WO1998016723A1

WO1998016723A1 - Hemispherical engine

Info

Publication number: WO1998016723A1
Application number: PCT/YU1997/000010
Authority: WO
Inventors: Vladeta Filipovic
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1996-10-16
Filing date: 1997-10-15
Publication date: 1998-04-23
Anticipated expiration: 1999-04-16
Also published as: YU55896A

Abstract

Ball mechanism with rotary wing (BMRW) is functionally equivalent to the classical cylinder-piston mechanism, but with different kinematic structure BMRW has a ball-like housing (10) and a semicircle-shaped rotary wing (3) and its kinematic scheme belongs to the class of three-link, spatial spherical mechanisms. Two main fields of application are Ball Pump with Rotary Wing (BPRW) and Ball Engine with Rotary Wing (BERW). However, BMRW can be an alternative for any kind of reciprocating mechanisms, if it is important to make use of its main advantages: minimal dimensions, variable flow or compression ratio, and almost ideal mass balancing.

Description

HEMISPHERICAL ENGINE

FIELD OF INVENTION

Ball Mechanism with Rotary Wing (BMRW) belongs to mechanical engineering, or, specifically, to: theory of mechanisms, hydraulic machines, internal combustion engines.

TECHNICAL PROBLEM

A mechanism equivalent to the classical cylinder-piston mechanism (cylinder, piston, piston-rod, crankshaft), but based on a kinematic scheme which enables continual flow control or variable compression ratio, as well as minimal dimensions, and ideal balancing of masses.

STATE OF THE ART

There are many types of reciprocating mechanisms, which, in combination with inlet and outlet valves and corresponding driving mechanisms, enable the design of different devices such as pumps, compressors, hydraulic or pneumatic motors, internal or external combustion engines, and so on. Many types of kinematic schemes have been applied for transformation of rotating motion of a shaft into oscillating motion of a piston. As a rule, these kinematic schemes belong to the class of plane mechanisms. Spatial mechanisms have never been applied for this purpose.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENΗON

BMRW consists of a piston in the shape of semicircle which performs rotation and oscillation in a ball-like working chamber. This kinematic structure is known in the theory of mechanisms as a three-link spatial mechanism, with four axes of rotation, which, due to passive constrains (all axes intersect at one point), belongs to the class of so-called spherical mechanisms. Considering that the rotary element in BMRW performs also an oscillatory motion, it is more suitable to name this element as a rotary wing, rather then piston. The rotary wing divides the hemispherical housing into two chambers, the same way as the piston divides the cylinder in the case of the classical cylinder-piston design. The angle of the oscillatory component of motion corresponds to the length of stroke of the pistoa The mechanism is functionally equivalent to die classical cylinder-piston mechanism, but with the following advantages:

- minimal dimensions (the entire mechanism is stored in the working chamber)

- continual flow control (in the case of pumps), or variable compression ratio (in the case of compressors and engines)

- almost ideal balancing of masses.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Fig. 1 - the appearance of BMRW

Fig. 2 - cross-section through axes I and II (in the case of pump)

Fig 3 - the wing and the hinge, in the case of pump

Fig 4 - the known mechanism whose kinematic scheme was used as a basis for the design of BMRW

Fig 5 - cross-section through axes I and II, in the case of engine

Fig 6 - the wing and the hinge, in the case of engine. DETAΓ ED DESCRIPTION

Figs. 1, 2 and 3 show the BMRW applied as a pump. The main parts are: 1 - driving shaft; 2 - crankshaft; 3 - rotary wing; 4 - base plate with bearings 5 and 14; 5 - bearing of shaft 1; 6 - bearing of crankshaft 2; 7 - hinge between shaft 1 and rotary wing 3; 8 - hinge between rotary wing 3 and crankshaft 2; 9 - hemispherical housing; 10 - circular plate; 11 and 12 inlet and outlet openings, respectively; 13 - spherical ring; 14 - bearing which enables adjustment of angle α (rotation of housing around axis V)

Fig. 1 shows the appearance of the pump. The mechanism for adjustment of angle α is not shown. The pump is presented in the position when axis IV of hinge 7 is perpendicular to the drawing. Axis I is fixed, while the position of axis II is adjustable by changing angle α. Axes HI and IV rotate in space in accordance with the applied kinematic scheme. In order for this mechanism to have one degree of freedom, the following conditions have to be satisfied:

- Axes I, π, HI and TV intersect at one point.

- Axes I and HI have to be perpendicular to axis IV.

- Adjustment of angle α is performed by rotating the housing around axis V, which also intersects the axes I through IV at a common point (see Fig 1 - in Figs 2 and 4 axis V is not shown, because in this state of mechanism it is collinear with axis IV.

If crankshaft 2 performs uniform rotation, three possibilities can be distinguished:

- If α < β, shaft 1 performs progressive, nonuniform rotation.

- If α = β, for some positions of shaft 2 the state of shaft 1 is not defined

- If α. > β, shaft 1 performs oscillatory motion.

BMRW can be realized only if the first condition is satisfied.

Rotary wing 3 divides the housing into two chambers, labeled in Fig. 2 as Vj and ^τv^*2. By continuous lines the mechanism is presented in a position of lower dead point (LDP), while upper dead point (UDP) is indicated by doted lines. The terms LDP and UDP are adopted by analogy with classical cylinder-piston mechanism, because in these positions volumes V_j and V2 have extreme values. In Fig. 3 hinge 7, wing 3 and plate 10 are presented in a disassembled state. It can be seen that the design enables the sealing between the chambers V\ and V2. in all positions of wing 3.

Figure 4 shows the mechanism whose kinematic structure was used to develop BMRW. All the parts in Fig. 4 have the same functions and labels as the corresponding parts in Figs. 1, 2 and 3. This mechanism belongs to the class of spatial, spherical, three-link mechanisms. The adjustability of parameter α is enabled by the semiarc-shaped bearing 6.

If BMRW is used to realize a pump, one cycle is as follows: When the mechanism is in LDP, the chamber V1 has minimal value, chamber V2 has maximal value, while hinge 7 covers openings 11 and 12. If the wing rotates in the direction marked in Fig. 3, slightly after LDP chambers V and V2 will be connected with openings 11 and 12, respectively. Taking into account thai from LDP to UDP chamber V1 increases while chamber V2 decreases, openings 11 and 12 have functions of inlet and outlet, respectively. When the rotary wing reaches UDP, hinge 7 covers again openings 11 and 12. After UDP connections between the chambers and openings change, V1 is connected with 12 and V2 with 11. However, after UDP, Vj decreases and V2 increases, meaning that opening 11 is still an inlet and opening 12 is an outlet. The flow diagram depends on a leading shaft (1 or 2) and on angle β . However, in all cases the flow is inherently pulsating, as is the case with all reciprocating pumps. The mean discharge is directly proportional to angle σ. When α = 0 the discharge is zero, because volumes V and V2 are unchanged during the rotation.

For more information see: V.Filipovic, "Ball Pump with Rotary Wing", Mechanism and Machine Theory, The scientific journal oflFToMM (accepted for publication in 1997).

If BMRW is used to realize a two-cycle internal combustion engine, the design is presented in Figs. 5 and 6. The differences between the pump and the engine are:

- Hinge 7 appears as a circular plate which has the same diameter as the hemisphere, and which has an exhausting orifice (19).

- Plate 10 has exhausting orifice 15, instead of input and output orifices 11 and 12.

- Hemisphere 9 has three additional parts:

- spark plug 16

- one-way valve 17

- overflow valve 18.

The cycles in this engine are functionally equivalent to the cycles in the classical two-cycle engine:

When the wing is in LDP (presented by continuous lines in Fig 5), the spark plug performs ignition in chamber W and initiates the cycle of expansion. At the same time in chamber V occurs pre-compression. When in the vicinity of UDP orifices 19 and 15 begin to overlap, in chamber \^J\ begins gas exhaustion. Before the exhaustion ends, the wing, which is in the position indicated by dotted lines, enables the overflow of pre-compressed gas through overflow valve 18 from chamber V2 into working chamber V1. After this, up to LDP, the gas enters chamber V2 through one-way valve 17, while, at the same time, the cycle of compression takes place in chamber Vι . After LDP the same cyclic process repeats.

The compression ratio can be adjusted by changing angle α, similarly to the change of discharge in the case of pump with variable flow.

For more information see: V. Filipovic, "Ball Engine with Rotary Wing", International Symposium Machines and Mechanisms, ISMM '97, Belgrade Sep. 1997.

In both cases (pump and engine), by using counterweights, almost ideal balancing with respect to axes HI and II can be achieved. possmnπTEs OF INDUSTRIAL APPLICATION

BMRW can be used for construction of new types of pumps, compressors, internal combustion engines, hydraulic or pneumatic motors and any other devices that can use the piston-cylinder principle. Its use is especially advantageous in applications where minimal dimensions, variable flow or compression ratio and almost ideal mass balancing are sought.

Claims

1. Ball Mechanism with Rotary Wing, realized as pump, presented in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, consists of the following main parts: 1 - driving shaft, 2 - crankshaft, 3 - rotary wing, 4 - base plate with bearings 5 and 14, 5 - bearing of shaft 1, 6 - bearing of crankshaft 2, 7 - hinge between shaft 1 and rotary wing 3, 8 - hinge between rotary wing 3 and crankshaft 2, 9 - hemispherical housing, 10 - circular plate, 11 and 12 - inlet and outlet openings, respectively, 13 - spherical ring, 14 - bearing which enables adjustment of angle α (rotation of housing around axis V), characterized by the fact that axes of shaft 1, shaft 2, hinge 7, hinge 8 and bearing 14 intersect in UIQ center of housing 9, in such a way that the axis of hinge 7 is perpendicular to the axes of shaft 1 and hinge 8, the axis of bearing 14 is perpendicular to the axes of shafts 1 and 2, the angle between shaft 2 and hinge 8 is greater than the angle between shafts 1 and 2, while openings 11 and 12 are located in plate 10 in such a way that hinge 7 covers these openings when the angle between rotary wing 3 and plate 10 has the minimal value.

2. Ball Mechanism with Rotary Wing, realized as a two-cycle internal combustion engine, presented in Figs. 5 and 6, is identical with the mechanism defined in claim 1, with the exceptions characterized by the fact that there are tree additional devices on housing 9: spark plug 16, one-way gas inlet valve 17 and overflow valve 18, while hinge 7 appears as a circular plate with opening 19, and plate 10 has only one opening 15 instead openings 11 and 12, as shown in Fig. 6.