Rotary engine cooling system

Claim 2

A rotary combustion engine having at least one rotor housing and a pair of end housings, a coolant pump having an inlet and an outlet in one of said end housings, said housings having a first pass coolant passage connected to said pump inlet in said one end housing and extending axially through said rotor housing in an intermediate heat region thereof where working chamber exhaust occurs and terminating in the other of said end housings, said housings further having a second pass coolant passage connected to said first pass coolant passage in said other end housing and extending axially through said rotor housing in the hotest heat region thereof where working chamber combustion occurs and terminating in said one end housing, said housings further having a bypass coolant passage originating at one end in said other end housing and extending axially through said rotor housing in the coolest region thereof where working chamber intake occurs and connected at the opposite end to said pump inlet in said one end housing, a radiator having an inlet connected to said second pass coolant passage at said one end housing and having an outlet connected to said pump inlet at Said one end housing, a heater having an inlet connected to said second pass coolant passage at said one end housing and having an outlet connected to said bypass coolant passage at said other end housing, said one end housing and said rotor housing having a heater bypass passage connected at one end in said one end housing to said second pass coolant passage and connected at the opposite end to said bypass coolant passage in said rotor housing and thus to said pump inlet in said one end housing, and thermostatically controlled valve means in said one end housing for blocking coolant flow to said radiator and permitting fluid flow to said heater bypass passage below a predetermined coolant temperature and, alternatively, permitting coolant flow to said radiator and limiting flow to said heater bypass passage above said predetermined temperature whereby when the engine is cool, coolant passes through said first pass coolant passage and then said second pass coolant passage and then said heater and then said bypass coolant passage to said pump inlet while coolant is also permitted to pass through said heater bypass passage to said pump inlet in parallel with coolant flow to said heater to prevent excessive pressures in said heater and when the engine has sufficiently warmed up, coolant passes first through said first pass coolant passage and then said second pass coolant passage and then said radiator to said pump inlet while coolant continues to flow through said heater and then through said bypass coolant passage to said pump inlet.

Claim 3

A rotary combustion engine having a rotor housing with a spark plug and an exhaust port and a pair of end housings with intake ports, a coolant pump having an inlet and an outlet in one of said end housings, said housings having first pass coolant passage means connected to said pump inlet in said one end housing and extending axially through said rotor housing around said exhaust port and terminating in the other of said end housings, said housings further having a second pass coolant passage connected to said first pass coolant passage in said other end housing and extending axially through said rotor housing around said spark plug and terminating in said one end housing, said housings further having a bypass coolant passage originating at one end in said other end housing and extending axially through said rotor housing and around said intake ports in said end housings and connected at the opposite end to said pump inlet in said one end housing, a radiator having an inlet connected to said second pass coolant passage at said one end housing and having an outlet connected to said pump inlet at said one end housing, a heater having an inlet connected to said second pass coolant passage at said one end housing and having an outlet connected to said bypass coolant passage at said other end housing, said one end housing and said rotor housing having a heater bypass passage connected at one end in said one end housing to said second pass coolant passage and connected at the opposite end to said bypass coolant passage in said rotor housing and thus to said pump inlet in said one end housing, and thermostatically controlled valve means in said one end housing for blocking coolant flow to said radiator and permitting fluid flow to said heater bypass passage below a predetermined coolant temperature and, alternatively, permitting coolant flow to said radiator and blocking flow to said heater bypass passage above said predetermined temperature whereby when the engine is cool, coolant passes through said first pass coolant passage and then said second pass coolant passage and then said heater and then said bypass coolant passage to said pump inlet while coolant is also permitted to pass through said heater bypass passage to said pump inlet in parallel with coolant flow to said heater to prevent excessive pressures in said heater and when the engine has sufficiently warmed up, coolant passes first through said first pass coolant passage and then said second pass coolant Passage and then said radiator to said pump inlet while coolant continues to flow through said heater and then through said bypass coolant passage to said pump inlet.

Claim 4

A rotary combustion engine having a rotor housing with a spark plug and an exhaust port and a pair of end housings with intake ports, a coolant pump having an inlet and an outlet in one of said end housings, said housings having first pass coolant passage means connected to said pump inlet in said one end housing and extending axially through said rotor housing around said exhaust port and terminating in the other of said end housings, said housings further having a second pass coolant passage connected to said first pass coolant passage in said other end housing and extending axially through said rotor housing around said spark plug and terminating in said one end housing, said housings further having a bypass coolant passage originating at one end in said other end housing and extending axially through said rotor housing and around said intake ports in said end housings and connected at the opposite end to said pump inlet in said one end housing, a radiator having an inlet connected to said second pass coolant passage at said one end housing and having an outlet connected to said pump inlet at said one end housing, a heater having an inlet connected to said second pass coolant passage at said one end housing and having an outlet connected to said bypass coolant passage at said other end housing, said one end housing and said rotor housing having a heater bypass passage connected at one end in said one end housing to said second pass coolant passage and connected at the opposite end to said bypass coolant passage in said rotor housing and thus to said pump inlet in said one end housing, and thermostatically controlled valve means in said one end housing for blocking coolant flow to said radiator and permitting fluid flow to said heater bypass passage below a predetermined coolant temperature and, alternatively, permitting coolant flow to said radiator and blocking flow to said heater bypass passage above said predetermined temperature whereby when the engine is cool, coolant passes through said first pass coolant passage and then said second pass coolant passage and then said heater and then said bypass coolant passage to said pump inlet while coolant is also permitted to pass through said heater bypass passage to said pump inlet in parallel with coolant flow to said heater to prevent excessive pressures in said heater and when the engine has sufficiently warmed up, coolant passes first through said first pass coolant passage and then said second pass coolant Passage and then said radiator to said pump inlet while coolant continues to flow through said heater and then through said bypass coolant passage to said pump inlet.

Claim 5

A rotary combustion engine having a pair of end housings, a pair of rotor housings between said end housings and an intermediate housing between said rotor housings, a coolant pump having an inlet and an outlet in one of said end housings, said housings having first pass coolant passage means connected to said pump inlet in said one end housing and extending axially in a plurality of branches through said rotor housings and said intermediate housing in an intermediate heat region thereof where working chamber exhaust occurs and terminating in the other of said end housings, said housings further having second pass coolant passage means connected to said first pass coolant passage means in said other end housing and extending axially in a plurality of branches through said rotor housings and said intermediate housing in the hotest heat region thereof where working chamber combustion occurs and terminating in said one end housing, said housings further having bypass coolant passage means originating at one end in said other end housing and extending axially in a plurality of branches through said rotor housings and said intermediate housing in the coolest region thereof where working chamber intake occurs and connected at the opposite end to said pump inlet in said one end housing, a radiator having an inlet connected to said second pass coolant passage means at said one end housing and having an outlet connected to said pump inlet at said one end housing, a heater having an inlet connected to said second pass coolant passage means at said one end housing and having an outlet connected to said bypass coolant passage means at said other end housing, said one end housing and the one rotor housing closest to said one end housing having heater bypass passage means connected at one end in said one end housing to said second pass coolant passage means and connected at the opposite end to said bypass coolant passage means in said one rotor housing and thus to said pump inlet in said one end housing, a bleed passage connecting said first pass coolant passage means to said bypass coolant passage means in said other end housing, and thermostatically controlled valve means in said one end housing for blocking coolant flow to said radiator and permitting fluid flow to said heater bypass passage means below a predetermined coolant temperature and, alternatively, permitting coolant flow to said radiator and blocking flow to said heater bypass passage means above said predetermined temperature whereby when the engine is cool, coolant passes through said first pass coolant passage means and then said second pass coolant passage means and then said heater and then said bypass coolant passage means to said pump inlet while coolant is also permitted to pass through said heater bypass passage means to said pump inlet in parallel with coolant flow to said heater to prevent excessive pressures in said heater and when the engine has sufficiently warmed up, coolant passes first through said first pass coolant passage means and then said second pass coolant passage means and then said radiator to said pump inlet while coolant continues to flow through said heater and then through said bypass coolant passage means to said pump inlet.

Claim 6

A rotary combustion engine having a pair of end housings, a pair of rotor housings between said end housings and an intermediate housing between said rotor housings, a coolant pump having an inlet and an outlet in one of said end housings, said housings having first pass coolant passage means connected to said pump inlet in said one end housing and extending axially in a plurality of branches through said rotor housings and said intermediate housing in an intermediate heat region thereof where working chamber exhaust occurs and terminating in the other of said end housings, said housings further having second pass coolant passage means connected to said first pass coolant passage means in said other end housing and extending axially in a plurality of branches through said rotor housings and said intermediate housing in the hotest heat region thereof where working chamber combustion occurs and terminating in said one end housing, said housings further having bypass coolant passage means originating at one end in said other end housing and extending axially in a plurality of branches through said rotor housings and said intermediate housing in the coolest region thereof where working chamber intake occurs and connected at the opposite end to said pump inlet in said one end housing, a radiator having an inlet connected to said second pass coolant passage means at said one end housing and having an outlet connected to said pump inlet at said one end housing, a heater having an inlet connected to said second pass coolant passage means at said one end housing and having an outlet connected to said bypass coolant passage means at said other end housing, said one end housing and the one rotor housing closest to said one end housing having heater bypass passage means connected at one end in said one end housing to said second pass coolant passage means and connected at the opposite end to said bypass coolant passage means in said one rotor housing and thus to said pump inlet in said one end housing, a bleed passage connecting said first pass coolant passage means to said bypass coolant passage means in said other end housing, and thermostatically controlled valve means in said one end housing for blocking coolant flow to said radiator and permitting fluid flow to said heater bypass passage means below a predetermined coolant temperature and, alternatively, permitting coolant flow to said radiator and blocking flow to said heater bypass passage means above said predetermined temperature whereby when the engine is cool, coolant passes through said first pass coolant passage means and then said second pass coolant passage means and then said heater and then said bypass coolant passage means to said pump inlet while coolant is also permitted to pass through said heater bypass passage means to said pump inlet in parallel with coolant flow to said heater to prevent excessive pressures in said heater and when the engine has sufficiently warmed up, coolant passes first through said first pass coolant passage means and then said second pass coolant passage means and then said radiator to said pump inlet while coolant continues to flow through said heater and then through said bypass coolant passage means to said pump inlet.