustion chambers comprising a centrifugal air compressor driven by the drive shaft at a substantially higher speed than the drive shaft and means for providing communication between said centrifugal air compressor and said combustion chambers for at least initially supercharging the combustion chambers, means for injecting ignitable gas to the combustion chambers and means for igniting the gas in the chambers to cause expansion thereof and the expanded gases to emerge from the nozzles thereby causing rotation of the rotor. The engine is capable of many uses for example in vehicles such as automobiles, tractors, trains and airplanes and also in electric power generators, power tools, outboard motors, helicopters, lawn mowers, etc.
Inventors
- 👤 A Mastrobuono
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-01 13:14
CPC Classifications
F; F02; F02C; F02C5/00; F02C5/02; F02C5/04
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 20
Claim 1
Independent Claim
215 words
A rotary turbine engine comprising a drive shaft, a rotor integral with the drive shaft, said rotor comprising a plurality of combustion chambers spaced radially with respect to the drive shaft, a substantially cylindrical stationary casing surrounding the rotor, each combustion chamber comprising spaced end walls substantially normal to the axis of the drive shaft and having a nozzle extending outwardly from the chamber with its axis directed towards the peripheral wall of the casing, each combustion chamber also comprising a substantially arcuate wall extending between said end walls formed by a substantially arcuate plane which is generated about a line which is substantially at the intersection of a plane which coincides with the longitudinal axis of the nozzle and a plane which substantially coincides with a radius of the rotor which is substantially normal to the second plane, means for supercharging the combustion chamber comprising a centrifugal air compressor driven by the drive shaft at a substantially higher speed than the drive shaft, means for providing communication between said centrifugal air compressor and said combustion chambers, means for injecting ignitable gas to said combustion chambers and means for igniting said gas in said combustion chambers to cause expansion thereof and the expanded gases to emerge from said nozzles thereby causing rotation of the rotor.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
215 words
A rotary turbine engine comprising a drive shaft, a rotor integral with the drive shaft, said rotor comprising a plurality of combustion chambers spaced radially with respect to the drive shaft, a substantially cylindrical stationary casing surrounding the rotor, each combustion chamber comprising spaced end walls substantially normal to the axis of the drive shaft and having a nozzle extending outwardly from the chamber with its axis directed towards the peripheral wall of the casing, each combustion chamber also comprising a substantially arcuate wall extending between said end walls formed by a substantially arcuate plane which is generated about a line which is substantially at the intersection of a plane which coincides with the longitudinal axis of the nozzle and a plane which substantially coincides with a radius of the rotor which is substantially normal to the second plane, means for supercharging the combustion chamber comprising a centrifugal air compressor driven by the drive shaft at a substantially higher speed than the drive shaft, means for providing communication between said centrifugal air compressor and said combustion chambers, means for injecting ignitable gas to said combustion chambers and means for igniting said gas in said combustion chambers to cause expansion thereof and the expanded gases to emerge from said nozzles thereby causing rotation of the rotor.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
43 words
The engine of claim 1 wherein the means for injecting ignitable gas to the combustion chambers comprises a plurality of fuel passages in the drive shaft, each fuel passage terminating at its inner end in an injector which communicates with a combustion chamber.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
38 words
The engine of claim 2 wherein the fuel is provided from a pressurized fuel chamber in a member attached to an end wall of the casing, said fuel chamber communicating with the outer ends of said fuel passages.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
76 words
The engine of claim 1 wherein the drive shaft comprises an air passage communicating at one end with said centrifugal air compressor and first impeller means integral with the drive shaft and adjacent to one side of the combustion chambers, said impeller means comprising a plurality of cavities which extend generally radially outwardly from said air passage and ports providing communication between said cavities and said combustion chambers through said one side of the combustion chambers.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
81 words
The engine of claim 4 which also comprises second impeller means positioned adjacent to another side of the combustion chambers, said second impeller means comprising a plurality of generally radial cavities communicating with said air passage and ports providing communication between said cavities and said combustion chambers through said another side of the combustion chambers, whereby cross supercharging of the compressed air admitted to each combustion chamber is effected by said ports which pass through different sides of each combustion chamber.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
89 words
The engine of claim 5 wherein at least portions of said arcuate walls of the combustion chambers formed by said arcuate planes are spaced apart providing passages between adjacent walls of the combustion chambers which communicate with said drive shaft air passage, and ports in the walls of the cavities of said second impeller means providing communication between said arcuate passages and said second impeller cavities whereby the comPressed air passes from said arcuate passages to said second impeller cavities and thence to the interiors of the combustion chambers.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
95 words
The engine of claim 1 wherein the drive shaft has an air passage communicating at one end with said centrifugal air compressor, wherein at least portions of said arcuate walls of the combustion chambers formed by said arcuate planes are spaced apart providing passages between adjacent walls which communicate with said drive shaft air passage and wherein said arcuate walls are provided with a plurality of fins which project into the passages between said arcuate walls whereby the walls of the combustion chambers are cooled by the compressed air in said drive shaft air passage.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
79 words
The engine of claim 1 which also comprises a turbocharger exterior of the casing, means for providing communication between the exhaust gases which emerge from the nozzles of the combustion chambers and the exhaust turbine of the turbocharger, a second centrifugal air compressor driven by said exhaust turbine, means for providing communication between said second centrifugal air compressor and the compressed air emitted from the first centrifugal air compressor thereby to aid in additionally initially supercharging said combustion chambers.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
100 words
The engine of claim 8 which also comprises an annular member attached to the peripheral wall of said casing, said annular member being formed with an annular passage between said peripheral wall and an inner wall of the annular member, said inner wall being provided with a series of spaced ports for providing communication between the nozzles of the combustion chambers and said annular passage, whereby exhaust gases emerging from the nozzles periodically pass to said annular passage, and means for providing communication between said annular passage and said exhaust turbocharger for continuously passing exhaust gases to said exhaust turbocharger.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
111 words
The engine of claim 1 wherein the axis of each nozzle is substantially perpendicular to a line which is perpendicular to the axis of the drive shaft and said nozzles point in different directions, whereby a greater portion of the pressure produced by the combustion of the ignitable gas may be utilized by decreasing the diameter of the inner surface of said arcuate wall of the combustion chamber formed by said arcuate plane and increasing the width of the combustion chamber whereby the volume of said combustion chamber remains unchanged and a maximum utilization of pressure per square inch acting on the inside arcuate wall of said combustion chamber is attained.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
74 words
The engine of claim 1 wherein the axis of each nozzle is substantially perpendicular to a line which is perpendicular to the axis of the drive shaft and said nozzles point different directions, whereby torque at the drive shaft may be increased by increasing the distance from the axis of the drive shaft to the point of intersection between said axis of the nozzle and said perpendicular to the axis of the drive shaft.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
44 words
The engine of claim 1 which also comprises means for providing periodic intake of ignitable gas to said combustion chambers, means for periodically igniting said ignitable gas and means for causing periodic exhaust of residual gases from said combustion chambers through an exhaust passage.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
43 words
The engine of claim 1 wherein the outer faces of at least one of said spaced end walls comprises ports for periodically providing communication between said combustion chambers and the source of said ignitable gas and said means for igniting said ignitable gas.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
56 words
The engine of claim 13 wherein at least a portion of one end of the substantially cylindrical casing engages at least portions of said one end wall of the combustion chambers and comprises ports which successively provide communication between said intake and ignition ports in said portion of said one end wall of said combustion chamber.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
31 words
The engine of claim 1 wherein a portion of at least one of said spaced end walls comprises pOrts for periodically providing communication between said combustion chambers and an exhaust passage.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
47 words
The engine of claim 15 wherein at least a portion of one end of the substantially cylindrical casing engages at least portions of said one end wall which contains said exhaust ports and comprises a port which provides communication between said exhaust ports and an exhaust passage.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
55 words
The engine of claim 1 which also comprises means for periodically closing said nozzles which comprises means adjacent to the peripheral wall of said substantially cylindrical casing for forming a series of spaced pockets which are of substantially the same diameter as the diameter of the orifices of the nozzles and which face said orifices.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
21 words
The engine of claim 17 wherein said means for closing said nozzles is secured to said peripheral wall of said casing.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
32 words
The engine of claim 17 wherein said means for forming a series of pockets is devoid of pockets at the portion thereof which faces a nozzle of a combustion chamber during intake.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1977-05-20 | 1977-11-19 | 1978-05-21 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1981-05-20 | 1981-11-19 | 1982-05-21 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1985-05-20 | 1985-11-19 | 1986-05-21 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |